Queen, as well as Ranaut's performance, received universal critical acclaim. On the
review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes,
Queen has an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an
average rating of 8/10. On the Indian film review aggregator website The Review Monk,
Queen received an average score of 8.1/10 based on 31 reviews and 100% critics being in the favor. 's performance as the titular character garnered widespread critical acclaim winning her the
National Film Award for Best Actress.
India Meena Iyer from
Times of India gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘This film belongs to its director Vikas Bahl; Bollywood should blow bugles in his honour’’. Calling Ranaut a ‘‘class act’’ she further wrote, ‘‘Ranaut's performance is outstanding; Whether she's crestfallen or ecstatic, selling golgappas or naively buying sex-toys, hiding her infatuation for an Italian restaurateur or showing deep dejection about her wimpy beau Vijay, she's a class act’’. Sarita Tanwar from
DNA gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is irresistible. Highly recommended. A must-see film. You will leave the theatre with your heart humming happily’’. Praising Ranaut's performance she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana displays a surprising capacity for both comedy and emotion. As Rani, she displays amazing vulnerability and depth that very few performers can pull off; She is a delight’’. Saurabh Dwivedi from
India Today gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and called it a ‘‘must-watch’’. He praised Ranaut's performance by writing, ‘‘Kangana has a done fabulous job playing Rani; She has let her fans and audience know that she means business and is here to be taken seriously’’. Devesh Sharma from
Filmfare gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and opined, ‘‘
Queen is definitely a step in the right direction for Indian Cinema’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he wrote, ‘‘It's Kangana's film from frame one. The way she flits from one aspect of her character to another without breaking strides shows her maturity as an actor’’. Subhash K Jha of
The New Indian Express gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and called
Queen a ‘‘near flawless inspirational tale’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘In
Queen, Kangana is so in-sync with her character that you wonder if the story was written according to the emotions that the actress had stored away in her heart; Her performance holds the film together’’.
Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV gave the film a rating of 4/5 and described ‘‘
Queen is spicy, balmy and uplifting. Like good gol gappas, it leaves a zesty aftertaste that lingers on until long after the ride has ended. It warms the heart and tickles the funny bone with equal force’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana's is the heart and soul of
Queen and she does not strike a single false note; It is a performance that should define not only her career from here on, but also the fate of any young Bollywood actress seeking to push the boundaries of what is acceptable within the framework of the commercial Hindi movie industry’’.
Taran Adarsh of
Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen reinvents the genre with its non-formulaic screenplay and skilled direction; A charming little film, this one's made with heart and feeling and it shows’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana captures the nuances of her character spot-on; She's simply outstanding! The earnestness and sincerity she invests in her performance is for all to see; It won't be erroneous to state that she turns Rani into the most real woman you've encountered on the Hindi screen lately’’.
Anupama Chopra stated that, ‘‘
Queen is about the metamorphosis of Rani’’. She gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘Ultimately Queen is Kangana's triumph. I left the theater thinking about Rani and how the rest of her life would pan out. It's not often you do that with a Bollywood character’’.
Rajeev Masand of
CNN-IBN gave the film a rating of 4/5 and described it as an ‘‘extraordinary journey of self-discovery’’. Calling Ranaut's performance ‘‘raw’’ and ‘‘nuanced’’ he further wrote, ‘‘it's Kangana Ranaut who makes you root for Rani from the word go; The best way to describe her fabulous performance is by confessing that I forgot I was watching Kangana. It's a raw, nuanced, delicately comical performance, and Bahl rightfully builds his film around his fearless, quirky heroine’’.
Raja Sen from
Rediff gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is a good entertainer, sure, but, more critically, it is a showcase for an actress poised to reign. This is one of those monumental moments when you feel the movies shift, and nothing remains the same; I've seen the future, baby, and it's Kangana’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Ranaut is gobstoppingly spectacular; she absolutely shines and the film stands back and lets her rule. It's a bold but immaculately measured performance, internalised and powerful while simultaneously as overt as it needs to be to moisten every eye in the house’’.
Shubhra Gupta of
The Indian Express gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is a significant Bollywood marker, a film that is intensely local and gloriously global, with a terrific lead performance by Kangana Ranaut, in a story that bubbles over with real feeling and meaning’’. Calling Ranaut the ‘‘Queen of Hearts’’ she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut revels in her solidly-written role, and delivers a first rate, heart-felt performance’’.
