Hichki | Review and Box Office Thread - Page 3

HICHKI MOVIE REVIEW: RANI MUKHERJEE-STARRER TAKES A PREDICTABLE ROUTE

Rani Mukerji understands the plight of a problem student.

She conveyed it to memorable effect as well as how to overcome it with the help of a persevering teacher in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black.

The actress returns the favour in Siddharth P Malhotra's Hichki, where she takes on the challenge of housebreaking a bunch of disorderly slum kids to realise their academic potential.

Once again, she refuses to allow her disability to interfere with her dream.

Identified with Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disorder that triggers unstoppable tics -- a condition that only intensifies when she is nervous or stressed -- Rani exhibits the body language of someone habituated to the self-governed impulses of these spasms.

A loose fist instinctively forms to nudge her chin forcefully like you'd tap a stuttering radio.

She bites on her pendant, fidgets with her pen, tries to see the humour in it -- the struggle feels real.

Still, you never feel sorry for her even after she is rejected repeatedly at job interviews over apprehensions of her capabilities for the simple reason that she never plays the victim card. Funny when the film does just the opposite of that.

Certain flashbacks hint at a traumatic childhood, a callous father, a sympathetic mom and a perceptive headmaster but they are no more than pointless details like Naina's part-time animator profile in the larger picture.

Based on Brad Cohen and Lisa Wysocky's book Front of the Class, which was previously adapted for a television movie by Hallmark, Hichki is an out-and-out Rani show.

Her heft and hunger to excel in an exhausted premise infuses dynamism in a burned-out premise of dysfunctional schoolchildren and tenacious teachers.

Sadly though, Siddharth P Malhotra doesn't take Hichki in any direction films of this nature haven't already been before.

Hichki's greatest handicaps are its predictability and sentiment.

A newly recruited teacher in a snooty convent school, rowdy kids giving a tough time, playing pranks, getting in trouble, noble new teacher taking blame, hell-bent on channelising their destructive energy and imagination for smarter objectives, almost all kids coming around except that one footage-craving twerp.

Not to forget the customary rivalry of snarky privilege and social disadvantages, already articulated to perfection in Model versus Rajput.

The teenaged kids in Hichki are credible, especially the one with rapping skills. Though they are wayward and gamble, smoke, drink, chop bhindis, break into rap songs and sneak in pet rats into classrooms, there's a novelty when Rani and her Tourette's Syndrome gets a taste of the ill-famed 9 F and its propensity for mischief.

But when the script supresses their spontaneity to force down a done-to-death cycle of tantrums, melodrama and collective redemption, the films collapses beyond repair.

You believe in the brilliance of Rani's sparkling intelligence and physical stamina through the arduous journey of straightening an unruly lot and braving a barb-ready rival sniggering at her methods -- Neeraj Kabi's starchy, suit-clad, teacher is Narayan Shankar to Rani's nonconforming Raj Aryan.

But the vexing obviousness and self-pitying texture of the narrative cannot be justified by playing earnest.

And that's one syndrome Hichki never gains advantage over till the end.

#OneWordReview... #Hichki: POWERFUL. Rating:- 3 A simple, straight-forward film that stays with you... Make time for it!

#Hichki - #RaniMukerji show all the way,her best act after Black. Its a well made film ,delivers a relevant message in a very entertaining approach, high on emotions. Screenplay in 2nd half could have been taut. Sidhart Malhotra direction is sterling. @yrf Rating- 4

#Hichki has its heart at the right place and #RaniMukerji once again proves her acting mettle as Naina Mathur. She's so fluid and effortless at that one teacher who stands by her students, despite all the obstacles that come their way. @yrf @HichkiTheFilm

#MovieReview: Post #Black its #Hichki for #RaniMukerji. Kodos to @sidpmalhotra and @yrf for putting up a great film. The film had moments and moments. A must watch!! #Respect.

#Hichki is getting good feedback ...looking forward to it !!! #RaniMukerji @yrf @sidpmalhotra

Hichki feels more To Sir With Love despite being an official adaptation of Front of the Class (that in turn was based on Brad Cohen's book Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had). Yes, the lead Naina Mathur (Rani Mukerji) does have the neurological disorder and there is an attempt to make one aware of the medical condition. However, there is a bigger leap that the film attempts (not entirely successfully though) to take in dealing with the class divides that underline our society.

