Movie: Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: Salman Khan Films, Kabir Khan Films
Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Harshaali Malhotra and Others
Music: Pritam Chakraborty, Komail Shayan (KK), Julius Packiam
Cinematography: Aseem Mishra
Editor: Rameshwar S. Bhagat
Producers: Salman Khan, Rockline Venkatesh
Direction: Kabir Khan
Release Date: July 17th, 2015
Eid time is when Salman Khan fans have a double dhamaka. Almost every year, Salman Khan has a release lined up for release and this year, he comes as Bajrangi Bhaijaan. This has a simple story but is high on emotions.
Bajrangi Bhaijan may disappoint the masala craving fans of Salman but it will surely please the audience who look out for emotional highs and entertainment.
Salman for once puts his super hero skills aside and plays a lovable simpleton in this movie and comes up with one of the best performances of his career.
A Bollywood take on Little Red Riding Hood, Kabir Khan’s film starts off in a hilly terrain in Pakistan where a little girl Shahidi played by the very cute Harshali comes to India with her mother to pray at the Nizamuddin dargah in New Delhi.
Well, since a story has to have a twist, the little girl is dumb and misses her train on her way back to Pakistan. Lo and behold, she lands in Kurukshetra next.
Well, it’s a Salman Khan film and this is just one minor aberration. So, little Shahidi finds Salman or Bajrangi Bhaijaan in Kurukshetra and as destiny would have it, she instantly connects with the good Samaritan in him.
Of course, Salman being the Bajrangi Bhaijaan tries to help her by handing her over in the police station. But eventually, he ends up taking her with him to Delhi where is put up with Dwivedi and family. And here, one is introduced to the love interest of Bajrangi, Rasika (Kareena Kapoor).
Even as Salman desperately tries to find her home town, the family, much to their shock, finds out that little Munni as they now call her is actually from neighbouring Pakistan.
Goes without saying, the rest of the story shows how Bajrangi Bhaijaan takes it upon himself to take little Munni home, safely.
A simple story, Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s core strength is its lead actors without whom the film would have fallen totally flat. Of course, Salman is his usual best and so is Kareena, but it is little Harshali who totally mesmerizes you and takes you along on her journey.
Nawazuddin Siddique who plays a Pakistani television journalist almost steals the show with his flawless performance. Sharad Saxena, Om Puri are rightly cast among others.
Usually, a Salman Khan’s film has a lot of fireworks and is stuffed with lots of action, romance, drama and emotions and chart-topping songs. However Bajrangi is high on drama, emotions and comedy, but the plot does not provide enough scope for romance.
And another huge disappointment for Salman fans would be the lack of jhatkas and matkas of his popular numbers. Instead, music director Pritam has given some soulful solo songs to go with the film’s plot.
Director Kabir Khan has become a pro in tackling Indo-Pak stories and with Bajrangi Bhaijaan he once again tries to promote the love and brotherhood that people of both countries share.
In all, fans of Salman get to watch him in yet another Eid bonanza. Kareena gets to play a small role when compared to her usual roles. But the real show stealer is surely little Harshali who is super cute.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a well knitted drama that has lovable characters that will instantly appeal to the viewers. One would root for the characters all through the film.
We come across many cinematic liberties taken and making the complex journey too simplistic and overly dramatic. However those minor issues can be easily overlooked due to the sweetly built up drama and beautifully etched characters.
Climax is overlong and very dramatic, but it strikes the chord and leaves you moist-eyed. Diehard fans of Salman may not be pleased to see their matinee idol in a soft role.
Bajrangi will surely answer Salman’s critics who have been taking potshots at his movies for not having any story. Director Kabir Khan needs to be lauded for presenting Salman Khan in a very different role.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is worth a watch and in fact better than all those recent money spinners that Salman starred in. So if you haven’t made your Eid plans yet, do make them with Bhaijaan.
Bottomline: Bhaijaan steals the Hearts!
