Azhar

Biopics are gaining popularity in Indian Cinema as it tells the true incident of a person or event portrayed on the silver screen. With Dirty Picture, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Manjhi-The Mountain Man following the trend, it is thoroughly inspiring and motivating. Will "Azhar" lives up to the reputation and gives you hard-hitting drama with realistic views on life ? Well, let us check it out…

"Azhar" tells the untold story of legendary cricket Mohammaed Azharuddin (played by Emraan Hashmi) who was center of controversy due to one incident which changed his life.

It takes nerve of steel to make biography of a famous personality who took 16 years of his life to fight for justice. First time film maker Tony D Souza does gives a sincere attempt but it too far from making any impact. The film talks about the cricket which is considered as the most famous game in India but matches shown in the film lacks the excitement. Tony D Souza only shows the brighter side of legendary cricketer but when a biography is being made, true introspection of a person's life should be depicted which include the grey areas as well. This is clearly missing in the film. The content of the film and even the characters have not been defined. The real-life drama has been tweaked into reel world with extra spices. The screenplay in the first half is pretty smooth but falls down in the later half. Art direction is good. Cinematography is excellent. Music is tuneful. Dialogues are too corny.

Being fan of Azharuddin, I was expecting Emraan Hashmi to deep-dive into the character. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The actor tries hard but falls flat on the face. Still his performance is sincere compared to his previous films. Other actors like Lara Dutta and Kunal Roy Kapur gives a good performance. Prachi Desai does well in small role while Nargis Fakhri disappoints.

Overall, "Azhar" is a golden opportunity gone wasted.

Azhar, directed by Tony D'Souza, is a biographical drama based on the life of former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin. The film delves into the highs and lows of Azhar's cricket career, his personal life, and the infamous match-fixing scandal that shook the cricketing world. With Emraan Hashmi in the titular role, the movie attempts to present a nuanced portrayal of a man who was both celebrated and vilified.

Plot Summary The story follows Mohammad Azharuddin (Emraan Hashmi) from his humble beginnings in Hyderabad to becoming one of India's most successful cricket captains. The narrative explores his rise to fame, his controversial personal life, and the allegations of match-fixing that led to his fall from grace. The film oscillates between the courtroom where Azhar defends himself against the charges and flashbacks that provide insights into his cricketing journey and relationships.

Performances Emraan Hashmi delivers a convincing performance as Azharuddin, capturing the cricketer's charisma, style, and vulnerabilities. Hashmi's portrayal brings depth to Azhar's character, showcasing both his strengths and flaws. Prachi Desai, as Azhar's first wife Naureen, and Nargis Fakhri, as his second wife Sangeeta Bijlani, add emotional layers to the story, though Fakhri's performance feels somewhat lacking in conviction.

Lara Dutta stands out as the determined lawyer Meera, who is hell-bent on proving Azhar's guilt. Kunal Roy Kapur provides comic relief as Azhar's loyal friend and lawyer, Reddy. The supporting cast, including Gautam Gulati and Manjot Singh, deliver solid performances that enhance the film's narrative.

Direction and Screenplay Tony D'Souza's direction effectively captures the essence of Azhar's life, balancing the glamour of his cricketing achievements with the darker aspects of his career. The screenplay, written by Rajat Arora, provides a coherent structure to the biopic, interspersing courtroom drama with key moments from Azhar's life. However, the film occasionally falters in pacing, with certain sequences feeling rushed or overly dramatized.

Themes and Execution Azhar explores themes of ambition, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption. The film attempts to present a balanced view of Azharuddin's life, portraying him as a flawed hero rather than a villain. It delves into the pressures faced by professional athletes and the impact of fame on personal relationships.

While the film addresses the match-fixing scandal, it does so with a sympathetic lens towards Azhar, which may feel biased to some viewers. The depiction of cricket matches and behind-the-scenes politics adds authenticity to the narrative, though the film could have benefited from a more in-depth exploration of the scandal's intricacies.

Music and Cinematography The film's music, composed by Amaal Mallik, is a mix of peppy tracks and emotional melodies that complement the narrative. Songs like "Bol Do Na Zara" and "Itni Si Baat Hain" resonate well with the film's romantic and dramatic moments. Cinematographer Rakesh Singh captures the cricketing action and personal drama with finesse, using a palette that reflects the different phases of Azhar's life.

Conclusion Azhar is a compelling biographical drama that offers a glimpse into the life of one of India's most enigmatic cricketers. Emraan Hashmi's strong performance, coupled with Tony D'Souza's competent direction, makes the film an engaging watch. While the movie does take creative liberties and presents a somewhat sanitized version of events, it succeeds in humanizing Azharuddin and shedding light on his trials and tribulations.

For cricket fans and those interested in the complex lives of sports personalities, Azhar provides an intriguing, if not entirely unbiased, portrayal of a cricket legend's rise, fall, and quest for redemption.

Azhar review :

Before reviewing Azhar, it's important to understand what a biopic means and how Bollywood has misunderstood it:

A biopic is a cinematic adaptation of various events of a non- fictional personality (living or dead) dramatising (to some extent) crucial aspects of his/her life.

