Love stories are often discounted as chick flicks. And most of the love stories have complex song and dance rituals, foreign locales and numerous costume changes by the hero and heroin. A flesh and blood lover in India hardly has such privileges. Case in point – Kundan (Dhanush), the hero in Ranjhanna who tries to romance Zoya (Sonam Kapoor). In the process he faces the predictable, social, communal and class issues. Additionally he also has to deal with unrequited love.
Dhanush’s portrayal of love lorn Kundan tugs at the heartstrings of all those who have fallen in love and faced the consequences sometime in life. Notwithstanding his unconventional appearance, he can easily give the new breed of Bollywood heroes tough competition of a different sort.
Sonam Kapoor, despite her limited acting skills, manages to pull off Zoya, a girl at crossroads – between her traditional upbringing and modern JNU exposure. She is looking stunning and that helps (if only she could drop her “couture” obsession). However the girl who leaves an impression is, Swara Bhaskar. With her girl next door charm and the fantastic command over UP Hindi, she is a delight in the role of Kundan’s spurned lover.
Abhay Deol has a small but significant role in the film. As a JNU student leader, he was convincing in his role.
A R Rehman’s music is pleasant and peppy and yet not jarring. The cinematography captures the charms of Benares and Delhi and keeps one longing for more..and more..and more of such films that successfully fuse the dreams of Bollywood with the realism of parallel cinema.
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