Roohi Review

About Roohi

Introduction

A horror-comedy film in the Hindi language titled Roohi is slated to be produced by Dinesh Vijan and Hardik Mehta in 2021 under the aegis of Maddock Films. Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, and Varun Sharma play the main characters in the film. The movie is a prequel to the critically acclaimed and financially successful 2018 film 'Stree'. The film made successful money, considering it was one of the first films to be screened in cinemas after the covid pandemic in 2021. The film grossed approximately 31 crore rupees against the budget of 20 crore rupees.

The film Roohi stars Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma as two small-town youths who fall in love with Roohi, played by Janhvi Kapoor. Roohi, however, is secretly possessed by a witch who is determined to get married to a man to lift her curse. The two boys attempt to rescue Roohi from the clutches of the witch, and the journey they lead the audience on is both thrilling and entertaining.

The movie is the ideal fusion of horror and humour and covers love, fear, and superstition themes. Roohi looks lovely and has a compelling plot, making it a fun and interesting movie for viewers of all ages. The cast gives superb performances in the film, bringing the characters to life with their superb acting abilities. Anyone who enjoys scary comedies and wants to go on an emotional whirlwind should see Roohi.

Plot

In the village of Bagadpur, where Bhawra Pandey and Kattanni Qureshi are from, it is customary for the boy to kidnap a girl whom he desires to marry. They are assigned the task by their employer and the head of the abduction gang, Guniya Bhai, to kidnap Roohi as part of a bargain with a man who wishes to marry her. However, as a result of a death in the groom's family, they are forced to keep her hidden in an abandoned woodshop until after the burial, when he can marry her. Bhawra finds during their stay and receives confirmation from her father that Roohi is possessed by a demonic entity.

Roohi was supposed to be married a year ago, but the groom and his family abandoned the ceremony when they discovered she was possessed. While Kattanni is smitten by an evil spirit named Afza, he tries to move forward so that he can talk to her instead of Roohi. Bhawra falls for Roohi and tries to convince the spirit to leave her body. The demon is revealed to be a Mudiyapairi (a strong witch with feet that point backwards), and she will not go until she and the girl she controls are married. Guniya Bhai orders them to abandon Roohi alone somewhere since he is concerned about the police looking into her kidnapping. However, they refused, so he had to send his henchmen to carry out the order. The henchmen who were trying to attack Kattanni are badly hurt by Afza and report this back to Guniya. Attacking the henchmen, Afza kills one and hurts the other.

Bhawra learns from an elderly woman that the 'Mudiyapairi' must be coerced into marrying a married man to make her the mistress and compel her to depart the body she is occupying. After being possessed by the very same witch previously, the elderly woman had been exorcised. But before this happens the spirit had killed her imaginary husband in a fit of rage. In order to trick the witch, Bhawra marries a dog in the village of Chimmattipur before he, Roohi, and Kattanni depart. The people reprimand him for bringing a witch to their revered village, though. When Guniya Bhai arrives wreaking retribution, he learns that Afza must get married in less than a day. Guniya Bhai tells Afza that she can wed the man who had issued the contract to marry Roohi to restore his reputation.

While at the wedding, Kattanni convinces Afza to wed him by dressing as Bhawra. The elderly woman interrupts them and shows Afza the footage of the dog wedding to trick her into thinking the marriage is a scam. Afza, furious, orders Bhawra to get married, but Roohi intervenes to stop him. Then, rather than viewing Afza as an enemy, Roohi chooses to wed Afza herself, embracing the strength Afza had given her.

Bhawra and Kattanni are left behind after Roohi and Afza accept one another. The elderly woman informs the police that Roohi has fled alone when they come with Roohi's father. Still, she then vanishes, suggesting she may have been working with Afza as she had previously wed "Mudiyapairi" as well.

Storyline

The 2021 Indian horror-comedy movie Roohi was made by Dinesh Vijan and directed by Hardik Mehta. Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, and Varun Sharma play the main characters in the movie. The movie serves as a spiritual prequel to the well-praised 2018 film Stree, which is remarkable for being one of the first Indian productions to hit theatres following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The story of two small-town youths named Bhawra (Rajkummar Rao) and Kattanni (Varun Sharma), who falls in love with Roohi (Janhvi Kapoor), is central to the movie. Their love story takes a terrible turn when they learn that a witch possesses Roohi. As the movie opens, Bhawra and Kattanni are the guides at a small-town wedding. They stumble across Roohi. Despite their best efforts, Bhawra and Kattanni are unable to save her. They learn afterwards that Roohi was kidnapped and forced into an arranged marriage. Bhawra and Kattanni decide to assist her in fleeing and transport her to safety.

They learn from Roohi that a witch that inhabits her emerges on full moon nights. She also discloses that the witch has a crush on a local villager named Dilawar. To aid Roohi, Bhawra and Kattanni decide to take her to Dilawar's village so she can meet the witch's potential love interest. The way she is initially portrayed is as a shy, meek lady who is coerced into marriage. Her alter ego, however, is depicted as a strong, certain woman who isn't afraid to take charge of her own life.

