Movie Review | Bhandarkar's Heroine: Weak story, delightful Kareena!

When Kareena Kapoor’s ambitious magnum opus Heroine was unveiled, it would have occurred if the movie-buff Indians were ready for yet another film about the big bad world of Bollywood.

 

In Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture, it was established that top movie icons are prone to raging alcoholism, and in the more recent Raaz 3, Bipasha Basu proved that actresses are an insecure, self-destructive lot who won’t hesitate to kill their younger rivals. So in terms of showcasing the grunge behind the glitz and glamour, these films had it covered. So what could director Madhur Bhandarkar bring to the table? Plenty, if his latest directorial venture, Heroine, is anything to go by. This film about a diva ticking the stereotypes attached to a fading star.

 

 

As star Mahi Arora, Kareena Kapoor drinks, is more tantrum-prone than a kid. But she does it all with gutsy vulnerability. The drama begins on a predictable note. Arora is an absolute emotionally – drained girl who gets dumped on the road by her married superstar lover (Arjun Rampal). But fortunately, she does not fall for self-pity. The go-getter Arora -- who lives, eats, sleeps and dreams movies - bounces back with a vengeance, takes on a new lover (a star cricketer) and re-builds her career.

 

For those who are charmed by Bollywood and its troubled stars, this film is voyeuristic as it takes you into their sexy-yet-shady world.

 

Typical to Bhandarkar’s previous films, Heroine too has a token gay best friend, pretentious, snobbish star wives with their over-the-top expressions and skirt-chasing married men.

 

But what we didn’t see coming was the implied intimate scene between Arora, the Bollywood superstar and art-house Bengali actress called Promita Roy, played by Shahana Goswamy!

 

While the film belonged to Kapoor and her tearful dramatics, the men in her life did their jobs well. Rampal as the soon-to-be-divorced superstar may not have much screen time, but he leaves a good impression. Randeep Hooda as the suave cricketer scores big and will get the young girls cheering for him.

 

While the film’s first half is brisk, the second half meanders but manages to get its act together towards the end. There are some obvious loopholes - such as how a top actress such as Mahi can be this isolated from the human race and reality - but the weak links aside it’s a satisfying one-time watch. 

 

Team Adgully gives a decent 2.5 stars out of 5 for director Madhur Bhandarkar’s ambitious Bollywood extravaganza Heroine. Watch it if you are a Kareena Kapoor fan! | By Ankita Tanna [ankita(at)adgully.com]