The After Hrs review: 'Heroine'

Film: Heroine
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Rating: ** *

An actress who can carry off just about anything on screen and a director with a penchant for relatable storylines — Kareena Kapoor and Madhur Bhandarkar are one jodi many have been rooting for. And while Kareena does not disappoint as the beautiful but heartbreakingly vulnerable protagonist, Heroine is hardly ‘the scandalous and voyeuristic journey’ that Bhandarkar had promised it would be.

One does get a glimpse of failed relationships, shattered egos and insecure co-stars lurking ‘behind closed doors in make-up rooms and vanity vans’. But the tale of an out-of-luck film star, who suffers one setback after another, both personally and professionally, is hard to endure.

Kareena steps effortlessly into the shoes of Mahi Arora who tries every trick in the book to regain her lost glory at the box-office. And as she grapples with love, passion, jealousy and insecurity, one cannot help but think that no one else could have done justice to the role.

The character seems tailor-made for an actress of Kareena’s calibre. And she takes the viewers into the mind of Mahi as she battles personal demons while maintaining a cool facade. The line ‘Kuch bhi theek nahin hai, par main theek hoon’ that she flirtatiously throws at cricketer Angad Paul (Randeep) just about sums up what Mahi is going through.

But this a Bollywood film after all. So, we are told that the heroine is angsty and emotionally high strung because she suffers from a bipolar disorder. Really!? Isn’t it natural for any hardworking career woman to be concerned about losing the top slot? And why can’t she feel jealous and insecure about her married lover, Aryan Khanna (Arjun)? When Mahi does find love and commitment from Angad, she decides to put her career before marriage. Why should that be a problem for a man who claims to love her but fails to see her point of view? Thus, the script meanders on and Helen, who plays a yesteryear star, pontificates on the transitionary nature of fame and success. Bhandarkar’s

Bollywood is inhabited by interesting characters — philandering male superstars kept on a tight lease by their stay-at-home spouses and bitchy actresses who will stoop to anything for an endorsement or film deal. Then there are film journalists who are too big for their boots, brand and image managers who are nothing short of vultures and corporate moneybags with ‘no aesthetic sense’.

But on the whole, the film disappoints in several areas — especially the ending. But watch it, just for Kareena!