We have an hefty number of fans from the film industry who idolize and are fascinated with the living legend - Mr Bachchan and I am sure R Balki is one among them!In his previous outings(Cheeni Kum,Paa),he experimented with Bachchan's potential by etching out unusual characters for him.Shamitabh,which unabashedly marks the director's tribute to his rich baritone, pits the superstar with the talented star of south - Dhanush, also in unusual avatars.
Balki fleshes out a refreshingly original idea against the backdrop of our very own film industry which shows how bloated egos between two talented personalities can lead to wrath.A deaf and mute guy,Danish (Dhanush) who wants to make his name in the filmdom is spotted by a young and energetic AD, Akshara (Akshara Haasan)who puts in all her effort to achieve his dream.A reasonably unbelievable piece of technology makes him overcome his handicap and now they need a voice for the talented actor.Quite predictably,Amitabh Sinha(Amitabh Bachchan) a grumpy,eccentric and alcoholic 'loser' who inhabits in a cemetery comes to Danish's rescue after being sufficiently lured and also for his own vested interests.
Their synergy works! Danish is launched as 'Shamitabh' ( with an obvious nomenclature)and becomes the new big thing in Bollywood garnering fame, name and hefty pay-cheques. But soon, ego creeps in and in a constant bid to prove their superiority and importance, the two individuals start fracturing their relationship and public image.
Shamitabh moves briskly in the first half and the characters are interestingly nurtured.Employing subtle techniques and references to the dynamics of whiskey and water, Balki effectively carves out metaphors for the enmity between Amitabh and Danish.Powered with PC Sreeram's astute cinematography and Illayaraja's impactful musical score, it is a well-orchestrated narrative which only hits a low in the second half.Blame it on the writing, it gets too indulgent and seems like a drag contouring with Big B's long monologues in drunken stupor and Dhanush's muted agitations.
Yet it works for the electric performances by its star-cast.Dhanush brings out the varied emotions of the physically challenged Danish and communicates most effectively with his superb body language.Making her debut in a film with Big B and Dhanush is no mean task,and Akshara proves to be a revelation.The actress gets solid two-liners and rattles them competently.Forming the backbone of the film, Amitabh conveys the deep-rooted angst and agony of the once-rejected talent with unsurpassed sincerity,even in his sarcasms and digs.
At a running time of around 2 hour and 40 minutes, Shamitabh could have worked wonders if editing scissors were used with precision and the writing was not made way too convenient, except for its shattering climax.For the Bachchan fans, its worth a watch !
Rating : 3/5
Balki fleshes out a refreshingly original idea against the backdrop of our very own film industry which shows how bloated egos between two talented personalities can lead to wrath.A deaf and mute guy,Danish (Dhanush) who wants to make his name in the filmdom is spotted by a young and energetic AD, Akshara (Akshara Haasan)who puts in all her effort to achieve his dream.A reasonably unbelievable piece of technology makes him overcome his handicap and now they need a voice for the talented actor.Quite predictably,Amitabh Sinha(Amitabh Bachchan) a grumpy,eccentric and alcoholic 'loser' who inhabits in a cemetery comes to Danish's rescue after being sufficiently lured and also for his own vested interests.
Their synergy works! Danish is launched as 'Shamitabh' ( with an obvious nomenclature)and becomes the new big thing in Bollywood garnering fame, name and hefty pay-cheques. But soon, ego creeps in and in a constant bid to prove their superiority and importance, the two individuals start fracturing their relationship and public image.
Shamitabh moves briskly in the first half and the characters are interestingly nurtured.Employing subtle techniques and references to the dynamics of whiskey and water, Balki effectively carves out metaphors for the enmity between Amitabh and Danish.Powered with PC Sreeram's astute cinematography and Illayaraja's impactful musical score, it is a well-orchestrated narrative which only hits a low in the second half.Blame it on the writing, it gets too indulgent and seems like a drag contouring with Big B's long monologues in drunken stupor and Dhanush's muted agitations.
Yet it works for the electric performances by its star-cast.Dhanush brings out the varied emotions of the physically challenged Danish and communicates most effectively with his superb body language.Making her debut in a film with Big B and Dhanush is no mean task,and Akshara proves to be a revelation.The actress gets solid two-liners and rattles them competently.Forming the backbone of the film, Amitabh conveys the deep-rooted angst and agony of the once-rejected talent with unsurpassed sincerity,even in his sarcasms and digs.
At a running time of around 2 hour and 40 minutes, Shamitabh could have worked wonders if editing scissors were used with precision and the writing was not made way too convenient, except for its shattering climax.For the Bachchan fans, its worth a watch !
Rating : 3/5