Barfi (2012) Movie Review

Movie Review : Barfi Rating : 3.25 / 5 Banner : UTV Motion Pictures, Ishana Movies Cast : Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana, Rupa Ganguly, Akash Khurana, Sumona Chakravarthi, Ashish Vidyarthi, Jishu Sengupta, Saurabh Shukla and Others Music : Pritam Cinematographer : Ravi Varman Producer: Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Kapoor Director: Anurag Basu Released Date: September 14, 2012

Story: A heart touching tale, the story begins in the backdrop of Darjeeling and here lives Murphy (ranbir) who is called as Barfi by the locals. He cannot hear or speak but he is a darling for many as he is full of life and plays pranks all the time. And he has a special charm when it comes to the ladies. That’s what gets him to the rather classy Shruti (ileana) who works as the narrator and the bubbly Jhilmil (priyanka) who is also differently abled. However, hanging out with the ladies brings many ups and downs in Murphy’s life and what happens from there forms the rest of the story. Presentation: The director has come up with a thought provoking storyline and while the presentation was rich, the narrative was gripping.  The dialogues were good, the script was sensible and the screenplay was effective. Background score was haunting and songs were worth humming. Cinematography was excellent. Editing was required during the first half. Costumes were well designed while the art department was appealing. It is Ranbir’s show all the way as he shows his versatility in various phases. Priyanka Chopra is yet another competent performer who knows how to grab the attention. Ileana making her debut has stolen the limelight with her confident and rather impressive act. Saurabh Shukla was superb, Akash Khurana was apt, Ashish Vidyarthi was very nice, Rupa Ganguly and Jisshu made their presence felt. Haradhan Bandopadhyay was adorable. Conclusion: For starters, this is not a film that can be called mainstream or commercial because the entire subject runs on a different backdrop and with characters who are not very visible in the regular society. While the first half is a bit dragging and loses few moments, it is the second half that picks up the steam and has a very touching result to it. Overall, the film scores due to its subject and the performances. Irrespective of its flavor, the box office would still be ringing some good numbers. Verdict: Different subject, interesting approach, neatly executed