Movie review: Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani – The Gauntlet

By Nimra Amir, September 14 2023—

Disclaimer: This text accommodates spoilers for the film Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.

The not too long ago launched romantic-comedy Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2023) directed by Karan Johar, like most Bollywood motion pictures, is flashy with catchy dance sequences and dramatic dialogues but additionally tackles the intense themes of household dynamics in a manner fully distinctive to itself. 

The film begins with an introduction to the normal Punjabi Randhawa household led by the matriarch Dhanlakshmi (Jaya Bachchan) with enterprise proprietor son Tijori (Aamir Bashir) over stay-at-home spouse Punam (Kshitee Jog) and their two kids Rocky (Ranveer Singh) and Gayatri (Anjali Anand) — instead of the patriarch Kanwal (Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol). However what looks as if a traditional household is revealed to be sophisticated as soon as Kanwal, who’s a wheelchair-bound amnesiac, errors a stranger to be his previous lover Jamini (Shabana Azmi). 

It’s as soon as Rocky finds {a photograph} of Jamini that we have now an introduction to the progressive Bengali Chatterjee household by means of well-known tv information anchor Rani (Alia Bhatt) raised by English professor Anjali (Churni Ganguly) {and professional} Kathak dancer Chandon (Tota Roy Chowdhury) — together with grandmother Jamini. 

When Rocky and Rani resolve to unite previous lovers Kanwal and Jamini, they too shortly fall in love however due to the cultural variations between the households, they resolve to check their relationship by switching homes for a three-month interval earlier than getting married. 

After all, as Jamini says “Rishte ki steering wheel bhalei apne haath mein ho, backseat driving household hello karti hain.” Or, translated in English, “Even when you’ve got the steering wheel of the connection, it’s the household that does the backseat driving.”

The messages despatched by means of the three-month interval within the film like that males can cook dinner or girls can work is probably not politically groundbreaking by any means however are nonetheless essential. 

The primary crux of the film although was whether or not elders in a household like matriarch Dhanlakshmi or son Tijori are owed respect within the type of obedience simply due to their place within the household hierarchy. This isn’t the primary Johar film to deal with the subject. In truth, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) takes on the identical matter of elders interfering with a brand new relationship as a result of they imagine they’re owed respect within the type of obedience simply due to their place within the household hierarchy. However this isn’t to say that the flicks are the identical. Though Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani follows a mode of Bollywood that’s beloved by many, it’s clear that an effort was made to distinguish Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani from earlier Bollywood motion pictures like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham by putting the subject of household hierarchy in a contemporary setting with a contemporary decision as each matriarch Dhanlakshmi and son Tijori apologise to Rani. 

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani doesn’t cease there because it went on to deal with the fashionable issues that progressive households could have too. Rocky is ridiculed for his lack of normal data and berated for his each problematic remark or motion. So, his ignorance of what’s politically appropriate due to the household he was raised in is just not an excuse for each problematic remark or motion he makes with good intentions — but the purpose of the criticism he deserves shouldn’t be to cancel him however to teach him.

It needs to be a provided that being criticized for a problematic remark or motion since you are an uneducated man and being stopped from working as a result of you’re a girl should not on the identical degree of severity however for the purpose of the film, the grievance of cancel tradition had sufficed to provide Rocky his due character growth. 

That’s what Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani does nicely. It doesn’t attempt to be something greater than it’s — a enjoyable film with easy however essential messages that showcase how household dynamics on each conventional and progressive sides can do higher to create area for one another, whether or not meaning apologizing for an offence and even providing nonjudgmental training.

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