Atrangi Re Movie Review: Dhanush And Sara Ali Khan's Soulful Performances Make This Film A 'Chaka Chak' Watch

Story

The film opens with Rinku (Sara Ali Khan) on the run, being chased by a few men. But wait, this 'toofan se kudi' isn't a damsel in distress. She is bold, strong-headed and doesn't mince her words.

After a 'glass breaking' spree on a railway station and an addition in the number of her failed attempts to elope with her lover Sajid Ali Khan (Akshay Kumar), Rinku's grandmother (Seema Biswas) decides to get her hitched by hook or by crook. Thus Rinku is forcibly married off to Vishu (Dhanush), a senior medical student from Tamil Nadu who is about to get engaged to his dean's daughter Mandy.

Post marriage, Vishu returns back to his college hostel with his new bride Rinku in New Delhi. A series of incidents make him slowly develop feelings for her. However his love story takes an 'atrangi' twist when it's hit by an unexpected conflict.

Direction

After the disastrous Zero in 2018, Aanand L Rai makes up for the colossal disappointment with his latest release Atrangi Re which stands true to its name in terms of the plot and its execution. Along with writer Himanshu Sharma, he weaves a hatke story which is high on emotions and has its heart at the right place.

Through his three protagonists, the filmmaker taps into emotions which are left behind and the feeling of self-delusion. Without sounding preachy, he also touches upon the topic of mental health in an interesting manner. The screenplay is sprinkled with generous dose of humour which keeps you largely entertained.

On the flip side, the narrative gets a bit tedious post intermission as the writing loses its sheen at a few places. However, Rai makes sure to leave you moist-eyed with an emotional finale.

Performances

Be it as a reluctant groom or lovelorn guy, Dhanush nails every shade of his character and makes you root for him. From Raanjhanaa to Atrangi Re, the National awardee has come a long way in Bollywood. In his latest Hindi release, he makes you fall in love with him in 'little little' ways in each and every frame.

Next comes Sara Ali Khan who surprises you with her range as an actress. She is confident and a perfect foil to Dhanush's calm act. The youngster is a firecracker on the dance floor and when it comes to the emotional portions, Khan delivers them with sincerity and vulnerability.

Akshay Kumar waves his magical wand and pulls out a heart-tugging performance which adds a new dimension to Dhanush-Sara's unconventional love story. The rest of the cast which includes Seema Biswas and Ashish Verma play their roles well in the plot.

Technical Aspects

Pankaj Kumar's camera work captures both Rinku and Vishu's world in a captivating way. He brings the uniqueness of Bihar, Madurai and Delhi to life through his frames and makes sure that they add a texture to the film. Hemal Kothari's editing is crisp.

Music

One of the biggest strengths of Atrangi Re is AR Rahman's music and Irshad Kamil's lyrics which fit like a glove to the film's narrative. What makes the soundtrack unique is that each song is an expression of what a particular character is going through at that moment. However if we had to pick up our favourites then it would be Arijit Singh's 'Tumhein Mohabbat Hai' and 'Rait Zara Si' in the vocals of Arijit Singh and Sashaa Tirupathi.

Verdict

'Dil thoda jazbaati hai, bhar jata hai baaton se, ye fir chhalke yun aankho se, ho jaise rait zara si.' Irshad Kamil's deep lyrics perfectly sums up your feelings after watching Aanand L Rai's Atrangi Re. The filmmaker wins us over with his unconventional tale which talks about how 'love triumphs over all odds'.