This bollywood movie is about girl who is still living in a very patriarchal household and society in Delhi, India. There is a contrast between her ideals, and the city bustling around her. A day before her wedding, she gets broken up with. Having been looking forward to her honeymoon trip, she decides to go on the trip alone since she already had the tickets.
The movie shows a very interesting journey of this girl who had no exposure in her life, taking such a massive step and going on this literal/physical journey alone, suddenly in a new world unfamiliar to her after heartbreak. We see her go to places she wanted to with her fiancé alone, but surprisingly she starts to find her own confidence and journey because of this. As the audience we expect her to find love or go back to her ex, but she never does. She makes friends, gets more confident, changes her wardrobe. Instead of a big overnight transition, her journey happens slowly. She still wears traditional prints, now mixed with modern cuts – the movie uses fashion to portray her emotional journey, which is a treat to watch.
We see her react and act within her inbuilt patriarchal notions, and when her ex finally does come back, we see what it looks like for a self-confident and now ‘modern’ woman to respect herself while still living in the same society.
The film works because it is an accurate portrayal of modern patriarchy. A kind of heteronormativity that exists in connection with now old ideas. Without giving too many spoilers, this movie was an amazing watch. And the transition Rani (‘Queen’ in Hindi) has is so refreshing – no sudden transitions or disrespect, but the story of a woman slowly finding herself without losing her core values.
