Hello Everyone !

This is my entry for Steemit Challenge Season 28 Week 1 , on the theme “First-Time Feels.” The goal of this challenge is to celebrate the first big success of filmmakers and show how their early work revealed their style to the world.

Watch a directorial debut or a breakout film.

For this week, I chose the Indian movie Queen (2013), directed by Vikas Bahl . Even though it was not his very first film, Queen became his breakout movie and brought him a lot of recognition. The film also brought a fresh way of storytelling to Bollywood a simple girl’s journey in a very honest, emotional, and funny way.

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What stood out most about the director’s style or storytelling?

What stood out to me the most about the director’s style in Queen was the natural storytelling. Everything in the movie felt real the emotions, the reactionns, and the situations. The director showed Rani’s journey exactly the way a normal girl would experience it in real life. Nothing looked fake or forced.

In the beginning, Rani is shown as a simple and emotional girl who depends on her fiancé, Vijay. When he suddenly changes his behaviour and rejects her, the director shows her shock, confusion, and panin a very realistic way. She cries, she gets scared, she doesn’t understand what is happening just like any girl would feel when her expectations brxeak. These small raw moments made the story feel very relatable.

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The director also mixed past and present scenes very nicely. We see Vijay used to treat her before, how he tried to win herx, and then how easily he changed. This makes the audience understand why Rani is so hurt and confused. Her reactions are exactly like a real girl who suddenly loses her dreams.

When Rani travels abroad, the director again shows everything naturally. She is scared at first, confused, and shy because everything is new for her. But slowly she starts trying new things, meeting new people, and understanding a different culture.

Her friendship with the hostel boys and with Vijayalakshmi is shown very beautifully. At first, she is scared of them, but later she becomes comfortable and enjoys their company as we knows, people change when they get love and support from others.

I really liked tgatrt the director used small everyday moments to show Rani’s growth her trying new food, walking alone in the streets, dancing, learning cookimg, working at the food stall, and gaining confidence step by step. Each scene had a meaning behind it.

There were many impactful scenes too, like:

When Vijay rejects her her expressions were very real

When she remembers how he used to run after her in the past

When she realises he is ignoring her now

When she cheers up with her new friends

When the chef encourages her and sees her talent

When she wins the cooking competition

When she returns the ring at the end

The director Vikas Bahl showed that sometimes life breaks us, but those broken moments help us grow stronger.

Did the film feel polished or raw? How did that impact your experience?

Yes, this movie had many polished and raw scenes, and I noticed both very clearly.
First, talking about the polished scenes, I really liked beautifuly Europe was shown. The streets, the buildings, the night views, and the aesthetic shots all looked very clean and pleasing.

Whenever Rani is shown walking in the streets, visiting cafés, or exploring new places, the shots looked modern and well shoet. The hotel scenes, the club scene, and even the food stall scenes were all filmed in a polished and attractive way.

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The songs of the movie also had very polished visuals. The camera angles were nicely used, the lighting was soft, and the colors looked natural. Even though Queen is an older movie, the cinematography still looked modern because everything was shot very neatly.

The makeup was very light and natural, givied all characters a very real look. I also liked the soft lighting because it made the scenes easy on the eyes and gave a warm and comfortable feeling.

The editing of the movie was also very smooth. All scenes were merged properly, transitions felt natural, and the storytelling was clear. Nothing felt rushed or confusing. The sequence of events from heartbreak to travel to self growth was well arranged.

The background music also matched every situation perfectly. I had already heard some of the songs before, but watching them inside the movie made them feel even more meaningful because the music matched the emotions of that moment.

I also notice the costumes changed according to Rani’s emotional journey. In the beginning, she wore very simple, traditional, and shy looking outfits because she was not confident and was still dependent on Vijay.

But as she slowly gained confidence, her dressing style also changed. She started wearing brighter, more stylish, and more open outfits that showed her growth and independence. This detail was one of my favourite parts because you can clearly see her transformation.

Now talking about the raw moments, the movie had many scenes that felt very real and emotional. The first raw moment I noticed was when Vijay rejects her. Her expressions showed shock, hurt, and confusion. She looked completely broken and unable to understand what was happening. Her crying scene felt very natural not overacting, just real pain.

