Atrangi Re movie review: It's a very different love story and Dhanush shows us why he's a superstar

3.5/5

Story:

Rinku has tried to run away with her boyfriend 21 times from her Bihari family. But they always find her and bring her back. They grill her about him, but she won’t tell them who he is for fear that they might kill him. At one point they are so fed up they abduct a lad and get her married off to him. Will the reluctant groom, a South Indian doc, help her reunite with her boyfriend?

Review:

This isn’t an easy story to tell on film. But Aanand L Rai makes a brave attempt. Though it may look simplistic and the awful trailer certainly didn’t help, if you watch the film without your earlier biases, the film will actually touch a chord somewhere in your cynical heart.

Sara Ali Khan is refreshing as a sassy, habitual runaway called Rinku Sooryavanshi who gets forcibly hitched by her Bihari family to a Tamil lad, They are just fed up with her antics. Vishu (the always awesome Dhanush) who appears to be an intern doc in Delhi is liberally gassed (they use Nitrous Oxide) and is made to marry a drugged Rinku. The couple is put on a train to Delhi.

When they both come to, they make a pact on the train: they will get a quick divorce and he will go on to marry his college Dean’s daughter and Rinku will walk away into the Sunset with her lover of many years. She admits to him - because he’s a decent sort of bloke - that her lover is Sajjad and he’s a magician. But he’s in Africa and will be back soon. Vishu is a nice guy, as we know, so he lets her stay in his room at the boys hostel.

He likes her, and asks if she’d like to travel with his friends and him for his engagement ceremony instead of staying alone at the hostel. Of course she’s persuaded to go with the lads. Everything seems to be going okay until the bride’s friends show her a viral video of Vishu laughing through a wedding with Rinku.

What happens is predictable, but when you see a determined Dhanush ask his father-in-law to be ‘Let go of her hand’ you suddenly see what makes Dhanush a superstar. I must admit that I loved him in Raanjhanaa (even though there was a huge problem with the story), but he fills the screen with such magnificence, you have to admit that this film is what it is because of Dhanush. That said, you will love his mad dance skill. The song, ‘Love me little little’ is such a joyous celebration of love it will put a smile on your face.

Rinku does not understand Dhanush’s admission of attraction and instant love because she doesn’t understand a word of Tamil is a scene all lovers will feel. It resonated with me, reminding me what a wonderful actor he is. His impromptu dance in the bathroom at the railway station too is just amazing.

Ashish Verma plays Vishu’s best friend and he’s training to be a psychiatrist. What he discovers about Rinku is so mind-blowing, you begin to understand why Dhanush and all his friends treat her with kid gloves. Considering how we Indians write off people like Rinku as ‘paagal’ and like her family hand her off to someone else. Is Rinku really mad, or is her adjustment disorder something that the filmmakers should have emphasised a tad more. Now the award winning film Inside Out showed us how young Riley cannot let go of her childhood friend Bing Bong and even in that movie, they made it crystal clear where Bing Bong comes from…

The reason why Rinku will not mention Sajjad’s name to her family is obvious in this current political scenario, but even here the killing in the name of family honour is heartbreaking.

Ashish and Vishu try to ease her into reality, but with lots of hits and misses. When Rinku asks Vishu that she likes both Sajjad and Vishu, and why can’t a woman have both, I am sure a lot of women - who secretly look at the facebook pages of their high school crushes - approve of the idea.

Akshay Kumar’s short role is nice, but in some scenes he looks a little haggard. I suppose he’s meant to look older then… But the flash and style he brings to the role is uniquely his.

AR Rahman’s ‘Chaka Chak’ seems like a straight lift of his own song ‘Katiya Karun’ from Rockstar. Arijit Singh’s ‘Tumhein Mohabbat Hai’ is pure Rahman. It’s beautiful in the film.

Verdict:

I loved this film because I could reference Rinku’s troubles because I have watched Inside Out. How many folks who are not armed with the knowledge will understand her, I wonder. All in all it’s a film that’s worth a watch despite its long 138 minute playing time. The film drops on Disney+Hotstar on December 24. And Dhanush fans will love him in every scene.

About The Author:

Manisha Lakhe writes on film and tv shows, is a poet, teacher, traveller and mom (and not necessarily in that order). Could sell her soul for Pinot and a good cheesecake.