(Has SPOILERS)
Like most Bollywood films these days, Raanjhanaa is completely two different films packed in one – pre and post-interval. One is the “politics of love” and the other is “lovers in politics”, and there’s a big difference between the two. As the initial reactions and reviews started pouring in, the verdict seems to be unanimous – first half is fun, the curse of 2nd half strikes yet again. As i stepped into the theatre, i was ready for it. But as i came out of the theatre, i realised that i belong to that minority group which liked the second half more.
First half is easy, you know the tricks, you have seen it many times, love stories in small towns and galli mohalls is not new. It’s charming and easy to like. There’s no way one cannot not like it. Some might argue that it’s stalking and glorification of it, then let me say that you have never been part of any small town love story. It’s stark reality. That’s the way it happens. If you don’t know a friend who has cut his wrist or drank kerosene (sleeping tablets is for metroes), the film might seem a bit stranger to you. But what stood out for me was how ruthlessly selfish the lovers are. Sonam (Zoya) knows Dhanush (Kundan) loves her. And so she uses him in every possible way. It’s the same with Kundan, who knows that Swara (Bindiya) can do anything for him. And he uses her blatantly. It all seems fun and jovial on the surface but scratch it and you realise how cunning their acts are. It’s the politics of love. Their love might be pure but the tricks aren’t.
Some even might point out the physical equation between Kundan, Bindiya and Murari. How can you hit her? i would say this is what “camaraderie” between friends is all about, without being aware of one’s gender. And in the scene when Bindiya says kewal mere baap ke hi kapde phadega, and Kundan backs out, you know that she isn’t the shy kind. If she had protested, these guys would have backed out long back. It’s part of the game, of growing up together.
Now, the second half seems like a completely different film. A death, and the childhood romance of Benaras moves to ambitious student politics of Delhi. Kundan doesn’t know why he is there. He is lost. He is not sure what to do with his life. He has tried every possible option. Is he still chasing Zoya? Yes. Kind of. Does he know why? No. Has he any more hopes from her? No. The simple chasing the girl routine turns into a heavy cocktail of ambitions and emotions. Let’s see how. So Zoya aspires to fulfill the ambitions of her dead lover (Abhay/Akram). But slowly it looks like all these dreams will come true only through Kundan whom she hates now, whom she holds responsible for Akram’s death. It’s a difficult choice to make. Can she accept Kundan now? And even if she does, the world will curse her for being selfish and opportunist who forgot her lover after his death. Between love, life and dreams, she is confused with no easy way out. And then comes an opportunity to turn it all over and conquer it all. She opts for it too but the guilt is too heavy to bear.
Kundan is caught in a similar situation. He is aimless, he is just tagging along and is getting lucky wherever he puts his foot, except in love. And when it all comes to the conclusion, he realises that even if he wins everything, he has lost the only thing he ever wanted from life – love. So what’s the point of living? Someone who can slash his wrist so easily, he has no fear of death. The monologue in the climax wraps it up beautifully. Lovers always claim to be ready to die in love. But only few dare to do it. And very few directors and writers dare to opt for such uncompromised end for a love story. Nothing else was possible. All credit to writer Himanshu Sharma and director Anand L Rai for going the whole hog. And this is exactly why i liked the second half more. It’s complicated, and the makers went for the unusual choices. I think first half is easy to write, and easy to like. Second half is damn difficult to write from the point when Dhanush lands up in Delhi not knowing what to do. I could hear the writer’s voice there – what to do with this mujhe-bus-Zoya-chahiye character? He (character and writer) really doesn’t know what to do now.
Now, the running joke. In a scriptlab where Sriram Raghavan was our mentor, we used to joke that whenever you are stuck at any page, just put a gun in that page. Sriram will like it for sure. Here the formula is slightly different – stuck on the page, opt for the blade. Not once or twice, but three times. Woah!
