Hichki
- Kanza Zafar
- Dec 21, 2017
- 2 min read
Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra
Starring
Rani Mukerji as Naina Mathur
Harsh Mayar as Aatish
The much anticipated trailer of Rani Mukerji's film 'Hichki' is at last out. The movie is produced by Maneesh Sharma under the banner of Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films.
Hichki is the story of a spirited woman, Naina, who has Tourette's syndrome and, as a result, suffers from a speech impediment. The bright determined woman decides to take up teaching and faces ridicule from her superiors, employers and of course, her students. She eventually gets a job teaching a batch of impoverished students studying at an elite school as part of a social service program. The trailer is heavily laden with the tribulations and hurdles that the disabled yet no less capable woman faces, the immensely emotional breakdowns, joyous moments where hindrances are overcome.
We don’t need to watch the trailer to know that Rani Mukerji shall nail her portrayal as the Tourette stricken Naina. We’ve seen her outdo herself in Bhansali’s Black in which she portrayed a blind woman getting an education. Mukerji’s longtime contribution to India’s film industry is testament to her brilliance when it comes to acting.
This is not the first movie made on the topic of student-teacher relationships. Most notably films like Taare Zameen Par , 3 Idiots and, again, Black , have seen massive success. Hopefully Hichki won’t end up falling prey to the typical problems that plague such movies; a maudlin overload stuffed with banalities, a flimsy depiction of the marginalized, or the oversimplification of a strong plot (as was the case with the Irfan Khan/ Saba Qamar atrocity Hindi Medium).
The trailer gives us a fair expectation of the way Hichki shall unravel, a heartwarming blissful ending, where the rambunctious children facing constant disapproval will surprise everyone under the supervision of their brilliant new teacher. The character of Naina seems to be written just right, addressing the emotional and physical struggle of suffering from Tourette’s yet not undermining the competence of the character.
It may all seem run-of-the-mill but in all honesty, a lot could be done with this story, given the presence of strong characters and a steady script. Mukerji's acting ability, as has been on view for decades now, might compensate for plot holes and problems. She’s returned to the big screen for the movie Hichki after a four year hiatus from acting, and it just might be worth it. This looks like a genuinely interesting movie with a lot of heart and some magnetic performances.
Hichki is slated for release on 23 February, 2018.
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