Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani (RARKPK)

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani could be summarized as a story where boy meets girl, fall in love and face family’s objection; do they succeed in convincing their families whose backgrounds and thought processes are poles apart?

The movie has Karan Johar’s signature all over. There are branded clothes… lavish sets… stylish actors… catchy dialogs… lots of emotions and drama… laughter… and what not! Interestingly, what it also has is a progressive mindset. This makes the movie special and unique.

There are several characters portrayed by an ensemble cast who deliver remarkable performances. Old Hindi movie songs are used for the background which brings an element of nostalgia. The BGM is good, and the songs are picturized in a beautiful manner.

Overall, I highly recommend this movie as a family entertainer which could be relished on a big screen.

**** That’s my short review and the detailed review is below… Read at your risk… Spoilers ahead****

The trailer came across as a simple or rather a silly love story. There were comparisons with movies like 2 States and Bommarillu. But the movie turned out to be beyond that. It addressed several biases that we experience daily. Domestic abuse, body shaming, gender repression and typecast, etc. The gender neutrality is advocated with such nuances that it stays in our hearts. For instance, men can’t take dance as their profession because it is not a good enough profession… a woman should give up on her dreams after her marriage… kitchen is a woman’s place… a woman should move into her husband’s family after marriage… Women who are career oriented would not have strong family values… a woman can’t safeguard herself… and so on…  However, they don’t become preachy and blends beautifully into the narrative.

Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt breathe life into Rocky and Rani respectively. They look good and share a great chemistry. Ranveer makes Rocky seem charismatic because the character is such that one mistake could make the character seem annoying, stupid, and spoilt. Similarly, Alia also makes sure that Rani is well-educated, well-read, and well-aware who has opinions than someone who is arrogant or egoistic. The love story between Shabani Azmi and Dharmendra is heart melting. There are several confrontation scenes involving various characters until there is a closure for everyone and those are well-presented. While some are over the top – the one between Rocky’s parents or the breakdown of Rocky’s sisters – some are heart touching. Especially, the one between Rocky and Alia’s parents. The lovely spin off of the Dola Re song from Devdas is something to watch out for. While the movie talks about women empowerment, it also addresses the need for men liberty. Men are also a victim of social expectations and gender norms. The only thing I didn’t understand is why Jaya Bachan’s character is always stern and rigid. The flashback is generic and doesn’t clarify.

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani is a visually stunning emotional dramedy which presents progressive thoughts in vintage style. I am sure the songs and the movie are only going to grow with us over the time…

4.5/5

Cast	:	Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Tota Roy Chowdhury with many others
Director	:	Karan Johar
Cinematographer	:	Manush Nandan
Music	:	Pritam
Editor	:	Nitin Baid
Producer	:	Dharma Productions and Viacom18 Studios
Release Date	:	July 28, 2023
Length	:	2 Hours and 48 Minutes
Language	:	Hindi