Interestingly, the entire film is one long montage cut on back to back songs. You can exactly count the numbers of the scenes where the characters talk. But the flavour of the real locations and the terrific acting by Dhanush, Swara Bhaskar and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub makes it look perfectly smooth. Also, it might be a smart decision keeping Dhanush’s dialogue delivery in mind. They have justified his character, and his hindi diction is weird but it’s not jarring to ears. So a big credit must go to its music director A R Rahman. His music is the thread that holds this complicated tale of unrequited love together. Sonam seems to have improved a lot from her previous films but her dialogue delivery is still irritating. And Kumud Mishra is always quite pleasant to watch onscreen.
I never bothered to watch Rai’s earlier films. But going by Tanu Weds Manu (i like it and TERRIFIC album) and Raanjhanaa, i think Imtiaz Ali has some competition finally. Especially if it’s matters of hearts in small towns. And Dhanush, welcome to bollywood.
Watch it. And if uncomfortable, take off your “metro” shoes.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 
From the reviews I’ve read (haven’t watched Raanjhanaa yet), it only seems that Rockstar and this are similar in that first/second half differ in the same way, and there are very few, like you and me, who like second half more.
Just an observation. 😛
I love this review…I love this review. Every word of it. The writer of this, let me kiss you.
Me too !!! I’m next in line. Fab writeup ..thoda aur lamba hota yaar
” Fab writeup” +1
“thoda aur lamba hota yaar” +2
” Fab writeup” + 2
“thoda aur lamba hota yaar” + 3
+3, +4.
Haha and there is one old-insane-elitist Shobha De, who could only see one thing in this movie- Stalking. Why don’t these attention-whores retire and go back to a mental asylum where they belong.
Kitna aur lamba chahiye ? Pornstar banne ka hain kya ?
Whoo this movie has surprisingly survived the curse of the climax getting messed up. About the movie, this can be a perfect example of what HOPELESS ROMANTICS do at every level.
HR rocks.
As far as the acting goes, i knew Dhanush had it in him but Sonam, she has definetly improved.
My only grudge with this movie was AR Rehman.
Omg! Every small town neuron in my body wants to watch this film now! ‘Better Second half,’ is such a rarity! 🙂
#PainchoPaincho Great Review Boss! But one would hope from a well written review as such to mention character actors. Yes, I was excited to hear about Dhanush, and I knew Sonam would as usual be annoying, but I was hoping you’d shed some light on the performance of the likes of Zeeshan or any other such gems in the film. Now that would make me pay my hard earned buck to watch what looks like a film with certain potential. Also how has our “out-of-the-box indie Hero”, Abhay, performed?
I hate politics so didn’t like the movie much, nevertheless Rehman & Dhanush made it watchable
great job capturing why this movie is much better than actuaaly all the psuedo confused stuff by imtiaz ali and co..dhanush’s reactions are so good in every scene.. and life does take a huge turn when small townies go to big towns.. aanand rai did not hold back on ambition in telling a full arc of his story.. 2nd half’s biggest problem was Sonam kapoor.. she needed to step up big time to come across as a mature strong headed girl driven to revenge cos of akram’s death.. she doesnt look like a JNU girl neither she looks like a banarasi townie, ekdaum hi hopeless case hai anil ki ladki, terrible casting choice, irony hai she is getting typecast as small townie in Delhi 6, Mausam, here and Bhaag Milkha without any acting chops or fit, are bollywood walon, only because Sonam kapoor’s image is that of a harmless cutie asexual types, aise role mein daal doge,, koi aur top ki actress nahi hai kya pure mumbai mein. she is a bad actress and her transformation everytime from prada, D&G wearing fashionista to a “village belle” on screen is underwhelming
Duke – Sonam is/was the best choice for this movie. She is a fine actress and has given a wonderful performance in this movie as well. Don’t let your dislike for someone blind side your opinion.
She is not suppose to be a sorted person in this movie – there will be no 2nd half to speak of if not for her character’s immaturity that perfectly suits her immature performance in the 2nd half. She is a fine actor and her performance is praise worthy. Well done Sonam!!