Another raw moment was when she locked herself inside the room because she was scared and confused about her future. Her body language clearly showed nervousness, fear, and lack of confidence. Even when she talked, her dialogues were simple and natural, just like a real girl would speak during stress.

I also loved her reactions were when she saw new cultures in Europe. When she met different people, saw different dressing styles, food, and lifestyles, her surprised expressions looked exactly how any Pakistani or Indian girl would react. Her smile, her awkward laughter, and her shy behaviour were all very relatable.

As a girl myself, I felt that if I were in her place, I would react the same way confused in the beginning, shocked by new cultures, slowly opening up, and eventually becoming stronger.

Would you watch more movies by this director? Why or why not?

I would definitely like to watch more movies from this director. After watching Queen, I really enjoyed the director’s style because the movie felt very real and close to real life. If I ever get a chance, I would love to explore more of his movies, especially if they are also based on realistic topics like this one. I personally prefer movies that show real struggles, real emotions, and real life situations. Queen had all these elements, and that’s why it impressed me a lot.

The movie did not have heavy drama or overacting. Everything was shown in a natural and simple way the kind of things that can actually happen in our real lives too. That’s why I feel this director understands human emotions very well. The expressions, the confusion, the crying, the nervousness, the happiness everything looked exactly how a real girl would react in such moments.

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I also liked how beautifully the director showed Rani’s journey. In the beginning she was confused, heartbroken, and unable to handle rejection. She went into shock when Vijay refused to marry her.

But slowly, when she travelled to Europe, she started meeting new people, trying new things, and building her confidence again. This transformation was shown very naturally, not suddenly. The director showed each small change her new friends, her new experiences, and how people supported her emotionally.

There were many scenes that I really enjoyed. One of my favourites was when Rani drinks for the first time and dances freely without any stress. In that momennt, she forgets all her worries and fully enjoys herself. That scene showed how every girl deserves a moment where she feels completely free and happy.

Another scene I found realistic was when Rani tries to speak English in Europe. Just like many of us, she spoke simple, broken English and struggled to understand others. This was very relatable because even if we understand English, speking it confidently in a foreign country can still feel difficult. The director showed this struggle in a very natural and funny way.

I also loved she tried new foods, learned cooking, and explored new cultures. These experiences made her stronger and taught her that life is much bigger than one person’s approval.

What message or theme did you take away from the movie?

Yes, this movie showed very meaningful and powerful messages. I noticed many lessons in the story, and I would like to share them.

The first message that I really liked was about self love. The movie shows that even if someone rejects us or we have to be alone, we do not need to depend on anyone. We can love ourselves, enjoy life, and try new things for our own happiness, without worrying about what others think. This was shown very beautifully, and I felt it was a very important lesson for everyone.

Another message was about growth through struggle. After Rani’s heartbreak, the time she spent alone was very difficult, but it also became a period of learning and growth. She learned to handle new situations, adjust to a different culture, and face challenges she had never imagined. Even when she thought about returning home, she continued to push herself and adapt to her new environment. These experiences became turning points in her life.

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The movie also taught the message of courage and confidence. Rani learned to travel alone, try new foods, make new friends, and enjoy life independently. At first, she was scared and nervous, but gradually she became fearless. She realized that she could do anything she wanted and enjoy life on her own terms. She did not wait for anyone’s permission or worry about what others would think.

Another important lesson was about letting go and moving forward. Rani learned to let go of her insecurities, the hurt from rejection, and the fear of failure. She stopped caring about what her ex-fiancé thought and started living for herself. She became independent, fearless, and confident.

Finally , I loved that this movie showed the importance of self reliance and responsibility. Rani learned that she could travel alone, explore new experiences, make friends, and even earn for herself. She could now take care of herself and support her family if needed.

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@ruthjoe
That's it from today’s blog. I hope you liked it. With best wishes. Now I would like to invite:
@neelofer @norat, and @mesola to participate in this amazing contest.

Thanks a lot for reading.

Regards: @hudamalik20