Sudhish Kamath of
The Hindu wrote, ‘‘
Queen explores a girl's identity as an independent entity. It's about a rooted Indian girl who goes on a holiday to find herself’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut as Rani, in a role of a lifetime, makes
Queen an absolutely delightful journey. She wins us over first with innocence, small-town charm, vulnerability, spirit, strength, warmth and her gradual confidence’’.
Namrata Joshi of
Outlook India gave the film a rating of 3.5/4 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is a squarely mainstream film; Simplistic? Undemanding? Perhaps. But ultimately it is immensely warm and winsome, pressing just the right emotional buttons’’. Deepanjana Pal of
Firstpost called
Queen a ‘‘fabulous film’’ and a ‘‘delight’’. Calling Ranaut's performance ‘‘endearing’’ and ‘‘electric’’ she wrote, ‘‘Ranaut as Rani is pitch perfect. She brings out the sweetness, the hurt, the belligerence and the head-screwed-tightly-on-her-shoulders sensibility that is the pride of the Indian middle class. The cherry on this acting cake is that this lady's got superb comic timing’’.
Overseas Shafiq Ul Hasan from
The Express Tribune gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is a peek into the life of a woman who embarks upon a journey, her own honeymoon to be precise, in an attempt to find herself when her wedding is cancelled at the last minute’’. Praising Ranaut and Bahl he further wrote, ‘‘This was, by far, one of Kangana Ranaut's truest and finest performances; Vikas Bahl directed the movie with superb class, I don't think I would change a thing about it’’. David Chute of
Variety wrote, ‘‘
Queen seems an oddly modest film to have made such a big splash. It is charming and at times unexpectedly moving, especially in moments of cross-cultural bonding between Rani and the odd assorted group of expats who befriend her, as she wanders somewhat cluelessly around Paris and Amsterdam’’. Olga Camacho of
The National wrote, ‘‘There are surprisingly few clichés, romantic angles or moments of epiphany in the film – instead, we get some genuine laughs and an honest look at relationships’’. Suparna Sharma of
Deccan Chronicle gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, ‘‘
Queen is a well-meaning, well-mannered film that's funny and packs in small, elevating, but palatable messages. It challenges nothing; It just shows an Indian girl slowly, gently renegotiating life while remaining true to who she is’’. Praising Ranaut's performance she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut has always been a powerful performer. She's an actress with lots of talent who has taken on roles that are different, challenging and out of the league of most Bollywood actresses fighting the number game. And here too she has made a bold choice and a difficult one as well. She stays true to the character she is playing, as it has been etched out, never once over-reaching and going for histrionics. She doesn't try to grab you. She just tugs at you, with her subtle, nuanced performance; She is in complete control and is very good’’.
Year-end lists Anupama Chopra of
Film Companion crowned
Queen as the best film of the year 2014.
Sukanya Verma of
Rediff cited it as one of the best films of 2014. She stated, ‘‘''Queen's
heartening success proves women-oriented subjects are just as welcome’’. Shafiq Ul Hasan of The Express Tribune listed Queen
as one of the best Bollywood films of 2014. Ishita Blaggan of NDTV named it as one of the top ten Bollywood hits of 2014. Subramanian Harikumar of DNA listed it as one of the best Bollywood films of 2014. India TV'' listed it as one of the best women-centric movies of 2014. Calling Ranaut's performance in the film ‘‘effortless’’ they wrote, ‘‘
Queen is one of the best gifts that Bollywood received on
International Women's Day’’. Film critic
Anna M. M. Vetticad in her blog crowned
Queen as the best film of the year 2014 and Ranaut as the best actress of the year 2014. Additionally, she ranked Haydon as the second best supporting actress of the year. For her performance in
Queen,
The Indian Express named Ranaut as the best actress of 2014.
Hindustan Times listed Ranaut as one of the top female performers of the year 2014 in Bollywood.
CNN-IBN listed Ranaut's performance in the film as one of the stand-out performances of 2014.
Raja Sen of
Rediff ranked Ranaut as the second best actress of year 2014. He wrote, ‘‘Ranaut, who has written her own dialogue in the film, fashions a character with undying spirit and verve’’. Nandini Ramnath of
Scroll listed Ranaut's character in the film, Rani, as one of the best roles in Hindi films of 2014. ==Impact and legacy==