What's your rashee?
wogma rating: Watch but no rush (?) - A treat for Piggy Chop fans!
This one is a complete package for Ms. Chopra lovers. The rest - story / songs / execution - all are just about o-kay. And mainly because it requires this WARNING! It is all of 3.5 hours. An option is to treat is as 2 proper length films or 12 short films
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Let's get the obvious complaint out of the way. What's you Rashee? is long, super-long, super-duper long. No. Just "super-duper long" wouldn't be enough. It needed that build-up, it's that long! AND despite that, it's not an outright bad film, but it keeps it from being an "undoubtedly great" one. Oh, well…
Let' get the second-most obvious thing about the film. This time a sure positive one. PRIYANKA CHOPRA. I'm usually more than okay with people not agreeing with my opinion of a film/performance/etc. But, I will be really surprised if there are more than meager handfuls who won't like Priyanka Chopra in this film. I had enough guys going siggggh and gals going wow (including me) every time she was on screen. Her performance(s) were brilliant one charming character after another.
The third-most…Gotchya! You didn't think I was giving you a list of top 12 things about What's your rashee?, were you? But if I were to do that I'd guarantee, each paragraph sounded and talked about different things. Which is not what the 12 Priyanka characters do here. Yes, almost each of the 12 characters is charming, and a couple of them are very different from the norm. But the rest follow a format. There's something they want their groom-to-be or not-to-be to know and each Priyanka's 10 minutes of screen-time revolves around that issue. And this is extremely interesting for the first few times and obviously tiring after that. And the two that are different are too exaggerated to be true.
Which is pretty much true of the entire story-line too. But the basic premise has been forgiven since we are already there to watch the film, right? And despite that we are asked for more. We have to accept the dad's selfishness and the brother's foolishness, the silly pundit and weird uncle, the prop sister-in-law and the I'm-here-to-lengthen-the-film aunt.
Ooops! I almost forgot Harman Baweja. I surprise myself when I want to say, I think this guy can do well. He needs a chance where he's not over-shadowed by his star co-star. But, this one is all about the woman, right? Wrong.
My issue with these so-called women-oriented films is also that they are well "so-called". While each one of the characters is today's girl with a mind of her own, it looks superficial. Because, she's still out for the man's support in needing what she wants and each one's approach is convoluted. And if there was ever a "throw me around from one guy to the other, how do I care which man I want to get married to", this is the one. Wait for the climax to react to this comment.
This is what the writer's thinking process looks like.
"Yo! Priyanka Chopra is one helluva actor. She needs a film that revolves under her character."
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"But, we don't know how to write women-centric stories. Damn! That too for someone with a star stature."
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"Let's go through options that we can explore. 7 days of the week, naah - sounds ridiculous. 31 days of the month - way too many. So 365 days a year is out of the question….hmmm…"
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Research - research - research (am I giving too much credit? Well, the same man made the supposedly extensively researched Jodhaa Akbar, didn't he? Anyway...
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"Hey, look here's this Gujrati novel Kimball Ravenswood by Madhu Rye. Yay! Jackpot And they made a TV series out of the same theme and it was pretty popular, remember? Mr. Yogi? "
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"Done, then! Since we've to get Priyanka to act real well, and she'll sell. The director can leave the rest of the cast to do their own thing, snort, fart, smile, whine, whatever. And he can focus on just the lady."
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"Hey, wait! 12 girls one after the other without a break will become monotonous. Let's throw in a couple of side-stories. Which ones? Don't matter. Say a Don theme and an extra-marital affair theme. It'll just break the flow for a bit. Doesn't sound good? I said "Don't matter!!" It don't matter even if we don't give them a closure. You just watch…"
.
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"What else? It's masala no? We need songs. How many? Of course 12! Can't have any less, what if any one of Bhavna, Hansa, Anjali, Chandrika, Sanjana, etc, etc, etc feel bad? Can't risk that!"
And so we have what we have. An extremely mediocre product if it were not for Ms. Piggy Chops. True, the songs are nice, very well-picturized and different too. But after the 3rd one it gets a little blah! And when there are so many, songs with lip-sync involved they sound repetitious too.
Gone are the days Mr. Gowariker when the Hindi film audience thought found their money's worth only if the film touched the 180-minute mark. Rest assured we, the audience, won't think any less of you if your movie doesn't move the average run-time of films around the world by a notch.
Yet, it's not boring. So, viewers will be better equipped to handle its length at home with the luxury of the "fast forward" switch at their disposal for the non-Priyanka parts, of course. Oh yeah and the opening credits are one of the best I've seen in Hindi films!
