New Delhi: If there is one thing that no one can do better than Karan Johar, it is to make the grand Bollywood masala family entertainer. 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani', starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, is just that film.
However, that does not make 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' one of Johar's better works.
The film is an overdose of nostalgia and tribute to good old Hindi songs, filmmaker Yash Chopra and the 90s. ( One won't be able to get 'Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Beth Ja' out of their minds after watching the film)
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani Review
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' plays on typical cliches and stereotypes of an interfaith relationship and marriage between an educated, independent Bengali woman, Rani Chatterjee( Alia Bhatt) and a typical Delhi Punjabi man with zero sense of culture, Rocky Randhawa( Ranveer Singh).
Then, the film tries to deliver social lessons on propriety, respect, family values, political correctness, and everything that plagues pop culture today. All this is done in the garb of selling a formula love story template to the contemporary audience.
Unfortunately, this happens in the second half where the tonality of the film completely changes.
The first half of 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' is the establishing hero, heroine phase and the plot.
This is done with a grand opening sequence, customized background scores for Rani and Rocky, some cringe humour that draws on stereotypes.
Having said that, there are some genuinely funny scenes all backed by a great background score.
So, another strength of the first half is also the music. Not Pritam Chakraborty's opening credits song or the romantic song but more of the background score.
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' is complemented with background score classic tracks like 'Chaudvin Ka Chand', 'Abhi Na Jao Chodh Kar', 'Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye' etc.
There is a parallel story arch of Shabana Azmi ( Jamini Chatterjee) and Dharmendra's ( Kawal Lund) love story which is complimented by such songs that also brings Rocky and Rani closer to each other.
That being said there is also the fact that both Jamini and Kawal happen to be married; one widowed and the other suffering from memory loss thanks to an untoward accident in his youth.
There is also a kiss between the two, one that happens right in front of Kawal's wife ( played by Jaya Bachchan) that unfolds the entire dynamics of what is acceptable in a romantic relationship outside a marriage.
However, since all of this is dressed in glamour, overbearing music and a score, a lot of the details get missed.
Such as Jamini can be questioned about cheating on her now dead husband but not Kawal, only because the latter has a memory problem, and thus him singing 'Abhi Na Jao Chodh Ke', or kissing Jamini is justified.
And, all this is happening when 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' is trying too hard to play like a well-informed, equal rights champion between the two sexes and undoing the wrongs of misogyny, tradition and deep-seated prejudices.
As mentioned earlier, the first half is hilariously sugar-coated with humour, most of which comes from a charming and natural Ranveer Singh who aces all things Punjabi as a typical rich bratty Punjabi boy.
But there is a twist. Rocky has a heart of gold, and despite his attempts to understand English with 'what do you means' or silences met with croaking crickets in the background to understand words like 'consensual' etc. Rocky is someone who is willing to learn and unlearn the ways of a patriarchal world.
Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt plays an empowered news anchor character who is only in office to suggest that she works but is rarely shown doing that. Her full-time job includes mending Rocky's uncouth ways and educating him about equal rights etc.
This preaching social message job gets harder in the second half where we see Alia's character move on to become a more vigorous version of herself when it comes to women rights, social reforms and correcting the age-old ways of patriarchy.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani Detailed Review
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' Performances
This brings me to the performances of the star cast of 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'.
Ranveer Singh looks natural as Rocky Randhawa with his mannerisms, Punjabi accent, loud fashion, and a great comic timing.
Despite playing a typical character which we have seen shades of in many of his own performances ( Ladies V/s Ricky Bahl, Band, Baaja, Baarat) and of others in Hindi films, Ranveer puts a lot of depth and effort into his performance.
And, this we say not just because he dances to 'Dola Re' from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Devdas'.
Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt plays another version of her loud-mouth, empowered woman character she has played so many times before.
However, this time there is also the social reformer arch and she delivers most of her long-written lines ( on reform) either screaming for attention or in dramatic scenes, looking for a space to get an agency as a woman to speak.
She might also remind audiences of '2 States', however, here, Alia seems to be speaking quite some Bengali which she often forgets in screaming scenes.
That also goes for Ranveer Singh, whose Punjabi accent softens and sometimes vanishes in scenes with dramatic tension.
Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi are a delight to watch in whatever little scenes they have.
Jaya Bachchan plays the female Amitabh Bachchan from 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham' and 'Mohabbatein'.
Aamir Bashir and Kshitee Jog also play their parts well. Anjali Anand has a small role, in which she manages to do justice to her role.
Not to miss, Shraddha Arya, Arjun Bijlani and other TV celebs also have short cameos in the film in the form of a TV commerical.
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' Screenplay
As discussed in some length earlier, 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' does feel like two-different films in the first half and the second thanks to the change in tonality.
Written by Shashank Khaitan, Ishita Moitra and Sumit Roy, 'RRKPK' does get a lot of things right.
One for instance; is the natural transition to songs from dialogues scenes. Second, the weaving of background score to add humour in various sequences, third, being the emotional depth and space for characters to get their moments on screen, and fourth, comic scenes punctured by dramatic tension. For example: All actors get adequate screen space to flex their acting muscles in scenes of dramatic tension, romance, anger or comedy.
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' also fails at other things like the social preaching, over-the-top loud scenes, building of stereotypes first and then quashing them, and again reinstating them etc.
For instance; why do all Bengalis and Punjabis have to be this loud mouth or out there. Why does the Bengali character have to always be the one who has all the culture, class and education or the Punjabi one, uncouth and generous among other things?
Design
One cannot not talk about the grand spectacle of design Karan Johar employs in his film.
A filmmaker who has no qualms about using his passion for all things fancy in his films, or giving the nepo kids a very modern 'Om Shanti Om' kind reprised recreation song ( opening credits song) and being unabashedly himself, Johar gives a lot of attention to what his actors wear in his films, what accessories they carry, the cars they drive and the grand mansions they live in.
All of that elements are present in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. Whether or not they suit the plot of the film, that does not matter, but the filmmaker does find a space for himself in the film.
Image
Ample use of closeups, mid shots and master shots are used in the film. Some experiment with image happens, conventionally in the song sequences, other than that, a film of this kind does not employ a lot of camera experiment to say something.
Conclusion
'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' ticks all the mainstream family entertainer films that offer a no-brainer story, is lavishly designed and decorated, songs to watch on a big screen, laughs to be shared with fellow movie-watchers, and A-listers with great chemistry. Karan Johar makes a film unabashedly unapologetic, and for that he gets full marks for keeping his signature alive.
There is ample song and dance and everything to get your paisa vasool in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. So make sure to watch the film in a theatre.