Movie review: Zubaan
Director: Mozez Singh
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Sarah-Jane Dias, Raaghav Chanana and Manish Choudhary
Socialite Mozez Singh makes his directorial debut with Zubaan, a musical drama about a young lad's journey of self-discovery. Dilsher (Vicky Kaushal), who hails from Gurdaspur wants to make it big at any cost and seeks out Gurcharan Sikand (Manish Chaudhari), a self-made man also from Gurdaspur who is now a big tycoon in Delhi towards that end. He finds Gurcharan to be quite receptive towards him, so much so that the tycoon starts favouring him over his own son Surya (Raaghav Chanana). However, don't think that this is some '60s social weepy. Dilsher struts but doesn't stumble over words when he sings, which he does quite well. A maverick musician Amira (Sarah-Jane Dias) befriends him and eventually makes him realise his true calling lies in the field of music.
Singh's treatment is very fresh and urban and he has the potential to be a chic storyteller in the future. The film is purported to be a musical and hence the music has to provide the oomph factor. Well, music director Ashu Pathak's compositions are indeed infectious. They aren't your typical Hindi film tunes but yet songs like Kori pukaar, Music is my art and Dhoop ki zubaan manage to get you in the groove. Sadly, Deepa Bhatia's editing isn't right on par and Uma-Gaiti's choreography is average. Internationally famous choreographers/dancers Les Twins also feature in Kori pukaar and oddly remind you of the two dancers in Oh pardesi from Dev D. Cinematographer Swapnil Sonawane has experimented a lot with lighting and camera angles and his work is worth a mention. Khyatee Kanchan's production design too adds to the film.
Even though Dilsher comes across as a clever and manipulative opportunist, you still feel like rooting for this small town boy with big-city dreams, thanks to Vicky Kaushal's nuanced portrayal. He has worked hard on his stammer and on the Gurdaspur diction. Like a seasoned actor, he uses his body language and eyes to emote rather than relying solely on dialogue. Sarah-Jane Dias as a bohemian musician is bang on too. The duo has good chemistry and their courtship scenes look genuine.
At 118 minutes duration, this unconventional story is crisp and the first half steals the show. The second half is slow in parts and the end is a tad rushed. The film reiterates the point that you have to move out of your comfort zone to find your true calling - something we all should take note of...
http://www.filmfare.com/reviews/movie-review-zubaan-12440.html
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