'Atrangi Re' movie review: Sara Ali Khan shines, Akshay Kumar surprises in 'Chaka Chak' cocktail of love and madness

Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Dhanush, Seema Biswas, Ashish Verma, and others

Director: Aanand L. Rai

Music: A. R. Rahman

Where to watch: On Disney+ Hotstar

Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes

Rating: 3 1/2 stars 

Synopsis: Rinku Sooryavanshi is madly in love with Sajjad Ali Khan with whom she has tried to elope 21 times, but she is forcefully married off to Vishu. This twisted love triangle becomes even more complicated with unexpected turns and twists as the story progresses.

'Atrangi Re' movie review

Directed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma, 'Atrangi Re' is a heartwarming cocktail of love and madness. It makes you laugh, surprises you, and brings tears to your eyes as you witness the weird love story between the three principal characters. Sara Ali Khan leads the show with her magnificent portrayal of Rinku, an orphan girl from Bihar who desires the love of both her husband and her boyfriend. The two-time National Award winner Dhanush plays Rinku's husband, S. Venkatesh Vishwanath Iyer aka Vishu. He is dependable and adds the much needed gravitas required in the film. Akshay Kumar is the surprise package as Rinku's boyfriend, Sajjad Ali Khan who is a magician and adds craziness and sparkle in the lives of Rinku and Vishu. A. R. Rahman takes the film to newer heights as his music is the soul of 'Atrangi Re'.

The film starts off in Siwan, Bihar where Rinku is making another attempt to elope with her longtime boyfriend Sajjad but as always, she doesn't succeed. Her paternal grandmother, portrayed by extremely talented actor Seema Biswas, has had enough of her and wants to get her married within next two days. Vishu, a doctor is on a random trip to the city along with his friends. His engagement is due in two days in his hometown in Chennai. The family goons kidnap him, get him forcefully married to Rinku and the couple is set off to Vishu's hostel in Delhi. The two dejected individuals plan to part ways until Sajjad shows up and takes Rinku with him. During Vishu's pre-wedding celebration in Chennai, his fiancée gets to know of his just held marriage and breaks all the ties with him. Meanwhile, Vishu has now fallen for Sara and confesses his love to her. Enters Sajjad and the twisted love triangle begins. Revealing anything else would spoil the fun of this colourful film.
 

After the critical and commercial failure 'Zero' in 2018, Aanand L. Rai is back in form. He has full control over the script and his characters in 'Atrangi Re'. He must be applauded for casting Sara Ali Khan as the leading lady. This is the first instance when the actress is portraying such a meatier role with so many varied emotions to perform in front of the camera. And she truly excels her part. Aanand was the one to introduce Dhanush to Hindi belt with 'Raanjhanaa' in 2013 and with this film, the filmmaker has brought him back as the leading hero in Bollywood. Dhanush aces his role with a nuanced, intense performance. This is Akshay Kumar's first collaboration with Aanand and seeing his magical act, it would be really interesting to see him being directed by the filmmaker again in 'Raksha Bandhan'.

A. R. Rahman's infectious soundtrack is the major highlight of the film. From the viral superhit track 'Chaka Chak' crooned by Shreya Ghoshal to Arijit Singh's romantic melody 'Rait Zara Si', the Oscar-winner has composed lovely tunes for the film. Flavoured with rich instrumentation 'Tere Rang' is highly effective and the slow, soothing 'Tumhein Mohabbat' is the underrated track in the album. The end credits rightfully begin with Rahman's name as he is the backbone of this romantic drama.

The Aanand L. Rai directorial falters in the second half where it seems stretched at places. Some scenes seem too far-fetched with excessive creative liberties being taken. The motivations behind Vishu's actions in the first half look confusing and should have been well-explained. Also, the film could become a point of discussion in the coming days due to its portrayal of a sensitive issue. But its moving, emotional climax will definitely win you over.

Verdict: 'Atrangi Re' is a delightful film, perfectly apt for the ongoing festive season. Watch it with your family as the film is a crowd-pleaser with brilliant performances and excellent direction.