Highway

IMHO...

Excellent... beautiful... superlative... three words i am very wary of using when describing a movie... the rarer i do it, the more importance it holds.

GET ON THIS HIGHWAY.

Ramesh Sippy had his Sholay, Alia Bhat has her HIGHWAY. This young actress, i never thought good of (i gave her Student of the Year a wide berth). Here she has kept me riveted for a good length of time with her facial contortions... her voice, her silence, her eyes, her dressing..... everything. her transformation from a cocooned girl to a free butterfly during the course of the movie is sublime. ill give her a perfect 12 out of 10. and she didn't have to resort to ANY skin show; no T&A here, pure genes at play. She shines. the movie belongs to her, and she excels.

the story is simple, the subplots un-complicated. be it the horny accomplice (well its essentially a kidnapping story), the good at heart sidekick, the adequately sinister/ curiously enigmatic randeep hooda (more on him later, he deserves a separate writeup), the camera work, the locations, the un-obtrusive soundtrack and music that grows on you. i found very little to complain about in the movie. probably Alia's Stockholm Syndrome kicked in too early into the movie, but im willing to overlook it.

Randeep Hooda has the kind of brooding, lingering, intense screen presence that you'd associate with say a Ajay Devgn. tough to find fault. the way he hisses his expletives, the snarling of a person with a repressed background, the slow unfolding of a soft core, the endearing body language and sheer rugged sexiness. WOW. from the rustic dialect, to the clothes, to the grime filled fingernails... the effort to live the character is commendable.

the background score and the songs, the overall tempo of the movie is very well complimented with the accompaniments. the purpose of good music is not to make its presence felt, but to ensure that its absence will hamper the narrative. That happens here. i don't remember a word of any song sung in the movie, but i know it was essential to drive the movie forward.

The locations depicted in the movie, the adept camera-work made me want to whip out my cell phone and take pictures of the screen. the mountains, the overhanging cliffs along the routes, the beautiful countryside (kashmir/ rajasthan, lovely roads)... the lenses have been taught to fall in love with the locations. Zero doubt about it.

watch the movie... Watch The Movie... WATCH THE MOVIE...

good acting, good direction, good camera-work, good story, a well handled sensitive subplot, brilliant characters... what else do you need?

I used to consider Imtiaz Ali to be quite overrated, but with Highway, my opinion of him has changed dramatically. Highway is one of the most beautiful films of recent times in Hindi cinema, in terms of both photography and storytelling. Telling the story of a young girl kidnapped in an act she herself would eventually consider pure bliss, Highway starts as a road movie and what could have become a suspenseful thriller of sorts, turns into a deeply involving love story between two aching souls. The captive girl finds a true saviour in her captor and eventually falls for him, showing little interest in coming back home. The movie is not without its clichés, and the sub-story of child abuse the young woman had been through as a child tends to be a little corny, but then everything is handled with great delicacy. It is emotional but totally controlled and sensible, all thanks to Ali, who deals with the complex subject with impressive understanding and

Aided by brilliant cinematography, the movie is beautifully shot across some of North India's most breathtaking locations, but not only does it capture the beauty of India's exotic mountains and the magic of its simplicity, it consistently stands as a celebration of the human spirit and conveys a meaning of freedom is spite of the potentially troubling proceedings. The film is slow paced, but totally engaging and absorbing, and that's because the story is expertly developed, with the ensuing portions of romance working quite effectively. Everything grows naturally, and what starts with a quietly serene narrative style is gradually filled with music up to a point where the narrative is nothing but music and high spirit. And for that you have to thank the master himself, A. R. Rahman, whose stupendous soundtrack and score enhance the film and its story. The songs are in sync with the proceedings and always reflect the characters' state.

The acting is excellent even by actors appearing in minor parts. The lead pair is played by Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt, and the two have fantastic chemistry. The romantic tension between the two is built up with great conviction - it never looks peculiar in spite of the nature of their parts, and never looks missing in spite of the lack of too much physical interaction. Hooda is tremendous as Mahabir, brilliantly underplaying the essence of a man who may look cruel and fearless, but beneath this tough exterior there's a poor, compassionate and quietly tormented soul. But the movie belongs to young Bhatt, who's pretty and bubbly but just totally immersed in the spirited character of Veera, so much that even she herself might not have expected from herself. She seems to really get the resilient nature of her part, but rather than playing it, she lives it, presenting an exhilarating portrait of strength, determination and positivity.

Highway ends on a poignant but realistic note, and the ending is extremely cathartic and satisfying. It ends up being a greatly affecting love story which surely is inspiring to watch, and besides that it is a true visual treat worth watching more than once. A rewarding cinematic experience, highly recommended.

Let me start by saying that this movie has everything right about it. From direction and cinematography to performances and music. The locations are breath taking.

Imtiaz Ali yet again delivers a "hat ke" love story. Its not exactly a love story but a tale of two people who want to get free and experience life. Both the characters have there own painful pasts and when they come together they let it all go and try to start it all over again.

Their journey is the theme of this movie. Alaya Bhatt and Randeep Hooda deliver power packed performances with a great supporting cast.

The movie forces us to think about the society we live in and how people struggle to lead a normal life. Be it a rich family or a poor villager. They have there own challenges.

I won't go more into the story line as that is something to be experienced.

This movie comes with a message and we are left to think what freedom and liberation means.

I will strongly recommend this one.

'Highway' finds Imtiaz Ali at his best. The talented storyteller delivers a beautiful, tragic film that left me spell-bound. Here's a film that celebrates love & tragedy, with skill. Also, Alia Bhatt pitches in a brilliant performance in the central role.

'Highway' Synopsis: Right before her wedding, a young woman finds herself abducted and held for ransom. As the initial days pass, she begins to develop a strange bond with her kidnapper.

'Highway' is amongst Imtiaz Ali's finest works. His Screenplay is wonderful. It creates a world of diverse characters who eventually develop a bond. The protagonist, Veera, played by a sterling Alia Bhatt, is a character who finds freedom while being kidnapped, while the character of Mahabir, played by Randeep Hooda, is in search for love & respect. It's the diversity between these two-characters that makes this road-movie so engaging. Ali's direction is excellent. He's in top-form! Anil Mehta'a Cinematography captures every frame magnificently. Editing is crisp. Music by A.R Rahman is enchanting.

Performance-Wise: Alia Bhatt triumphs with 'Highway'. She delivers a brilliant, sterling performance as the vibrant yet haunted protagonist. She's the life of the film. Randeep Hooda is ever-impressive. He enacts his part with amazing understanding. The supporting cast lends good support.

On the whole, 'Highway' is near-perfection. A marvelous motion-picture!

I saw this first day first show with my family in a suburban theatre.

The movie is thought provoking and it deals with a social message.

Lovely cinematography with a power to heal, to nurture and free your soul.

It made me want to almost pack my bags and take off into the unknown, the joy of lying down beneath the stars, beside a river or even just driving through the snow-capped mountains is enticing to say the least.

Randeep Hooda is very underrated.

He gave a solid performance.

The direction n cinematography is top notch n the best part is the screenplay.

The ending is very shocking and so is the background story of the male lead character.