Highway
By Muskaan Singh
A dream-like film capturing the harsh realities of life is exactly what Imtiaz Ali’s, Highway, is all about. It is his one of the most darkest and raw works yet.
The movie starts with wedding preparations shown in full swing. Rich, South Delhi girl, Veera (Alia Bhatt) steps away from all the preparations and convinces her fiancé to take her for a long drive. As Veera steps out of the car to breathe and take in some fresh air, she gets kidnapped by a group of goons led by Mahavir (Randeep Hooda). She is thrown into the trunk of a truck that drives off to a never-ending highway. She is tied up, slapped, touched, gagged and starved. Veera is sincere simple, passionate and hungry for freedom and living life by her own ways. While Mahabir is a tough, aggressive and a harsh goon.
As they set their journey to a far away land on a never-ending highway, Veera begins to fall in love with the roads and discovers her inner wanderlust and adventurous soul that could never do what it always wanted to. Travelling and roaming around like a nomad made her realise that this is the lifestyle she wants. She also begins to fall for Mahabir, her abductor and also discovers his soft side as he begins to tell her about the struggles in his life. The movie shows a very organic build up of emotions between the two with respectable boundaries and limitations. However, Veera’s little dreamland with Mahabir is destroyed right before her eyes when Mahabir is shot on the orders of Veera’s rich father. Unlike the typical ending of any movie, Veera and Mahabir got separated due to their ill fate.
Beautifully shot and directed in Himachal Pradesh in Northern India, the landscapes are breathtaking and a visual treat. Imtiaz Ali has used travel like artistry to unfold one’s true, inner self. A.R Rehman’s compositions tie the whole film together, giving a very soothing effect to the ears. This is one of the most raw heroine-centric films with utter simplicity shown in the outfits, and minimal to no makeup used in the entire film. Disconnecting from her regular routine and embarking upon a journey with no fixed destination, moulded Veera into a strong personality with the courage to speak her heart out instead of suppressing her emotions.
To view the trailer of the movie, click on the link below.
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