Highway is a beautiful journey. Take this road, it won’t disappoint. :)
Wow. I’m simply counting the days. The number of days since I last saw a movie so complete. A movie so complete with flawless acting, a great story, soulful music, more-than-perfect cinematography and what not. Highway is complete and perfect in its own way.
The story:Veera (Alia Bhatt) is getting married to Vinay, both being members of rich, influential families. Tired of all wedding plans, and all the * ’Namaste Uncle, Aaiye Uncle stuff *, Veera steps out of the house with her fiance for a drive in the middle of the night. They stop at a petrol pump, and out of the blue - a a group of criminals emerge and there goes Veera- kidnapped!
At first, Veera is terrified and she tries to run away, to beg them to leave her but Mahabir (Randeep Hooda - the sternest and darkest of the criminals) treats her with the no-nonsense attitude and Veera soon gives up. She is tied, gagged, bound and starved and she wakes up to the place they had hidden her. She tries running away again but realizes that she cannot run away and so instead she decides to stick to Mahabir and his gang of criminals.
Very soon, Veera starts enjoying herself in the company of the criminals. She starts realizing that this was what she always wanted - freedom and the able to do whatever she wanted. She could roam around openly - in fresh air(something she’s always liked) - walk barefoot, climb trees, immerse herself in a gush of water - things she was never allowed to do in her home. In bondage, she found freedom.
Slowly, Veera starts realizing that this was what she wanted, and that she never wanted her journey to end. She starts edging closer to Mahabir and there is this heart-touching and moving scene before the interval when she opens up all her wounds to Mahabir. She starts falling in love with the journey, the road, the Highway.
After the interval, the movie gets even better. Mahabir and Veera begin to discover and understand each other better. Veera keeps on sticking to Mahabir, not ready to let go. There are times when she could have easily gone to the police and handed over the criminals, but she doesn’t do so because we see her slowly falling in love with the journey.
Mahabir tries to resist Veera, sticking to his cold and severe attitude but he finally gives in to Veera with that perfect - and here I really mean perfect - smile of his and such a heart-touching scene that is!
The climax of the movie is shocking - as well as sad - and will leave you with a feeling of hurt, grief, but also satisfaction. Satisfaction that the movie ended the way it did. The end scenes of the movie are wonderfully written and directed - where Veera confronts her family and opens up to all the pent-up grief, anger and frustration she had with them. Other than a few scenes here and there in the movie, the climax was easily the best of the entire film.
ACTING:
Alia Bhatt is flawless in the movie. If nothing else, then Highway at least completely belongs to Alia Bhatt. She is entirely different from the amateur actress we had scene her as, in Student of the Year. Her transformation into something so wonderful is marvelous as well as shocking.
I, for one, even after hearing so much praises of her, had never believed that she’d do so well, especially since I didn’t like her in SOTY. But, she has completely surpassed all excellence and her acting is what we call ’natural acting to the core.’
Randeep Hooda is deadly, stern, dark but easily gives his best performance ever! I don’t really like him but this movie changed my opinion towards him completely. I loved his acting throughout, the way he delivered his lines, his accent, his angry-man looks and best of all, his transformation from the rough, rugged criminal to his final submission to Veera. Even the scene where he breaks down in Alia’s arms are done to perfection. Loved him to the core!
Other actors who deserve praise are Randeep Hooda’s companion, the other criminal who dances with Veera and Veera’s parents.
MUSIC:
A R Rahman shines again and how! Beautiful music - soulful and very, very pleasant to hear. Patakkha Guddi, Kahaan Hoon Main and Sooha Saha. A little disappointment for me was that they put the song Maahi Ve (the best of the lot!) at the very end and that also the first few lines of the song.
I wanted to hear the whole of it.:( But all other songs are awesome and will please you, especially Patakkha Guddi which also has a wonderful video.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
I think, for Highway to become what it was, cinematography has to have a mention and given credit. Hats off to cinematographer Anil Mehta for all those beautiful locales and scenery he shot which will definitely make you ’ooh’ and ’aah ’:)
DIRECTION AND WRITING:
Imtiaz Ali deserves a standing ovation for the incredible work he did. True, it wasn’t as good as Jab We Met maybe, but as I stated earlier, Highway is perfect the way it is. Yes, the two lead characters travel a little too much in the film but travel is one of the major aspects in this film.
Parts of the movie drag a little, minutes wasted when the two lead roles just stare at each other or are just lost deep in thinking or laughing or whatever(basically scenes which don’t have any dialogue) but if anything, this scenes only add to the depth of the character and you won’t regret watching them.
I make special reference to the scene where Veera and Mahabir get a little house of their own in Kashmir and Mahabir hesitates and confronts himself before going into the house to Veera, thinking that he’s too dark and bad for such an innocent girl.
Hats off to Randeep Hooda for that scene and a standing ovation to Imtiaz Ali for shooting it so wonderfully. His writing his wonderful, dialogues are witty and some of them are outright hilarious. Many dialogues in the film are capable of affecting you deeply.
Though the storyline is a bit uncommon, or unconventional, .Imtiaz Ali. treats it perfectly and gives us not only a great movie, but a good message out of the film too. That love happens at anytime, with anyone, and in anyway. It also highlights a few evils which still exist in families today, sometimes even in the richest and most aristocratic of families.
Some of the best scenes and dialogues:-
-The dhaba scene, where Alia opens up her wounds to Hooda.
-The dialogue just before the interval when Alia says that she doesn’t want to go back, not does she want to go where he is taking her. Instead, she wants to continue this journey.
-Patakkha Guddi.
-At the bus stand, when Hooda finally gives in to Alia Bhatt and his first smile in the film.
-Hooda shouting at Alia when she starts blabbering about her being rude and ill-mannered at him.
-Alia and Hooda’s companion dancing to the English song. (awesome!)
-The climax scene in Kashmir.
-The end part when Alia confronts her parents.
All in all, Highway is an amazing movie. It’s a must watch, as each and every aspect of the movie shines: the performance, music, cinematography, direction or writing. You have to see it. To see the beautiful scenery shot so well, or for Hooda’s breathtaking smile at the bus stop which melts your heart. But most of all - see it for her Alia Bhatt. Watch the film to see her dancing to those English songs, to see her rest her head on that gush of water or, for her amazing, amazing performance.
Thanks for reading,
AH.