Zoya (:O), i do like her a lot, among the current lot she is the most bindass, and can take a joke on herself.. but she is getting typecast in such roles in lot of movies without a breakout performance which establishes her , infact after Delhi 6 I see a regression.. her acting in this movie was childish ACROSS the two halves, smiling , giggling and looking good is not acting
When you are 14/15 yrs old, if boys follow you – girls that age if they like the attention they do smile, giggle and sometimes reciprocate. When you are truly in love, you smile and glow all the time (when you alone, in a crowd, with friends, with the person u r in love with). Looking beautiful never hurts. That’s just first half. As for the second half her restrained performance of a lover in mourning and in anger was done in the right dose. It doesn’t have to be powerful, her character does not scheme and plan an end like that for the protagonist, but as a means to an end she lets fate take its course.
Looks like you are still stuck in Delhi 6. Wipe out every opinion you have of her acting, start with a clean slate, may be you will have a change of heart.
I think she was very good in 1st half, and I liked her a lot in Delhi 6, but would I be wrong in saying that she lacks range, a good actor can salvage a shoddy script, dhanush tried his best she did not, the 2nd half had unconvincing bits which could have been ignored if she had the screen presence. guess you like her too much to have any criticism of her acting, I could accept that she was underplaying to balance Dhanush’s slightly over the top character but some scenes in 2nd half required more emoting from her or may be they ended on the editing table 🙂
Real good writeup … Well it’s becoming a daunting task to write second half for a bolly movie, it seems. But still I felt the second half held its own and didn’t falter like other recent movies or at least the actors ensured that we don’t lose interest.
Dhanush was Fab… always knew he could pull of intense and lighter moments with ease (Must watch his impressive earlier work ‘pudupetai and adukalam’ ). He has a very expressive face (see how he emotes in close-ups ). Sonam’s getting better and Abhay sadly felt was a miscast. But a word for Ayub and Swara, they are perfect for their roles and really want to see more of them in future.
Sab kuchh achha hai, film bhi post bhi…lekin kam se kam tune to Banaras likh diya hota.
Loved the way ur review has captured the true essence of the movie.. dhanush is brilliant.. I also loved the way they have captured benaras on screen.. cinematography par excellant
Yours is the only review that seems to agree with my thoughts after watching the movie. The first half moved along fine but second half is what really intrugued me.The characters feel real their reactions almost justified given the mess they find themselves in. There is such complexity in situationthat the characters just seem to go along the slow
Personally I didnt enjoy the Abhay deol story as narrated by sonam’s character much. However it was relevant to the rest of the story.. such a brave ending.
lovely write up
loved it
Mjhe film ke 2nd half mein reality nei dikhi..2nd half mein dhanush jis trah hero banta h in so many incidents I dnt buy in reality itna easily is trah chize hti h..bt yes film ka climax is vry good it justifies the story perfectly
No reference whatsoever to Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi ???
Wonderful observation !
Didnt think about it until now, but now cant stop thinking about the similarities !
Everyone should have a friend like Murari. The one thing I realised after reading this write-up that Kundan’s and Bindiya’s characters are almost alike except that Kundan uses Bindiya selfishly.
How do I hate thee, let me count the ways, Raanjhanaa.
