Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut in Rangoon
A still of Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut in Rangoonyoutube screenshot

Vishal Bharadwaj's movie Rangoon, starring Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan, releases in theatres on Friday, February 24. While viewers wait for the movie to hit the big screen, a special screening was held on Wednesday for the who's who of Bollywood. The movie has received rave reviews from Bollywood celebrities and critics alike. 

Rangoon: Top 5 reasons to watch Shahid, Kangana and Saif's movie

Several celebrities including Randeep Hooda, director Aanand L Rai, trade analyst Taran Adarsh and lyricist Prasoon Joshi attended the screening and took to Twitter to talk about the film.

Director Rai, who has worked with Kangana in Tanu Weds Manu, took to Twitter to express his views on the film. "You can only describe #Rangoon with one word, Passion. Complex characters dealt in a very passionate way, #Vishalbhardwaj forte," he tweeted.

Earlier, Kareena Kapoor Khan, whose husband Saif and ex-beau Shahid play key roles in the film, also attended a special screening of Rangoon and said that she hoped it to be one of best films of the year. "I am expecting it to be one of the films of the year because it is directed by one of my favourite directors Vishal Bhardwaj, who has also made Omkara. I think that people are also expecting that because Saif was so good in that film as 'Langra Tyagi', which is one of his iconic roles," Kareena had told ANI.

Rangoon is a love triangle and narrates the story of love, war and deceit. It is set in the backdrop of World War II when India was also fighting for its independence from the British rule. Kangana plays Julia who is a popular film actress during 1944, while Saif is a filmmaker in love with her. Shahid plays soldier Nawab Malik, who meets Julia during her visit to Burma. 

Check Rangoon movie reviews by Bollywood celebrities:

Besides celebrities, Rangoon has got overwhelming responses from Bollywood critics as well, who have been lauding the performances of the cast and the brilliant script.

Below are some of the opinions of critics on the movie:

Raja Sen of Rediff.com said: "The film feels longer than it is, some of the songs interfere with the too-meaty plot, and the romance never feels as soul-stirring as I assume it was intended to. The climax is a bit of a tightrope walk that culminates in a fair few near-misses, and ends on a rather regrettable misstep. Yet it is impossible to look away."

Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times said: "It's an ambitious film where Bhardwaj wants to merge two worlds: One inspired from Shakespearean tragedies and other motivated by the valiant lovers of the Indian cinema. In the end, neither comes alive on screen – on top of it a messy climax that topples whatever hard work was done building a world of romance. At 167 minutes, Rangoon isn't only long but painful. And this isn't the pain of love. And it doesn't end in pleasure."

Rashma Shetty Bali of Bollywood Life said: "If you are a Vishal Bhardwaj fan, let us warn you that this might not be his best, but we bet you'll see another kind of a storyteller here. And yes, he does deliver a movie that is embedded with fine performances from the cast and great visuals by cinematographer Pankaj Kumar and that makes the movie deserving of a watch despite its flaws."

Devarsi Ghosh of India Today said: "Vishal Bhardwaj, caught with the duty to serve two movies in one (an old-school romance and a war thriller), doesn't really do a Casablanca though he does give Rangoon his best shot. Nevertheless, Rangoon comes off as probably 2017's most good-looking and well-made Indian film. Certainly, this year's most ambitious, with three great lead performances. Vishal Bhardwaj is in fine form, mostly. And yes, the National Anthem comes thrice in the film. What more do you want?"

Stay tuned for more updates on critics review.

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