'Rocky Aur Rani...': Karan Johar Schools Culture Snobs With Humour & Compassion

Here's how culture snobbery is dealt with in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

Nearly 25 years back, Karan Johar made his debut with Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji-starrer Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Unfortunately, that film did not age well. Over the years, it has been heavily criticised for its gender positioning. 

Over two decades later, Karan has responded to all the criticism in his signature style with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The multi-starrer draws our attention to body shaming, patriarchal norms, gender stereotyping, hyper wokeism and, above all, culture snobbery.

It might be the quintessential love story of beefed up and flashy Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh) and sought-after journalist Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt), but Karan and his team of writers (Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan and Sumit Roy) also ensure the encounter of two different cultures and sensibilities that rarely choose to interact.

(Note: This article contains spoilers)

Rocky 'Not Classy Enough' For Rani's Family

When Rocky and Rani decide to swap families as a form of a compatibility exercise, Rani's parents (played by Tota Roy Chowdhury and Churni Ganguly) protest vehemently.

They are unable to digest the fact that they have to stay in the same house with someone who is flamboyant, loud, can't boast of degrees from top institutions and who LOVES hugging, a nightmare for most Bengalis.

That's when Rani reminds her mom and dad that they are being too rigid and judgemental. "For someone who has always spoken against stereotypes and challenged patriarchal conventions, it's ironic that you are succumbing to those notions," Rani tells her father in an attempt to convince them.

As both the families struggle to accept both Rocky and Rani the latter's mom tells her, "No education, no class, how are you even thinking of getting married to him?" To which Rani responds by saying that Rocky's qualities as a human being supercede the fact that he might not have a formal education or be as polished as them.

Randhawas Making Fun of Rani's Dad For Being a Kathak Dancer

On the other hand, Rocky's family is equally at fault. The men there have been raised to not lift a finger when it comes to household chores, crush their partners' and daughters' dreams and scoff at those who don't fit into the boxes created by them.

Art and literature don't have a place in the Randhawa family. Rocky's grandfather (played by Dharmendra) is not considered "man enough" because he has always been passionate about poetry. Rocky, who loves dancing, is discouraged by the Randhawa matriarch Dhanlakshmi (Jaya Bachchan) because dancing isn't something men do, they are only meant to bark orders and build empires. Of course!

Even Rani's dad, a professional Kathak dancer, becomes an object of ridicule for this boisterous Punjabi household. He is publicly humiliated by Dhanlakshmi and referred to as a "nachaniya" by Rocky's father Tijori (Aamir Bashir).

And how does Karan Johar decide to school the Randhawas? By staging a dance face-off to 'Dola Re Dola' between Rocky and Rani’s dad, hence showing that talent indeed has no gender and fashion can be as fluid and campy.

Isolating Rocky & Rani

Rocky's mannerisms don't sit well with the Chatterjees from the beginning. Case in point, a cultural evening held at the Chatterjee bari. Friends and neighbours come over, and Jamini (Shabana Azmi) enthralls everyone with 'Ogo Bideshini.' When Rocky expresses his eagerness to take part, he is met with judgemental stares. "Why don't you go and exercise instead?," Rani's mom is quick to say.

Rani, too, isn't spared. Time and again she is reminded by Dhanlakshmi and Tijori that she is merely a guest. She isn't made to feel welcome while the family has dinner or when they get together for the morning puja. "Family is not your priority. For you, your career and you come first. That's not the case for me," Dhanlakshmi tells Rani, only to be reminded that women who are driven about their careers doesn't equate to them not caring about their families. Rani also points out the irony where Dhanlakshmi, a woman who has successfully run a business for years, is so narrow-minded when it comes to other women's desires.

'Problems' of the English-Speaking Community

From the get-go, Rocky is judged because he is not fluent in English by people whose mother tongue isn't even English. Rani’s mother raises an eyebrow every time Rocky makes a mistake. Even Rocky’s friend Vicky tells him that he is no match for Rani because his education is limited to reading the ingredients on his protein powders.

There’s even snobbery when it comes to choosing professions and life partners. Rani is a journalist with a reputed English channel, her mother is a professor of English literature and Rani’s ex-boyfriends were all from the so-called “elite” professional backgrounds. Towards the beginning, even Rani considered the relationship as just a "fling" and took some time to accept the fact that her partner need not have the best vocabulary or be very flamboyant.

“Do you even realise that I too can get hurt? We are all so consumed by the cancel culture that we are not even open to giving people second chances,” Rocky tells Rani’s family in one of the best monologues from the film.

Rigid customs

The entire blame falls on Rani when she encourages Rocky’s mom and sister to pursue their dreams. Dhanlakshmi accuses her of brainwashing the women in the Randhawa family and also brings up Rani's upbringing for her outspokenness. Rani shows her the mirror with, “You know what your problem is? That you think there’s only one woman in the family that deserves to be happy, and that’s you.”

Cultures don't curb someone's freedom or perpetuate patriarchy, humans do, and Rani is made to realise that by her grandmother.

"Your grandfather was abusive towards me and our son, but your father didn't turn into an abuser," Jamini says.

Making fun of cultures and traditions can be very easy, and over the years we have seen a lot of films do that. But what Karan does is make us aware that all parties are equally guilty. So it's only fit that Rocky Aur Rani... gave us characters who embrace the changes sweeping through traditions, institutions and relationships.