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA : ...The film is not a complete comedy on the lines of the ones made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Aly Kassam, Bolly Spice : ...The fact that Gowariker is able to masterfully integrate each of her characters into the film is Raashee's biggest strength. Alas, like all his films, the running time is seriously trying on the audience who begins to feel their legs going numb after the third hour.... full review
Thumbs up, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...The wit is smart and subtle. Then, there are a couple of glimpses of Gowariker's pet topics - a little rural stint, and a very angry rant on NRIs.... full review
Thumbs up, by Vatsal Rathod, Mota Blog : ...Actually its a funny take on the believers in horoscope, situation of dowry, blind rush for NRI grooms and many more things... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Priyanka through the smallest nuances and behavioural traits ensures that even in such short screen time, each girl has a well defined overall personality and that each girl is independent of the other... full review
Thumbs up, by Darshit, Movies Music and Me : ...I liked it for the narration of all Raashee one by one.... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...Some of the supporting characters - too broadly parochial to match the narrative's mellow mood - needed to be toned down... full review
So-So, by Amodini, Amodini's Movie Reviews : ...It reminded me of an older genre of movies, of a thoughtful, sedate style of film, albeit extremely stretched. It’s fairly clean, with some very well shot scenes and songs.... full review
So-So, by Suranjana Nandi, Buzz18 : ...And Priyanka puts life to each and every one of them. ... full review
So-So, desi hits : ...What stretches it is the content within the screenplay; it's dry and the entire plot remains thin... full review
So-So, by Irene Nexica, Planet Bollywood : ...with the exception of a couple of cringeworthy film moments, for the most part the film is neither exciting nor dramatic... full review
So-So, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...A terrific ensemble cast from the world of television and theatre collaborate to its feel-good believability which lasts as long as their screen time.... full review
Thumbs down, Apun Ka Choice : ...I went in clean shaven, came out with stubble.... full review
Thumbs down, by Khalid Mohamed, aslibaat.com : ...the director's heart is in the right place but alas not the head.... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...The other reliable props of Old Bollywood – say, the comedy track (in this case, an excruciating sideshow about a private detective trailing an adulterous husband) – are also major misfires in this typically bloated Gowariker feature... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...The length is fine when we are watching a movie like “Lagaan” or “Jodha Akbar”, but you cannot make every project close to four hours of duration just for the sake of it... full review
Thumbs down, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, DNA : ...Only the pretty, glam girls appeal to Yogesh, which makes his interaction with each suitor even more unrewarding, shallow and unfunny.... full review
Thumbs down, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ...Run for cover, Gowariker! ... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...You may be driven to appreciate Chopra’s performances. Yet, she merely has to caricature her humourless parts; never add any depth to her roles... full review
Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...while Priyanka Chopra throws herself into the challenge, she is let down by a poor script.... full review
Thumbs down, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...But Gowariker tries too hard to wring the last drop of romance out of every situation.... full review
Thumbs down, by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com : ...After you meet the first two girls, Ares and Aquarius, 'What's your Rashee' becomes a tiring, repetitive piece of goods.... full review
Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM : ...has some wonderful moments and award-worthy performance[s] by Priyanka Chopra, but everything pales into insignificance when the written material is weak. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...There are dollops of humour in the writing and Hurman’s perfect timing complements the antics of Priyanka’s characters... full review
Thumbs down, Indicine : ...But what unfolds in the last 20 odd minutes has to be one of the most stupid and unconvincing climaxes ever.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...It is solely Priyanka Chopra who carries off this bizarre hodgepodge of a film... full review
Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ... Making riveting cinema out of 12 similar encounters is a Herculean task for any director. But perhaps even more so for Ashutosh Gowarikar whose strengths as a storyteller seem more suited to 70 mm epics than romantic comedy... full review
Thumbs down, by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com : ... WYR has its moments but the story, although innovative and interesting, isn't suited for a big screen adaptation... full review
Thumbs down, by Aditya Mani Jha, Passion for Cinema : ...Harman Baweja mostly sleepwalks through the film, but manages to look better than he actually is... full review
Thumbs down, by Hanumant Bhansali, Radio Sargam : ...As much as the movie appears to be interesting on paper, it equally disappoints on screen... full review