The man with numerous identities and otherworldly creatures challenges Bhawra and Kattani as they attempt to save Roohi. In the scene where Bhawra and Kattani are being pursued by a bunch of possessed ladies while wearing sarees, the movie's blend of horror and comedy is very clear. The principal actors give outstanding performances, with Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma displaying good comic timing and Janhvi Kapoor exhibiting her versatility as an actress by playing two different characters. They run across a number of roadblocks and paranormal experiences along the route. Additionally, they learn that Roohi's possession has deeper roots in society's marginalization and mistreatment of women rather than being a straightforward instance of witchcraft. Following the intermission, the horror aspects of the movie Roohi grow more overt. Bhawra (Rajkummar Rao) and Kattani (Varun Sharma) are still in the narrative, searching for Roohi (Janhvi Kapoor), who has been abducted by the enigmatic man with numerous identities.

As Roohi's character is shown to possess a magical ability that enables her to transition between two unique personas, the movie addresses the issue of gender roles and stereotypes. Notable aspects of the film's directing and script include how well they combine social satire, comedy, and horror. Roohi's father, who had been attempting to shield her from a mystical curse that had been passed down through generations of women in their family, is revealed to be a man with several personalities as the plot develops. To end the curse and preserve Roohi's life, he abducted her.

In the film's dramatic conclusion, Bhawra and Kattani finally defeat the other beings trying to harm Roohi. In order to break the curse and free herself from the restrictions imposed on her by patriarchy, Roohi's alter ego seizes control and makes her stand up to her father.

Review

Hardik Mehta's horror-comedy Roohi explores themes of love, prejudice, and marginalization while questioning conventional gender norms and stereotypes. Varun Sharma, Janhvi Kapoor, and Rajkummar Rao all give outstanding performances as the movie's three main actors.

The story centres on two buddies named Bhawra Pandey (Rajkummar Rao) and Kattanni Qureshi (Varun Sharma), who, under the orders of a local businessman, abduct Roohi (Janhvi Kapoor), a young woman. However, things take a strange turn when they learn that Roohi is under the control of a witch's spirit that is out for vengeance.

The major actors have some entertaining performances that keep the audience interested over the first half of the comedy-heavy movie. After the intermission, the movie, however, takes a more serious turn and explores the supernatural terror components.

The seamless fusion of comedy and horror in Roohi is one of its most outstanding features. While the comedy offers a much-needed release from the stress, the movie's horror components are legitimately terrifying and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. In order to deepen the narrative, the movie also successfully incorporates social commentary on gender norms and prejudice.

The principal performers give outstanding performances, with Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma turning up some of their greatest work to date. In her portrayal as Roohi, Janhvi Kapoor excels as well, expertly capturing both the possessed and unpossessed forms of her character.

Hardik Mehta successfully controls the story and keeps the viewer interested throughout the movie. The direction and writing are also remarkable. The excellent photography and spectacular effects enhance the film's overall appeal.

The major twist in the plot involves Roohi's father, who it is later discovered has numerous personalities and has been attempting to shield her from the witch's curse. This additional information underlines the relationship between the father and daughter and adds a new level of intricacy to the story. At the movie's conclusion, Roohi breaks the curse and liberates herself from patriarchal restrictions, sending a strong message about the resilience of women and their capacity to triumph over adversity.

In conclusion, Roohi is a skillfully written horror-comedy that successfully combines humour, horror, and social critique in an enjoyable and thought-provoking way. Fans of the genre simply must see the movie due to the lead actors' outstanding work as well as the top-notch directing and storyline.

Moral

The movie Roohi's main lesson is that women can free themselves from the constraints of cultural conventions and expectations. The plot centres on two men named Bhawra and Kattani who kidnap Roohi, a woman who is under the influence of a witch. Their efforts to get Roohi married to a rich man backfire when the two discover that Roohi's true love is a man who embraces her as she is.

Throughout the film, Roohi is portrayed as a tough, resolute lady who refuses to be a victim of her circumstances. Despite being possessed by a witch, she fights back against her oppressors and ultimately achieves happiness with the man she loves. The film delivers a strong message about the resilience of women and their capacity to triumph through hardship.

The necessity of accepting people for who they are is a further lesson from the film. The film illustrates how social expectations are frequently placed on individuals depending on their gender, caste, and economic circumstance. Men who think they can influence Roohi's life and fate due to their social and economic standing are shown as Bhawra and Kattani. Instead of attempting to change someone into something they are not, the film demonstrates that true love and acceptance come from accepting someone for who they are.

Overall, fans of the horror-comedy genre must enjoy Roohi (2021). The film delivers a strong message about the resilience of women and their capacity to triumph through hardship. It also emphasizes the value of embracing people for who they are rather than forcing them to conform to social standards and expectations. While the film's social criticism and examination of significant subjects make it an engaging and meaningful experience, its tight control of the storyline, cinematography, and visual effects make it an exciting watch.

Awards and Nominations

Filmfare Awards

• Nominated under the category of Technical Award for Best Choreography in 2022 for the song "Naadiyon Paar" featuring Piyush Bhagat and Shazia Samji.

Bollywood Life Awards

• Nominated under the category of Bollywood Life - Hindi Film Award for Best Supporting Actor / Actress to Varun Sharma in 2022.

Indian Film and Television Awards

• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role to Janhvi Kapoor in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role to Sarita Joshi in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role to Varun Sharma in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role to Rajesh Jais in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role to Rajkummar Rao in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Film to Hardik Mehta in 2021.
• Nominated under the category of Film Award for Best Film Director to Hardik Mehta in 2021.