After all the raving reviews on Bajrangi Bhaijaan, I was compelled to go and watch it and see for myself what all the hoopla was about. Needless to say, by the end of the movie, my eyes were filled with tears (read: There was something in my eyes) and my heart was heavy as I left the movie theater. Bajrangi Bhaijaan was a tale of compassion and love in its purest form. As the movie began, and the first catchy song “Selfie Le Le Re” came on (which by the way is perfect for the upcoming Shaadi (wedding) season!) I thought that it was going to be a typical Salman Khan “masala” film, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The first half of the movie was slow, and the comical timing was amiss, but as the plot thickened, it gained momentum. Atif Aslam’s melodious voice in “Tu Chahiye” made it one of the best songs in the movie apart from “Tu Jo Mila” by K.K and “Bhar Dou Jholi” by Adnan Sami. The little one, Harshaali Malhotra as Munni/Shahida was phenomenal, her innocence and naivety as the mute girl from Pakistan truly reflected on screen and resonated with the audience. The bond between Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Munni/Shahida was one that could melt the coldest of hearts. The storyline of the movie was balanced, it was an unbiased view of the strained ties between Pakistan and India and it depicted the pros and cons of both sides, rather than shamelessly bashing Pakistan as the place where “terrorists are bred” as done in countless other movies.
Kareena Kapoor’s character in the movie was one that really boggled my mind, why? because it seemed as if her presence wasn’t even needed in the movie. Whatever screen presence she had, it was as if it was a forced attempt to add a clichè love story to the mix. It just wasn’t required. Although her character wasn’t entirely essential, it had depth to it and Kareena did justice to it. Kareena/Rasika’s appearance and demeanor throughout the movie reminded me of her character in the film “Chameli”.
The cinematography and the soundtrack was exceptional and the sets and locations were on point. It wasn’t just another run of the mill depiction of Pakistan in a poorly attempted film, it was as accurate as it could get, and the director paid close attention to detail.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is one of those timeless movies that hit the theaters and take them by storm. It is in fact a thought provoking, powerful tale that I would highly recommend you to watch (If you still haven’t seen it since there was a massive shortage of tickets all around). Grab the tissue box, this one’s a tear jerker!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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