Udaan

Udaan First time director Vikramaditya Motwane has done a brilliant job with Udaan. This film was truly worthy of a screening at Cannes. The simplicity of this movie is probably what makes this movie wonderful. Its a story which is not too uncommon in India, but the way its been shown, is what brings the freshness in the film.

Rohan(Rajat Barmecha) has just been rusticated from his boarding school along with his 3 friends for they were caught watching an adult film of sorts(Kanti Shah ke Angoor) by their dean. As it turns out, Rohan has to go back to his home in the small industrial town of Jamshedpur, To add to his woes we find out that he hasn't met his father(Ronit Roy as Bhairav) in 8 years and he doesn't even know of the existence of a step-brother(Aayan Boradia as Arjun) at his home. Reaching there he learns that he has to work with his father at his factory and enroll in engineering college. And the disciplinarian his father is, he can't even question him. As he is stuck there with his dream of becoming a writer seemingly getting shattered, he learns to cope with life. He learns to love his kid step-brother, manages to write between work and college, sneaks out for a drink or two at night, but inspite of all this, he is getting suffocated. He wants to escape. He wants to fly.

Udaan is a simple, emotional story about a boy in a small town, learning to live with his disciplinarian of a father. It is actually as simple as that. It might not sound interesting like this but the fact is that the way this normal coming of age story has been showed is just brilliant. There is nothing 'bollywood' about this film, its as if this movie was shot with a handy-cam, capturing the lives of a real family. But that doesn't make this one bit boring, because obviously there are some exaggerations, some gags, some drama but all in all its very real and believable. I'm sure everyone one of us would be able to relate to this film in some way or the other.

The high point of the movie is the performances by the leading men(there are hardly any women in this film). Ronit Roy as a single father has done his job with perfection. He drinks, smokes, but still goes for a jog every morning, which also turns out to be a very important aspect in the story. He sometimes loses his cool, uses force in teaching his kids a lesson, but at times we also see that he is caring and probably a little vulnerable. He's acted so well, that you can feel it when he is drunk, you even get scared when he is angry, that good is his screen presence. I was wrong to write off this TV actor. Rajat Barmecha too has done an impeccable job in portraying a kid, who has lived his life in one of the best boarding schools of India and now is stuck in a small town. He does the usual, sneaks out at night for drinks and smoke, steals his fathers cars for doing so, but still makes it on time in the morning for his daily run with his dad. His writings are beautiful too, so credit must go to the original writer as well. But the award must go to Aayan Boradia who is one of the best child actors I have ever come across in Indian cinema. He is so real, so cute and you will just fall in love with him. He is somewhat aware of what is going on but obviously at his age he just can;t do anything about it as his understanding does not go that deep. And then lastly Ram Kapoor as Jimmy, Bhairav's younger brother brings a very good contrast between his authoritarian brother and his practical chilled out of sorts character. He understands Rohan's dreams and aspirations but he can only do so much to convince his big brother to change his mind. A very intriguing relationship between the two brothers I must say.

Running time of over 2 hours, this might at times seem a little slow, but you gradually understand the importance of those long silent shots as the film progresses to its climax. There are scenes that will send chills down your spine. There scenes that will inspire you to 'fly out of a cage' if you are in one, metaphorically speaking of course. Its just filled with those moments that will be with you for sometime to come. It won't be easy to forget this movie soon. And let me assure you, you will come out highly satisfied after watching this movie. A big thumbs up for Motwane! Looking forward for more! Cheers to all the actors as well!

With "Udaan", director Vikramditya Motwane has proved that he is here to stay and be the 'change' that we are all desperately seeking. "Udaan" is so brilliantly written, directed and acted that it just mesmerizes you with its story telling. Rohan's journey after being expelled from boarding school in the city of Jamshedpur working under his tyrant father and the way his character evolves simply touches your heart. Little bit of one liners shared between Rohan and his friends stay with you. Rohan's younger step brother is absolutely fabulous and even if he spoke barely few dialogues in the movie, he made an impact by his sly little demeanors. Character of ultra strict father played by Ronit Roy is so well crafted and acted that it is very much believable. To top it all, amazing music from Amit Trivedi gels so well into the movie that it lifts the spirits up by tons. At the end, kudos to the whole team for delivering such a lovely work.

