Highway

The reviews online were not very encouraging but on facebook, people seemed to have liked it. I found a good copy online and watched it.

Thank god.. I didn't spend money on it. The movie is directed by Imtiaz Ali and stars Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda. 


Randeep kidnaps Alia when she witnesses him committing a murder. She is beaten, tied, gagged and driven around in a truck. Initially, she is scared but later gets comfortable. After a while, she does not get scared... instead starts enjoying the truck ride.. the freedom... Randeep's company. She even confides her deepest, darkest secret in him. Eventually, they fall in love and have hopes of creating a life together.

Here are the problems with the movie:
- Alia seems mentally retarded throughout... I understand she is really young and Imtiaz wanted to show her innocence and vulnerability but she comes across as really stupid. Also, the fact that she is getting married to her fiance... means... she must be atleast 24 but comes across quite immature for her age.

- Randeep is a dark, brooding guy who plans to sell off Alia in a brothel. He does not show any tenderness or kindness towards her. Why does she fall for an uneducated Haryanvi who has nothing in common with her is beyond me.

- Imitiaz fails to make a smooth transition in the relationship between kidnapper and kidnapped. It just happens suddenly and is so hard to believe

- You may think that it is difficult story to direct BUT... it is not original. There was a serial on Zee TV when I was a kid... Yule Love Stories (it was sponsored by Yule tea and I like the sound of the name) which had a different love story in each episode. This same story was shown in a 30 mins episode. It was well executed and believable. It ends when the heroine tells her kidnapper that she knows they will get caught sooner or later... maybe at the next turn... but until then they can be together. The story is exactly the same.

- Alia's outburst in the end was unnecessary. If the idea was that her kidnapping freed her from a world where people pretend... cover up any negatives with politeness... then that didn't come across too well

- Alia really needs to hone her craft. It is not fair when there are far better actors waiting for a break. Her scenes are unconvincing. She does manage to cry well though. She is good in the end... but not in the 1st half.

I am a romantic and love romantic movies... but Highway does not make the cut.
Please don't waste money in the theatre. Wait for it to come on TV... if you have to watch it.