Judgementall Hai Kya Movie Review: Stands apart from the mainstream movies.
Judgementall Hai Kya, is a trippy ride that makes you question everything folding on the screen. But if you have a taste for the niche, then Judgementall Hai Kya could be a treat for you.
Judgementall Hai Kya, starring Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao in the lead, is quite peculiar. Bobby (Kangana Ranaut) grows up carrying the baggage of a disturbed childhood. Witnessing the domestic violence, she believes there are issues in the basic concept of love. Bobby rents a part of her apartment to Keshav (Rajkummar Rao) and his girlfriend Reema (Amyra Dastur).
Seeing them in love, Bobby starts feeling uncomfortable and starts nitpicking their relationship. The story proceeds with a hint of Bobby falling for Keshav but there’s a lot more to it. A couple of years later, they both meet again but under very different circumstances. Is she still obsessed with Keshav? Why is he running from her? Watch it to know it!
Judgementall Hai Kya Movie Review: Script Analysis
Bizarre. Strange. Peculiar. Offbeat. Outlandish. Unconventional. Writer Kanika Dhillon has crossed the ‘normal’ limits to pen this outrageously crazy story. It’s not about the story, it’s the brilliance of Pankaj Kumar (Director of Photography) that strikes yet again (after Tumbbad). The story takes you inside the brain of the characters, but the cinematography helps you to stay there till the end. The problem with the story is, it’s not for everyone.
From scene one, the intention of ‘this is not your run of the mill’ thriller is made pretty clear. Ravi Shrivastava’s production design edges past the best thing in the movie. The production values are very rich & hence make even the stressful scenes look delightful. From a guy who just holds a placard on the road to give Kangana her life-messages to linking her life with a ‘futuristic Ramayana’ – the movie has a lot of mini-masterstrokes that require multiple viewings to understand. The second half gets dodgy in the start because of a few unnecessary additions.
Judgementall Hai Kya Movie Review: Star Performance
There are some roles for which actors are just meant to be. Something no one can steal from the. Judgementall Hai Kya’s Bobby was written just and only for Kangana Ranaut. She owns every frame she’s in. Even when she stutters or misspell a word, we know that’s how Bobby will do it. Most of this is also because of how wonderfully her character has been written.
Rajkummar Rao maintains the mystery throughout, and because he’s so good at what he does, he plays with your mind masterfully. Yes, I wished to see more of him but no major complaints as far as the quality of his performance is concerned. From the supporting cast, Hussain Dalal stands out because of his roaring confidence. His quirky t-shirts speak for him as he brings in the comical relief.
Both Amyra Dastur as Reema & Amrita Puri as Megha are good. They bring in the required stability to the narrative. Out of the cameos, Jimmy Sheirgill is a refreshing addition. He carries in style, his best look till date. Satish Kaushik is royally wasted.
Judgementall Hai Kya Movie Review: Direction, Music
Director Prakash Kovelamudi, with this film, has done something unique for Bollywood. We’ve seen good looking pictures with a smart narrative, but this has an outright crazy plot backed with a skilful direction. There’s a lot of stressful things happening in the story, but the director makes sure they at least look good. Mixing the blood with Holi’s gulaal, playing mind-blowingly with the lights, it’s a mixture Prakash has maintained throughout the film.
While researching about the mastermind behind the background score, I get to learn about who’s Daniel B George. He’s the man behind scores of Johnny Gaddaar and Andhadhun, two of Bollywood’s best. The BGM just lifts up the mood of every scene and it stays with you. Finally, some justice to the classic songs, Asha Bhosle’s Tauba Tauba Karoge (Mr Natwarlal) has been remixed in the most creative way. Also, every song is there to add something to the story and none of them is forced.
Judgementall Hai Kya Movie Review: The Last Word
All said and done, this isn’t a normal movie. From its treatment to the narrative, everything screams madness. On a brighter side, the story is strong enough to back the wacky side of it. Kangana Ranaut is definitely the queen, but this deck of cards have multiple aces to offer.
Judgementall Hai Kya has plenty of Hitchcockian flairs that the late master director would be proud of. One particular Alfred Hitchcock movie that JHK loved to make teasing references to was Rebecca. There is a horror movie that Bobby used to dub for that has a premise suspiciously similar to this classic. It was this movie that creates doubts in Bobby’s mind about her new diabolical paying guest.
The movie benefits hugely from the excellent performances of Rajkummar Rao, Kangana Ranaut, some fantastic visuals and a terrific BG score. Not to mention, the movie has some darkly funny sequences and some nail-biting intrigue as well. The movie often pays homages and influences to some of the masterpieces of its genre.