Karan Johar has returned to direction after a long hiatus but to the audience’s delight and especially those who love the Karan Johar universe of cinema, he has delivered one of the finest movies of 2023 which has non-stop entertainment with bits of quirk, sass, family values and a lot of emotions. Here is the complete film review…
Cast: Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Tota Roy Choudhury, Churni Ganguly, Aamir Bashir, Kshitee Jog, Anjali Anand
Director : Karan Johar
Written By : Shashank Khaitan, Ishita Moitra, Sumit Roy
Rating : 3.5/5
Plot : Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is an engaging and entertaining ride of two polar-opposite people as well as families. Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh) is a flamboyant Punjabi boy who has a questionable English and wears his shirt as if the buttons are missing flexing his abs all the time but has his heart at the right place. His family is a typical Punjabi conservative family where patriarchy rules and the women are simply ordered around except his grandmother, Dhanlaxmi Randhawa (Jaya Bachchan) because she is the core behind this regressive setting in the Randhawa family. He also has a grandfather, Kanwal Randhawa (Dharmendra) who he loves till death but he has memory issues and is unable to walk or roam freely due to his ailing health. On the other hand, Alia Bhatt plays Rani Chatterjee who is a university topper, polished, well-read and and is well-versed with the geo-political setting of the world, plays a journalist in a leading media-house where she runs a show of her own. She belongs to a family of poets, English professors and Kathak dancers simply suggesting that the Chatterjees and the Randhawas are like black & white, complete polar opposites of each other. Rani’s grandmother, Jamini Chatterjee (Shabana Azmi) has a old but deep connection with Kanwal, Rocky’s ailing grandfather and here is where Rocky meets Rani.
In a Karan Johar film, you will find love in all directions and in RARKPK, there is love but of different kinds. When Rocky meets Rani, sparks obviously flow and they start falling for each other but there is also another super special love-story brewing between Kanwal and Jamini which acts as the crux in the film’s story-telling. A lot of mishaps happen, scenes get ugly and even the families are at cross-fire but the film never loses one thing, ie, it’s sense of humor and that is why the film hardly has any single dull moment. As the movie goes forward, Alia and Ranveer decide with their families that so as to convince their families for their unison, they will live in each other’s houses for three months. This family-exchange sets the tone for a wild ride ahead filled with entertainment, culture-exchange, brilliant one-liners and a whole lot of madness and drama.
What We Loved : Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi! The trio of veterans has added a unique flavor and a sense of credibility to the overall film that it’s unmissable. As I was watching the film, they eventually became the leading pillars of the film for me right from a downright evil Dhanlaxmi to the endearing Kanwal & Jamini. While Jaya Bachchan as Dhanlaxmi has hit it out of the stadium with her performance, she proved yet again why she is a multiple time National award winner with a performance that will leave a mark on you. Coming to Dharmendra, the legendary actor has given a masterclass in charm and restrain where he as Kanwal will only make place in your heart as he is easily the most loved character in the film. Lastly, Shabana Azmi as Jamini has made us believe that class is permanent and an actor can act with both eyes and dialogues. She still has the dignity and the poise where I feel her character will age very well in coming times. Lastly, the love-saga of Kanwal and Jamini makes us believe a lot in the phenomenon called love and you’ll realize the purity of it once you watch the film.
What We Liked : Welcome Rocky Randhawa to the block guys! His suave and his loud motormouth English wont annoy you but will eventually take you by surprise that how can such a loud character who cant stop speaking, be so effective in cementing the basics of a character who is simply like a Delhi based rich boy who knows just one thing, ie, flamboyance. The character grows on you, his weird English makes you laugh and his solid heart makes you root for him. Singh, like a true chameleon, slides into the skin of the character right from the 1st frame till the very end and it is obviously not easy but he makes it look believable. His Dola Re dance-sequence is unmissable. The other aspect of the film which kept me engaged and hooting throughout the film was how the film also delivers a brave message on patriarchy, cultural-differences, what family-values ACTUALLY mean, male-dancers acing Kathak, how being self-sufficient for a basic thing like morning coffee and washing your own laundry etc are the several undertones in the film which hit the bull’s eye but are far from being preachy at the face.
Alia Bhatt as Rani delivers yet another sound and collected act where she plays the true modern day woman of today’s times and gives us a lesson or two in standing up for yourself. Her demeanor and dialogue-delivery were on-point where she she reminded me of Rhea Saran from KANK, another Karan Johar directorial. A woman of substance!
Not to forget, the supporting cast, Tota Roy Choudhury and Churni Ganguly as Rani’s parents are perfectly cast to the T whereas Aamir Bashir and Kshitee Jog as Rocky’s father and mother are exactly the actors the film needed to portray two contrasting characters. Anjali Anand as Gayatri Randhawa (Rocky’s sister) also delivers a solid punch.
Finally, I strongly recommend you to watch Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani as in today’s times of content on OTT or big screen, everything is serious, dark and has a social-message to give or a social-stigma to kill. Basically, a lot of content these days is serious and doesn’t give you a reason to laugh freely and feel deep within. RARKPK does exactly that where it teaches you how important family is and why it is absolutely a must to have a hearty laugh and come out entertained after watching a movie with your family and friends in a theatre. Karan Johar has easily given one of the best entertainers in 2023 and I firmly believe we have a winner in our hands.
What We Didnt Like : Apart from the film’s length and the underwhelming music, I had no complaints. Dhindhora Baaje Re and Shreyas version of Tum Kya Mile are the only two songs which made their place in my playlist.
Overall Rating : 3.5/5