After much struggle when Naina finds a job as a teacher, she is assigned the most difficult class9 Fthat has 14 disadvantaged children. Hailing from the poverty-ridden slums, they are "misfits like her, constantly reminded that "they don't belong to the world of privileged education that they have got in. Something that seems to have toughened them, made them distrustful beyond repair. Will Naina, borrowing a leaf out of Thackeray's (Sidney Poitier) page in To Sir With Love be able to reform them? Will she be able to channelize their disquiet and disruptiveness into something positive and fruitful? Will she be able to stand up to their pranks and win their respect?

Much of the writing is predictable, with one cliche piling on another; the dialogue gets downright hackneyed in places and the climax is protracted and over-dramatised. Then there are characters who veer on the extremes, right down to the class bully Atish (Harsh Mayar) and the rival teacher (Neeraj Kabi), both always trying to bait Naina, being the quintessential villains in her life. I was particularly appalled by the cringeworthy slum tourism scene. The walkabout through the homes of Naina's kids feels patently patronizing, manipulative and framed from the very privileged perspective and gaze that the film actually intends to critique.

Yes there are some laudable issues that are raised here that despite the right to education, things are not so easy for the underprivileged, that class segregation in our schools continues, that they are still not the integrative spaces they were meant to be. However, the film doesn't go past the facile commentary; a very deliberate righteousness and piety, ingrained in the narrative, detract rather than reinforce the significant issue of inclusion.

The kids grow on you by the end of the film. Neeraj Kabi does the opposite, manages to disappoint and repel by doing the unimaginablehe hams, and how. It's Rani Mukerji who holds the show together with a well-calibrated, surefooted performance. The motor and vocal tics, the involuntary sounds and movementsshe uses them in the right measure, at the right place and time. More than that, it's all about the emotional core of the act. You smile with Naina, get disappointed and dejected with her, feel her elation and cry along when she breaks down.

Only, one wishes there was as much of her personal life as the battles she fights for the kidsspecially the troubled equation with the dad and the sibling love. Both, however, get a short shrift

Yash Raj Films' Hichki is about a young lady who wants to be a teacher despite suffering from Tourette Syndrome. It is based on the book, Front Of The Class, written by Brad Cohen and Lisa Wysocky.

Naina Mathur (Rani Mukerji) lives with her mother, Sudha (Supriya Pilgaonkar), and brother, Vinay (Hussain Dalal). Her father (Sachin Pilgaonkar) has left the family but occasionally calls on them. Since childhood, Naina has a neuropsychiatric disorder Tourette Syndrome which prompts her to stammer and to make weird sounds whenever she is nervous, confused or tense. Her father is embarrassed by her condition but her mother and brother have accepted her the way she is.

Naina wants to be a school teacher but faces rejection in every school she applies to. Every school thinks that her speech defect and her peculiar condition will not allow her to ably carry out her duties as a teacher. Then, one day, a school offers her a job because a teacher has left mid-term.

The school principal (Shiv Subrahmanyam) is willing to give Naina a chance because he has faith in her, but one teacher, Waida (Neeraj Kabi), is particularly skeptical. Naina is asked to teach a class of 14 students of Std. IX F. Nobody in the school thinks much about the 14 students because they are slum dwellers and rowdy and are least interested in studies. But Naina accepts the challenge and rises to the occasion. Her first difficult job is to make herself acceptable to the rowdy students. After that, she has to make them realise the importance of studying and being serious in life. Along the way, she asks the school management why a student of IX F can't be a prefect because her 14 students resent their marginalisation. When the school authorities tell her that anybody can become a prefect if s/he scores well in the examinations, Naina works harder still on her students.

Does Naina succeed in her mission? What all does Naina do to educate the students of Std. IX F? Is the going smooth for her? Do the students obey her? Does the principal continue to support Naina or does he also lose faith in her, like Wadia teacher?

