Raanjhanaa Review

One Line Review: An incredible and fresh love story which was never crafted before.

Positive Points: Direction, story, dialogues, music, visual appearance, camerawork, background score, Dhanush's outstanding performance

Negative Points: A bit long-drawn-out second half

Plot: The story unfolds in the background of the Holy city Banaras where the son of Tamil priest Kundan (Dhanush) develops a crush on a Muslim girl name Zoya (Sonam Kapoor) who is a daughter of a professor. Kundan when attains puberty, proposes Zoya but she rejects by giving him a tight slap. He proposes to her again and again hoping that one day she would accept his proposal. After getting slapped for 16 times from Zoya she gets agreed but then again breaks off with him when she comes to know that Kundan is a Hindu. To convince her by hook or by crook, Kundan slits his wrist and emotionally blackmails her. Zoya finally agrees to the proposal of Kundan but soon her orthodox family finds out about this unfolded romance. The teenage puppy love gets thwarted as the family sends Zoya for her further studies in Aligarh.

When Zoya has been away for eight years, Kundan gets well acquainted with her family by helping them in all sorts of household chores. The family too starts liking the boy and finally Zoya arrives after a hiatus of eight years to Banaras. Kundan again proposes Zoya, this time for marriage but she again rejects it saying that it was a puppy love and she has now grown up. She tells Kundan that while she was studying in Delhi in JNU, she has fallen in love with a young dynamic student leader named Akram (Abhay Deol). She asks Kundan to help her in convincing her parents for the marriage with Akram. Initially reluctant Kundan finally agrees to help Zoya and successfully convinces Zoya's parents for her marriage with Akram and their marriage gets fixed. He also promises Zoya that on her wedding day, he will also get married to some other girl and will never utter a word about Zoya again. He asks his childhood friend Bindiya (Swara Bhaskar) for marriage as Bindiya has always loved Kundan since childhood.

Will the wedding take place without any hurdle?

Or will the destiny has some other plans for Zoya, Kundan and Akram?

Direction And Other Technical Aspects: The director Aanand L Rai has brought a unique and fresh love story after a long hiatus in Bollywood. This love story is different from a cliched Bollywood romance which the director has given a full justice. He has handled all the angles of the film making it the top drawer. The ups and downs, twists and twirls in the story not only keeps you engaged but they are totally unpredictable and keep your eyes and mind locked on the screen. But the director could have avoided some loopholes in the story which make it illogical at some points. The director could have paid the attention to the Banarasi tone of all the characters. Secondly, Kundan loves Zoya since childhood, he proposes her in 9th standard, but still does not know her name all these years. Thirdly, Zoya's parents arrange her wedding with Akram without having a meeting or discussion with Akram's parents and finally, when Zoya goes missing from the hospital of Banaras, her parents simply accept the fact and does not even try to locate her. The second half also appears a bit stretched. Things like these are tough as old boots but still the director manages to hook the audience till the end titles roll.

The cinematography by Vishal Sinha and Natarajan Subramaniam is just awesome. They have captured the beautiful city of Banaras in their lens perfectly. The costume designer Payal Saluja has designed the costumes just according to the story. The dialogues too are very impressive and well written by Himanshu Sharma.

Performances: Dhanush, the south star has made his Bollywood debut with this film and we must say that he has a very bright future ahead in Hindi films. He is the one who steals the show with all his natural performance, expressions, dialogue delivery and body language. He has given an extraordinary performance and is worth to watch. Sonam Kapoor has sharpened her acting skills and delivers a good performance. She perfectly fits into the character of Zoya. Abhay Deol has a less time on screen but still he marks his presence whenever appears on the screen. He has portrayed a determined, dynamic student leader with excellence.

Other supportive cast Swara Bhaskar and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub performed astoundingly. Dhanush and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub's amity and mockery are funny and entertaining in some scenes. The casting director Rahul Shanklya deserves a round of applause as he has chosen the perfect actors for the movie.

Music: The music by golden man A. R. Rahman is flavorsome and is a positive point in the film. The song sequences are melodious and will be remembered for a long time. The background score is also good and adds effectiveness to the film.

Final Verdict: If you want to watch a love story which is the only one of its kind then this is a must watch for you. Watch it for its newfangled contraption and Dhanush's phenomenal performance.