Bajrangi Bhaijaan- A Film Review

Director: Kabir Khan

Producer: Salman Khan, Rockline Venkatesh

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Harshaali Malhotra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Om Puri. Sharat Saxena, Alka Kaushal

Story: Vijayendra Prasad

Screenplay: Kabir Khan, Urvashi Shah, Parvez Sheikh, Asad Hussain

Dialogues: Kausar Munir

Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty

Genre: Feel Good Drama

Rating: 3/5

Review: Birjis Adeni Rashed

(The aim and intention of my reviews is to critique and recommend while not revealing the whole story to enjoy the movie when seen. But minor details have been divulged for a proper review!)

Not many Salman Khan movies make you shed a tear while they make you laugh to humorous sequences. Bajrangi Bhaijan shows the victory of humanity, genuine compassion and honesty above religions, beliefs, politics and Indo-Pak border tiffs & squabbles.  It has a decent story, drama, a sweet child actress,  humanity, simplistic Salman Khan and a good climax, but it also had too many songs, and a dragged out script which needed serious editing.

The story revolves around a speech impaired 6 year old girl from Pakistan who gets lost on her visit to India and simpleton Bajrangi’s sincere effort to reunite the girl with her parents despite not having a passport or visa to Pakistan!

 Salman Khan is small town simpleton Pavan Kumar Chaturvedi, aka Bajrangi, a devout Hanuman bhakt and a do-good-er. Kareena Kapoor is his romantic interest who believes in him. While Harshali Malhotra is the doe eyed sweet faced girl Munni/ Shahida whose cuteness and acting skills are extraordinary, shouldering the movie along.

The story post interval has more movement with Nawazuddin Siddiqui as journalist Chand Nawab added to Salman-Munni duo in search of reunion with her parents. There are many a fun moments, great dialogs, emotional and vulnerable moments during this part. The movie would have held together better if had better editing since it dragged a lot especially in the earlier half. But the climax is well played and honesty, good heartedness and humanity triumphs.

  The songs are too many and add to the length of the movie. ‘Bhar de jholi’of Sabri Brothers, rendition by Adnan Sami is good. But none of the other numbers stand out, and especially who needs a ‘chicken song’!!!

Salman Khan plays his role as a naïve simpleton, hanuman bakht, honest, lovable, outspoken do- good-er convincingly. Kareena doesn’t have much role though she plays it well, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Om Puri   have  excellent performances; But the child actress Harshali Malhotra with her cherubic smile and expressive eyes, and excellent acting makes this  movie a good watch if you can tolerate the dragged out length.