Propelled by solid word-of-mouth and critical acclaim, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is bringing Indians back to theatres in numbers that even Barbenheimer couldn’t amass. The Karan Johar directorial has raked in a reported Rs. 117.10 crore globally within the first six days of its release, according to box office data collection website Sacnilk.
Made at an estimated budget of Rs. 178 crore, the Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt film had already recovered Rs. 160 crore ahead of its release, courtesy of the sale of its digital rights to Prime Video (Rs. 80 crore), satellite rights to Colors (Rs. 50 crore), and music rights to Saregama (Rs. 30 crore), according to a Bollywood Hungama report.
What is it about Rocky Aur Rani that is making audiences hoot and cheer and cry, turning each viewing into a carnival of sorts? Those who have watched it once are returning with families. Six months after Pathaan, cinema halls have come alive again. It is a celebration once more.
The love story
Rocky Aur Rani’s biggest draw is that it is not a crime drama. At a time when our filmmakers are obsessed with guns, violence, and small towns, Rocky Aur Rani feels like a godsend; the much-needed breath of fresh air. It has given an audience hungering for romance a glossy, gorgeous, glorious love story. Of course, we are lapping it up.
The writing
Alia and Ranveer aside, the true hero of this film is its writing. Unlike his contemporaries, Aditya Chopra and Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar hasn’t made the blunder of trying to tell the story of a generation he doesn’t belong to. Instead of forcing on the audiences his idea of what the youth of today is about, Johar has done the smart thing; he roped in Ishita Moitra, Sumit Roy, and Shashank Khaitan, writers who actually belong to the milieu the film is set in. The result? It’s a tight, balanced story with enough romance, drama, comedy, and self-awareness to make 168 minutes feel like a riveting party. Rocky Aur Rani has some of the most hilarious, memorable dialogue in all of Karan Johar's filmography. At their best, the lines levitate off the script, making ample room for both emotional heft and hearty repartee.
The performances
An illustrious ensemble of superstars, veterans, regional actors, and relatively lesser-known faces, Rocky Aur Rani has everyone in top form. After giving three consecutive duds at the box office, just when everyone had begun to doubt his resurgence, Ranveer Singh has risen from the ashes and how. He is rip-roaringly hilarious in the film, with not one note false or out of place. It is not easy to make a loud and flamboyant himbo like Rocky endearing and be taken seriously. And yet, Ranveer does an exceedingly brilliant job of it. He plays silly with ridiculous abandon; he’s a firecracker, lighting up every moment he is in. Throughout the film, you laugh with him, never at him, such is the bigness and finesse of his craft.
Alia deserves a special mention too. It takes a supremely secure and generous actor to not just let the other shine, but also bask in their light. Moreover, in the hands of a lesser performer, Rani could have easily come across as an unbearable snob. But Alia effortlessly imbues her with a confident, charming dignity, perfectly mirroring the audience’s reaction to Rocky’s too-muchness.
Finally, the wonderful Tota Roy Chowdhury. He’s so convincing as a Kathak dancer, I initially thought he was classically trained. Not just his performances, he is terrific throughout the film, giving his beta male father of a character a restrained poignance and integrity.
The messaging
Rocky Aur Rani is the film in which Karan Johar finally comes of age. After peddling and popularising several problematic notions over the years, the filmmaker takes cognisance of it all and spins it on its head. Rocky Aur Rani is special because of all the above-mentioned reasons but, before anything else, because it has Johar introspecting and course-correcting—the film bats for rebellion and political correctness but also for inclusivity, personal freedoms, and forgiveness.
Of course, it has elaborate dance sequences with actors lip-syncing and hundreds of background artists shimmying in perfect choreography, it has Alia wearing striking chiffon sarees in snow-clad mountains and sub-zero temperatures, and Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi along with our lead pair romancing on the most cliched retro playlist ever. But through the Bengali vs Punjabi cultural clash, Rocky Aur Rani also cleverly questions, albeit in broad strokes, everyday sexism, gender stereotypes, language snobbery, fat shaming, and cancel culture.
Karan Johar’s long absence
It is his seventh feature-length directorial and the first in seven years since Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). Much like with Shah Rukh Khan’s return in Pathaan, Johar was away long enough for the audience to miss him and his cinema. Absence sure does make the heart grow fonder and scarcity creates want. Moreover, instead of blowing with the wind, with Rocky Aur Rani, Johar has stood firmly on his ground. It’s an updated, upgraded version, but Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is still an unapologetic Johar spectacle marked by heightened drama, overblown emotions, hyperbolic sets, and exquisite production design. Though it celebrates rebellion in love and not all of it is about family, a large part of it still is. Moreover, in a world of franchise films, sequels, and pan-India gimmicks, Rocky Aur Rani stands out as an anomaly both in Johar’s filmography and the larger cinema-scape.
