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Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan Ties Colourful Threads of A Hard-Hitting Story!

Posted on 11 Aug, 2022

Post by Gayatri Tilgulkar - Writer at ELFA World

Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan Ties Colourful Threads of A Hard-Hitting Story!

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Smrithi Srikanth, and Deepika Khanna

Directed by: Aanand L. Rai

Genre: Social drama

Duration: 110 minutes

Lala Kedarnath promises his dying mother that he will only get married if his sisters are married into suitable homes. However, marrying them off becomes an uphill battle when dowry comes into the picture. Unconditional protection and a long-standing promise are at the heart of Raksha Bandhan.

Strong pursuits of the film?

Performances

Akshay Kumar gives his heart, soul, 'and kidney' to the film! He expresses the vulnerability of his character with such a conviction that the viewing experience becomes immersive. He voyages from one emotion to another seamlessly, he makes you laugh in one scene and cry in another. Akshay Kumar imbues Lala Kedarnath with an impressive narrative momentum.

Bhumi Pednekar is one of the most skilled actors working in the industry today. She never fails to give a heartfelt performance. Her character is exposed to the odd challenges of life, her patience is tested and everything appears to be a losing bet. Bhumi depicts this with ease. The compelling emotionally-harrowing segments in the film are shouldered by Bhumi marvelously.

Sadia Khateeb conveys her character's knowledge so gracefully. Her character's optimism is infectious, there is a certain level of charm added from her end in portraying Gayatri.

Sahejmeen Kaur, Smrithi Srikanth, and Deepika Khanna's banter is among the good highlights in the film, it is entertaining and natural. Contrary to previous Bollywood tropes depicting siblings, Raksha Bandhan doesn't hold back in showing mundane day-to-day moments of sisters as a unit. The trio gives a striking performance.

Massey dialogues and plot points

Director Aanand L. Rai has ensured Raksha Bandhan isn't another melodrama with the same old canvas. He tries to blend in new colors of tropes and lingo into the play. The film at heart is meant for the masses, Aanand L. Rai along with writers Himanshu Sharma and Kanika Dhillon has written dialogue that will bring in a lot of whistles and cheers in the theatre.

The plot points are structured efficiently without losing their essence. We get a glimpse of an ordinary man living in Chandni Chowk with his four sisters and his struggle to uphold the promise all the while shielding them from any malice. This all is conveyed without overcomplicating the plot.

Duration

Presumably the best merit of the film. The duration and pace. Nowadays movies are caught between the two ends of a spectrum, a slow burn is stamped as stretched and lengthy whereas a fast-paced movie is said to be in a rush. Thankfully so Raksha Bandhan neither stretches its plot nor glosses over its themes. The fast-paced sequences make Raksha Bandhan easy to watch. A lot is happening in the movie one at a time in a quick succession. The movie hits the 110 mark covering its story with a decorous tone.

Weaker links to the film?

Inconsistent messaging

The heart is in the right place and we can see what the writers were going for. However, with that being said, Raksha Bandhan contradicts its own messaging from time to time. It establishes a strong point but later on doesn't stick with it. Fat shaming, colorism, and the idea of femininity are introduced but the story barely scratches the surface with these ideas. Rather we see the story getting wounded with them only for the end to be all in for acceptance.

Final thoughts: Skip or watch?

Plenty of positives with a few hiccups! Raksha Bandhan explores familial bonds all the while delivering a social message. Without a shadow of a doubt, An easy watch with good storytelling elements.

Stars: 3/5