Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is the perfect antidote to the troll culture that has seeped into the crevices of the film industry. Karan Johar returns to the big screen as a director with his favourite muse – Alia Bhatt, who often becomes instant fodder for naysayers to pinpoint and make toxic comments about. Social media might have labelled her as the poster girl for nepotism and him, the Kingpin of the movie mafia, who can make or break careers. But, what has stood the test of time and is unbreakable is their love and passion for the craft of movie-making. So, when Karan Johar returns to direction after a hiatus of seven years, there is a lot that has changed. His lead pair, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, were last seen in a gritty rustic setting in the underbelly of Mumbai in ‘Gully Boy’. No designer labels and chiffon sarees were adding to the glamour of their already radiant stardom.
Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh) is the flamboyant OTT (over- the-top) boisterous boy from Delhi who stands for everything that the actor playing this character has made an image of. Ranveer’s public image and persona, much like Rocky, is a reflection of the loud, camp, boom-box-clutching boy whose cleavage gives the fairer sex a run for their money. When Rocky meets an unlikely match in Rani (Alia Bhatt), who is the polar opposite of him, sparks fly. It doesn’t take too long for these sparks to ignite embers from the past.
Rocky’s amnesia-ridden grandpa Kanwal (Dharmendra) and Rani’s grandmom Jamini (Shabana Azmi) have a history. In this amalgamation of two states where North (Delhi) meets East (Kolkata), a lot of cultural differences and hilarious awkward exchanges fill in much for a fast-paced and sharp first half. Jaya Bachchan plays the vamp (Rocky’s granny), who becomes a hurdle for Rocky and Rani to manifest their true love. She stands for everything that is traditionally righteous for women in the family to do. Her values are regressive and she has a temper that could roast any YouTuber who thinks he’s the Ricky Gervais of his universe.
Karan Johar’s films have become part of a legacy and spawned a genre that has often been imitated but rarely duplicated. So, when the OG comes to play, you can tell that he’s come loaded with some serious ammo. His sense of humour, sarcasm, wit, dark humour and rebuttals are all in place. The playoff between the cultured Chatterjee family and the loud Randhawas sets the tone for some of the most hilarious scenes.
Source: India Today