Review: Heroine

Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal

Director: Madhur Bhandarkar

Kareena Kapoor's first Madhur Bhandarkar film is brilliant. The movie starts with Kareena's first dialogue, "Bastard" and then goes into flashback of how all of it came about. The story then continues of how Kareena (playing as Mahi Arora) has a life in complete mess. Messed up relations, falling brand value, not good movies and everything else that can go wrong. The first half of the movie shows Mahi trying to find love in the industry, where no one gives it to her, and her relationship ends with her breaking down completely. Her stardom is threatened. She plans to report her boyfriend, but that does not happen. The Media destroys her emotionally.

Then comes a lighter phase where a good PR professional helps her to build her image publically and gets Mahi back into the A list, after which Mahi faces an internal trauma of whether she can act at all or not and then she signs for an art movie in which after initial problems she starts to act well, but unfortunately the movie is shelved and having not signed any other film she is back to ruins. Nobody is interested to sign her for their movie and she is labelled "over". However, Mahi bags a low-budget movie that she is hoping to do well with and make a comeback. Because of the movie's low budget, the film does not have enough publicity and is a sure flop. Mahi in desperation to get back in a big-way into the industry, and to take revenge on her ex-lover (who she thinks has used her twice) leaks a sex tape of herself and gives enough publicity to the movie to make it a sure super hit.

Despite having made a huge comeback, Mahi loses all her friends and feels lonely and miserable, and at this time the news breaks to her that her icon and only friend, yesteryear actress is dead. This leaves Mahi in utter shambles and makes her realize how horrid she has been living. The movie ends with Mahi, leaving the world of glamour and leading a small life "Somewhere In Europe."

There is constant trauma going on in Mahi's life and this is the main rallying point of the movie. Whatever the "Heroine" does, there is personal trouble and misery in her life. The storyline may not be very strong and there is little positivity in the movie, but the movie comes across as a good movie. Not the best Madhur Bhandarkar, but good enough to qualify. Kareena Kapoor's acting is brilliant. It comes across to you, you can feel with Mahi, her pain, her desires, everything. You feel stunned at the end of the movie. It is not a happy ending like the normal happy endings. While in "Fashion" (another Madhur Bhandarkar movie), there is only the rise, fall and rise again of a model. Heroine has the fall and fall again of a superstar and how she grapples with her life.

The storyline is not the best, Kareena's acting is amazing. Kareena pulls the movie off.

Another brilliant review and more professional. I think its better.

P.O.(personal opinion) I felt starstruck immediately after watching the movie. I could feel Mahi in me. I was afraid of crowds and I could feel the awe and numbness within me. The story could have been a happier ending. Kareena Kapoor did a brilliant job. Kudos and also Happy Birthday!

P.S. All the images have been taken from Google Image Search.