No Hichki there: Much like Sridevi, Rani Mukerji has managed to still be relevant and how!
While many actors fail to be still relevant and make successful comebacks, there are a few like Rani Mukerji who break the stereotype.
Indian cinema has completed over a century but the proverbial myths still remain the same. Two actors at the same level can never be friends, married actresses aren't considered desirable; they tend to lose their commercial value post a certain age - are just a few prime examples of the morality (read Hichki) that's so deep-rooted that it might take another century or even more to change. It won't be wrong to say that Indian actors are all victims of perception. But inspite of all the pre-conceived notions, there have been a few actors who have somehow managed to break the norms. Rani Mukerji certainly leads the pack today and how!
A woman of substance...One look at Rani's filmography and we will have ample proof. Consider her better works like a Black, Hum Tum or a Mardaani, or even the ones that failed at the box office, there's one thing in common - Rani has never played the 'abla naari'. She has been one actress who's never been reduced to a mere showpiece, unlike most of her contemporaries and the others who followed right after, even in a Khan film. Fortunately, some of her best characters have Khans playing the lead opposite her. Whether it's a Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna or a Hum Tum, a Black or even a Talaash, she has always managed to take a certain lead. Even in her most vulnerable characters, Rani found strength in its subdued-ness and that's evidence of a woman in control.
...and relevance too!Fearless - that's one word that defines Rani. There are only a few heroines who made a successful comeback. While Madhuri Dixit's Aaja Nachle bombed at the plexes, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan could hardly get her audience back to the theatres with a Jazbaa or Sarbjit. On the other hand, there are bright examples of two women who did the unthinkable.
Talking of great comebacks, the first film that comes to mind is of Sridevi's English Vinglish. The biggest reason why a Sridevi returning to celluloid after 15 long years still made relevance, was only because she realised that she can't do what she did on screen, when she was much younger. Sridevi accepted her age gracefully, chose her character wisely and landed with something as beautiful as Shashi. Similarly, in the last few years, there has been a huge change in Rani's choices too. She was unstoppable as the fiery Meera Gaiti and top-notch as the feisty cop Shivani. In Hichki, she's brilliant as Naina Mathur, one who has a speech defect in the form of Tourette Syndrome but one who doesn't let that hinder her ambitions.
A story of dreams, emotions and acceptance - Hichki is powerful in it's own way. Kudos to Rani for choosing a film like this, which many trade experts had given up on right before the release, only to reinforce their trust after they watched it. The box office numbers are proof that no matter what an actress' age and stage is in life, if she chooses to be relevant with the times, she will end up with the same audience driving to the theatres to watch her.
Acceptance it isSiddharth P Malhotra's Hichki is not just about a woman with a speech handicap. Neither is it just about the ills that plague the education system in India. It's a poignant tale of acceptance - The constant urge of a younger Naina to be accepted by her father the way she was, the constant desire to be accepted as a teacher despite her hichki and the rebellious rage of a socially boycotted class to be accepted by everyone around them.
I remember right before the film released, Rani had told me in an interview, "My next film will depend on how Hichki works. I believe in reality checks - I need to see if the audience still wants to watch me on screen. If they don't, I would rather sit back at home and take care of Adira." But now that the film is growing on excellent word-of-mouth and registering good figures, that mostly stands null and void.
Thank God for that. After all, with Hichki, not only did Naina and her class get what they wanted from people around them, but a still-wanting-to-be-relevant Rani found her own acceptance.... one more time! There's still more of Rani 2.0 coming up! And that's what her admirers (including me) will agree and look forward to. Albeit, without any hichki...