Bajrangi Bhaijaan

I may be a bit late to the table, but I had to write about Bajrangi Bhaijaan because I had a few thoughts that needed some voicing.

My first reaction to this movie's release was to ignore it completely because I was disillusioned by Salman Khan's brand of films after Jai Ho (yes I did watch it).

But then there were a few good reviews (surprisingly), so I thought why not give it a shot.

So, I watched it and admit (sheepishly), I bawled like a child.

My sentiments got the better of me. Ugh! 

All through I kept thinking, ok this is not bad, but I won't cry (I'm too cool for that).

But the tears just started rolling at the climax and I had no control.

So coming to the film, there is a plot and all that. And of course, there is some silliness. But in the larger context of things, I decided to overlook them. 

Here's what I loved the most: the concept of a mute girl and how a nice guy tries to help her out. I even liked how he discovers where she belongs from and everything else about her. What really touched me was the sentiment Bajrangi felt when he discovers she was being sold to a brothel. The guilt and sorrow he feels for having put the child through that comes across sharply. Especially since the girl even tries telling him that something is amiss, but he ignores her plea thinking she's just making a fuss. It just made me think how we, as adults, just ignore obvious signs sometimes. These signs may come from our very own conscience or from other sources. But we're quick to dismiss these signs if they don't fit in our scheme of things. At least that's how I interpreted it.

Salman does what he does best - pleases the crowd. Whereas Nawazuddin Siddiqui deserves not just a special mention but huge applause for making his presence felt. If Salman Khan is on screen and you still pay attention to another actor's performance, that actor must be really really good. And there's no doubt that Nawazuddin is one of them. The role of the journalist that he plays could have easily been a tag-along character with Bajrangi, as his aide in Pakistan, but he made the role count. Come to think of it, much of what Bajrangi achieved in Pakistan would not have been possible without his journalist friend. 

And how can I forget the main protagonist - the little girl, Shahida (Munni), she surprises with her expressions in some scenes. Especially when she remembers her home and cries silently, your heart goes out to her. Given that intensity, the director has not taken away from the innocence or mischievousness of a child. Coming to direction, I wouldn't go so far to say it was great or even good, I'll say it was clever. Kabir Khan clearly has a pulse on which emotions to play up. In a nutshell, this movie stirs just the right emotions in you to make you sit through it.

My recommendation: It has its ups and downs, but Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a good one-time-watch.