Movie Review: Noor, Sonakshi Sinha as the Investigative Reporter

Movie Review: Bollywood Film ‘Noor’
Rating: 2/5
Director: Sunhil Sippy
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Kanan Gill, Shibani Dandekar, Purab Kohli, Ayan Banerjee, Manish Chaudhary

Noor PosterNoor Roy Chaudhary (Sonakshi Sinha) is a 28 year-old junior correspondent with a news agency that is headed by editor Shekhar Das (Manish Choudhary). While Noor is an aspiring ‘Barkha'(Dutt gets chopped by Censor board), she’s unhappy covering local stories that have no substance whatsoever.  Just when Noor’s journalistic career is about to flourish, heartbreak, betrayal and threat calls pull her down and she is forced to take a break from work.

Noor is not path breaking cinema, it’s not regressive as well. The film gets unnecessarily lengthy. But it does have a message at the end.  The whole clumsy-scatterbrain attitude of Noor seems extremely forced a trait, just to grab the viewer’s attention and probably form as some sort of a comic relief in the film.

The first half of the film is breezy and works well. You connect with Noor. Scenes involving Kanan Gill and Purab Kohli are some of the best.  The problem arises in the second half of the film. The pace starts to take a dip! The story changes gears and goes on another tangent. The monologue of Sonakshi Sinha, “Mumbai, You’re Killing Me!” which was supposed to be the high point of the film turns out to be the worst part.

Sonakshi Sinha gave a impressive solo performance in Akira. Again carrying another film on her shoulders, in the film, she does a decent job in parts. I have to say compared to the goofy shades, she performs much better when the plot gets serious and she has to introspect her life goals. Not Sonakshi’s best but a decent one.

Kannan Gill makes a debut in this film and somehow I feel he should stick to web-series and live shows, as a hero or a lead, he isn’t that impressive. Also, I want him do a pretentious review for this one!

Purab Kohli gets an extended cameo in the film. He is certainly the man-candy all the ladies will adore.  Smita Tambe gets a powerful scene where she talks to Sonakashi about being an elitist. She does a great job.  Shibani Dandekar, Manish Chaudhary form as a good supporting cast for the film.

Sunhil Sippy’s film juggles the task of being an insight into a young journalists frothy as well as tough life.  Mostly, pre-interval, the film doesn’t seem very bad but it completely loses its nerve in the second half.

Mumbai, which forms an equally important part of this film, the use of locations such as the dock areas and vertical slums of SRA are a fresh relief compared to the usual Marine Drive scenes. Also, looking at the locations captured from the city, one would hardly say that Mumbai doesn’t have fodder for ‘serious journalism’.

The climax is far fetched in terms of plot and hence boring to sit through towards the end because you have already given up on the lead character quite early on.

Music is decent with Gulabi Ankhein as the party number and Hai Zaroori used as the break-up song.

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