RRKPK review: Unapologetic grammar of Karan Johar

Karan Johar arrives with a bang. Yes, after a near seven-year holiday. Also without the regular props: No Shah Rukh, Bachchan uncle, good friend Kajol.

Hyderabad: Karan Johar arrives with a bang. Yes, after a near seven-year holiday. Also without the regular props: No Shah Rukh, Bachchan uncle, good friend Kajol. On Yeh Dil Hai Mushkil too he did not find place for them. Here it is different. More may be later.

KJo is in his signature high volt dramatic mood with sets as larger than life like his coffee sets, costumes as outlandish. Thankfully they are matched or balanced by amazing chiffons and classy silk. Thanks to Alia and Shabana.

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Over to this grandeur place owned by the Randhawa Pariwar. After a heedless peep into the family tree of generations committed to making laddus and named after senior matriarch Dhanalakshmi (Jaya Bachchan), we have her husband Randhawa (Dharmendra) who is a patient with some kind of Alzheimer, their son Tijori (Aamir Basher),daughter-in-law Poonam (Kshitee Jog), their daughter Golu (Anjali Anand), and obnoxious heir Rocky (Ranveer Singh).

In the same planet are the Chatterjee S: Grandma Jamini (Shabana), her son Chatterjee (Tota Roy Chowdhury) – a Kathak dancer, daughter-in-law (Churni Ganguly – in house Shashi Tharoor), and Rani (Alia Bhat– the intellectual talk show anchor).

The Randhawa’s and Chatterjee’s are a study in contrasts. The former are affluent, loved and brazen outlandish and aristocratic. The Chatterjee’s are a Kolkata oasis in Delhi– culture, literate in intellectual pursuit and liberal. Karan Johar gives his script writers the task to mix chalk and cheese.

Rocky falls in love with Rani and Rani plays along. The twosome are busy in encouraging the reunion of separated lovers Randhawa and Jamini in the mix of retro songs starting with Aabhina Jao(Ham dono). Somewhere in the 70’s Randhawa and Jamini meet to part. Randhawa is dominated, literally domesticated by his wife Dhanalakshmi while Jamini survives bad marriage. She carries the philosophy that life’s steering may be in your hand but it is the family that does back seat driving.

Over to the Karan Johar comfort space of exalted family virtues and virtuous togetherness. Under the hawk eye of Dhanalakshmi, Randhawa and Jamini meet under the enthusiastic scheme of Ricky and Rani. Soon the Ricky Rani relationship runs into rough weather, RRKPK is about weathering the storm and where Randhawa will finally find his space– wife or girlfriend –Silsila revisited.

The film gets too preachy, often too loud and saved sometimes by one liners, sometimes by strong and interesting performances, particularly from Jaya and Shabana and always by Alia Bhat. The end product is a viewable film in the context of commercial cinema.

The finale gets too melodramatic. Typically Karan caters to a niche audience satiated on a diet of costly yet garish sets loved and melodramatic dialogue over the top performances song and dance.

It is understandable that Karan ruminates a lot more than his previous chew. Every trick in the commercial formula is applied without an apology. It is interesting that it is Jaya who plays the hard nut and Shabana the one with the soft heart, both delivers. Dharam looks his age.

The film USP could well be screen chemistry between the ‘hyperbole’ Ranveer and ‘classy’ Alia Bhatt.

This Prem Katha is straight out of unapologetic grammar of Karan Johar. It is for such fans and for those to whom cinema is still about 3 hours songs, punches, dialogue and morals.