Anckur Chaudhry, Siddharth P. Malhotra, Ambar Hadap and Ganesh Pandit have penned an interesting story which is based on the aforementioned novel. Because one has never seen a film in which a character has Tourette Syndrome, the story becomes fresh and novel for the audience. The screenplay, penned by the four, with additional screenplay by Raaj Mehta, has wonderfully heartwarming moments and emotional scenes. No doubt, the screenplay is often predictable but it still appeals because the moments are wonderful. Scenes which stand out are: the one in which Naina takes the blame for her students' wrong-doing upon herself, the scene in which Naina waits from 9 a.m. to 9.10 a.m. for her students to arrive, after which she is to hand over her resignation letter, the scene in which Naina makes the school authorities agree to select a prefect from Std. IX F if the student is deserving, the scene in which all the students, one by one, admit to having committed a major mistake, the scene in which the students reach out to Naina teacher to apologise, the examination paper leak sequence, the speech of Wadia teacher on the last day, the scene in which Naina's father places the order on her behalf in the restaurant, the scene in which Naina is asked by the principal to leave and she can't control her emotions, etc. All in all, the screenplay has such phenomenal moments and such heart-touching emotions that the audiences would often find tears rolling down their cheeks. Anckur Chaudhry's dialogues are wonderful and appeal as much to the ears as to the heart!

Rani Mukerji delivers a memorable performance as the teacher with Tourette Syndrome. Her acting is supremely consistent despite the fact that it is not easy to stammer and make sounds with the same intensity and in the same style always. Indeed, this performance should win Rani Mukerji awards and appreciation galore! Neeraj Kabi shines as Wadia teacher who has no faith in Naina's capabilities. His acting is phenomenal and he uses his body language and expressions very effectively to convey his emotions. Shiv Subrahmanyam leaves a fine mark as the school principal. Sachin Pilgaonkar is first-rate as Naina's father. His acting is fantastic. Supriya Pilgaonkar does a lovely job as Naina's mother. Hussain Dalal is endearing as Naina's brother, Vinay. Asif Basra has his moments as the school peon. Vikram Gokhale leaves a mark as Khan teacher. Harsh Mayar is splendid as student Aatish. Riya Shukla (as Tara), Sparsh Khanchandani (as Oru), Poorti Jai Agarwal (as Tamanna) and Shagufta Shaikh (as Shagufta) lend tremendous support as the students of Std. IX F. Vikrant Soni (as Killam), Jayesh Kardak (as Pankaj), Benjamin Yangal (as rapper Ashwin), Kalaivanan Kannan (as Kalai), Swaraj Kumar (as gambler Ravinder) and Siddhesh Pardhi (as Omnish) are terrific as the male students of Std. IX F. Rohit Suresh Saraf (as Akshay of Std. IX A) and Jannat Zubair Rahmani (as Natasha of Std. IX A) leave their mark. Baby Naisha Khanna (as young Naina) and master Vir Bhanushali (as young Vinay) are cute. Teena Kumar, Kabeer Khan and Sahil Vitthal Chorge (as the other students of Std. IX F) are quite nice. Others provide good support.

Siddharth P. Malhotra has handled the subject with the sensitivity it deserves. His direction is very good. Jasleen Royal's music is functional but a couple of hit songs could've made a big difference. Lyrics (by Jaideep Sahni, Raj Shekhar, Neeraj Rajawat and Aditya Sharma) are meaningful. Hitesh Sonik's background music is very effective. Avinash Arun's cinematography is lovely. Meenal Agarwal's production designing is appropriate. Shweta Venkat Mathew's editing is sharp.

On the whole, Hichki will have no hiccups at the box-office and will prove to be a hit.

Hichki Movie Review: Rani Mukerji Does Well In A Predictable And Cliched Film

Hichki Review: Rani Mukherji's strong portrayal of a Tourette Syndrome sufferer emerges skin deep in a film that never goes beyond the obvious

Superstar Aamir Khan has praised good friend Rani Mukerji's latest release "Hichki, calling it one of the "most enjoyable movies he has watched in a long time. Aamir saw the film in a special screening held in Jodhpur, where the actor is shooting for "Thugs of Hindostan. "Just saw one of the most enjoyable films in a long time. Great story, amazing performances, superb film. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It's called Hichki'. Please don't miss it. Thank you Rani, Siddharth, Neeraj Kabi and the entire cast of young students, you were absolutely amazing, he tweeted. Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma, "Hichki has hit the screens today.