Quite often the cinema of India is unique to its cultures. On this occasion however, we're presented with a universal story. A taut relationship, often violent, aggressive, and abusive, between a father and his son, with two amazing performances taking centre stage. A picture, a perspective, a tale that will sadden and upset, but reflective of so many who have, and continue to find themselves in similar positions within any number of countries and cultures the world over.

Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Udaan' is a film, that lingers your memory, and gives you the hope to live your dreams. The film has everything going for it, it has a touching story, proficient performances, hummable music & striking direction. It's A Winner All The Way!

Rajat Barmecha stars as Rohan, who, after being abandoned for eight straight years in boarding school, returns to the industrial city of Jamshedpur and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father and a younger half brother who he didn't even know existed.

'Udaan' is an inspiring story. Screenplay by Motwane & Anurag Kashyap is brilliant. Their protagonist, is not a passive one, he has a goal, that of becoming a writer, which has been stabbed by his authoritarian father. The Screenplay allows it's Hero to get courage in himself. It starts superbly, and continues it's momentum to the end.

Motwane's direction is great as well. The Cinematography is able. Amit Trivedi's Music is hummable. The Editing is killer.

Performance-Wise: Rajat Barmecha is wonderful. The youngster lives his character each moment. Ronit Roy as the authoritarian father, is electrifying. The actor performs like never before! Aayan Boradia is a wonder child. A dependable actor! Ram Kapoor as the polite & understanding uncle, is lovable. Manjot Singh appears fictitious.

On the whole, as my summary says, One Of The Finest Films Of 2010! Strongly Reccmended!

For some reason I have been postponing watching 'Udaan' until finally I watched it last night. I figured, why shouldn't it be the first film I watch this year? I had only heard many good things about it but even then it surpassed my expectations. 'Udaan' is one of those rare Indian films that scores high on every component of filmmaking, be it, direction, writing, cinematography, casting, score... It looks authentic and it feels honest.

What particularly stands out about 'Udaan' is how true to life it is and at the same time it's not a documentary style film but one with a great big heart that tells an inspiring story of a teenager fighting for his dream to become the man he aspires to. Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have done an outstanding job in the writing department. It's very detailed without being showy, poetic without being operatic, subtle without being too restrained and poignant without being preachy.

In addition, Motwane does a phenomenal job translating the words from paper to screen. The narrative style is superb and remains consistent throughout. The characters are very human and easily recognizable mostly because of how the relationships are depicted, with sincerity.

Shetty's cinematography works in a subtle way. Every frame is photogenic but not to the point of looking like a postcard or being distracting. Trivedi's score is used very efficiently, never intrusive but rather contributing by echoing the mood of the sequences. Kalra's editing is solid as never does the pace feel uneven nor does the film lose its focus at any point.

Now coming to the performances, each and every actor's portrayal is genuine. Starting with newcomer Rajat Barmecha who is spot on as he looks the part and acts sublime. Ronit Roy finally gets a role that showcases his previously unknown talent. This is definitely a breakthrough performance for the actor who's been in movies for almost two years. While his portrayal of the authoritarian father is haunting one can also sympathize for him as he himself is a victim of abuse and he really does believe that he's doing the best for his sons and yet shows signs of regret at some of the wrong decisions. Ram Kapoor is equally convincing as the supportive light-hearted uncle who is the polar opposite of the quick tempered father. And of course, last but not least, there is young Aayan Boradia who delivers one of the most accurate performances of a child. It's amazing how, mostly through non-verbal gestures, he displays Arjun's innocence, loneliness, quiet suffering and longing with such precision

While most of the first act and second act of the film depicts Rohan and Arjun's quiet suffering, the final act is excellently cathartic. I don't mean cathartic in the sense that events take an explosive turn that involves loud confrontations. Here it's rather matter-of-factly but at the same time energetic, invigorating and symbolic. Even though I was expecting what Rohan would eventually do for himself to escape his father's imprisonment, there are some precious little surprises that happen along the way, making 'Udaan' a one-of-a-kind gem.

'Udaan' is a celebration of the human spirit. I'm very glad I picked this movie to start the year.