Billu

Wel..l. Let me clarify one thing i will not comment anything about Storyline as it is already known to most moviegoers; being a remake of Malayalam film. So why should u go for this Hindi remake? There are several strong reasons: 1). Superb acting by all cast- Irfan khan, SRK, Lara Dutta especially Ompuri and Rajapal yadav. 2) eye catching visuals, stunning cinematography. 3) superb Art direction (just look at the entry of "Sahil khan" ). 4) Dialogues are very well written. 5) good music and item songs. 6) a treat for the whole family. 7) Nice moral concept. Over and all, this is nice attempt 2 revive the old concept of friendship by Priyadarshan. Srk has delivered great performance although the character of Sahir Khan was very much similar to him. But it is the Irfan khan who, at the end, grabs most eyeballs. In nutshell "Billu"- Simple, sweet, Honest, Descent and feel good movie....

The story is simple, but performances of Shahrukh Khan and Irrfan Khan are what makes the movie worth watching. The songs, even though not related to the story, are very entertaining and make the movie more fun to watch. The ending was predictable, but the performances saved the movie.

Billu's wife looked way too beautiful to pass off as an average village girl. I'm no Bollywood fan so I did not know who the actress was. Throughout the whole movie, I kept thinking "how on earth did this super hot girl end up with this average looking man?" In the ending credits, I saw Lara Dutta. Miss Universe Lara Dutta!

If you have some extra spare time, this movie is good enough not to waste it.

The climax is special.. It made me cry. No words to describe. Watch it.

It's worth watching the development of the main character as it all ends up well. Even those who seem to have nothing, have the biggest thing a human being can have.

Every being is before anything else, human. This comes to show that no one is bigger than anyone else. Even the people in the TOP today were down under once. U don't grow alone without any help!

For the nostalgia in the end 100/10. For the whole movie 8/10.

The songs are nice, gaining fame, although some had no context in the movie.

Billu Barber, 2009, 138 min, Red Chillies Entertainment An Excerpt

Priyadarshan's film produced by Gauri Khan, Billu is the story of a small-town humble barber, from a sleepy Indian village who is having a tough time making ends meet with overdue electricity bills and unpaid school tuition when a film star enters his life with an arrival of Sahir Khan, mega star to town for a shoot. Interestingly, a famous larger-than-life star arrives in town for a shoot sending the village into frenzy as they try to catch the glimpse of the mega-star Sahir Khan, played by non-other than Shahrukh Khan. Billu's poverty-stricken life is contrasted beautifully against the mega star until the face off of the two characters when they finally meet. This is a movie about unconditional childhood friendship, cutting through age, status or fame. At the end, childhood love and friendship heals any wound and bonds broken relationships.

What really makes the movie is the character Billu himself, played by Irrfan Khan, surely one of the most talented but underrated actor in Bollywood today. Some of you may remember him from Mira Nair's film Namesake which he gave superb performances as Gogol's father as well as the mean police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire. He is the emotional core of this movie. The film starts with his desperate and innocent attempt to bribe a government officer in order to get a business loan for his barber shop. While listening to his plea, you can't help it but feel for him. Apparently, it is believed that this role was first offered to Ashkay Kumar. I can't imagine him playing this role. Irrfan brings a certain human dignity and respect not only to the character Billu and his profession but also to the life of poverty, convening so much by saying very little. He manages to make his character extremely believable and likable with ease.

A surprising and refreshing character is Bindiya, Billu's wife played by Lara Dutt. She should be commended for delivering a captivating and believable performance s; you would not know she is former Miss Universe. This is a different role for her; she usually plays the sophisticated beauty and I might add it is refreshing to see her in this role. The stage presence of both Lara and Irrfan is impressive as husband and wife. She gives the character strength with moments of depth, love and respect which I find very inspiring given their poverty level.

What makes this movie great its realism and depiction of rural life in India, unlike other Bollywood movies, with no pretension or smug. The cinematography of this movie is amazing, showcasing the lush of rural India. The simplicity of the film, portrayal of poverty without overwhelming the audience makes this film a delight to watch. I liked the clever way the director unfolds the story. It invites you in, but leaves you to your own considerations as the story progresses. This film lets certain details out when the moments are right, but not before the audience is fully involved in the somber life of small town man. You get the feeling that Billu is lying until the heartwarming climax. Billu is deeply touching not only in details of an ordinary man's life, but also our shortcomings and our insecurities.

This film also states that what seems trivial at any given moment in life could be important later on. Besides all this, great acting, thoughtfulness, genuine sincerity, and total emotional honesty are what one can expect from Billu without the loss of a typical grandiose of Bollywood musicals. If you want to see a movie that affirms the meaning of friendship, this is your movie. Billu is extraordinary film in an ordinary town.

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RHK, Isisbollywood

Billu Barber, this year's most expected release from the Red Chillies Banner simply turns out to be an ordinary watch. Directed by Priyadarshan, who's known for his Malayalam remakes in Hindi yet again fails to mark the everlasting impression on the audience. Billu Barber definitely looks like a sincere effort to make everyone like the movie. The movie starts off with low pace and just when you feel the movie is catching pace,the curtains are down.

Billu Barber's protagonist Billu(Irfan Khan) is a petty barber from the village called Budbuda who struggles to earn every penny but still somehow manages to make a living supporting his family. He's simple, humble and a character that everyone in Budbuda loves. His destiny changes when, the film-star Sahir Khan(Shahrukh Khan) lands in Budbuda for the shooting of his film. Billu is then pestered by his children to go meet him,to whom he had once said Sahir Khan was his childhood friend. Things go out of hand when the news of Billu being the childhood friend of Sahir reaches every corner of Budbuda. Billu then refuses to accept the fact that he once knew Sahir, assuming that he wouldn't recognize their childhood friendship now. He's then mocked up by villagers for making such a fool of himself. The things leading up to him meeting Sahir Khan is for you to watch for yourself.

Billu Barber's heart and soul is Irfan Khan. He's quite stupendous in the very first commercial movie that claims to put him as the main lead. His funny, serious and emotional shades are quite perfectly done. He's bang on with his performance as always. The highlight of the movie is the acting of Lara Dutta who plays Billu's wife. This is when you actually come to know, how important the script and the character are in making an actor give his-or-her best. Lara Dutta is extremely good giving her career best in BB. As always,Screenplay and dialogues of Billu Barber are something that's a little carelessly done as compared to the previous release of Red Chillies OSO that scored almost in every department. Shahrukh Khan does his bit of acting convincingly. The actors like Rajpal Yadav and Om Puri are let down with ordinary dialogues, who still try creating humor that goes totally unnoticed. The movie lacks the energy that a typical Shahrukh Khan movie usually tends to generate. The special appearances by Deepika, Kareena and Priyanka is good but lets you forget as continue watching the movie. Though the money is spent lavishly on the sets, the film fails to deliver the expectations of the audience. The Music of the movie is not appealing either. Billu Barber scores an mediocre rating in every department.

I will go with 6 out of 10 for Priyadarshan's Billu Barber.

Not a must watch. But go with no expectations and you might not be disappointed.