count of post cristo….where art thou hidden ? Awaken from thy slumber and write ! Make haste. The ears of romans are lent, with their backs bent. The comeuppance is meager while their patience eager
I from a small town. Why I no like the movie – there are many causes. But I have time shortage. So Sir, I hi-liting a few bulky points for your consideration, pls. My frends hv more points but der English is not as well as my’s
1. Sir, this small boy Kundan is doing chanda collection at picture start. He’s doing right – putting Mahadev’s make-up and toughly but lovingly asking people like Zoya’s father in a familiar manner. In our small twon everyone know little raskels like these. I assuming Zoya also knowing this boy as son of Pandit (that’s the title of picture I am writing story) and seeing this raskel every day in nearby mohallas or during chanda collection time. Then why she not knowing he a Hindu boy. This important because this is reason for first time rejection of Kundan later
2. Again, she slapping the school boy Kundan many times. Sir, in small towns this not happening many times in public because the boy loose mardangi if he eats slaps so many times. But this is picture so I don’t mind. But Sir, girls find the name of the sadak chhap romeos first or someone says them the name when he is doing so much zabardasti. But this girl Zoya not knowing his name at all and accepting his name Rijwan. Sir, in our twon useless boys like Kundan everyone know. If you are a girl making him eat so many slaps in public, someone will tell you about the boy. Again, she not knowing Kundan Hindu boy I not believeing. This makes weak the story Sir
3. The first wrist cutting scene was strange Sir. Kundan cutting wrist with blade with other people also in auto. But no one telling Zoya’s father who the boy was. So, Zoya father only thinking some random boy doing nonsense with daughter and not finding out. No one else also telling them about the boy being son of Pandit who roams around their mohalla. I also see one scene where some Muslim boys of mohalla threaten Kundan and Murari but the Professor father knows nothing from anyone. This is very lazy Sir. In small town Sir, how many mouths, that many talks. This only to make it easy for Kundan to doing all housework at Professor’s house later. And, set up story later Sir
4. All this wrist cutting having no impact on Kundan father or family. No one speaking to Kundan or to Professor. Kundan still playing damru in prayers like he getting a small cut while shaving. Big fightings happen in small town in such cases. More big fighting if religions not same.
5. Zoya going to Aligarh and Delhi and coming back and full Ghajini memory loss happening. Not remembering Kundan for long time till he showing wrist cutting action. Difficult Sir to beleive. This is picture so I understand but zyaada ho gaya. Anyway, she then embracing him a lots. Sir, that too chest to chest embracing.
6. Also, Sir why Kundan not going to Aligarh chasing Zoya? He cutting wrists, he riding crazy bicycle on platform but he not taking a bus to Aligarh and doing mad behaviour. I thinking he studying and becoming engineer or something. But no, he still in Banaras and doing loafing but no going to Aligarh. In my town Sir, boys going to long distances to ladkiyan patao fevicol se
7. Also, Sir, this Kundan boy has only two crazy frends and they all mad but nice. No other frends. Nobody becoming gunda, politician, doing chori chakari nothing. These people only running after each other, playing Holi. Also, this Bindiya girl very nice. But not doing anything or not getting married. Only making big eyes to Zoya and getting beaten. Sir, in our town from the 1980s, I tell you how useless loafing boys lives have happened. In 80s, they running music or video stores and acting smart, in 90s they becoming cable collection wallahs and becoming violent, then in 2000s, they opening internet shops and watching blue films on computer all the time, then they opening mobile phone shops, then they opening Facebook accounts and harassing the same girls they harassed in 80s and 90s online. I knowing this well Sir. Our town has a FB group and all these Kundan boys are now doing this. But Sir, in this picture these boys do no activity. No liberalization happening in Banaras while it happening in that other picture in Wasseypur
8. Sir, this Jasjeet story is making my head eat circles. Both his personal story and his political story. Why he telling lies and becoming Muslim to come to Banaras? How Professor getting Zoya married to this boy with no background checking? Only, Kundan talking and making him convinced. No one from Jasjeet’s family coming. No one figuring out he not Musilm in the way he is eating, washing or following the rituals. Sir, director thinking we drunk bhaang or what. Manohar Kahaniyan carrying more true story writing than this.
9. This Jasjeet getting killed. No police case, nothing. Later I see his house this big white building (like Bachchan sahib’s in K3G) where his dead body placed. Parents looking like big shots but no one finding out how he dying. Only the sister giving big eyes to everyone. In this time, Zoya also cutting wrist. Sir, we small town people not cutting wrists so often but later Kundan again doing the same thing
10. Then Sir, director showing us politics. Ha ha ha. We small town people laughing at the politics showing in the picture. Most time these people doing dancing dramas wearing ramleela dresses. Then 5 people going to clean mohalla. All of them looking like they can’t stand as candidates for elections because they aren’t 25 years old. But Sir, they threatening to win elections. No funds, no organization just travelling in bus and dancing drama. Then Kundan becoming their leader because he using language better. Ha ha ha. Sir, this Kundan hardly talking in the whole picture now becoming speaker. Kundan also not 25 years if I counting the years from start. But he ready for the winning elections. Sir, you should 25 and also be of sound mind to stand for elections. We making such rules for picture making in India too. Will be good
Sir, I having 25 more points. But 10 points are round number. The other thing I realizing now is after Ishaqzade and this picture, Muslim parents are not keeping Zoya name for daughters.
