Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani (2023)- My View Point on the Movie !

There is this terrific scene in the movie where Tota Roy Chowdhury (Rani's Father) performs Kathak Dance and Ranveer Singh (Rocky) joins in with the song #DolaReDolaRe and then #Dhindora Baaje Re..goosebump stuff and one that deserved a standing applaud the way it was put forth. It's the films' most nuanced portrayal of masculinity, his character utters, " Hunar Ka koi gender nahi hota" and if you connect with the thought, it hits really hard deep down. 

This is the most 'Ranveer Singh' Ranveer Singh could ever be if at all, he's everything one would expect him to be in a Karan Johar Film, the ' Hellllloo Bebz, this side Rocky Randhawa ! Ranveer proves there's no limit to his range and  his infectious energy, you just can't put a pause on what his talent could do with scripts like these.

Alia Bhatt is as graceful as she could be in all the vibrant, neon colors chiffon saree's and has tremendously matured from the Shanaya of Student Of The Year to Rani here, notice the Kjo style intro of Rani with the background music playing a spin off on " Mere Sapno Ki Rani" .. WoW

I loved the part where Ranveer must unlearn his Punjabi entitled upbringing and transform from a brat to a role sharing Gen-Z guy who performs Kathak and goes lingerie shopping ( again a very powerful scene with a great message ) with her English Speaking mom who is said to be the family's Shashi Tharoor who says Global Positioning System instead of GPS ! Crazy stuff..

Karan here does a Raju Hirani in the second half, the emotional sequences infused with a funny line and action underneath a social message that is an eye opener and makes one think and put a question mark on the so called society standards we have set and live in ( read patriarchy, misogyny, cancel culture, male dominant families). He brings his trademark Bollywood-ness and mixes it so well with old Bollywood nostalgia- "Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar" or "Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai"..

Karan Johar's extravagant vision is fantastically supported by the flamboyance of designer Manish Malhotra and stylist Eka Lakhani..clearly no one in the industry justifies Bollywood like they do.

Agree at some point it feels a bit exaggerated and so overly melodramatic but one must also not forget that it's coming from the stable of Karan Johar who is known for his stereotype Bollywood style from the days of Kuch Kuch Hota hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum.

Special mention to the unreleased Sonu Nigam-Shilpa Rao track in the climax that will make you a shed a tear or one for sure and brace yourself for the ever lost Shahid Mallya song in the post credits, although Tum Kya Mile and What Jhumka! have already stormed the charts and hearts of music lovers !

Go and laugh your heart and intestines out through this glitzy glamour cinematic extravaganza. At close to 3 hours, this may seemed a tad bit overstretched but all said and done this is what our mainstream Bollywood movies are all about. 

My advice- Don't go by the uptight cynical pseudo-intellectual reviews if you love your Bollywood cinema and respect all the hardwork that each and every artist has put in to bring together a masterpiece.

-Mitesh Saraf