Queen (7 Mar 2014)

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon, Mish Boyko, Jeffrey Ho, Joseph Guitobh, Canadea Lopez Marco

Director: Vikas Bahl

This movie is aptly titled and it’s release is perfectly timed on the eve of Women’s Day, as it ably shows the inner strength and conviction of a very mediocre woman, who uses the stab of severe rejection, not to bleed into the state of utter depression filled with society imposed guilt, but to expand her horizon, and in the process learns a great deal about different lifestyles & cultures, makes myriad friends, proves her self worth and tastes the state of utter freedom (both by body and mind)!

Though this journey of hers is hesitantly supported by her loving parents and kid brother, the carefree attitude and occasional mischievous ‘been there, done that’ glances thrown by her grandmother are something to watch out for. In a society like ours, usually an elderly woman expectantly appears so dedicated towards her spouse and family, that it seems impossible that her delicate heart ever nursed a feeling for any other man. But life has never been this simple for them. Due to unavoidable circumstances, shyness, fear, or even betterment, many of them did nurse a feeling for someone in the past, but ended up marrying someone else altogether! And since amongst themselves they do understand this, breakup of an impending marriage, is not that much of a hoo-haa for them, as much as they expectantly portray it to be. They do know that it is unacceptable but not unthinkable. And when it happens to their own blood, they do have the wisdom and conviction to make their granddaughters see the matter in a sensible light and pave their way.

Rani (literally meaning ‘queen’), the protagonist is a girl-next-door, who is wooed over by a family friend’s son, Vijay (Rajkummar Rao) into marriage. On the eve of the marriage, he breaks it up on the pretext of lifestyle and attitude difference that has widened between them due to his London based job and stay! After spending a night in extreme shock and tears, Rani decides to regain the control of her life by starting with going alone on her honeymoon trip (Paris and Amsterdam)! And in this trip, out of her comfort zone, she discovers a whole new different world, wherein all her past taboos seem right, and quite a few right notions seem wrong. She learns - to trust and enjoy the company of good strangers, to fight for herself, the taste of independence and success, and mostly the difference between so called right actions and right intent.

Kangana Ranaut has done a fantastic acting job. Her approach towards the role is very fresh and natural. With her history of living-on-the-edge glam roles, this one comes as a pleasant surprise. Her Indianisation started with ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ and she has come full circle with ‘Queen’. Rajkummar Rao has expectantly done a brilliant job. Lisa Haydon is another surprise package in the film. Her natural uninhibited form with French accent is again something to watch out for. Mish Boyko, Jeffrey Ho, Joseph Guitobh, Canadea Lopez Marco who have played Kangana’s roommates/associates in Amsterdam have also essayed their roles with great naturalness and ease. The child artist who plays Kangana’s sibling appears convincing as a possessive kid brother. Rest of the cast has also performed well.

Special applause needs to be given to the director, Vikas Bahl to present well and in perfect harmony, two very different sensibilities, one that of a middle class conservative Indian, and the other of an international traveler. He has also well captured the dilemma of the protagonist while making the consistent cross over between these two sensibilities. When using foreign locales and 100% foreign actors with the protagonist actor as Indian, very few movies are able to portray the true essence of the script. Hats off to the director, that this is one such movie.