What’s your Raashee - Movie Review

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Hurman Baweja, Darshan Jariwala, Anjjan Srivastav

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala and Sunita Gowariker

Music: Sohail Sen

Confusion in love or denial has been shown in many films. And in many of these films, like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ or ‘Rehna Hai Terre Dil Main’, the protagonist closes his or her eyes to figure out who the right person is. While it may beat logic but that seems to have been a tried and tested formula for many films so far. And Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘What’s your Raashee?’ uses the same in an attempt to being a closure to a three-hour drama where our hero Yogesh Patel (Hurman Baweja) goes bride hunting. And it’s not his choice that brings in boredom towards the last few minutes of the film. It is the way the conclusion has been brought that leaves you with an unsatisfied feeling.
 
Till these final moments ‘What’s your Raashee?’ is quite an entertaining film, although at intervals you might find it dragging due to the number of songs. A three-hour plus film is a rarity these days. Ashutosh Gowariker maintains his record of not making anything below that duration as there has hardly been anyone else who has done the same since his last film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. And this factor alone would end up acting as a restrictive feature. This despite the fact that the director considers that the audience needs a good story to keep glued to their seats and duration does not really matter.
 
Having said that, ‘What’s your Raashee’ is a brave attempt. Let’s remind you that it is not easy to deal with so many characters separately in a movie, each constituting a story in itself. Which is what probably made Mr Yogi, the old Doordarshan TV show, such a hit. In that show each story took time to develop and yet the audience would not complain as the next would come back only another day. To his credit Gowariker manages to create the characters, and Priyanka Chopra executes them – and both do it in it a super efficient manner. And each character is quite a job to watch too, while you look forward to what the next would be like.
 
The film is not a complete comedy on the lines of the ones made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. ‘What’s your Raashee?’ also qualifies well as a satire depicting hypocrisy among Indian families and individuals in search. Most characters at some level have got their own selfish desires which they are looking to fulfil as Yogesh gets married. While most girls wish to settle abroad and hence meet Yogesh who works in the US, Yogesh’s family wants to get some money from dowry and other sources that he will be getting as soon as he gets married. So much is the desperation that it even rubs on the simple soul Yogesh towards the end. But luck favours and saves him.
 
‘What’s your Raashee?’ has been shot pretty well although editing could have been sleeker. At some portions it tends to look like home video. The music is good but maybe a few songs could have been done away with.
 
On the scale of performances, ‘What’s your Raashee?’ Surely has the capacity to take Priyanka Chopra to the winner list in the best actress category, especially after her brilliant performance in ‘Kaminey’ as well. She is brilliant throughout, giving each character its individuality. She provides a body language and a different way of talking apart from mere looks. And just the final song with all the twelve avatars is enough to showcase this. That song surely is a treat and complete paisa vasool! Hurman finds a foothold in this film. Despite what we may have thought, the actor gets great scope to prove himself and he shows remarkable improvement since his last film. There is still a long way to go though as he needs to work more on expressions. The rest of the supporting cast fall into place.
 
One thing about ‘What’s your Raashee?’ that could disappoint the audience is the final selection. There are indications from the very beginning but the final tilt towards that particular version of Priyanka is not evident and is unfitting when Hurman says he loves her ‘behad’ (endlessly)! Especially because he gets to like a few others too. However, the director cannot be blamed on that as the film is just an adaptation of the novel ‘Kimball Ravenswood’. And Gowariker has done best to stick to the book as much as possible for the major turning points. Discussions of course will always be open on the validity of choice and also the way the film ends. But you got to watch it for all that. ‘What’s your Raashee?’ is a story which could probably do better when shown on television or DVD, but we would recommend you to watch it, just because of Priyanka’s performance. One timer!