Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

In Delhi, Rocky, rich and spoiled, and Rani, a journalist from an intellectual Bengali family, fall in love. The two families detest each other. Before marrying they decide on a trial: for three months Rocky will live with Rani's family and Rani with his. The film is not interested in love. It is interested in the place families assign to women: in Rocky's house the grandmother is authoritarian, the mother has been silenced and the sister is shut in, and across three months Rani sets about dismantling that arrangement piece by piece. The film says so outright, and saying it that plainly in mainstream Indian cinema caused argument. The form is large-scale musical drama: showy costumes, wide dance numbers, locations moving between Delhi and Calcutta. It runs over three hours. Karan Johar directed, returning to cinema after seven years. Older-generation actors including Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi have major roles, and the older story occupies as much space as the main line. Ranveer Singh plays Rocky and Alia Bhatt plays Rani. Who it is for: viewers who like Bollywood musicals and family drama. Who it is not for: anyone bothered by length and excess. The film runs past three hours, repeats its message many times and carries unnecessary subplots.