Cast: Rani Mukherji, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Hussain Dalal, and others
Rating: 4/5
There are moments in life where we all struggled to an extent and thought of taking a detour or a step back, only to check, if what we are doing is right and necessary. Obstacles are many in life, but not many of us know how to get past those. Life brings us an awful lot of 'Hichki' but it is one's grit, dedication, focus and perseverance that takes us all on the way to success. The 'never give up' attitude reaps the benefits.
Same is the attitude that teacher Naina Mathur (Rani Mukherji) wears. She suffers Touretts syndrome, due to which she doesn't land a job she wishes to pursue, until one fine day when she joins a Catholic school. She is assigned to teach class 9F, a room full of rebel kids raised in the underprivileged circumstances, and those who have seen failure in the posh school. On the other hand, their background of coming from slums keeps them away from opportunities as other snobbish teachers do not offer them a deserving chance. That is where Naina comes in to take the charge and make their future bright with her struggle and ideology. The journey full of Hichki, travelled by Naina and these kids make the rest of the film. Hichki is inspired by the 2008 release Front of the Class and a book of the same name
The writer of the film deserves appreciation for throwing light on two strong subjects and blending them with ease. Schools are known to somewhere discriminate kids when it comes to education, for some come from a poor financial background and lifestyle. Meanwhile, there are many in the world who see a speech disorder as a reason for failure. Throwing light and marrying both the subjects, with an aim to entertain thereby seed a thought, is a commendable effort put forward by the entire team of Hichki.
Rani Mukherji as Naina shines throughout the film. She takes you through a journey full of ups and downs, a roller coaster, which pokes the emotional soul in you. Naina strongly carries the film on her shoulders, thereby delivering what the film was meant to.
The first half of the 118-minute film is highly entertaining, where the actors make you both laugh and cry. The second half, however, may seem repetitive at some points and eventually will seem long. But that does not affect the film experience. It wouldn't be fair if I did not appreciate the role of junior Naina, which made me highly emotional in the first few minutes of the film. Her innocence and commitment in delivering the role is impressive. Besides her, all the other kids have performed phenomenally well, and add the best to the movie.
Casting by Shanoo is spot on. The class of 9F at the Catholic school, at first succeeds in making you angry, annoyed and pissed, for their behaviour and mannerisms are bound to bother you. Eventually, the emotions take a new form, and you give away your heart. Music by Jasleen Royal is melodious, different and likable. It syncronises beautifully with the film and I personally love the album, a lot!
To sum it up, Rani's comeback after motherhood has paid off really well. Through Hichki, she delivers one of the best roles of the career. Though the message of the film is known or rather predictable, Rani and her kids strive to add freshness and value in the story, and I must say, they pass with flying colours, a distinction.
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