Raanjhanaa - Review

Varun: I had gone to watch this movie because of Rahman's music (Tum tak and the title track in particular), Sonam Kapoor and the colourful visuals in the trailers. The movie starts with Kundan (Dhanush), a carefree, illiterate, son of Tamil Brahmin kind of a character falling in love with Zoya (Sonam), a literate, daughter of a Muslim professor. (Not that we have ever seen a Hindu-Muslim love story ever but what is with a twist here is the literacy-illiteracy part). It’s a one-sided love from Kundan's side mostly. What Kundan does with ease most of the time in the movie is to slash his wrist. (Not that we have seen slashing of wrists in movies before). The script tried to behave differently by being absurd, rather like the instance of Zoya slapping Kundan more than 15 times and he smiling like a fool, they having something (don’t know what to call it), her father finding about it and sending her out of town, she coming back after 8 years and gotten over him but Kundan like totally still into her (And yes all this while her father not knowing who is the guy whom he send her daughter out of town for, brilliant).

The performances are note-worthy, Dhanush is totally into the character, don’t know why Sonam’s acting talents are not explored (she gets one type roles only Delhi 6, this movie and now by the looks of it Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), she’s not a bad performer. Side characters too have given a good performance such as Dhanush's close friend Murari that is played by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Bindiya who is head over heels for Kundan played by Swara Bhaskar. Abhay Deol is out of place & wasted.

Coming back to the story, Zoya's parents are orthodox and want her to get married to a Muslim guy so she finds one (Abhay Deol in Akram) in JNU, Kundan also goes to the extent to help her parents convince (you got that, I didn’t, true love is it?). Then, Kundan also promising to Zoya that he shall also get married on the same day as Zoya to Bindiya (I am as clueless as you are). Kundan then finding out that Akram is Hindu on the day of Zoya's marriage, henceforth breaking it. In the whole process, not attending his own marriage too.

Well here my friends was my breaking point and I decided to leave the theatre and that I guess was the interval point too where the drama is supposed to be in its ultimate high. There was a line which Murari kept telling to Kundan "kya choo****giri" kar rahe ho" hope someone could have conveyed the same to the writer. The movie was doing decent when it was working in cliché but however when it tried to be different it was a debacle. Colorful visuals, decent performances, pathetic script and Rahman's music.

All this till the first half only.

Namashkaar.

Tarun: So your rating is -1?

Varun: Hahaha hmm… I'd give it a 0.

Varun’s Rating: 0 – CRAP

Tarun: Wow even after walking out midway?

Varun: Yes I believe there are worst movies and I'd like to save my -1 rating for that.

Tarun: Hahaha beware filmmakers!

Varun: :D

Tarun: For me the first half wasn't as disastrous as it was for you. I was going along with the drama, liking some of the non-clichés and ignoring the clichés. Dhanush was fun to watch. Sonam on the other hand is a non-actor. I salute Rakesh Mehra for making her act in Delhi 6. And he's doing it again in Bhaag Milkha. Abhay was wasted. The political dialogues that he was given didn’t have any weight. A lot of the dialogues didn’t. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is outstanding as Kundan's friend Murari. His sequences with Dhanush kept me interested in the first half.

The second half is where it went all wrong for me. There were sequences with potential but they were cut too fast for them to have an emotional impact. The songs were all wasted which is a deal breaker if Rahman has done the score. Especially Piya Milenge. They've literally butchered the track.

I don't even remember most of the movie now. My mind has its own way of auto deleting crappy films.

Tarun’s Rating: 0 - CRAP

Varun: Haha that was the reason I didn't want to write a review. Anyways by the look of it there would be no discussion on it. I see no discussion as we both agree it was a crappy movie.

Tarun: Lalit is thanking his stars he didn't watch it.

Varun: He is rarely going to watch Hindi movies. We went for Nautanki Saala. What a disaster.

Tarun: Thank god I sat that one out.

Varun: Yeah

Tarun: Lalit, any comments?

Lalit: Haha, my god, I feel lucky to not have had my brain cells destroyed by this train wreck. Why did you have to remind me about Nautanki Saala? Is there anything good at all about this movie?

By the way, what was the rating for when you haven't seen the movie and don't want to? -1, right?

Tarun: Ya -1

Lalit’s Rating: -1 – DON’T PLAN TO WATCH

Lalit: And thank you guys. Not that I had any intentions to watch this, but thanks for saving me from this.

FILMY FOODIES AGGREGATE: 0 - CRAP