Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Cast: Rajat Barmecha,Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Aayan Boradia, Anand Tiwari
In my opinion, Udaan marks the ‘coming-of-age’ of Indian cinema.The movie being the lone selection for the Cannes Film Festival had built a decent reputation for itself even before its release. Eventually, it did manage to live up to the heightened expectations and did not disappoint like many this year.
Vikramaditya Motwane provides a heart wrenching tale revolving around the relationship of a troubled teenage boy Rohan with his flagrant, demonic father Bhairav Singh. The movie opens comically with Rohan ( Rajat Barmecha) and his infamous gang getting expelled from school due to their escapades at a B-grade movie theater.
The story gradually takes shape when he returns home to meet his father who he has not met for 8 years.The movie teems with poignant scenes that will remain etched in memory for eons of time. One of them is when; Rohan gets off the train only to find his father Bhairav (Ronit Roy) that he barely recognized, waiting for him with folded hands giving him a scalding look through his ray-bans. This tenuous relationship is given another dimension by Arjun (Aayan Boradia) who plays the younger step brother and is an integral part in the plot of the movie.
The casting couldn’t have been more apt with Ronit Roy giving the performance of his life. His brash, overbearing presence almost resembling a fairy-tale-villain draws sheer contempt from the viewer. Being perennially inebriated and even resorting to physical abuse to his children, Bhairav Singh is portrayed as a lonesome sadist. Rajat Barmecha plays the rebellious teenage boy who aspires to be a writer but is unwillingly made to work at his father’s factory. His character gradually grows on the viewer as he goes from strength to strength with myriad happenings in his life. The relationship between Rohan and his younger step brother Arjun is also fascinating where Rohan manifests a more mature shade to his character.
Another striking aspect was that the plot was very simple, the simplicity must have been the most difficult part to tackle while making the film. It does demand patience from the viewer as it gradually unfolds at it’s own pace displaying the nuances of each character. It would have done itself just a tad better, if the length was truncated by atleast 15-20 minutes. The Bollywood aficionados will be disappointed with very little use of background scores and renditions. But, Amit Trivedi does provide brilliant soundtracks like Azaadiyan which inspire the viewer at the right moments.
The denouement is not unexpected but it holds its own amongst other imposing scenes. A lot has been left for the viewer's interpretation.
One of the many unforgettable scenes is one in which Rohan tells his father he’s leaving home and runs into the streets. His father chases him like a bull dog but eventually fails. That scene defines the entire movie. Rohan breaks his shackles and takes flight.
Conclusion: Hopefully, Udaan is a sign of things to come. Two thumbs up to first time director Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan. It’s a movie buff’s delight.
To watch it or not?: Watch it. If you don’t, people will point and laugh at you for missing out on something so epic.
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