I’m continuing to puzzle over this movie as I think more things and remember more things about it. And I think the opening and closing are really interesting to compare in a lot of ways.
I think I arrived at the theater just as the movie started, I walked in to the title card and then a Ranveer voice over. Let me know if I missed something!
The Ranveer voice over jumps quickly through his family history, His great grandmother was a mean mother-in-law to Jaya and once she died, Jaya promptly took control of everything. Dharmendra was always soft and loved poetry, Jaya had no respect for him and wouldn’t let him spend time with his own son. Then Dharmendra fell down the stairs and was an invalid. Jaya’s son grew up and got married and she promptly dismissed her daughter in law. And now there is Ranveer, the grandson and heir.
This quick funny flash through family history leads right into a totally ridiculous over the top intro song for Ranveer. There are cameos from Jhanvi, Ananya, and Sara Ali Khan. And then his family arrives at the party where he is dancing and he immediately stops dancing and pretends he wasn’t dancing in front of his father. While his father is getting an award, Dharmendra sees a pretty woman and starts wheeling himself over to her, calling her Jamini. He kisses her, she slaps him, everyone is embarrassed and horrified.
This whole opening sequence is ridiculously over the top, it feels like an Anees Bazmi movie. The flashback with the dark comedy as though death and injury are just punchlines, the intro song that is all flashing lights and cameos and so on, and then the Dharmendra moment that is very much “ha-ha, old people are funny!”
And then we have the ending. Which is ridiculously over the top melodramatic. Ranveer’s Dad tries to hit his Mom and Ranveer stops him, everyone confronts each other over the dysfunction in the family, we get a flashback to the same past moments from the opening only this time instead of being funny, they are sad and damaging and real. And Dharmendra dies, and Shabana comes to his funeral, and it’s not “ha-ha old people are funny” at all.
In between these two moments, the film perfectly balances humor and seriousness. The humor is far more subtle than the over the top opening, and the drama is far more light than the over the top ending. If Karan had managed to cut off the two ends of the film, it would be a whole different film.
But would it have been as good? Or as commercial? It’s a fun popcorny kind of opening, and it’s a whistles and cheers kind of dramatic ending, way more fun than all the ADHM angst.
One other thing I found interesting, we open with an over the top Ranveer focused song, very commercial and stupid and glittery. And we end with a lovely poetic song about Rani as a bride. That final song feels very much like Karan’s wedding present to Rani, a beautiful vision of her. Plus, again, it’s the journey of the film. From a shallow cartoon kind of character in Ranveer, to all the beauty and magic of love in Alia.
dontcallitbollywood 
Haven’t watched it yet, but this sounds FASCINATING
LikeLike
Pingback: Rocky Aur Rani Beginning/Ending Comparison Post! Also, for Those Who Missed the Opening! – News Hour 24/7
In the wedding, when Alia comes down the stairs and the light shines from behind her lighting up her veil so that she is silhouetted in a triangle of light. I feel like the rich brides are all going to try to immitate this now.
LikeLike
+1 that is all i was thinking during the wedding sequence. And even the colours were similar to Alia’s RL wedding. The cleavage in the wedding dress is definitely a “new” thing I’ve seen and i bet it’s going to lead to a whole range of wedding attire in India
LikeLike
+2 bc as a wedding planner that’s all I could think – I said it to the lady next to me, lol.
LikeLike
I watched it again and got there just as Rocky started the intro.
I did enjoy it more this time for the most part but i think for me the movie is completely held together by Ranveer’s performance. I also enjoyed Shabana a lot.
I saw how family situations can be transformed if there is someone that is an ally. Otherwise it is hopeless, like my family of origin.
I spotted at least two instances of dialogues that were literal translations of English, using concepts that don’t exist in Hindi language. It was a bit annoying to me. Eg one has to use their spine- this does not exist as a construct in Hindi and I’m not sure a Hindi-only speaking audience can understand it. The other one was “earn forgiveness”. This isn’t a Hindi thing – in Hindi it is more like “i want to be deserving of forgiveness” but “literally earning forgiveness” as translated into the dialogue isn’t a construct.
Ok i still haven’t read your post but will go ahead and read now
LikeLike
I wondered about that spine thing! It’s such a specific English reference, I thought “huh, maybe it’s actually an Indian slang term that the British stole and translated”. I guess it makes a lot more sense to be an English phrase that the scriptwriter stole!
LikeLike
I saw another flaw. towards the end, when Alia comes into the living room to say she’s going to work and Ranveer’s parents are there… She says “Ami jashchhi”…. In the Indian Bengali you never say I’m going. You always say I’m coming “Ami ash hi”. I know from living in Calcutta for six months. It stood out to me. Maybe the Bengalis in Delhi have a different dialect or it’s changed in the last decade.
LikeLike
The beginning and end is a very interesting comparison. What also stood out to me in the second viewing is that even though Ranveer is over the top, it’s pretty clear from the beginning that he’s a person of depth and character. I feel like Ranveer was so phenomenal in the film, so much nuance. Yes i know I’m repeating myself.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes! The whole plot starts because Ranveer cares enough to try to help his grandfather. While the rest of the family is too afraid/uncaring to do anything. And because Ranveer is open minded enough to accept that his grandfather may have been in love with a woman he was not married to.
LikeLike
Pingback: Rocky Aur Rani Beginning/Ending Comparison Post! Also, for Those Who Missed the Opening! – Siyal News
Just here to add this. NEW JAWAN SONG!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m going to add the Tamil version as it’s a bit better in my opinion.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Whoa, agree!
LikeLike
Karan’s interview is out and he did cut the songs short. 😭
I wish i had gotten to see them on the big screen. Now I’ll wait for streaming
LikeLike
I wanted to re-read your review and I found this post, I guess I missed it. But another comparison, Jaya enters the Randhawa household unwelcome and with the mother in law being rude. While Rani enters with happiness and everyone being so excited to let her in. I must say that even though Jaya was the ‘villain’; I had a lot of sympathy for her while still hating her. I guess that’s Jaya’s performance but I can imagine it would not have been easy for her to have any power when the MIL is so strong and the husband is so weak and dreamy (very much a poet in his own world).
LikeLike