Atrangi Re: Sara Ali Khan movie review, Dhanush is the soul of a unique love story, Akshay Kumar adds Midas feeling

Movie review Atrangi Re: Sara Ali Khan, Dhanush is the soul of a unique love story, Akshay Kumar added Midas
Atrangi Re lives up to its title. Directed by Aanand L Rai, it’s a unique and refreshing love story that breaks the mess beautifully. It doesn’t come close to how we’ve envisioned or seen on-screen romances over the years. The film delves deeply into the relationships we hold, the emotions we leave behind, the rejection we often experience, and the acceptance that comes after a lot of heartache. The story also subtly touches on the issue of sanity, but at no point does it become judgmental. Starring Sara Ali Khan, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar in lead roles, Atrangi Re boasts of a casting coup which just cannot go wrong. Though with energetic stars like Sara and Akshay, you think the story might go a bit overthetop, but the director maintains a balance so brilliantly that none of his characters overshadow each other. Each one of them — even the supporting actors including Vishu’s best friend (Ashish Verma) and Rinku’s grandmother (Seema Biswas) — stand out in their parts. Akshay the superstar, allows Sara to take the forefront, while Dhanush complements her energy. The story revolves around Rinku Sooryavanshi (Sara) and Vishu (Dhanush) being married to each other forcefully. On the way to Vishu’s hometown, they understand that they will go their separate ways because they have no intention of being together and also because Vishu will be engaged in two days. Enter now Sajjad Ali (Akshay Kumar), whom Rinku is in love with. The way Rinku copes with the dilemma of falling in love with Sajjad and at the same time having feelings for Vishu is what Aanand L Rai tells us through this movie, but in a rather unconventional way. Atrangi Re’s script could be one of his post-musical USPs. Himanshu Sharma’s work transports you to another world where love takes on a different meaning. The footage is stitched together in a way that makes you cry and laugh at the same time. Atrangi Re is no cliché in Bollywood movies. It doesn’t fit the tried-and-true formula you often see in love stories. It’s not your usual boy-girl affair. Nor is a couple forced to kiss, deciding to give their relationship a chance. It’s beyond what you and I can think of. At the climax, you really realize that the movie deserves a lot more attention than you’ve paid up until then. The story unfolds at a pretty smooth pace without any unnecessary subplots. Though to be honest, I would like to know a little more about Vishu’s background, his parents and his fiancé. That, I think, will give us a better understanding of his personality like we do with Rinku.

In the end of Atrangi Re, Sara Ali Khan heads the cast, followed by Dhanush then Akshay Kumar. That pretty much sums up how Sara is the soul of this movie and holds up well throughout. As Rinku, a girl from a small town, she is crazy, fiery, thick-skinned and quite rebellious, but emotionally attached to her parents. This is Sara’s fifth outing, and you’ll be impressed to see her lineup as an actress. The Bihari dialect she chooses in the film is relevant and she never lets it go astray. Her performance on the song Chaka Chak is definitely her best. And not to mention his performance in the final act, it breaks your heart.
Vishu, a doctor, plays the role of calm in Rinku’s storm. Dhanush looks very confident in his role and since making his Bollywood debut with Raanjhanaa eight years ago, he has integrated perfectly into the scheme of Bollywood. Assign him a few dance moves, add some jokes to his character, or give him some funny antics to perform, and he succeeds. However, Sara and Dhanush together as an on-screen couple didn’t really cause any spark in terms of their chemistry. It is bland, to say the least. Then there is a dialogue in the movie where Dhanush speaks and Sara says “Gaali mat do (don’t swear)” and he responds, “Tamil mein bol raha hu (I speak Tamil)”. Well, it’s time for Bollywood to shed its obsession with putting in clichéd humor in an effort to add in humour. Akshay, a magician in the film, brings a Midas feel to the story, playing a central role. Call it an extended cameo or something, he doesn’t let that affect his performance. Atrangi Re is Aanand and Akshay’s first collaboration and it has certainly raised expectations for their upcoming projects – Raksha Bandhan and Gorkha.
Last but not least, Atrangi Re’s music is pure gold and all credit goes to the compositions and soundtrack by AR Rahman, as well as the lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Each song creates a different mood, is the essence that you want to bring home. From Dhanush’s Love Me Little Little and Akshay’s Garda Udda Diya to heartwarming hits, Atrangi Re delivers on the magic of musical love stories. Catch it on Disney+ Hotstar starting December 24.

Movie: Atrangi Re

Direction: Aanand L Rai

Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Dhanush, Akshay Kumar