Love triangles and Bollywood are inseparable. Atrangi Re more or less runs on the same idea. However, Aanand L Rai (director) and Himanshu Sharma (Writer) manage to bring in the much-needed breathe of fresh air to the movie.
Sara Ali Khan, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar movie Atrangi Re has been released on the OTT platform Disney Plus Hotstar. However, from the very beginning, a movie buff can understand that the screenplay and direction are as per the silver screen. Although the movie has received a mixed review, it is definitely a one-time watch, thanks to the comic timing and acting of Dhanush (Vishu). Sara (Rinku) has been flawless in her typical UP accent. And Akshay Kumar (Sajjad), as usual, has maintained his comic timing and temperament.
As the name suggests, Atrangi Re is indeed an “Atrangi” or bizarre movie. It deals with the concept of Schizophrenia. The picturisation of Rinku dealing with the mental health issue has been done in a simpler manner. The sounds in her head have been impersonated in the form of Sajjad.
Rinku goes into a state of trauma when she witnesses both her mother and magician father getting burnt amidst a live magic show. She immediately finds an escape in Sajjad, her own father. But now, this person no more resembles her Abbu and has become her knight in shining armour, her saviour.
Rinku bears the atrocities of her maternal grandparents by adhering to her belief that Sajjad is there beside her. At the tender age of 14, Rinku falls in love with this imaginary person, and since then, she has tried multiple times to elope with Sajjad.
On one such day, when she is in the Siwan Junction railway station trying to escape the goons of her family, Vishu sees her for the first time. He has already a girlfriend named Mandakini, but their relationship sounds more like a compromise as Vishu fears that his medical degree will be scrapped by Mandakini’s father, the dean of his medical college.
Seema Biswas, the nani of Rinku, finally decides to get her married forcefully. She “arranges” for a groom for Rinku by getting him kidnapped. This kidnapped groom turns out to be none other than Vishu himself. Rinku and Vishu thus get married unwillingly under the action of laughing gas and some sort of drug.
The movie goes on as Vishu falls in love with carefree, bold and dramatic Rinku. He, along with his Psychiatric friend Madhusudan together try to cure her mental condition. Vishu finally let her realise the truth herself.
The dialogues, especially the Telugu rants by Vishu, has been appreciated by the audience. Rinku manages to charm the audience with her simplicity. And Sajjad takes the cake with his emotional climax scene.
The musical score by A R Rehman is a treat to the ears. “Rait Zara Si”, “Chaka Chak”, and “Murali ki yeh dhun” are trending in various music live stream apps. Overall, the movie is worth the watch, given that the last few months have been terrible in terms of movie plots (Satyameva Jayate, for instance!). Snuggle inside your cosy blanket, grab a tub of popcorn, and enjoy Atrangi Re while sipping a cup of coffee. Also, you can watch it with your family as there is no over the top vulgarity, obscenity in the movie.
If not 4, Atrangi Re definitely deserves a 3 and a half rating for the cumulated efforts of director, writer, actors and music director.