Cast: Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub
Director: Anand Rai
Dhanush makes a grand entry into Bollywood by doing what he does best. A Hysterical lover.
And this time he does it with added cuteness in Hindi with certain charm and accented originality. He is undoubtedly the star of Raanjhana, a love story with amazingly written dialogues and screenplay, that keeps you hooked in anticipation of what comes next. A love story that lets you feel the pain of the protagonists’ love, dilemma, innocence through the shifting window of time, through which Kundan (Dhanush’s character in Ranjhnaa) grows and so does his love for Zoya (Played by Sonam Kapoor).
AR Rahman puts his magic in the songs and makes you connect with the plot. Songs are literally the type which can make you dance, with the crowd as well as in the solace of your bedroom.
Kundan is the perfect epitome of teen innocence and craziness, trying to be different in “professing her love”. He is persisting, even enjoys 16 slaps that are offered by the lady he is in love with. In a perfectly depicted scene of how a hysterical lovers act around India, he cuts his wrists making Zoya hug him. She gets sent to Aligarh to study as her family comes to know about this, while our Lover boy waits in Benaras. Old school, some would say.
But when Zoya returns. She had left those old benaras days behind her. But the hero’s persistence remains intact. He makes sure that she doesn’t get married by employing tricks then and now, on Zoya’s insistence. Why ? Well lets leave that as a suspense.
Filled with twists and turns, this is not just a love story about these two. There’s politics and power, there’s the benaras flavor, friends who will always have your back.
Apart from Dhanush, his onscreen friend Murari, played by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, who has some of the best dialogues to his credit, does a great job. Highlighting the plight of small town lovers he comes up with, “Mohalle ke aashiqon ke pyaar ko aksar engineer doctor hi udaa lejaate hain”. While dhanush is crazy for Zoya, Bindiya (Played by Swara Bhaskar of Tanu weds manu and Aurangzeb fame) is crazy for Dhanush, with bold dialogues like, “baapu ke kapde to phaad diye, hamare kab ” to which Danush replies, “Kundan ke pyajame ka naada itna dheela nahi, ki blouse ke huk se khul jaye”
Murari and Bindiya put the life in the first half of the movie, while the politics in the second, coupled with some great one-liners and scenes involving Dhanush makes it worth a watch.
Director, Anand Rai utilizes these two characters to keep the tempo going with their amazing dialogue delivery and support to the leads. The knack with which Dhanush has understood the character and puts his life in it in every scene is amazing. The credit also goes to the director for it.
Sonam‘s is a character that you will hate, although chances are you will hate her acting as well. Except scenes where she is crying, where she surprisingly does emote, she is the only flaw in casting. It’s an all-out Dhanush movie.
To sum up, Ranjhna is a story of a hindu boy being in love with a Muslim Girl, in the town of Benaras. The colorful town, filled with vibrant images of religious diversity, but stark opposition when it comes to marriage.
Avoiding a few clichéd plot elements, one can enjoy this lovely outing of Dhanush. A Good entertainer, one shouldn’t miss.
I’m going with 4 out of 5, for this Dhanush Starrer. Indulge yourself.