You know those movies that seem to have good intentions but
fail with an unsatisfactory execution. The movie ‘Heroine’ is a brand new example of such movies.
Heroine is the story of a Bollywood actress ,Mahi Arora. She is glamorous, rich and successful. But is
she happy? No, she is not . The protagonist is presented as a person unable to control
her emotions and desperation. She is the arrogant, bitchy and stereotyped Bollywood actress. She is someone who is confused
between her personal and professional lives. She rules the film industry but is more concerned about her
relationship with Aryan Khanna (Arjun Rampal). Aryan, who is in process of a divorce
, doesn’t want to commit to her at that moment. This hurts Mahi and there starts
the great fall of Mahi’s career.
Mahi tries to improve her image and regain her lost stardom.
But ,whatever she tries all she gets is disappointment and heartbreak. These disappointments
and lust for fame make her paranoid. She falls to new lows to achieve what she needs,i.e., another successful film.
You must be thinking that I’m talking only about the
protagonist. This is where I want to drive home a point. Kareena Kapoor solely carries the burden of this film on her shoulders. Her
performance deserves praise and is the movie’s saving grace (Whoa! I did some
kind of poetry here!). Arjun Rampal, playing
a confused personality, also delivers a good performance.
You go to the theatre expecting a realistic portrayal of an
actor’s life in Bollywood and what you get is a typical glossy Bollywood film.
The film is full of clichés and, at moments, the storyline itself feels clichéd.
Gay fashion designers for an instance. Typical elements of the film-industry like gossips, jealousy, conspiracies, break-ups and arrogance
come out too often and seem forced into the film. This makes the film appear to
be a mere collection of
events.
The director, Madhur Bhandarkar , uses inputs from his own past films rather
than inventing a new creative storyline. With all the praise he garnered with those movies , expectations were certainly high from his new and much- hyped venture.
To add to the viewer's misery, Heroine's music tracks don't make you remember them.
Indian film-makers are still obsessed with long drawn movies and
Heroine is no exception. Watching this long drawn and boring narrative, I
was expecting a decent climax. I was disappointed yet again, with the abrupt and
unsatisfactory ending. Heroine is a big opportunity wasted.
For most of the second half of the movie, I was wishing it
would end soon. Thank God it did! And I’m back home. Phew!
My Rating: 2/5 - Avoidable