The producers filled the shoes of the teacher's role with the versatile actress, Rani Mukerji. Rani is incidentally married to the producer Aditya Chopra and they have a two-year-old daughter named Adira. Rani was last scene in the film Mardaani where she was a cop investigating a human trafficking racket. Yes, Rani has shined in substance roles and the typical Bollywood heroine roles too.
Hichki is about the teacher Naina Mathur who has the Tourette Syndrome and is not giving up on getting the job as a teacher. Due to the Right to Education initiative in the Indian system, one private school is having trouble keeping a teacher for their failures class, 9F. Naina was once a student at St. Notkers and life becomes full circle when they finally hire her as the teacher. The students are part of the municipality school that was brought down to give the private school a playground and as compensation they took on the school children in their program.
9F proves to be just the right challenge for Naina but at first it looked impossible that she will survive because they do all the tricks to frustrate her. She rises to the challenge of proving that all children must be given equal opportunities no matter what background they come from, who knows any one of them could be the next genius. Her spirit is fueled by the nemesis Mr Wadia, who is the teacher of 9A and the two teachers end up in a healthy competition proving to the Principal that either is doing good or better.
Hichki is a full delight and definitely a feel good movie about real life and how to draw inspiration from simple lessons in Naina's classroom. This family film does not promise to give you wedding drama or dance classes, just life's lessons that leave an impression forever.
Sidharth P Malhotra returns to the Director chair since 2010 when his debut film was We Are Family, starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. Sidharth has done a fabulous job with Hichki and this has also been translated into a movement, because Yash Raj Films are asking the audience, what is the hichki (hiccup) in your life that kept you from achieving your goal and this formula for marketing is definitely working.
Rani as Naina is awesome and her dressing sense of long kurta dresses and loose flare trousers will be a hit. The supporting cast of Neeraj Kabi, Shivkumar Subramaniam, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Harsh Mayar all do a fantastic performance. In the end, it is the 9F students who are raw, authentic, natural actors and deliver their struggles to you with simplicity.
Hichki will be remembered as one of Bollywood's finest films.
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Harleen Jabbal is a Bollywood film writer and critic for her blog FilmiVeryFilmi.
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