When I hearing her name Zoya in this picture, I knowing it all ending badly.
Not for them but for me.
True happened
Saar, Balram Halwai saar. Nothing happens lyk that saar. But we bought it. Also saar, Bollywood lyk this wonly for the rest. Pick any phillum.
Balram Halwai having only narrator problem. Not lazy writing. If all bollywood lyk tis only, why praising this only? Bcoz hating it equalling to elitist?
ahhhhh Prof Saab’s responds! As Dhanush’s father in law wld say – “Naan late a vandaan, LATEST aa varuven!”
Lot of things happen with Halwaiji’s life which isn’t so easy.
because it works at some level. And I was happy that the film wasn’t showing all minor set-up scenes and explanations. Like how exactly Abhay Deol dies. Or how exactly those three are so good friends. But half of your points are about that only. You go with the flow and assume things or connect dots. Woh kaise mara, body kahan se kahan le gaya, post mortem hua ki nahi, Police aaye ki nahi and all that. I am not interested and thank God the director isn’t either. Stick to the core.
also, as i was just telling others the simple rule is if the film works for you (which depends on 100 other factors) you overlook the minor issues. If the film doesnt work, all minor issues look big.
I’m fine with that last couple of line of yours. Half my points aren’t about how Abhay Deol dies (only one and possibly the one I have the least quibble). But the key plot points on which the story moves are just so unrealistic that you can’t but stop in this, supposedly, grand flow and wonder what’s happening. I’m not doing a baal ki khaal here. I didn’t even have to think and dredge these points. They just kept toting up as the movie progressed. And, there are movies with consistent writing in bollywood where there’s some thought given atleast to the key plot points
Laaah kahan gayee, ye kahan hai, wo kahan gaya..hahahahaha superbly put!
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Professor saab…hans hans ke paagal ho gaye hum. Picture ka paisa ab vasool hua. Aapko iske liye alag se ek Filmfare award milna chaahiye. Ab aap kya AMRUT pilaaoge…hum aapko Tequila pilaate hain agli baar.
dactor sahab… me too small town same same…english not good please do beer i lyk movie first haf gud second not so bud .. me lot of time but no gud english so not telling why lyk but telling why you wrong
1. Sir me and my frnd done lot of collection…but no girl or their papa not even mummy.. knowing my name .. i feeling sad.. even my muslim frnd going and collecting holi chanda with us.. we drinking bear with that … god very sorry
2.Sir how many slap and u lose mardangi.. very urgent please tell.. I am ok only slapped sometimes … some of my frnd I doubt …they used to get slap hafta to hafta sometime by same girl.. I feeling sad girl slapping I follow.. their brother beat up I follow… his mohalla boys beat up.. we beat up the mohalla boys..we beat up the brother too. Still the girl or the family not knowing name. my town 1/10 of banaras.. still . I sad very sad.. do you think she was faking.. this girls you know they fake fake
3. Agree sir we don’t wrist cutting in open it is no no …their will be big hungama.. also gehu ki dawai and chuhe ki dawai are more famous in my shehar ..but those thing very dirty lot of vomiting ..dirty typ.. not gud luking screen
4. sir two of my frnd eating gehu ki dawai after girl said no thought will impress.. ..eating small amount..think will not die.. but this god story big jhol.. both of them dying.. I crying saying god wrong story ..real doesn’t happen like that god .. they eat small amount. How die… not listening frnds died …real life sachimuchii…nobody knowing not the girl family..not the boy’s family.. only knowing some girl… not jhamela…only everybody sad.. both families still frnd …r they faking dactor sahib…
5 Zoya going to Aligarh and Delhi and coming back and full Ghajini memory loss happening. Not remembering Kundan for long time till he showing wrist cutting action. Difficult Sir to beleive. This is picture so I understand but zyaada ho gaya. Anyway, she then embracing him a lots. Sir, that too chest to chest embracing.
