Saturday 8 March 2014

Hip Hip HappyRani My Review Queen

Director Vikas Bahl

Starring  Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon, Bokyo Mish, Jeffrey Ho, Canadea Lopez Marco, Joseph Guitobh, Vinay Singh



How many times have you wished you could just leave everything behind and go some place where no one knows you, and you don't know anyone. Finding peace, finding yourself... no baggage at the end of the trip.

Happiness is so strange, the more we chase it, the further it runs. And then suddenly, when we least expect it, we find it. We all have our share of heartbreak, and our own coping mechanisms. Copious amounts of alcohol do help, so do friends, and music. When nothing works, just a good cry does.

I remember going away to Mcleodganj alone, when life was throwing some xxl lemons at me. That trip remains my most memorable one. Meeting some amazing people, drinking chai in the middle of a dried up river and hanging out with friends I had made there, talking about everything under the sun. I came back with some new resolves and though not entirely a new person, but definitely a happier one.

When Vijay (Rajkummar Rao) calls Rani/Queen (Kangana) to a coffee shop a day before their wedding, to tell her he can not marry her... her whole world comes crashing down. A world which is inhabited by most Indian middle class girls. Finding the boy of their vermillion colored dreams, marriage and then settling down. Rani locks herself up in her room while her whole family is in mourning. As the morning breaks, the Tentwallahs take down the shamianas and throw the heart shaped Vijay Weds Rani board in truck. So much for the big fat Indian weddings. What would happen now to this innocent, heartbroken Dilli di kudi... "I want to go on my Honeymoon!" She announces to her dad. From here begins her journey to a new world, in more ways than one.

Rani's solo honeymoon trip takes her to Paris and Amsterdam. A Rajouri Garden, Delhi's protected girl, who always moves with her younger brother, who gets shocked seeing a girl smoke, who quivers with anticipation at the mere thought of her first night, who has never been kissed....

From the first frame to the last slate on the credit roll, Queen keeps you warm in a hug, happy in her smile, sniffling in her sadness... rarely a movie comes out of Bollywood which creates enduring female characters who you want to make friends with, for life.

But it is not just about her. It's about us, women... "Hamare wahan na ladkiyon ko sab mana hai, dakaar lena bhi..." "Daddy aap mana karoge toh nahi jaaoongi" It talks of how we are controlled subtly from the day we are born... We take it as love, care and protection. And we do not realise the true meaning of freedom till we don't take a risk with our life...

Kangana Ranaut, take a bow. She is Rani. Her performance is so real... you forget you are watching a film. Her best film till date. Uninhibited, sincere, totally surrendering herself to the role.

Rajkummar Yadav is always a pleasure to watch. Nuanced here too, from cleaning up the table of Mehndi flakes nonchalantly after he tells Rani he can not marry her, to pataoing her earlier in the film.

The supporting cast, specially her room-mates in Amsterdam and ooooh the delicious Italian Chef is pitch perfect. I wanted to wave at them and request for a bunk bed in their room. Coming to delicious Lisa Hayden. You surprise me gurl! Hot, with a French accent that makes every word a seduction, she has come a long way from Rascals.

Power to Vikas Bahl for giving me such a delightful film. And fondly remembering Bobby Singh, the cinematographer who passed away tragically at such a young age and has shot most of the film. He captures Dilli's robustness and Amsterdam's De Wallen with aplomb. Anvita Dutt's dialogues are terrific, additional dialogues are credited to Kangana Ranaut.

The music by Amit Trivedi... Hungaama ho gaya truly.

I can go on and on about Queen. So much to love, laugh and rejoice about. From Eiffel tower chasing Rani to the sex shop in Amsterdam... to her letting go as she dances on a bar top...

Go buy your ticket!

My Verdict 3.5/5






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