Review of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani:
Review of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh’s charming but flawed film
Review of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: The film’s core continues to be Karan Johar’s skillful blending of humor and emotion.
Rich families, extravagant locations, strong family values, feelings of love and sadness, all topped with glitzy outfits and expertly choreographed dance routines… The masala movie Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RARKPK) is standard, if not perfect. The anticipation and expectations for Karan Johar’s comeback to directing after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil seven years ago are strong. But when the movie takes too long to captivate you and eventually reveals itself to be a never-ending narrative of romance and prescriptive lessons, everything falls apart.
Yes, it restores the grandeur of Karan Johar’s films that we had long missed, but not without certain imperfections. The stereotyped representation of Bengalis as extremely educated and supremely brilliant individuals and Punjabis as loud and unruly people annoyed me the most when seeing RARKPK, among other things. Come on, it’s such a bummer that Bollywood is so mired in clichés. In Punjabi households, ladies do not wear dupattas to cover their heads. And why is the movie’s protagonist being openly objectified when viewers have long criticized Bollywood movies for sexualizing their female characters?
The movie opens with Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh) making a splash in the Punjabi of the Year competition while sporting a low-neckline printed shirt and an oily chest. On the other hand, Alia Bhatt’s character Rani Chatterjee has a far better-scripted introduction scene in which she lectures a politician on the increase in rape cases. We are informed right away about the disparate families that the Randhawas and Chatterjee. The plot of the film is essentially revealed in the trailer. It centers on Rocky and Rani, whose romance begins while they work to reunite their respective grandparents Kanwal (Dharmendra) and Jamini (Shabana Azmi).
whose 1978 affair came to a stop because of their marital status. Despite the resurgence of the classic romance, Rocky and Rani have challenges as a result of their disparate upbringings. They decide to live with each other’s families for three months in an effort to persuade their families, but they soon discover that it isn’t as simple as it may appear. The events that come next are a sequence of ups and downs, struggles, taunts, arguments, self-realizations, and regrets.
The movie is very long at 168 minutes, and it took me over an hour to get into it. Particularly the first half is so tedious that I had to force myself to watch it after the first few scenes. God alone knows what was visible on the screen. Rocky and Rani’s romance began in what way? I’m still unsure. I almost put it in rewind mode to see if I missed anything because it was moving so quickly. Unfortunately, it is rather abrupt. Why did Jaya Bachchan’s character, Dhanlakmi Randhawa, Rocky’s grandma, approve of her husband seeing his ex-lover? Even that is unknown to us.
It goes without saying that the plot quickens in the second half, and there are enough significant, emotionally-charged passages to keep you interested.
While Rani’s interactions with the Randhawas are intense and unappealing, Rocky’s encounters with Rani’s family are touching and humorous. I like the attempt at balance that KJo made when alternating between the two houses. KJo once again demonstrates that he understands the strengths of his performers and how to make the most of them through the characters they play with his precise and almost flawless directing. The core of the movie continues to be the way he combines humor and emotion.
The dialogue in RARKPK, which was written by Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy, occasionally uses phrases with double meanings and feels forced. We’ve probably had enough of Bollywood writers trying to make people laugh by mispronouncing phrases like “inter-caste as intercourse” and “orgasm,” so please come up with something more brilliant.
The repeated preaching sessions throughout the majority of the movie are another element that appears uncomfortable. There is no shortage of messaging, which ranges from denouncing patriarchy to pointing out misogyny to shoving feminism in our faces. I first loved the presence of a complete scene that emphasizes the idea that genius is unconstrained by gender. However, it becomes a problem when it is overused and when it is expressed in bad taste by making fun of a traditional dance style like Kathak. The sequence in which Rocky tells Rani’s father, “Inko Madhuri chadh gayi hai,” is not one that many people would laud. In another scene, Rani’s mother takes Rocky “bra-shopping” before lecturing him on how to appreciate women by first feeling at ease around their undergarments.
Without any context, it comes and goes. The discussion about racism that followed involved a Rocky who had been advised by his grandmother his entire life to steer clear of tea since it darkens the complexion, but the Bengali family thought it was terribly discriminatory. After that, #BlackLivesMatter, Beyonce, Rihanna, Kanye West, and the Punjabi song Kaala Shah Kaala are all mentioned in the same sentence. There’s more, I see. Although I support gender equality and women’s rights, I don’t understand why such strong social themes would be inserted into a supposed family entertainment film like Alia, which is like a textbook on feminist discussions.
Instead of straying into various genres and attempting to convey so many themes, RARKPK should have stayed true to its roots as a love story and family drama.
A few good and compelling performances save the day, and there isn’t much to quibble about. Ranveer, portraying himself as the colorful and noisy Punjabi character “Karol Bagh ka launda,” pulls off a seamless performance. I’m not criticizing, but I didn’t notice any preparation or acting there. Observing all of his amusing behaviors,
It didn’t feel any different from the times we’ve seen him flaunt himself during his film promotions or walk the red carpet at events. And why, given that his family has so much money, is he not in school? Not that there’s anything wrong with being unable to speak English, but KJo had no justification for portraying him as a high school or college dropout. Alia, on the other hand, looks stunning in every shot and is a sight to behold in those wonderful Manish Malhotra chiffon sarees with backless blouses. Alia plays the educated and ambitious TV journalist.
She is equally impressive when it comes to acting. Thankfully, even though there are a few situations where the overacting is obvious, it doesn’t really matter. Both Ranveer and Alia bring their A-game to the emotionally intense scenes and persuade you that such fights still occur in the most affluent families.
A few good and compelling performances save the day, and there isn’t much to quibble about. Ranveer gives a seamless performance as the flashy and rowdy Punjabi “Karol Bagh ka launda,”
even more so since he’s playing himself. I’m not criticizing, but I didn’t notice any preparation or acting there. It didn’t feel any different from the times we’ve seen him overdo it during his film promotions or walk the red carpet at events when he did all those crazy antics. And why, given that his family has so much money, is he not in school? Not that there’s anything wrong with being unable to speak English, but KJo had no justification for portraying him as a high school or college dropout. Alia, on the other hand, looks stunning in every shot and is a sight to behold in those wonderful Manish Malhotra chiffon sarees with backless blouses. Alia plays the educated and ambitious TV journalist.
She is equally impressive when it comes to acting. Thankfully, even though there are a few situations where the overacting is obvious, it doesn’t really matter. Both Ranveer and Alia bring their A-game to the emotionally intense scenes and persuade you that such fights still occur in the most affluent families.
The music in RARKPK is what really stood out. Tum Kya Mile and Ve Kamleya are heartfelt songs, while Jhumka and Dhindhora Baje Re are pure party music. The movie also pays respect to timeless songs by Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhonsle, and Lata Mangeshkar, and I especially loved that tribute to the allure of Bollywood music’s bygone era. Oh, and Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Jaa, a well-known song by Baba Sehgal played multiple times. To understand why it is a significant one in the tale, watch the movie. Additionally, KJo hasn’t forgotten about his new star kids (hint: keep an eye out for celebrity cameos).
Cast: Kshitee Jog, Aamir Bashir, Churni Ganguly, Tota Roy Chowdhary, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, and Dharmendra