Ever so rarely, there comes a movie that is so commendable, it not only blows your mind, but also resonates with you for many more days. Believe me, that’s exactly what Kangana Ranaut starrer, QUEEN, will do to you. I watched it yesterday; today, I spent the whole day thinking about it, and tomorrow I am going for it again. Yes, I am totally in love with QUEEN!
QUEEN is entertaining, and seriously funny, so hilarious that it made me laugh, laugh so many times, and laugh so hard that I started tearing up! Now isn’t that rare and precious? After all, how often do you get to say that about a Bollywood movie, or for that matter any movie!
QUEEN is the story of a small town girl named Rani (meaning Queen), whose fiancé dumps her before her wedding. But boy, she is brave. After a brief period of mourning, she packs up her suitcase and goes for her pre-booked honeymoon trip to Paris and Amsterdam. Rani agrees to go ahead because the trip offered escapism from the current situation of sad faces and all the emotional upheaval around the house. But what she doesn’t know is how this voyage will provide a rare opportunity to connect with her innerself, help her to understand herself better and in the process allow herself to blossom.
Kangana Ranaut as Rani is fantastic. She’s so cute and innocent and believable that you can’t help but sympathize with her or want to become her friend or give her a tight hug! QUEEN will definitely change the way the world will look at her in future. While she is good throughout, there are however a few scenes where you can gauge her innate talent level. The burping scene in taxi, the entire “hungama” party sequence, the Eiffel tower chase, and the bag-snatching bit…oh, there are plenty of such incredible moments! If Kangana is Miss Goody Good, then Vikas Bahl – the writer and director, is Mister Fantastic. We have to give him credit for converting such a simple story into something extraordinary and beautiful, and for putting sense in almost every frame! Also, special mention to the genius called Amit Tridevi, whose eclectic and peppy music elevates the movie to an altogether different level.
One of the things I liked the most was the fact that when Rani returns, she doesn’t come back as a totally different person…fake accent, fake eyelashes, designer wears, and with dramatic transformation from behenji to babe. Oh no, nothing of that sort happens. Rani is still the same, only a bit wiser and smarter. Probably, the only thing she brings back is memories of wonderful moments spent with her friends, Taka, Oleksander, Tim and Vijaylakshmi. And I must talk about Vijaylakshmi here. Played by Lisa Haydon (the NRI girl from Aisha), Vijaylakshmi is the wild, fun-loving girl of mixed heritage who befriends Rani in Paris. And Ms. Haydon enacts the role so well, infact it’s difficult to imagine anybody from Bollywood playing the unapologetic Vijaylakshmi with so much ease and aplomb!
Kangana might sweep away all the big awards this year, and if they ignore her, then I’ll have a big problem with that.
QUEEN is a perfect getaway from the humdrum of every day life, and a refreshing change from the otherwise glossy, loud and stereotypical movies that Bollywood yields. Please spare some time and go watch QUEEN. Trust me, you won’t regret this one.
Totally on top of my “to do ” list
@ Roh – and you won’t be disappointed!!