‘Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ is yet another family mega-blockbuster directed by the master craftsman of Bollywood, Karan Johar, who returns after seven years of keeping no stone unturned in entertaining his audiences. This love saga is intertwined with a heartwarming storyline, exotic love chemistry, simplicity, family values, emotions, humour and flashy costumes. Not to miss the grandeur that Karan Johar brings to the table, which keeps you invested throughout.
Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh leave you spellbound with their electric onscreen chemistry and acting etching their characters. Every character in the film is very well written, and makes a mark, while it takes you to its background story.
Ranveer Singh reflects his natural charm as Rocky Randhawa who’s a rich Punjabi Jatt, soaked in wealth, who wears low neckline printed shirts and drives a red Ferrari.He is introduced as a fitness freak and a womaniser, who attends a Punjabi of the year contest. Alia Bhatt as Rani Chatterjee is an absolute stunner right from her entry in a white shiffon saree.She plays this gutsy, witty bong journalist who’s seen schooling a politician over rising rape cases, absolutely nailing her performance.
The film portrays two parallel love stories, the first being a soul-stirring tale of age-old lovers Kanwal (Dharmendra) and Yamini (Shabana Azmi) which never gets accomplished, while their grandchildren Rocky and Rani, who try to bring them together, fall in love with each other.
Then begins Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani with lots of romance, twists and turns, emotions, intervened with heart-touching melodies, exotic locations and grandeur. Not to miss Alia Bhatt looking drop-dead gorgeous wrapped in colourful chiffon sarees at exotic locations, displaying exceptional visual treat and cinematography. The film displays grandness in every bit of the festive exuberance, especially in the Durga Puja dance scene with grand sets, which is very well choreographed.
The storyline of the film is extremely progressive and deals with age-old Indian ideologies and stigmas of the older generation, while it also points to misogyny, casual racism, fat shaming, love-less marriages and gender-based career choices. The film tries to bring in a reformed outlook to the position of women and even men in society, which certainly needs rectification, which has been loudly conveyed althrough the film.
Jaya Bachchan looks extremely impressive as Dhan Laxmi, a hardliner with a patriarchal mindset, who is a headstrong head of the Randhawa family. She is a seasoned businesswoman, master of her craft, while she runs her empire being India’s number one sweet seller.At some points, the film seems to be slightly feministic but, succeeds to create a balance while conveying an empowering message in the end.
The film deals with the stereotypical portrayal of Bengalis as refined intellectuals vs Punjabis, who are portrayed as raw, loud uncivil and uneducated, which is somehow disappointing as a concept to base a film on such cliches, comparing Bengali and Punjabi families. Although dealt in a fun way the film suggests the social acceptability of cross-cultural weddings.
Overall a must-watch for Bollywood lovers, who seek light, fun-filled romantic comedies, this film is sure to win your heart.
FF Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
