Another weekend, another movie. It was Aanand L Rai’s Raanjhnaa this time.
The film starts with a cute little boy called Kundan who falls in love with another cute little girl, Zoya the very first time he sees her. He follows her like a puppy in love through the colourful streets of Benares. When Zoya’s father comes to know about it, he sends her out of Benares in a bid that she will forget about this sordid little affair. And she forgets him too. Only if Kundan, on the other hand, had also forgotten her! The poor man waits for her love to return. And when she returns he is shocked to learn that not only she doesn’t remember him but has also fallen in love with another man, Akram. The generous soul ignoring his personal misery helps the two lovers to get together when a slight misunderstanding on his part leads to a big tragedy. The film there on takes a dramatic twist.
Raanjhnaa is a beautiful love story of a simple small town man, a Tam Bram, who falls blindly in love with a Muslim girl. The film depicts his journey from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. It also beautifully captures the various nuances of the human character. Does it sound like another love story? Well, I assure you though it may sound like one it seriously feels different. The first half of the film is fast-paced and you wouldn’t want to blink your eyes lest you miss something. The second half takes some turns and throws surprises at you. But it also loses a little pace as if the director got exhausted after the much running around. The dialogues are beautiful and inundated with the colloquial slang of the East UP which is hilarious and lighten the most poignant and intense moments. The music of A. R. Rahman is soulful and melodious.
All in all, it’s a one-man movie. Dhanush (Kundan) is the soul of the movie. He may not have the looks of Salman Khan or the charm of Shahrukh Khan but his acting is real and faultless. His accent may come through a little stronger at times but it’s not bothersome. Sonam Kapoor as Zoya is natural. She has nicely portrayed her character, negative one too. Abhay Deol who plays Akram/Jasjeet has a small but significant role. But the other two actors who brilliantly support Dhanush are Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (Murari) and Bindiya (Swara Bhaskar). Mohammed acts like a pro; his attitude and dialogue delivery impeccable.
Aanand L Rai has tried to paint his beautiful dream and he has more or less got it right.
Verdict: Watch Raanjhnaa for the rustic charm of the lover boy Dhanush will simply floor you.