Atrangi Re REVIEW: Dhanush-Sara Ali Khan’s Chemistry Is The Mandatory Breath Of Fresh Air That Bollywood Seeks!
The film is an excellent blend of commercial and progressive aspects of cinema, and it’s definitely worth your time!
It's been quite some time since Bollywood has witnessed a quirky romantic plot that genuinely impacts the audience. Bollywood biggies disappointing their fans has been a frequent phenomenon, but, fear not! There’s always one Tamil star who will keep everyone engaged and Bollywood Superstar on-toes. Notably, Dhanush will rarely let his fans down, but offer him an extraordinary script and you will see him ace all the factors that make for an excellent actor. To be honest, Atrangi Re is the latest addition to contemporary cinema and it’s worth all your time.
Shortly after the film starts, director Anand L Rai introduces his lead characters, Rinku (Sara Ali Khan) and Vishu (Dhanush). The intro seems nothing out of the box here, instead, the makers take their own sweet time to let the audience settle with Rinku’s tumultuous life as she undergoes a great ordeal from her unreasonably and poignant family members who catalysed the death of her parents.
However, they ultimately plan Rinku’s wedding and Vishu turns out to be an ‘accidental groom’ who is kidnapped. Being from Tamil Nadu, Vishu is often seen swapping his language and guess what all seems to be lost in translation. But, Dhanush efficiently handles the scene. For instance, the shot of outburst he has after being kidnapped.
The plot soon undergoes a drastic change in pace as Vishu is married to Rinku under some of the most epic and memorable circumstances. While Sara Ali Khan tries her best to pour out the sadness while appearing to be under the influence of chemical substances, she just barely manages to bring out those expressions. Meanwhile, Vishu is induced with laughter gas and this scene is likely to get some meme-attention.
Director Anand L Rai and writer Himanshu Sharma did not hold back on adding fiction to the story, a few parts make it took boring and repetitive. Well, honestly it seems like reliving the 90s Bollywood films. However, A R Rahman sets the right tempo with his music and none of the scenes let go your attention.
Furthermore, the punchlines in the film hardly pack any power and they just manage to bring out a giggle while you keep a straight face throughout the first half of the film.
But, director Anand L Rai has plans to prove you wrong in all aspects (in case you judge this film too early). Contradictory to the trailer, the film has turned out to be one of the best plots in quite some time now.
Set in the backdrop of Delhi and a few parts of Bihar, the film largely focuses on inter-caste marriages, while taking a subtle and silent dig at our orthodox society.
The plot twist into the film just hits you like a storm, however, if you observe closely, the makers had already given away the twist right in the first 30-minutes into the film.
(Well, I definitely do not plan on giving out any spoilers here.)
Akshay Kumar fails to make an impact with his character as Sajid Ali Khan. Agreed, he was a supporting character, but there have been several other actors who have nailed their performance as supporting characters.
The film is great, in fact, the climax and outro hit you differently. Often, there are films that end abruptly. But this was one film keep you glued to the screen even after the end credits rolled out. (Honestly, I did not want the film to end and the only reason would be Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan’s chemistry.)
While the two have aced their characters on an individual scale, they have even managed successfully essay Vishu and Pinku’s unique love story. Sara might not have got her character right or up to the mark, but she definitely made an attempt to give her best and she needs to be applauded for her efforts, which could be prominently seen throughout the film.
With that being said, the film is great and this definitely deserves your attention. The film perfectly tackles the issues the makers intended to focus on. The film is an excellent blend of commercial and progressive aspects of cinema, and it’s definitely worth a shot! Thanks to Anand L Rai and A. R. Rahman.
Rating: 3.5/5
Image Source: Instagram/vandavasi_dhanush_anna