Raanjhanaa Movie Review: A Touching Tale Of Love And Loss

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-In Short:

The film deals with the life and struggles of a small-town Romeo, who wants his Juliet at any cost.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Verdict:

A colourful, vibrant and a touching story, Raanjhanaa however seems to lose focus to an extent in the second half.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Story Plot:

Kundan (Dhanush) is the son of a Benaras Pandit, who falls in love with Zoya (Sonam Kapoor) when he sees her as a kid. Encouraged by his loyal sidekick Murari (Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub), Kundan makes his feelings known to the school-going Zoya and after a wrist-slitting episode, they both start loving each other. When Zoya's parents find out about her love for a Hindu boy, they promptly pack her off to Aligarh and Delhi for further studies.

When Zoya returns back after eight years, Kundan is still in love with her, though she has moved on and lost her heart to a charismatic JNU college student/youth leader (Abhay Deol).

How Kundan tries to win back Zoya's love and gets entangled in situations far complex than his small-town life, is what the rest of the film deals with.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Performances:

Dhanush, who makes his Bollywood debut with this film, is simply...awesome!! With his unconventional looks and goofy smile, the actor plays the role of the small-town 'boy next door' with such aplomb that you cannot imagine any other actor in the role. The character is so relatable and likeable that one might find himself/herself hating Zoya at times for not reciprocating his feelings. Sonam Kapoor's Zoya is one of the most complex characters etched in recent times on the silver screen and the actress does justice to it and the audience is sure to have a love-hate relationship with the character.

Another actor to watch out for is Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub, the actor who plays Kundan's loyal friend Murari. The man is simply talented and his scenes with Kundan are one of the many highlights in the film. Swara Bhaskar as Kundan's childhood friend too does a decent role though we wish Vipin Sharma could have had more screen time in the film. Abhay Deol appears in a small role, but is effortlessly effective.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Direction:

Known for his small-town romance Tanu Weds Manu, Aanand L Rai comes up with a delightful tale once more with Raanjhanaa. From the first scene onwards, the film hooks you as it goes about exploring Kundan's feelings for Zoya. The 'one-sided' affair has not been explored much in Hindi cinema, which is why Kundan's efforts to woo Zoya will strike a chord with every man out there, who has done the same for some unattainable ladylove. The dialogues are quite real and the director has mercifully stayed away from flowery lines, that usually form the backbone of most love stories. Moreover, special mention must be made of the cinematography, which brings out the colour and vibrancy of Benaras, giving the film a fresh and real look.

However, on the flip side, Rai seems to lose focus in the second half when the story moves to New Delhi and starts dealing with student politics and shady deals and one ends up wishing to go back to the simplicity of an uncomplicated love story in the dusty bylanes of Benaras.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Music:

The 'Mozart Of Madras' A. R. Rahman has worked his magic once more and for music lovers, Raanjhanaa is a treat for sure. The folksy title track, the Indian flavoured Banarasia and the other numbers will simply win your heart.

Raanjhanaa Movie Review-Final Word:

If you ever have loved and lost, Raanjhanaa is the film for you...