Thumbs down, real bollywoood : ...The story becomes so predictable in the second half that you wait for the movie to get over and start counting how many signs are still left... full review
Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Each character seems like a caricature and instead of providing us with some insights, all we see are superficial traits.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Other over-the-top interpretations like the boss-woman with zero emotions are plain annoying... full review
Thumbs down, by Critic's I-view, SmasHits.com : ...like a plate full of different kinds of sweets served during the Durga Puja festiveal. You want to eat each one of them because they look yummy, but once you start eating them you realize that there is not much difference in one from another. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...Harman Baweja springs a pleasant surprise. It is as much his movie as it is Priyanka’s. He looks good, is lean and fit, and is a decent, expressive actor.... full review
Thumbs down, by Raghav, Talking Popcorns : ...The movie fails to take off and the plot of the movie does not really convince you at any level. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Sampurn, Thai Indian : ...Music has always been a strong point of Gowariker’s films here it’s a downer. ... full review
Thumbs down, The Globe and Mail : ...Those looking for exotica won't find it here, unless your criteria includes such nuances as the unusually bright cinematography... full review
Thumbs down, by Nova, The World As I See It : ...She was very good when playing modern characters, while when depicting orthodox girls with accent, she would falter every once in a while. Great effort, nonetheless!... full review
Thumbs down, by Avijit Ghosh, Times of India : ...The movie's first hour is also its most entertaining. Not that the movie degenerates thereafter, it merely gets repetitive and wears you down. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Sakshi Juneja, To Each Its Own : ...Wow I thought only YSR guys did this. But looks like Ashu too believes in recyling. The doctor chick plot is mini Swades... full review
Thumbs down, by Rajesh, Upper Stall : ...Darshan Jariwala hams his way through, Anjan Srivastav just seems clueless when he’s not speaking... full review
Thumbs down, by Bob Nelson, Variety : ...Two or three peppy songs prove woefully insufficient to sustain a 3?-hour trifle, however good-looking.... full review
Thumbs down, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...Hurman, who apparently had a lot to do in the film, simply doesn’t have the acting skills to pull it off. ... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
Mr. Y. B. Patel (Harman Baweja) needs to get married and quick. So he decides that 12 is the optimum number of girls he can see before he decides. And there you go…
What Worked
- Y. B. Patel's song with Rajni. Amazing picturization.
- The irony that a man having an extra-marital affair exposes another one acting righteous and all.
What did not
- Whatever happened to Vishakha's plan of telling the truth when they hear from Y. B. Patel?
- What? No consequences for having an extra-marital affair?
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: None
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: Skimpy clothes worn by women in some parts. But not too much of that going around.
- Concept: A man looking for a girl to get married to, the arranged marriage way. But, the women have tones of secrets from their family. And that is kind of glorified.
- General Look and Feel: Bright, peppy, colorful…and long!
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Comments (6)
I know! This must have been one of the most understated roles by a protagonist in a long long time.
Hi Meeta,
We met at The Indicast get together. I came here looking for this review specifically because I remembered you'd said that you never leave a movie. That's usually my principle too, but I'll tell you what - this movie beat me to it. I left in an hour and 15 minutes. I just COULD NOT sit in! COULD NOT! For 25 mins, I gripped the seat handles and said, 'nahi I'm not leaving, I'm not. This is the guy who made the delightful Lagaan and the endearingly soulful Swades...' but no! He took EVERY ounce of respect I had for him and ran it right into the ground with this piece of S*&T!
Seriously! A terrible actor (I completely disagree with you on that. Maybe he WILL emerge as a good one in a few films' time, but I don't see any trace of it yet) - and a screenplay which runs itself over 12 bloody times. No thanks man... no can do! Sorry!
Maybe on tv, over the length of an entire wasteful day, I can watch this movie sometime and come back to review and correct my comment, but for the time being, this stands :)
And finally, how are you?
Hey Kartick! Good to see you here. Your comment started me off with a smile and I was laughing out loud by the end of it. :)
Strong sentiments towards a movie usually make me really happy. How do you know screenplay ran 12 times over? Gotchya!!
Anyway, yeah it was quite a bore. Harman had his moments, the rest time will tell. I see him playing second fiddle for a long time to come.
On TV with ads thrown in every 12 minutes, good Lord! Wish you luck with that one, dude!
And finally! I'm doing very well, thank you. Trust you are doing well too.
thanks for the movie details...
@TimELiebe I know, if it had been shorter, it would've made a decent film. And yes, i like Priyanka Chopra too!!
@TimELiebe oh yeah, ALL Ashutosh-Gowariker films are L-O-N-G.
I'm sure your wife will welcome the awesome surprise ;)
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