Hichki Review: Rani Mukerji Takes You On An Emotional Ride With A Smile!

Hichki Review: Rani Mukerji Takes You On An Emotional Ride With A Smile!
There is a reason why one should not miss watching Hichki - and it is Rani Mukerji. It is the same reason why a Friday morning show of the theatre is packed with an intelligent audience with families and kids rather than just young couples on the lookout for some private time. Rani Mukerji is now among the senior lead actresses of Bollywood who do fewer films or are back after a sabbatical, and yet deliver performances that show they are in top form. Actresses like Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi or Hema Malini, or the late Sridevi have shown this time and again. These girls don't forget their craft and don't let their audiences forget it either. They are our Meryl Streeps or Judi Denches, rather they are in their own IVY league!

Hichki is a great film for a family audience and to take your kids to. It is the Taare Zameen Par of today's times, but with a different subject. No, Hichki is NOT just about the Tourette syndrome, the medical condition that makes one utter sounds involuntarily. The movie is about the kids. The education system and the slum children who deserve an equal chance at school. In fact, the scenario of Hichki reminds you a lot of the 1995 Hollywood film Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and a bunch of underprivileged and spoilt black kids. But if you have not seen Dangerous Minds, of the song Gangsta's Paradise, or even if you have, Hichki is well worth a watch.

Director Sidharth Malhotra merges the struggle of Naina (Rani Mukerji) and her Tourette syndrome with that of the individual struggle of each of the school kids in her class 9F - a section created in St Noretkar's School for the social outcasts who are believed to be good for nothings. Naina has had a tough life herself. After being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in her childhood, her dad (Sachin Pilgaonkar) leaves the family that is her mother (Supriya Pilgaonkar), her brother and her. Every time the father visits the family, there is trouble and tension. These scenes are nicely done to show how a medical condition of even one member can alter equations in the home.

Whatever her struggles have been, Naina has a goal in life - to be a great teacher. Hichki is based on the real-life story of Brad Cohen, who suffers from Tourette syndrome and overcame his difficulties to become a successful teacher, in spite of opposition. The movie's story could be slightly predictable but the director has kept it taut and interesting.

Rani Mukerji in top form

Rani Mukerji lives the role of a Tourette's patient simply wanting to lead a normal life. One has seen her award-winning performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black where she played a blind and deaf-mute girl, inspired by the real story of the famous Helen Keller. So, audiences will go in with a lot of expectations from Rani in Hichki. And they won't be disappointed. 

To review the film, one skipped the press show to watch it in the theatre to see the audience reaction to Rani. Right from the beginning of the film, everyone watched in rapt attention and never once did make fun of the sounds or tics Rani's character Naina makes as part of the Tourette's syndrome. She is a class act and breezes through the performance with confidence, showing her character's vulnerability and courage in equal measure.

The children are a bonus in the film. Each child actor of Class 9F has been handpicked for the role and matches Rani's performance. They are uninhibited in front of such a seasoned actress. The kids in Hichki are a delight to watch, especially Harsh Mayar and Sparsh Khanchandani. But then, Yash Raj Films is known to choose its actors well in an ensemble cast. Remember the girls in Chak De! India? Each one is still fresh in our minds.

Another notable performance in Hichki is that of Neeraj Kabi of The Ship of Theseus fame. He plays the other teacher, the arch-rival of Naina, who comes around and realises his own shortcomings in the end. Neeraj's act is on point in every scene, with nuances in place.

Hichki is based on Brad Cohen's book Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had. The book was made into a biographical film in 2008 titled Front of the Class. Some scenes of the two movies may seem similsr but then it is based on the same man.

Verdict: Rani Mukerji takes you on an emotional ride in Hichki, but with a smile. She has but one breakdown scene (awesome) and the movie is a light watch in spite of the sentimentality and some acts that bring a tear to your eye. Also, the awareness of the medical condition of Tourette syndrome that Hichki will bring in will be unprecedented. It will be just like Aamir Khan brought attention to a lesser known condition of Dyslexia with Taare Zameen Par (2007). Hichki will also bring in the biases and prejudices in the education system in the spotlight.

Rating: 3.5/5