All the relatives, infused with the joy of celebration, dancing around the bride-to-be Rani (means 'Queen' in English), who is getting her hands patterned (mehendi) as she excitedly talks about the marriage and her fiancé. From the very first glimpse we get of her (played by Kangana Ranaut), the innocence and naivety of this simple non-urban middle-class girl pierces through you, and you're hooked to her life right then. She is bound to get hurt, and that's what happens when her wannabe London-returned lover comes back and dumps her the day before the marriage. Heartbroken, she decides to go ahead with the honeymoon plan, for a break from everything. And this trip, through Paris and Amsterdam, proves to be a journey of self-discovery for her; she goes through her grief with the help of four varied and interesting people she befriends along the way, lives a little, and finally finds the importance of independence; it's about taking the reins of her life into her hands, and actually become the Queen of it. In a country where more than half of the women are forced to assess their lives by the men (most of them worthless) they marry, this movie is an uplifting tribute to women who gained their independence.

All the varied characters and situations in the movie have something to offer. The movie abounds in clichés - the free-spirited half-Indian single mother, the Muslim girl working at the strip club to cover family expenses, the good-looking and proud Italian chef, and the Indian Food ('golguppa') sale in a Foreign Fair - but all these are proficiently used to contribute something or the other to the characters and their stories, and that's what allows me to excuse or overlook them. There are moments which almost make you fall off the seat laughing, and there are others which make your eyes fill up. 'Queen' doesn't lag for a single moment; it's engaging and entertaining from beginning till the end of credits (yes!).

And the leading lady Kangana Ranaut is the main reason why this movie is a triumph. Having no make-up on for majority of the film, Kangana charms her way through with her varied range of emotions and expressions, and terrific acting skills. I've always liked her work, but with this movie, I'm in awe of her. She gets tremendous support from the various talented actors who portray the supporting characters commendably. Especially Lisa Hayden, who is charming as the sultry waitress/ party-going girl and has a heart of gold. Everyone is aware of her exotic looks, but whoa, she can act well too.

After co-directing the simple yet delightful 'Chillar Party' three years ago, this can be called Vikas Bahl's debut as a solo Director; he has co-written the script too. The skillful treatment of various themes, the proper development of the characters, the unbiased balance maintained between the Native and Foreign settings - all this is accredited to the brilliant Director. Already being associated with last year's best (among Hindi films), 'Lootera', and churning out an exhilarating movie like this, Bahl seems to have a good taste; I really look forward to his future work.

The crisp editing, the tasteful cinematography, and Amit Trivedi's appropriately-timed remarkable music score help create the overall masterpiece it is.

(Rani) Getting drunk and dancing beside a random stranger on the street, sharing a Santa-Banta "non-veg" joke with her Russian friend and bragging about her sense of humour, innocently buying gifts for her family at a Sex Accessory Shop, are just few of the scenes from an incredibly memorable movie.

Life is filled with pain and humour; to know, when to cry and when to laugh, helps you sail through it (life) smoothly. 'Queen' is a celebration of that fact, and is a heart-breaking yet heart-warming piece of Cinema.