6. . sir u don’t believe. One girl got pregnant…family aborted .. then sent to mordabad… boy stupid never went to Moradabad .. and u know sir how stupid these small boys.. watch govinda movies… govinda never studied.. still getting girls… they not studying and not getiing girls…
7. agree sir director showing half story sir no hugga in the morning..no shushu going .. and how come sir no hand shakes… all small town boys..watch girl in day hand shakes in night … Sir me and my frind no cable wallahs..no internet store,,, sir cable wallah don’t have any ijjats… once shop open…you out of game.. some of them fails in dasvi barahwai put on family shop’s out of game get married. Other keep doing BA , MA till they finally get married… agrre sir liberalization missing now people become engineers doing MBA.. also..lot of private colleges.. donation give .. engineer become MBA become
8. Sir, I don’t like this Jasjeet… al these Jasjeets they take all small town girsl… we end up working on their marriages and becoming mammas… so I will not talking about jasjeet ..you may be right here but I no talking so no agree…
9. Still not talking Jasjeet.. I know somebody took girl ran..girl’s family catch. boy dead..girl married no police report..nothing … boy’s family silent.. have two boys ..one dead on alive.. ..difficult life but simple math..1 >0 so no speaking
10. Sir I don’t understand politics so again no talking so no agree….but our hero was saying gud dialogue.. I lyk kujhana one
Shit happens……true story.. you know what happen to my friend in engineering.. (see dactor sahib I am an engineer now + MBA (will not tell name of the college otherwise u think I am boasting).. any way coming back to the frnd …we watching mere yaar ki shaadi….(not heard about my best friend wedding.. only English movie we hear then were with no dialogue ony scene very much like kundan) ..you know shit happens and soo after he got invited by his college girl frnd (at least he claims so).. no speaking for 7 years and one day girl call his home and invite for marriage… the guy got all uday chopra feelings not nice feeling I tell you…high fever… no reservation.. but still travelled 700 km ..3 trains (full of biharis..i don’t why they travel daily ..365 days a year.. no work… I wonder why do they keep travelling..u shud make a movie sir and explain..)…some bus, some auto and some road latter reached the marriage.. but this was real life not a movie made by his baap.. so no lady luck smiling no girl smiling… girl only invited out of courtesy because inviting all of the batch and prove to the groom (same class as my friend and girl) that she has no feeling for him… my friend shocked seeing the boy… u know these jasjeets and these chasmooo.. all of college girls laugh at them…and then they go to IIT’s and IIM and take all the beautiful girls… why did government opening all these IIT’s what use tell tell.. now I hear they incfeasing.. more heartbreak sir more heart breaks.. any way our uday chopra came back ..very sad sir… not even bipasha waiting sir… true story sir shit happens
VS: Very illuminating. I understanding now the appeal of the picture. Agree to many of your points except 2 – I not telling show daily sussu. That your kheenchoing the agrument. Second.many of your agruments are abt shit happening (very Amreekan pop culture usage you doing there instead raita phailaying). I beleiving every story if you saying shit happens
Shit happens – Effect of globalization :). Jokes apart yes second half politics and jasjeet story was quite half baked. There is a popular local saying “Jab kismat main ho lau#* to kahan milen pakode” . For me this was the takeaway of the movie and also of most of the small town stories.
Attempting a rebuttal. Here goes:
1) I almost felt like the first time Zoya goes to meet Kundan she knows who he is already. I could be wrong but she is being playful and the way she goes for his chest was a bit strange.
2) About mardaangi, he is a Raanjhanaa. Don’t care about such stuff. About name: see 1).
Alternate theory – The film is trying to make a point about how someone like Kundan is invisible to someone of Zoya’s class.
3) See alternate 2). Weak, yes but didn’t bother me.
