L'Ombrelle bleue

Who could have thought that an umbrella would turn out to be one of the most compelling characters seen on the cinema screen in 2007? But then, when the filmmaker in question is a master craftsman called Vishal Bhardwaj, pretty much anything is possible. The music director turned filmmaker is a force to reckon with- one of the finest directors seen in a long time- churning out masterpieces with alarming versatility and consistency. This man simply does not cease to amaze, and The Blue Umbrella is yet another stunning film from him- and personally, my favorite Vishal Bhardwaj film so far.

Words do not suffice to describe the amazing beauty, simplicity and purity of this movie, based on the popular novella of the same name by Ruskin Bond. But Vishal Bhardwaj expectedly goes much, much beyond the source material and takes the story to an altogether different level. The umbrella comes to life in this charming fable, symbolizing so much- from love and beauty to desire and materialistic evil.

The Blue Umbrella is a charming story, but it is also a powerful film exploring multiple themes of greed, innocence, ostracism and loss. Stunningly shot by Sachin K Krishn in the locales of Himachal Pradesh, the film is also breathtaking lovely, and the umbrella in all its splendor, set in contrast against the mountain scenery- green in summer and stark white is winter- is a sight to behold.

The writing and dialogues are trademark Bhardwaj- witty, sharp and humorous, with even a cheeky reference to Quentin Tarantino playfully thrown in- Bhardwaj, of course, is a huge fan of the Pulp Fiction director. And the songs in the film hark back to the days of Lakdi Ki Kaathi- as Vishal shows yet again how brilliant he is with children's songs, with Gulzar's joyful lyrics perfectly complimenting his tunes.

But what's really incredible about the film is the sheer spirit of humanity that pervades and shines through the entire film. It is indeed ironical that the film that has been named the 'best children's film' at the recently announced National awards is actually not a kiddie flick at all. But The Blue Umbrella can make you feel like being a child all over again- rather like Nand Kishore in the film, who despite all his vices, still retains the child in him.

Vishal Bhardwaj has an amazing knack for extracting great work from child actors, and débutante actress Shreya is yet another awesome find after Makdee's Shweta Prasad. The role of Biniya does not demand histrionics, but Shreya shows remarkable resilience and maturity, playing Biniya confidently and holding her own even before the veteran actor alongside her in the film.

The actor I talk of is of course, Pankaj Kapur- a horribly underrated actor, and a favorite with Bhardwaj- who has been giving powerhouse performances one after the other of late- whether it be in Maqbool or the more recent Dharm. Pankaj Kapur plays Nand Kishore with such obvious delight, watching him in this film is pleasure beyond words. One of the most riveting and memorable characters he has played, this undoubtedly is the finest performance I have seen in the movies this year.

In fact, Pankaj Kapur is so good in this film, he almost brought tears to my eyes. Watch it- because performances like these don't come once too often. And because films like these do not happen every other Friday....unless you want to wait for Vishal Bhardwaj's next film. I, for one, actually can't wait.

a film which can be seen with the family.a film which is made from the heart by director.the direction,cinematography,screenplay n acting are simply superb.Indian cinema should promote such films which are truly world class.a clean,simple story telling is the beauty of the film.the brilliant photography of the film enhances the story.music of the film is fresh n soothing to the ears.the child artist is wonderful.the legendary actor,has once again out beaten himself. it is an adaption of one of ruskin bond's short stories.the director has been able to do full justice to this story.fabulously casted,enacted,directed n shot. a film everyone will enjoy!go with your family and see it.

The Blue Umbrella is an instant classic. It is simple, heart warming and metaphorical at the same time. It is based on a novella by celebrated author Ruskin Bond. Bond's story captures the mood and the uncomplicated lifestyle of a small hill town spot-on and Vishal Bharadwaj renders it on the screen flawlessly.

A little girl (Shreya Sharma) trades her lucky charm for an umbrella with a Japanese tourist. The beauty of the umbrella takes over the whole of the town. Everybody falls for it but none more than the stingy shopkeeper Khatri (Pankaj Kapoor). He wants to have it by hook or crook. What Khatri finds and looses in his quest for the umbrella is the rest of the story.

This film is a reminder of the fact that Pankaj Kapoor never got the recognition he deserves. He is one of the finest actors this country has ever produced. He single-handedly turns 'The Blue Umbrella' from an ordinary film into extra ordinary achievement. The nuances he brings to his role - a twitch of his face, a gait to his walk, everything - works to etch the character in the minds of the viewer. A splendid performance is all I can say in short.

The little Shreya is endearing. We are as heart broken as she is when she looses her umbrella; and we rejoice with her when she dances with it.

The biggest credit of all, however, goes to Vishal Bharadwaj. It takes courage and commitment to make the kind of films he has made so far. A gem of a film !

I must say after seeing omkara(vishals earlier movie), i knew that he had skill in the field of direction, but blue umbrella is a milestone in his career personifying his art. based on the Ruskin bond novel, this movie is a work of art, all packed with children singing "tesu" songs, depicting the rural India. The story although seems timid, but bhardwaj shows how small problems go big in the rural world. I would Have to go so far to say that the Indian audiences may not be as ready for the movie as bhardwaj thought they were.hence declaring it a flop for the masses. but in the true art sense it is a work of guts. and to top it all we receive a mind numbling performance by theatre actor Pankaj Kapur. who literally plays with your mind throughout the film. On an over all basis this movie marks the change of Indian cinema, or you can say the return of the parallel cinema once started by men like satyajit ray...

I would just like to comment on the plot synopsis written by Michelle Sohn. I disagree with the comment 'The film blends the extremely colorful and gaudy images with Bollywood-style song and dance!' Where does Michelle Sohn find 'GAUDINESS' in the movie? As an avid watcher of Hindi movies, I really do not approve of such words in a fine example of cinema! I had the misfortune of watching stupid and senseless movies like transformers, Premonition, The wedding singer etc. and i believe they are much more 'gaudy' than this movie. I request IMDb to please employ people who know how to write a good plot synopsis without restoring to jingoism. A final word to Michelle Sohn- I think Indian movies far outshine American movies so please don't write reviews if you are not really interested in our movies!!!!!!!!