It is definitely the best movie of the year. While it did great in almost all the departments, what I particularly liked about the story was that every supporting character was given a chance/scene which made the character indispensable - indicating a very well thought through script, without compromising on the entertainment value.
Story (10/10): Insia is a talented musician/singer in a middle-class family in Baroda who aspires that the entire world listens to her voice - and she has everything to realize that dream. However, it is not that easy to do that in a conservative patriarchal family where girls are only meant to be married off as soon as they hit puberty. Her mother understands her dreams very well but is also aware of the ground realities and somehow tries to balance both ends. However, there is as much she can do. Determined to change her destiny, Insia takes the responsibility on herself to make sure her dreams come true. With the help of YouTube and an unlikely fan/friend and the notorious music composer Shakti Kumar, she sets off on a journey to realize her dreams. The story is very well written and every supporting character has been connected to Insia in a very unique way. I loved the portrayal of Najma (Insia's mother) which projected the everyday struggles of Indian housewives, especially against a non-supportive husband - balanced off with the innocent playfulness that comes out in patches as girls, in conservative Indian households, hardly ever get a chance to enjoy their childhood. What I loved in particular, was that every supporting character has been given sketched out in a way to play a very key role in her journey - making the character indispensable. Ensuring non-redundancy isn't something Indian writers have been known for. This is one of the best written scripts recently.
Acting (10/10): It is amazing how Aamir Khan seem to have a talent to pull off anything and everything. He does have a very strong presence in the movie but has never tried to overshadow the lead character, Zaira Wasim. Zaira's hard work is very much apparent in the movie and makes us forget Dangal that released less than a year ago. She definitely has a long way to go. Meher Vij has been into many movies but this is the one, probably for which, she will be remembered. The find of the movie is Tirth Sharma who was very impressive in the character of Chintan - an innocent teen, secretly in love with Insia and trying everything under the sun to help her achieve her dreams. He added the much needed sweetness to the movie.
Direction (10/10): Advait Chandan impresses a lot in his directorial debut with a very balanced story, no unnecessary melodrama and above all making every single lead character relevant instead of focusing only on Zaira Wasim and Aamir Khan. His portrayal of domestic violence (both, physical and mental) is very realistic and compels audience to feel for Najma. He ensured that the movie doesn't slip into a "sad" zone by balancing it with the humor of Shakti Kumar's character - which is the large part of movie's entertainment value.
Overall (10/10): Great watch - definitely. The best of 2017 so far and I doubt, based on the line up right now, if anything will beat this movie.
Story (10/10): Insia is a talented musician/singer in a middle-class family in Baroda who aspires that the entire world listens to her voice - and she has everything to realize that dream. However, it is not that easy to do that in a conservative patriarchal family where girls are only meant to be married off as soon as they hit puberty. Her mother understands her dreams very well but is also aware of the ground realities and somehow tries to balance both ends. However, there is as much she can do. Determined to change her destiny, Insia takes the responsibility on herself to make sure her dreams come true. With the help of YouTube and an unlikely fan/friend and the notorious music composer Shakti Kumar, she sets off on a journey to realize her dreams. The story is very well written and every supporting character has been connected to Insia in a very unique way. I loved the portrayal of Najma (Insia's mother) which projected the everyday struggles of Indian housewives, especially against a non-supportive husband - balanced off with the innocent playfulness that comes out in patches as girls, in conservative Indian households, hardly ever get a chance to enjoy their childhood. What I loved in particular, was that every supporting character has been given sketched out in a way to play a very key role in her journey - making the character indispensable. Ensuring non-redundancy isn't something Indian writers have been known for. This is one of the best written scripts recently.
Acting (10/10): It is amazing how Aamir Khan seem to have a talent to pull off anything and everything. He does have a very strong presence in the movie but has never tried to overshadow the lead character, Zaira Wasim. Zaira's hard work is very much apparent in the movie and makes us forget Dangal that released less than a year ago. She definitely has a long way to go. Meher Vij has been into many movies but this is the one, probably for which, she will be remembered. The find of the movie is Tirth Sharma who was very impressive in the character of Chintan - an innocent teen, secretly in love with Insia and trying everything under the sun to help her achieve her dreams. He added the much needed sweetness to the movie.
Direction (10/10): Advait Chandan impresses a lot in his directorial debut with a very balanced story, no unnecessary melodrama and above all making every single lead character relevant instead of focusing only on Zaira Wasim and Aamir Khan. His portrayal of domestic violence (both, physical and mental) is very realistic and compels audience to feel for Najma. He ensured that the movie doesn't slip into a "sad" zone by balancing it with the humor of Shakti Kumar's character - which is the large part of movie's entertainment value.
Overall (10/10): Great watch - definitely. The best of 2017 so far and I doubt, based on the line up right now, if anything will beat this movie.