~~~~~Shamitabh Movie Reviews~~~~~ - Page 4

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Akshara Hassan (Lots of Bollywood cameos)

Director: R. Balki

Writer: R. Balki

Producers: R. K. Damani, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Sunil A Lulla, Gauri Shinde, Abhishek Bachchan

Banner: Eros International

Cinematographer: P. C. Sreeram

Shamitabh' is a jugalbandi - a concert of applause worthy acting by two brilliant performers. Its human drama with dollops of filminess set in the backdrop of the make believe, crazy and passionate world of Hindi cinema. The end product is a humorous, entertaining fillum'.

It will be unfair to reveal much of the plot. Danish (Dhanush) lives out a classic rag to riches story of superstardom built on some rather unbelievable technology and the mesmerizing Bachchan baritone. Renaming himself Shamitabh' for his film debut, his voice is Amitabh Sinha, an arrogant, drunken lost cause with a heart (Mr. Bachchan). Bringing them together is an ambitious, young filmmaker Akshara (Akshara Hassan). What follows is a story of ego clashes, confrontations and reconciliation with a non-filmy ending. Having said that, the ending is resonant of its director, R. Balki's previous films.

Is the plot believable? Not really. Could the film have been shorter? Perhaps yes. A couple of scenes don't fit into the narrative. One with Rekha seems particularly gimmicky.

But the upsides neutralize these minor flaws. It's a cleverly narrated story that at once, mocks the bizarreness of mainstream commercial Hindi films and highlights its addictive passion. To watch Mr. Bachchan besotted with the bottle and thereby, letting loose verbally onscreen is a treat. His performance is marked with sarcasm, irony and a tragic comic likeness to the fact that sometimes, real talent gets lost in set standards of convention. There isn't much left to say about how great an actor he is!

Measuring up to him onscreen (which in itself is a daunting task) is Dhanush. Playing a dumb aspiring actor who needs to convince the audience of his crazy dream with gestures alone is quite a challenge. It would be tempting to ham your way through this. But he doesn't. He carefully enacts his reel transformation with flair. One is also amazed at the camera comfort that Dhanush possesses. He is a natural born performer. Akshara Hassan is surprisingly good for her first film - measured and convincing. There's a hilarious character actor in the mix who plays Amitabh Sinha's landlord, adding value with his tiny but entertaining role.

While I have said a lot about the performances of the film's leading actors, the highest level of credit is due to R. Balki for conceptualizing this film. In using songs like Piddly', he smartly ridicules the current flavor of random colloquial lingo dominating some Bollywood chart-busters. He has given his characters back stories and quirks that make them intriguing. Above all, he has subtly focused on the inherent insanity that often dominates the process of Hindi filmmaking. The film also scores with a catchy soundtrack, real locations and precise narration.

Films themed on the Hindi film industry are rare. Luck by Chance' by Zoya Akhtar is one such fabulous film. Shamitabh' succeeds in highlighting the idiosyncrasies of lives behind Hindi films in an inclusive manner. It dips a bit towards the end, but doesn't bother you much. Throughout, all you're concentrating on are its stellar performances.

Watch Shamitabh' for full-scale filmy and entertaining trip down Bollywood lane. You won't be disappointed.

The Pinkvilla Verdict : Ticket Price Value - 80 per cent

Shamitabh had a decent opening in the multiplexes of South India but was dull elsewhere. Some multiplexes in Bangalore saw a 30% start but on an all India basis the occupancies are around 10-15%.

The film probably had more face value for the audience in the South as it stars a South Indian star. Also the previous films of the director have done better in the South be it Cheeni Kum or Paa, The collections in the multiplexes of Mumbai and Delhi were dull with former being a bit better. The film has a very good release at multiplexes with most properties giving the film 2-3 shows.

Shamitabh has fared poorly on day one with collections likely to come in at around the 3 crore nett range. These collections also because South India has done much better than the rest of the country. Mysore and Tamil Nadu / Kerala are decent and have recorded better figures than the Hindi circuits.

The figures of Mysore and Tamil Nadu / Kerala combined could be as much or even more as the combined figures of Delhi/UP and East Punjab when the final figures come in.