'Heroine' different from Traditional Bollywood Commercial Movies

The Heroine has all the masala that one desires in a Madhur Bhandarkar
film but it has all the insight into the Bollywood’s wronged side. We can say that Bhandarkar has played a key role in lifting the lid from garbage bin ealier in Fashion, Page 3 media and Corporate, has successfully completed the task of liberating the hidden black marks of Bollywood with the help of Kareena Kapoor who has played the bravest role of her life.

The storyline encompasses the life of Heroine “Mahi” who fell in love with superstar Aryan Khanna (Arjun Rampal), a divorcee and non-committal lover, behind her downfall after attaining the heights of her career.  It all resulted in her undergoing psycholological treatment but she surfaces back with a vengeance to regain her title.

During second phase of the career she took revenge on others who helped her re-build her career by sacking her own morals and ethics and leave behind people who probably care for her the most.
The premise of the film, like every other film of Bhandarkar's, remains the same. Lead protagonist who has negative shades goes through the highs and lows in her life, enjoys a period of success and then goes through a low phase only to reform and rebuild herself as a human being. What Bhandarkar shows is not new to most of us; it is just presented in a snazzy, glamorous way.

The film could easily be written off but for Kareena’s performance. As the bi-polar, erratic, insecure and vulnerable fading star, Kareena gives a superb performance. She looks beautiful, glamorous and makes Mahi her own. In fact, some of the incidents seem to be lifted straight out of Kareena’s life (yes, there is an MMS scandal as well). Kareena, who has for a long time been used as a glamour quotient in Rs 100 crore films, gets a meaty role and gives it her best shot. Some of the scenes in the film, although a bit unnecessary, need courage to be enacted and it comes as a surprise when a hard-core commercial actress like Kareena agrees to do such scenes. And then, does them so convincingly.

Arjun Rampal, as the confused, non-committal, playboy Aryan Khanna, gives a believable performance. It is also refreshing to see Randeep Hooda play a charming cricketer madly in love with Mahi, especially after doing a dark role in ‘Jism2’. The man though, is underused. In fact, Madhur manages to cast some very talented actors like Shahana Goswami, Ranvir Shorey and Sanjay Suri in walk away cameos who ably support the film’s narrative.

The film has a very linear narrative and for the greater part of the first half, one keeps wondering what exactly the plot is. A little bit of editing would also do a lot of good to the otherwise predictable storyline.