Writer/Director: Siddharth P. Malhotra
Starring: Rani Mukerji, Neeraj Kabi and Vikram Gokhale
‘A Captivating Drama’
Few actresses in Bollywood are as beloved as Rani Mukerji. Ever since rise to stardom in the 1990’s, Mukerji has transformed into one of the finest actresses in the Indian film industry. Whether it’s star-crossed lovers, prostitutes or bold housekeepers, Mukerji has suggested she can portray various characters. Through her ability to portray characters that are compelling, she has created a legacy which has proven lasting. Mukerji’s greatest strength as an actress has always been her versatility. Mukerji’s strength as an actress is her courage to take risks. She is one of those actresses which has never been afraid of taking risks in her career by playing characters which aren’t commonly likeable. Despite reaching age of retirement, Mukerji has never lost her passion for making powerful entertainment. Throughout an enduring career, Mukerji has crafted many memorable movies which are definitely without a doubt absolutely worth watching.
I’m a big fan of Mukerji and adore the films which she had made in her career. However, “Hichki” stands out as being her meaningful film. Released in 2018, Siddharth Malhotra’s film offered a powerful portrait of disabled teachers. Packed with stunning production, engaging storytelling and powerful acting, it is an extraordinary disability drama. At the center of it all is a strong performance from Rani Mukerji, who embodies a teacher with a disability. Although “Hichki” is a stunning disability drama, it isn’t a flawless movie. It builds to a predictable conclusion without a resolution. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment that will satisfy fans of Rani Mukerji.
“Hichki” tells the story of a school teacher with a severe disability. Rani Mukerji plays Naina Mathur, a woman that suffers from a case of Tourette’s Syndrome. Due towards her disability, Naina has often struggled to find employment in her country. However, Naina’s life drastically changes when she is hired as a school teacher. Despite suffering from a debilitating disability, Naina strives to excel as a teacher. Turning her disability into a strength, Naina seeks to educate students about a misunderstood disorder. As all odds are stacked against her favour, Naina seeks to overcome barriers that are posed by her disorder.
Siddharth P. Malhotra is fascinated with the stories of families facing trauma. A fantastic Indian filmmaker, Malhotra has often made strong movies about dysfunctional families facing disaster. His acclaimed film “We Are Family” offered a strong portrait of a broken Indian family facing adversity. With “Hichki”, however, Malhotra made his first disabilities drama. It was the filmmaker’s first attempts to capture the lives of school teachers with a severe disability but he succeeded. Using strong cinematography, Malhotra captures a woman’s journey to overcome a disability. Emulating Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind”, Malhotra expertly uses montages to convey impact of a disability on a teacher having a beautiful mind. For instance, the montages elevate the lecture scene. During this strong scene, Naina introduces herself to her class showcasing her disability. Using captivating montages, Malhotra creates a portrait of a disability that’s compelling. Montages aren’t simple techniques. As Karan Johar’s “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” suggested, montages often enhance Bollywood movies about colleges. Nevertheless, it works immensely. Through stunning visuals, Malhotra captures tension that teachers suffering from disabilities are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Hichki” which merits appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, it’s one of the most impressive disability movies you would see. Malhotra effectively uses the production of schools to capture disabled women. Evoking Peter Weir’s “Dead Poets Society”, Malhotra effectively uses the production of schools to capture the lives of teachers suffering from grim disability. For instance, the set design of the school enhances the classes scene. During this memorable scene, Naina faces tension when she is mocked by students in her class for her disability. Using engaging production, Malhotra captures disabilities causing tension. Moreover, the music score is magnificent. It gives the movie an intense atmosphere capturing the grim burden that teaches with disabilities bear. Using strong production-design, Malhotra demonstrates disability causing decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Hichki” is a film about disabilities which is engaging. The movie is beautifully written, and effectively uses silence to capture the tensions that disabled women experience. Inspired with Jim Sheridan’s “My Left Foot”, Malhotra effectively uses silence to capture hardships experienced by disabled women. For instance, the silence elevates the school farewell scene. During this heartfelt scene, Naina bids an emotional farewell toward her students after her contract expires. Through silence, Malhotra crafts a portrait of women with disabilities which audiences can relate to. Silence is a complex technique to use in movies. As Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Black” proved, silence elevates movies about blind women. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through an excellent screenplay, Malhotra captures disabled women facing a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Rani Mukerji delivers one of her best career performances as Naina. Mukerji achieved appreciation for playing romantic heroines in classic Bollywood movies. With “Hichki”, however, she took on her most complicated role. It isn’t easy to portray a woman with a painful disability but she succeeds. This is the actress unlike you have ever seen her before: intense, charismatic and emotional in her most iconic role. Through spellbinding expressions, she conveys angst, intelligence and grief of a woman with disabilities which cause tensions. It’s a powerful performance from one of the most celebrated actresses in Bollywood today.
While the movie is manly a strong showcase for Mukerji, the supporting cast is fantastic and worthy of appreciation. Neeraj Kabi is captivating, capturing authority of a school teacher seeking to care for a woman with a disability. Rohit Saraf is riveting, capturing a ferocious personality of a student refusing to quit. Lastly, Vikram Gokhale is worthy of appreciations. As an elderly teacher, he is unforgettable.
Although “Hichki” is a captivating Bollywood disability drama, it isn’t a flawless movie. If there’s a minor shortcoming to the movie, it lacks an engaging ending. It’s a predictable conclusion that lacks a satisfying resolution. Whereas this sentimental ending enhanced Barry Levinson’s “Rain Man”, it clashes with this film. At worst, it perpetrates misleading messages about Tourette’s syndrome that aren’t exactly true toward reality. Therefore, “Hichki” can’t quite capture the harsh reality of a grim disability.
Nevertheless, fans of Rani Mukerji will enjoy “Hichki” and so would audiences seeking meaningful entertainment. A captivating Bollywood disability drama, it celebrates an actress with charisma in India.
A powerful portrait of a dark disability that causes lives of Indian women to deteriorate, it’s a bold reminder of a famous Bollywood actress that hasn’t lost her abilities to often captivate through starring in unforgettable movies audiences have grown over time to appreciate.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 