Hichki Review: A Predictable Yet Engaging & Inspiring Tale

By Sethumadhavan

Naina Mathur (Rani Mukerji), the protagonist in Siddharth P.Malhotra’s Hichki might be suffering from Tourette Syndrome but she is never short on confidence. Early on as a school student she comes to terms with her body condition, something that we notice when she requests her school principal (Vikram Gokhale) to allow her to be treated normally like all other students. On her first day of her role as a teacher when she finds her students mimicking her actions and body movements, she is able to take it in her stride but gently reminds them that while their imitation of her was perfect, there’s a difference between her and them. While the students can stop their hichkis at any point and go back to being normal, Naina does not have that option. Much later in the film we see the emotionally charged father of Naina (Sachin Pilgaonkar) telling Naina that he is sorry for not having been able to “fix” her Tourette Syndome but Naina brushes it off saying that it did not require any fixing,, she had accepted it long ago as a part of herself.

If you’ve seen the promos of Hichki then you very well would know what the film is all about and the kind of journey the protagonist would go through. Naina’s parents are separated; she lives with her mother (Supriya Pilgaonkar) and her younger brother (Hussain Dalal), both of whom dote on Naina. Owing to her neuropsychiatric disorder Naina finds it difficult to get acceptance in school, finally after shifting schools left, right and centre she manages to get the right atmosphere and guidance. Looking up to her school principal, Naina decides to become a teacher herself and once again finds it difficult to get accepted as one. After years of struggle and waiting she manages to get a job as a teacher in her own school, an assignment that she picks up in the middle of the academic year. How does Naina go on to fare as a teacher and whether she emerges victorious or not is what we get to see as the tale proceeds further.

Hichki is a fine example of the classic underdog’s tale where there is a certain arc that the narrative would follow, starting with an insight into why the protagonist is an underdog, moving on to the character’s journey, peppering it with a good mix of highs and lows and ending it in a fashion that makes your emotional involvement with the character and his/her journey worthwhile. Of course not everyone who attempts making something like this ends up doing it the right way; there are various reasons for going wrong. Thankfully in case of Hichki there aren’t any major concerns, the reference material (Brad Cohen’s book Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, which has also seen a TV movie based on it come out, Front of the Class) being put to good use by the writers, Siddharth P.Malhotra, Anckur Chaudhry, Ambar Hadap and Ganesh Pandit. Yes the film does have moments that are high on emotions and you can easily predict them coming up, but thankfully the proceedings stop well short of being melodramatic.

The songs by Jasleen Royal work well for the film, Siddharth Malhotra ensuring that they have been placed in the right fashion. At a run time of less than 2 hours the film doesn’t overstay on screen, which is a plus point as well. Avinash Arun’s cinematography brings in the sharp contrast between the slum and the pristine locations inside the school very well. The film also benefits from the casting choices, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Supriya Pilgaonkar and Hussain Dalal are effective as Naina’s family members, while Shiv Kumar Subramaniam as the school principal with a conscience is pretty good. The kids are all nearly pitch perfect and it’s such a relief that the teacher who seems to be sceptical about Naina, Wadia (Neeraj Kabi) is not portrayed as an out an out antagonist. How can a review of Hichki be complete without talking of Rani Mukerji who is such a delight on screen, portraying Naina Mathur with grace and conviction.

Siddharth P.Malhotra returns as a director once again with an adaptation (he had earlier made We Are Family, an official remake of the Hollywood drama, Stepmom) but this time the result is way better. Hichki ultimately is pretty much a predictable film; you can practically guess the milestones in Naina Mathur’s journey. But thankfully the film does have a heart and manages to engage us by and large.

Bottomline:

Rating: 3/5