Raanjhanaa
Review by
Parampara Patil Hashmi
Director: Aanand L Rai
Cast: Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol
A riveting love story with the perfect blend of drama and reality
Rating: ***1/2
Based in the holy city of Benaras, Raanjhanaa is a love story that spans a lifetime. A young boy roaming around the streets of Kashi to collect donations for celebrating Dussehra spots a young girl offering namaaz, and it is love at first sight for him. A Hindu-Muslim love story set in the lanes of the Hindu pilgrim city is all set to explore the religious divides. Love grows, time passes and the tale sees newer twists. Kundan’s (played by Dhanush) love for Zoya (Sonam Kapoor) which sees religion as its only barrier, comes across Akram (Abhay Deol) to discover the next level of the story. Raanjhanaa beautifully portrays the human side of love, the rage, the vengeance, the madness. The story takes a dramatic turn with a political backdrop as it reaches its climax.
AR Rahman’s subtle music adds to the moments of the perfectly carried storyline of the film, with pacey writing and some intense performances from the cast. Dhanush literally carries the entire film on his shoulders, while Sonam Kapoor gives a performance par excellence. Abhay Deol does a good cameo, igniting the plot. The film is well written and directed plot with a lot of freshness that remains engrossing and unpredictable.
It is one of the best love stories of our times without any clichés and major hiccups. Although, there are minor flaws in the narratives, they can be easily ignored due to the effective on screen output.
However, Raanjhanaa refrains from being a massy tale. It will liked by those who are not into the mush of Bollywood romance and are open to exploring newer dimensions. It’s got a different level of intensity, and the political twist to the tale will be rejoiced by its audience. Aanand L Rai has gone way beyond Tanu Weds Manu to make his mark.
A must watch!
