Movie Review: Sooraj Barjatya’s Uunchai

Rating: 4 of 5

Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Sarika, Neena Gupta, Nafisa Ali

Director: Sooraj Barjatya

Uunchai, a movie that begins in the mountains takes you back to the days the reason behind this trek was unfolded. Written by Barjatya himself with Abhishek Dixit handling the screenplay, the movie is a classic Barjatya USP film that believes in simplistic storytelling. For a man who has based half his filmography replicating the Ramayana blueprint, understands the three-act structure in a way that he doesn’t like to break it. So even when he has 7 main characters, and 1 extended cameo (that too a well-known star), he doesn’t let the lines ever cross in a very intricate manner. He believes in telling all the stories one at a time and with ease that he possesses.

Sooraj Barjatya as a director finds beauty in culture and the love between a family. His need to diversify his characters is quite visible in his movies. Even Hum Saath Saath Hai, which was predominantly about one family included a Muslim couple. So he does that here too, but it does not really do anything to the entire storyline. But the filmmaker does know how to make the simplest of the movies and still keep audience entertained and hooked.

The fact that he makes the biggest of the stars and also acknowledges their age instantly reminds you that his cinema has aged with them. Anupam Kher, a constant in Sooraj Barjatya’s movies is the biggest of the reminders. The good thing is that the filmmaker also wants to cater to the newer audience while sticking to his morals and ethics. While there are songs after every heavy sequence, they are fresh and not the ones we have known him for. Or his constant nudge to the world of social media. But the latter point also turns a bit caricatured at a point. But his constant attention is on the friendship and the bonds.

These are all the legendary names coming together to make a product with a filmmaker who is iconic in his own way. Amitabh Bachchan is only busy defying the notions around age and being himself. He brings the chirp and emotional core of the movie many times and it is so assuring to watch him do what he does at his age.

Anupam Kher still has his comic timing in place and nothing can be compared to how he used his body to bring out the humour. Boman Irani and his quirks are altogether a different animal and he even romances this time. Just too cute.

Talking of romance and cuteness, Neena Gupta is a breeze of fresh air in here as she is the only woman with (limited) agency. Every time she comes on the screen, you have to surrender and smile. Also, can anybody even touch the level of her enigmatic screen presence? Sarika in her second innings is doing a wonderful job, and I hope she continues to for years now because she still has it in her and we need to have that on screen more.

Uunchai is a movie made with a lot of heart and a whole lot of nostalgia involved. Watch it with no expectations and with the thought that it is a filmmaker who wants to talk about love and its purity.