Unfortunately, Bollywood mistakes biopic to be a cinematic "glorification" of a real life person to such an extent that it turns him/ her in to a superhero of sorts. It worked fine with 'Neerja' whose story itself, was heroic. But when you do that to a controversial figure like Mohammad Azharrudin, it ends up looking fake. Truly, the climatic revealation of why Azhar fixed those three international matches of his otherwise illustrious career takes away all the good the movie built up to right till then....

A long disclaimer read out in the start tells you that the movie is not a biopic but an adaptation of Mohammad Azharrudin's life for entertainment purposes. Wow! I wish they had also stated that it will end up making him in to a messiah of sorts while tarnishing his fellow players including Ravi Shastri and the legendary Kapil Dev.

Anyways, the film covers all the major events of the former Indian captain's life - from his childhood when his Nanajaan (Kulbhushan Kharbanda, endearing) motivates him to vent his anger through the cricket bat rather than words, his still unbeaten back to back three centuries on debut, his handling of resentful senior players on being suddenly elevated to captaincy position as well as his personal life - initially blissful with his first wife Naureen (Prachi Desai) and his subsequent affair with bollywood actress Sangeeta (Nargis Fakhri).

Presented in non linear format, the narrative flows well and certain scenes like Azhar talking cricket lingo in his awkward first meeting with Naureen and his ad shoot with Sangeeta which is the germinating point for their affair are well executed.

On the other hand, certain questions like how did Azhar learn his trademark flick shot, what made him the outstanding fielder he was, how did he handle the tremendous success he got as a captain before the match fixing allegations struck him are unexplored. I wish director Tony D'Souza had touched upon these aspects.

Even the match fixing scandal is fleetingly passed with one scene where the bookie (Rajesh Sharma) is introduced to Azhar in the dressing room and a few scenes later, a deal is struck between the two of them.

On the film's positive is Emraan Hashmi knocking it out of the stadium with a solid performance. He doesn't physically resemble Azhar but gets the cricketers mannerisms and body language spot on. Maturing as an actor with every film of his, Emraan has come a long way from his serial kisser days. Of course, he gets his lip lock in Azhar as well but now, the guy can act like never before...

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Rajesh Sharma is convincing as the bookie. Prachi Desai is okey dokey. Nargis Fakhri still can't act and here, she doesn't even try. Azhar's fellow mates (Shastri, Siddhu, Kapil, Manoj Prabhakar) are too one dimensional and caricatured to leave a mark.

On the tech front, editing appears flawed with an entire scene repeated for no rhyme or reason. The two romantic numbers are soulful but the Oye Oye song is poorly recreated.

Overall, Azhar works better as an entertainer than a biopic. It's desperate attempt to make him a messiah is its undoing. One time watch, nevertheless!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Before Emraan Hashmi begins to portray Azhar, A Disclaimer shows up, saying: The following film is NOT a Biopic on the sport legend, but a rather adaptation on the much-talked personality. So, 'Azhar' is not a biopic, even though it covers almost all highlights of Azhar.

What works, despite that rather underwhelming disclaimer, is the fairly engaging narrative, held nicely by Director Tony D'Souza & Lead-Actor Emraan Hashmi, who bring merit & some sincerity in the goings-on. Though far from perfect, 'Azhar' is a decently made film, that certainly isn't anywhere close to being bad.

'Azhar' is Based on the life of Indian cricketer and former national team captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Right from his triumphant success, to his controversial professional & personal life.

'Azhar' is interesting in parts. Watching Azhar romance between his two wives, as well as take on captaincy in the Indian Team, offer some genuinely arresting sequences. His triumph does leave a mark. However, when Azhar is dragged to court for "match-fixing", the courtroom sequences that follow, are plain ordinary. The courtroom sequences lack fire. Had these sequences been better, 'Azhar' would've been a far superior adaptation.

Rajat Aroraa's Screenplay is quite decent, but why is the drama in the courtroom so lazily written? The Writing needed to be stronger, no two options on that! Even the dialogue, range from massy to entirely ridiculous. Tony D'Souza's Direction is well-done. He has handled the film competently. Cinematography is good. Editing is mostly crisp, but the second-hour could've been sharper. Music by Various Artists, is excellent. Background Score merits a special mention.

Performance-Wise: Emraan Hashmi as Mohammad Azharuddin/Azhar, is at his most sincere. The actor is in form, delivering a credible performance as the legendary sportsman. This is among Hashmi's better works, without doubt! Prachi Desai as Naureen, the first wife of Azharuddin, is excellent. Nargis Fakhri as yesteryear actress Sangeeta Bijlani, the second wife of Azharuddin, looks hot as ever, but falls flat acting wise. Lara Dutta as Meera, who fights against Azhar in court, is strictly okay. Kunaal Roy Kapur as Reddy, who defends Azhar, adapts a south Indian accent so fake, that he turns him into a caricature. Rajesh Sharma as M.K. Sharma, a slimy match fixer, is top-notch, as always. Others lend fair support.

On the whole, 'Azhar' isn't power packed, but its certainly watchable & also well-done in parts.

A poorly made movie which had a good story and a wonderful protagonist. Storytelling is the only thing which stands out. Director and Actors just donot add value to the movie. Characters r not at all worked out.