Ranaut defends her title with star turn

I have always had the highest regard for Kangana Ranaut.

QUEEN (8/10)

After her scintillating debut in Gangster , she continued to impress in movies such as Woh Lamhe and Life in a Metro .

Her success reached an amazing pinnacle when she oozed confidence and delivered a powerful supporting role in Fashion.

With a reputation for tackling dark subjects and difficult roles, she showed her immense versatility with the light-hearted romantic entertainer Tanu Weds Manu, which became a hit at the box office.

The lovely actress, who is still basking in the glow of blockbuster Krrish 3, now has another memorable performance to add to her impressive resumé.

She plays the role of Rani (a name meaning queen), a girl who is eagerly awaiting her fairytale wedding.

However, a day before the ceremony, her perfect world comes crashing down when her fiancé, Vijay (Rajkumar Rao), announces that he is not ready for marriage.

Devastated, she decides to still pursue the planned honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam.

Along the way she meets Vijaylakshmi (Lisa Hayden) in Paris and becomes roommates with a group of friends.

It is this journey of self-discovery that changes her life forever.

Director Vikas Bahl, who teams up with acclaimed producers Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, has delivered a brilliant coming-of-age movie that will be loved and cherished by fans of Indian cinema and Ranaut.

His characters are perfectly scripted and the story explodes magically in the second half as Rani starts to spread her wings and enjoy her freedom.

The friendships that are set against cultural and language barriers add an interesting dimension to this inspirational tale.

All the performances are sincere and enjoyable, but ultimately the show belongs to Ranaut.

Once again, she delivers a classy yet subtle interpretation that will win her loads of acclaim.

Without a strong male counterpart, she carries this movie effortlessly and is truly spectacular.

The actress may not work with the biggest names of Indian cinema often, but her talent will allow her to triumph and reign over the industry like a queen.

This is a small movie with a big heart.