This is what Raanjhanaa is all about. It brings smiles at the most unpredictable situations and leaves one gaping in awe for a major part of the second half.

This is all the more apparent at the interval point of the film when a major twist keeps the audience glued to their seats lest the second half begins sooner than one could take a break for concessions. The big turn in the storyline right after the interval is equally shocking for the movie’s principle characters (Dhanush and Sonam), as it is for the audience, who are unable to cope with the changed circumstances.

Of course, given the fact that love story was the sole driver in the first half of the film, you grab the first hour more gladly since there are elements of fun galore. The stage is set in the first five minutes itself when Dhanush starts narrating his story in a flashback. Whether it is the childhood portions or the experience of first love as a 15-year-old, there is affection that one feels for the youngsters.

Even more smiles follow when the story jumps by a few years. While Dhanush’s wooing of Sonam continues to impress (personally speaking, the ample suicide episodes could have been done away with), introduction of Abhay into the plot adds fuel to the fire. Yes, intellectually stimulating talks surrounding ‘equality’ are a little too heavy (and so is the extended talk in the second half around why a man turns into a thief), you go with the flow as performances are very good all along.

It would be unfair to pick one actor over another in Raanjhanaa. Dhanush makes a terrific debut in Bollywood with an endearing act that is so controlled, yet impressive. Never going wrong in a single frame, he holds your attention right through this two and a half hours affair. Sonam is a revelation and though she has seen appreciation coming her way in earlier films, this one would stand out as a milestone and her career-best till date.

The ones who make you laugh throughout are Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Swara Bhaskar. They are fantastic, especially Zeeshan who mouths some of the best one-liners in the film with élan. The fact that each actor fits into the milieu of Benaras so well is another plus as never once does it appear that they don’t hail from this region.

In this aspect, Anand has done very well with his cast and the technical crew to lend certain authenticity to his narrative. Yes, he does get a little too attached to the political angle, street plays and campaigns that follow which do make one wonder if the movie would go entirely on a tangent. However once everything comes together in the pre-climax and climax, you absorb other episodes that had been thrown in.

Let one be warned, if your idea of watching a love story is a plain and simple tale of a boy meeting girl and walking away in the sunset, then be prepared to be thrown off guard at multiple points. This also means that for lovers of conventional cinema and escapist narrative, Raanjhanaa may come across as an uncomfortable movie watching experience. However for those who are happier to have an evolved taste and want to experience life in a way it could actually unfold, Raanjhanaa has a lot to offer.