Hiccups aside, Rani Mukerji’s performance is seamless as Naina Mathur in Hichki
There are no bad students, there are just bad teachers – Siddharth P Malhotra’s Hichki revolves around this very axiom. If Taare Zameen Par is about a student suffering from dyslexia finding his natural calling, Hichki has the teacher as a patient of Tourette Syndrome making sounds like ‘waa waa’ and ‘chak chak’ at random, fighting hard to emerge the best as an academician.
Academicians need to watch the movie. In a world where the weak are either heaped with scorn or are kept at arms length, Hichki produced by Maneesh Sharma brings back the spotlight on the idea of a good and efficient teacher. The film talks of a patient approach with the boisterous, weak and the ones who do not have a typically stable attention span.
The film successfully brings out not just the anxiety of a teacher with a neurological defect but also how society perceives them. The other aspect that it is successful in highlighting is how there might be a Right to Education for the less fortunate but such children find it hard to gel with the mainstream.
The underlining message in Hichki is loud and clear – Even those with psychological and neurological disorders have a space where they can flourish if given the right nurturing and guidance.
Having failed in 18 interviews because of her tryst with Tourette syndrome and asked to leave 12 schools as a child, Naina Mathur has always been taught to live normally despite certain issues. A child to a couple played by Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar, who have a strained relation, she has never enjoyed parental support as much as she should.
It is the innate urge to spread wisdom after good education that takes her to academic institutions, but finally it is her alma mater St. Notker High School that welcomes her with open arms.
A design and animation expert, she is suddenly pushed amongst a bunch of 14 students who come from the nearby slums. Kids who are deciding ways and means to get Naina out of the school. The bets are on how long will the lady with hiccups last. All this only to be called Municipality Garbage by others. But it is the motherly touch of Naina that turns things around for the children finally.
Disinterested towards academics, these kids are getting to play, live and learn only to finally emerge as stars not just academically but even otherwise. The myriad frames speak volumes which are beautifully lit by DOP Avinash Arun.
Rani Mukerji returns to silver screen after a four year long hiatus. Showing amazing grace, as someone known to take risks. She owns the screen with her portrayal of a Tourette syndrome patient. Adding more firepower to the film are the kids and the ever so talented Neeraj Kabi, though he deserved more time on screen.
Director Siddharth P. Malhotra adapts Hollywood film Front of the Class, which is based on Brad Cohen’s book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had.
Hichki is made on a budget of Rs 20 crore that includes Rs 12 crore which is the cost of production and Rs 8 crore (P & A). Hichki is running on 961 screens across the country.
Rani has won several awards including seven Filmfare Awards.
Starting from the 1997 social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, her career graph boasts of films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Saathiya, Hum Tum, Yuva , Veer-Zaara, Black and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. No One Killed Jessica, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within and Mardaani have only added to her repertoire.
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