Here is a Bollywood movie which tries to stay away from the beaten path but does so without losing the grip and the result is a nice feel good movie. The concept of the movie is unique with a very interesting twist.
The performances from the all actors especially Dhanush lift the movie Sara plays a very complex character and at times looks out of depth but manages well overall. Akshay is dependable as usual despite a smaller role. The screenplay and direction is good too as the movie doesn't drag much.
And one thing that gives the soul to the movie is the music by A R Rahman. The maestro is in top form here and delivers an outstanding soundtrack that gives the movie a great flavour.
Overall it's a good movie worth a watch.
Plot summary
Rinku is traced by goons her own uncles at a junction while trying to flee with her boyfriend,Vishu and his friend Madhusudhan see her throwing bottles at those men.Rinku his bough home were her grandmother wants her to get married to any boy be it of any caste and creed.Vishu is soon to be married to Mandakini but the goons kidnap him and forcefully marry to Rinku thou their target was Madhusudhan.After marriage Rinku and Vishu go to Delhi where they don't consider their marriage valid and decide to part ways but Rinku tells that her boyfriend Sajjad wont agree to this and they will have to get an official divorce and Sajjad will reach Delhi in 10 days from South Africa.Meanwhile in Madurai Vishu goes to marry Mandakini where she finds video of Vishu and Rinku's marriage an calls of their wedding.Rinku and Vishu return to Delhi where Vishu develops feelings for Rinku while Rinku tells that Sajjad is back in the city and she is eager to meet him.Madhusudhan whose following Rinku finds that Sajjad does not exist in reality and is just a an imaginary character.
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Movie Reviews
An Atrangi yet interesting watch
Pathetic and senseless movie
This kind of movie might have sailed through in times when psychiatry was not evolved and there was no cure available for people with mental ailments.
This movie just keeps making fun of a very serious condition Movie makers should learn from korean dramas 'Its okay to not be okay' and 'its okay, that's love' which approach the sensitive subject cautiously and beautifully
Bollywood while making some great movies keeps getting 5 steps back every time a movie like this is released.
A missed opportunity
Atrangi Re is a romantic movie that uses schizophrenia as a plot device. The movie was never advertised as one that would serve the purpose of destigmatizing the mental illness but it seems like a missed opportunity given the oblivious-to-the-plot audiences it had managed to pull. In fact, it often plays on the ableist tropes that exist in our society to propel the story forward and not once does it attempt to redeem itself of it. Usage of the word 'pagal' for Sara's character or a psychiatrist actually saying she should be put in a museum because of her disorder or the entire reasoning behind giving her medication rests on "ladki chahiye ki nahin" are some stark examples of this. All without a single attempt to condemn this attitude at any point in the film. Even the resolution relies on convenient existing tropes and never actually gets into the actual cure.
The film is centered around Dhanush's character, his tragedies, his desires. Despite being a doctor, he treats the manifestations of Sara's psychosis with envy. While one could have argued this was his way testing whether she does really love him à la Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, the treatment of the illness throughout the film and specially in the climax shows otherwise.
Besides the problematic way in which the illness was dealt with, the film very often becomes predictable and requires a good amount of suspension of disbelief. The climax revelation, while beautifully shot, was already spoiled in its entirety halfway through the film.
What does work, however, is A R Rahman's soulful music. He is the true winner of this film. As for performances, Sara takes her time to get comfortable in her character but eventually she shines in many scenes of the film. This is her best performance till date. Dhanush's portrayal of his character would frequently remind you of his character from Ranjhana. Nonetheless, he owns this films. There's also the interfaith marriage subplot which works in parts. Direction is good too.