4) It seemed like a case of “kid comes home with injury, parents don’t worry much”. Surely Kundan must’ve said it was something other than a wrist-slashing.
5) Gonna skip this 😛
6) Perhaps it was his delusion that she loved him too, so just waiting?
7) To be discussed in Raanjhanaa 2 – Woh 8 Saal
8) Since you asking for real world explanations, I give you some. So many different sects of Muslims in India, differences in rituals are very common. Like we know Jasjeet learnt the Kalmah (Ashhadu….) he probably learnt some other things too. Whatever excuse Zoya gave for a quick wedding, Jasjeet and friendz must’ve come prepared with a backstory. His sis is there, maybe they’re orphans, maybe they came with some others pretending to be family.
9) What Snob said. We’re not even sure how he died. Maybe sis and all don’t tell parents real reason. Maybe it’s embarassing.
10) Yes, all the politics stuff is flimsier than Benaras but I still didn’t feel same things as you (and a lot of other ppl it seems). Zoya and gang are supposed to young, idealistic but naive and even idiotic. All posturing. Yes, it’s a set up for Kundan coming in and connecting with the common man. While his ‘rise’ is cheesy thankfully the movie doesn’t spend too much time on it. Also all of them just talk of winning and stuff but we don’t see how successful they are. Bhaashan toh kahin bhi jaake koi bhi de sakta hai. Only hint towards that is when we see the CM concerned about them, and yes all those portions are weak. About the age, I have no excuses.
Dr Dang: agreeing to all your points and agreeing to Snobu comment if film working on the whole we happily missing the trees
Your analysis gives another interpretation to the movie but it didn’t come across that clearly on celluloid. And did you notice the tense error in 2nd half, Jasjeet’s sister come upto Kundan when they were searching for Jasjeet near railway tracks, slaps him and says “bhai tha who mera” instead of “bhai hai woh mera”
I loved the film in its entirety. First & second half equally. Sheer brilliance!! Direction, writing, music, ensemble casting, performances & divine banaras. To quote AnandLRai “Bahut sukun mila”.
For me, second half was too romanticised to create drama ( on the same lines as sonam’s first dialogue that she spoke about politics to Abhay in film) The plot looked unreal & wasn’t relatable by majority. The character of abhay couldn’t create an impact to strengthen drama albeit his death was an interesting twist. The tools deployed to make a hero out of ‘kundan’ in Delhi were too miniscule, easy & predictable. That mar and question the understanding of state level politics or politics per se of writer & director. Mind you, it wasn’t student union politics where everything goes hand in glove within university campus.
Hahahah Subrat saar.. Your analysis was more hilarious than Vigil Idiot’s review for this one. nailed it. Glaring loopholes,
Hahaha…this space is turning out to be as entertaining and confusing as the movie itself. The show must go on 😉
wow majja aagaya!! comments and the post too. This type of ending worked because the lead actor is a newcomer in bollywood.Just like kamal hassan’s initial movies. kudos to director n producer for not casting a established bollywood actor and changing the ending.
Stayed away because I didnt see it. Saw it today and Dear Cilemasnob, you took my breath away when you said
i would say this is what “camaraderie” between friends is all about, without being aware of one’s gender
And
If she(Bindiya) had protested, these guys would have backed out long back. It’s part of the game, of growing up together
I LOVED IT!
Superbly penned..mwaah mwaaah and mwaaah!
I am desperately searching for those people who were saying the music of this film has no soul…Laapata ho gaye hain sab ke sab.
[…] Raanjhanaa – politics of love and lovers in politics […]
Thoroughly enjoyed the movie and just loved this write-up! I almost thought that Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is Piyush Mishra’s son (If at all Mishra has one). There’s a striking resemblance; face and voice, both. Has anybody else felt the same as well?
Have super liked Swara Bhaskar since I saw her in Tanu Weds Manu. What a talent man! She gets the diction so perfectly!
Same here man i also thought he is son of piyush mishra when i seen him in jannat 2
i love this movie so much and i found both parts of the movie in total sync.Dhanush,Sonam,Zeeshan all are fab in their roles.