An inventor does not invent to reconcile with his lady love, to bring about social reforms, or for his country's independence. He invents in spite of, and irrespective of these elements. And that's what the movie lacked.
Hawaizaada could've been a masterpiece - fresh music, good lead actors, and a never-before-seen-in-Bollywood plot. But it ended up being a "khichdi" of themes, accompanied by a lavish European-Indian movie set, which was beautiful, but unnecessary. I understand that the movie isn't a biography, and that the director attempted to give it a fairytale-like feel, but the fusion of facts with fantasy wasn't smooth enough. Even in a fantasy world, I do not understand how a poor outcast like Shivkar managed such intricate designs on his invention. The movie was a bit too lengthy, and the chanting of "Vande Mataram" slogans towards the end was a force-fit, while the protagonist showed little signs of patriotism throughout the rest of the story. His minute-long speech about how India was still in chains due to its social issues like mistreatment of widows - another force-fit, and totally out of context.
Shivkar Bapuji Talpade deserved a better introduction. I would've liked to see glimpses of his genius in the beginning, instead of wondering how a loser like him could've even come close to doing something great, and waiting for Shashtri ji to unveil it for me. I also expected some more Vedic references, given that he was a Vedic scholar.
Oh, and yes, Bollywood film-makers cannot help but attribute everything to a love story, and add a dramatic ending - both of which I could do without.
Mithun's performance is like the winter sun - full of warmth, and just the right amount. Ayushmann remains true to his character, though some scenes were overdramatized. Naman is a flawlessly cute and geeky kid. If not for anything else, you must watch the movie for these three actors. The rest of the acting crew did just okay.
Overall, a feel-good movie, but I'd have preferred a simple script, which remained as true to the facts as Bollywood-ism would've permitted. Nevertheless, the movie enlightened me about something and somebody every Indian should know. We need more movies like this. A salute for the efforts.
Hawaizaada could've been a masterpiece - fresh music, good lead actors, and a never-before-seen-in-Bollywood plot. But it ended up being a "khichdi" of themes, accompanied by a lavish European-Indian movie set, which was beautiful, but unnecessary. I understand that the movie isn't a biography, and that the director attempted to give it a fairytale-like feel, but the fusion of facts with fantasy wasn't smooth enough. Even in a fantasy world, I do not understand how a poor outcast like Shivkar managed such intricate designs on his invention. The movie was a bit too lengthy, and the chanting of "Vande Mataram" slogans towards the end was a force-fit, while the protagonist showed little signs of patriotism throughout the rest of the story. His minute-long speech about how India was still in chains due to its social issues like mistreatment of widows - another force-fit, and totally out of context.
Shivkar Bapuji Talpade deserved a better introduction. I would've liked to see glimpses of his genius in the beginning, instead of wondering how a loser like him could've even come close to doing something great, and waiting for Shashtri ji to unveil it for me. I also expected some more Vedic references, given that he was a Vedic scholar.
Oh, and yes, Bollywood film-makers cannot help but attribute everything to a love story, and add a dramatic ending - both of which I could do without.
Mithun's performance is like the winter sun - full of warmth, and just the right amount. Ayushmann remains true to his character, though some scenes were overdramatized. Naman is a flawlessly cute and geeky kid. If not for anything else, you must watch the movie for these three actors. The rest of the acting crew did just okay.
Overall, a feel-good movie, but I'd have preferred a simple script, which remained as true to the facts as Bollywood-ism would've permitted. Nevertheless, the movie enlightened me about something and somebody every Indian should know. We need more movies like this. A salute for the efforts.
No comments:
Post a Comment