QUEEN - Movie Review

I fail to recollect the last time I saw a film which was so correctly made. Right from the screenplay and editing to the performances, everything feels just right. Nothing underplays and nothing goes overboard. 

Alright then, the story and the essence of the film are in sync with the new wave in Bollywood which has started to focus more on women centric issues but the treatment of Queen is what separates it from the others. Unlike the more recent and over dramatized Highway, Queen is starkly low on the dramatic content and plays out emotions in such a realistic manner that at times it seems like watching parallel cinema, but hello!! This is where Queen scores big. It is very much mainstream in its approach and yet is astoundingly grounded in the reality of its script. 

There are also visible similarities in how the issue was tackled in English Vinglish but then again the focus there was on the emotional outburst of a character much elder. Here, the issues are much relatable, the anxiety, fear, pain and joy can be felt by the audience of a much younger age. Taking nothing away from English Vinglish, which was masterful story telling in itself, Queen manages to create a strong identity for itself despite there being a product as original and genuine as English Vinglish. 

Within the first few minutes of the film, during the London Thumakda song, the director captures a moment so tender, so heartfelt and emotional that it does away with the inclusion of a dialogue scene. The mother and daughter look at each other and their eyes convey feelings which words cannot. From that moment onwards, you somehow just know that Queen is going to be worth the time! The film is about numerous such moments which will leave an imprint on the hearts of the audiences flocking to see the film despite it being in its 3rd week now. 

The screen play is lucid and the cinematography literally brings the story alive on screen. Right from the Rajauri gardens in Delhi to the red light district in Amsterdam, the camera work stays brilliant. 

Vikas Bahl directs a simplistic tale in a simplistic manner and lets the performances cook up the desired emotions. It is he who is able to extract nuanced performances from every person in the crew and the result is a delightful film. The direction for a large part of time remains extremely engaging but becomes a tad repetitive post the intermission thereby slacking the pace at which the film moves but it does pick up again. And how!

The casting of actors is another area where the casting team pulls off a great job. Actors are perfectly cast and are able to portray relatable characters with relative ease. 

Make way for Kangana folks!! She shines in the role of Rani. Often you can see her improvise in a scene and bring out something extra than what is desired. Her transformation from the simple, shy and timid girl to a confident and bold woman is extremely believable. It is she who pulls off a Vidya Balan here by carrying the entire film on her shoulders. 

She is my personal favourite for the best actress nominations for the award functions later in 2014.

Rajkumar Rao is good like always.

Hardly has music made so much sense to a film. By sense I mean to say that rarely we find songs that are extremely well composed and go along perfectly in sync with what the screenplay demands. Amit Trivedi is the hero who again brings out an album which basks in the glory of its variety and yet remains brutally original. Be it Jugni, O Guzariya, Badra Bahar or Taake Jhaake, each song carries Rani's journey forward. And Kangana enacts out the desired emotions for each of this brilliant compositions. 

Kinaare which concludes the film is by far the best song to come out in 2014. The lyrics by Anvita Dutt, Mohan Kanan's soothing and mesmeric vocals and Trivedi's music create such an atmosphere that it does away with the need to have any sort of verbal exchange. Just the song in the background and its done. Take out this song from the film and the impact surely would have dipped by at least 20%.

Queen is surely a must watch! It is a family entertainer with a message which gets properly conveyed. You'll simply fall in love with Kangana after watching her act in Queen.

A genuine feel good film with its heart in the right place. 

To sum up- HUNGAMA HO GAYA!!

**4STARS**