Rocky Climb - Manjhi The Mountain Man : The Bugle's Verdict

It’s quite sad that the biopic honouring a man such as Dashrath Manjhi should leak online almost 3 weeks prior to release. That being said, Manjhi released this friday, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the eponymous lead. Fans of the actor, that have grown in explosive numbers, especially since the Gangs of Wasseypur duology, will be thronging the theatres regardless of the online leak. For all others, let’s see how much justice this movie does to the history of the Mountain Man.

Story (pocket book version) – Dashrath Manjhi was a labourer whose lady-love, Faguniya (Falguni Devi), died upon slipping off a mountain that stood in between his village and the closest town, Wazirganj, thereby reducing the reach of medical facilities. Her death sets the man off on a mission to make a road through the mountain, that would eventually shorten the travel distance between the two places from 70 kms to a mere 15 kms, over a period of 22 years.

If you’d remember the Gangs of Wasseypur films, then you’d recall the slick, smooth portrayal of the average Bihari, so easy-flowing and so natural, that one is completely lost, pleasantly, despite all the abuses and the gore and the excessive depiction of cannabis. It’s a wonder why the same can’t be said for any other film set in Bihar. Manjhi joins the league of the said category of movies, where every line of the script, every joke, the sets – seem like they’re part of a high school theatre club’s setting.

Manjhi is an uphill climb through clichéd narratives, stereotypical Bihari performances and the unreasonable compulsory length of a masala Bollywood film. The reason that this is sad, in this scenario, is because Manjhi was not the run-of-the-mill masala film. Director Ketan Mehta’s project was ambitious and could have told, very beautifully, the story of the man who broke down a mountain for the sake of his love. Instead, the film tells all sorts of stories, addresses all sorts of side issues, while beating around the bush with the epicentre of the film i.e. MANJHI. There are sub-plots within sub-plots about untouchability, naxalites, economic conditions of Bihar, and all other things you’d associate with rural Bihar, that after a point, viewer’s start asking, “All that’s fine, but where does Manjhi figure in all of this?”

Maybe the filmmakers had intended to show that Manjhi accomplished heavy, despite all sorts of wacky odds: but then again, they failed at it, resulting into a movie that is more of a political satire rather than a biopic. Some hopes were vested in the people playing the satirical Biharis, with a powerful cast comprising Prashant Narayanan (Murder 2 fame), Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pankaj Tripathi (Sultan in GOW), etc. but even their efforts were belittled owing to the heavily dragging themes that bring nothing that may be beneficially required for telling Manjhi’s story. 

The only saving grace to this over-burdened tale, are the leading pair – Nawaz and Apte. Nawazuddin is a visual treat. He, though playing around in the same ballpark that his performances have been stereotyped into, manages to whip up something new, as always, further stepping up his game from his laudable performance in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. His version of Manjhi is correctly measured and overflowing with emotions at all times – whether it’s his love for wife Faguniya, or his verging-on-insane obsession and love-hate relationship with the mountain.

Radhika Apte does well as Faguniya, the humble wife and the ultimate catalyst to the village’s development at the hands of her doting husband.    

Verdict – 2 ½ out of 5 stars

“Shaandaar! Jabarjast!! Jindaabaad!!!” - the comment doesn't apply to the movie as well as it might to Nawaz.

Manjhi, along with all its distractions and side events, passes by like a medium paced train on a rocky terrain, with the Mountain man’s story flashing by at random intervals, lost somewhere amongst all the hullabaloo. Truth be told, few would have been able to tolerate this rocky journey, if it hadn’t been for Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s humbly grand presence, and the curiosity to know the tale behind the Mountain Man. 

Cross Border Skirmish- Bajrangi Bhaijaan : The Bugle's Verdict

It’s that time of the year. There’s this festival that takes place every year, which all and everyone come out of their homes to celebrate, unifying an entire country of 1.2 billion individuals, of all religions, as a people, though for the worthless task of whistling and howling at a God-by-popular-demand. We know that festival as Salman Khan. Coincidentally, Eid always seems to happen alongwith it, gathering some attention too.

There’s no mention required on the general storyline of the movie. If you exist in India, and basically speak with fellow humans, you will have already heard in detail about Bajrangi Bhaijaan; from the neighbour, the colleague, the classmate, or in some cases, the girlfriend. Such is the phenomenon called Sallu bhai.

It’s a futile job reviewing a Salman Khan film. The people, who would actually kill to see the film, are the ones because of whom the multiplexes run out of tickets for an entire week, thereby causing problems for regular movie-goers, and leading to a late review (apologies).

This article is for those poor souls who will probably wait a week (maybe two) for the crowds of Bhaivotees to subside, and might rely on a good foreword before making up his mind. And it is at this juncture where I step in to say – go ahead.

The film features some of the signature cinematography and scenic locations expected from Kabir Khan. Compared to most other Salman Khan films, the story has a much more realistic tone to it (not too much though), seeking to bridge the turbulent gap between Hindu and Muslim, as well as Hindustan and Pakistan.

Nawazuddin shines in his role of the Pakistani reporter Chand Nawab, never staying in the sidelines, and manages to maintain footing beside the towering star such as Salman. Kareena is, well, ordinary, and extremely beautiful as Rasika.

Salman churns out one of his more effective performances by, surprisingly, being un-Salman, in the sense that for once, his character is not the testosterone flowing, He-Man that most people pay to watch. We see an affable, Hanuman-loving (and fearing) simpleton, who doesn’t promise anything exceptional, other than an unshakable sense of duty, and a belief in Bajrang Bali. There is minimal action, and the little that is there, is correctly timed and justifies the narrative.

The best feature of this movie though, has to be the little heroine, Harshaali Malhotra, who is probably the cutest thing to have ever happened to Bollywood. The film tries to find a possibility of peace among the various sects of today, through the eyes and innocence of a little girl.

Though the film makes up for much of Salman’s <previous> offerings, it is riddled with clichés that are definitive of a 90’s masala film. For instance, everything seems to be an easy task for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, with entire armies and border forces and governments yielding to his glorious mission. These are moments where the film tries to prove its soul, and it does; but in the process, a lot of spoon-feeding is being done. After a time, the audience was coughing cliches - at least the more wary members.

It’s not the film’s fault probably; the Bhaivotees wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Verdict – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

When you go to McDonald’s, you don’t expect a healthy salad. You expect a loaded hamburger with secret sauce, along with deep-fried, oily and unhealthy nuggets on the side. Likewise situation exists for a Salman Khan film, specially one such as this. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is exactly what Salmaniacs wait for, year after year, with the added heart and feel-good factor, and lesser oil for the more delicate palette.