Udaan

Udaan must be one of the best Hindi films I've ever seen - realistic, simple, engaging, riveting, inspiring and deeply moving. Vikramaditya Motwane's direction deserves the highest of praise, and the script, written by Motwane and the great Anurag Kashyap, is superbly written. The film looks authentic and is easy to relate to and yet it has an impressive larger-than-life quality to it that makes wonders. This poignant story is brought out exceedingly well on-screen, and the depiction of the subject matter is brutally honest, at times disturbing and excruciating and yet totally encouraging. Made with sheer graciousness and sincerity, Udaan perfectly captures the adolescent days of a young teenager named Rohan, and it follows his dreams, desires and growing maturity.

After being in a boarding school for 8 years, Rohan is expelled and is forced to return to Jamshedpur to live with his terribly authoritarian father and a younger half-brother about whose existence he never knew. The story follows Rohan's life with his domineering father, who maltreats him and disapproves of his dreams to become a writer by forcing him to study engineering and work at his steel factory, by treating him like a recruit, by abusing him physically and emotionally, and by scorning his writing skills. But life there actually causes Rohan to mature. His pain inspires him to write and he gradually grows to love his poor and helpless young brother Arjun, who, orphaned from his mother, equally yet quietly bears the brunt of his father's cruelty and is intimidated into silence by his despotism.

Udaan is about chasing your dreams and living your life as fully as possible despite everything. It, in a sense, celebrates the power of the human spirit, showing us that we can fly very high and fulfill our most impossible dreams if we only believe in ourselves and summon up the courage to fight for our happiness. All that is presented through the character of Rohan, which is incredibly well written. He is smart, talented, compassionate and he does not spend time feeling sorry for himself for having a true monster of a father. On the contrary, it gives him the strength to create and write more, never letting his father's attempts to morally abuse him into submission deter him, lose his sense of life or stop writing. That's what makes this movie so spirit lifting.

The narrative style is exemplary. The movie is amazingly realistic and intense and while some may say it is a bit slow in pace, according to me it's thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Not even once does it lose its consistency and integrity. Every scene is brilliantly shot and directed and is important to the film's proceedings. The portrayal of relationships is also aptly done here. Rohan's friendship with his schoolmates is portrayed exceptionally, despite the minimal screen time it's given. You just feel it's always there. Where its technical aspects go, Mahendra Shetty's cinematography is fantastic and so is Dipika Kalra's effective editing. Amit Trivedi's music is absolutely spot on for this movie. The songs bring the film to life and are truly uplifting and fun.

The acting is roundly excellent by one and all. Even the tiniest roles look believable and genuine and they greatly contribute to the film. Rajat Barmecha debuts in this movie in a role that young aspiring actors can only dream of. He is one of the most promising actors of the current breed of fresh talents and although he clearly is going to have a great career, this is probably the role he will be most remembered for. He acts with complete understanding of the character, making it very convincing and relatable by naturally displaying Rohan's anguish, vulnerability and compassion, and later on his coming-of-age, courage and determination to do it his way.

Ronit Roy is excellent as the merciless father. He manages to be as hateful as possible, yet at times he shows sparks of regret and humanity, which may be very few and barely noticeable to some, but are enough to understand that it is his own weakness and struggle that made him act as he did. Ram Kapoor in a relatively small part leaves a mark as the kind uncle of the kids, who is the complete opposite of his hot-blooded brother. The same can be said about Manjot Singh, who makes his second film appearance after a memorable performance in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. His ten-minute role here as Rohan's best friend is so likable and well-played that you feel like having watched him there throughout the entire movie.

The film's brightest spot is undoubtedly Aayan Boradia. He is simply outstanding as Arjun and is easily one of the cutest kids in recent movies. This is a strikingly convincing portrayal; he smiles very few times throughout and conveys so much of his loneliness and pain through his innocent eyes and touching silence, without ever overdoing it. His quiet suffering and heartbreakingly accepting attitude of growing without a mother and without the care of a loving parent, on top of that having a merciless and violent father instead, make you really feel for him. It's almost impossible to believe anyone could harm such a poor creature. This is according to me one of the finest performances by a child actor, up there with the unforgettable Jugal Hansraj of Masoom.

Udaan does not work because of what it 'has' but more because of what it 'is', and that's why it's so great. The ending is extraordinary, and it brings forth the long-awaited catharsis. The climactic sprinting scene is a triumph on its own - exhilaratingly exciting and hauntingly memorable. A magnificent song called "Aazaadiyan" perfectly concludes this terrific story, effectively presenting the film's ultimate 'udaan' (flight). Udaan is an ineffable cinematic experience and to put it simply, the best Indian film I've seen in years. Truly one gem of a movie.

Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Udaan' is a film, that lingers your memory, and gives you the hope to live your dreams. The film has everything going for it, it has a touching story, proficient performances, hummable music & striking direction. It's A Winner All The Way!

Rajat Barmecha stars as Rohan, who, after being abandoned for eight straight years in boarding school, returns to the industrial city of Jamshedpur and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father and a younger half brother who he didn't even know existed.

'Udaan' is an inspiring story. Screenplay by Motwane & Anurag Kashyap is brilliant. Their protagonist, is not a passive one, he has a goal, that of becoming a writer, which has been stabbed by his authoritarian father. The Screenplay allows it's Hero to get courage in himself. It starts superbly, and continues it's momentum to the end.

Motwane's direction is great as well. The Cinematography is able. Amit Trivedi's Music is hummable. The Editing is killer.

Performance-Wise: Rajat Barmecha is wonderful. The youngster lives his character each moment. Ronit Roy as the authoritarian father, is electrifying. The actor performs like never before! Aayan Boradia is a wonder child. A dependable actor! Ram Kapoor as the polite & understanding uncle, is lovable. Manjot Singh appears fictitious.

On the whole, as my summary says, One Of The Finest Films Of 2010! Strongly Reccmended!

Udaan is simply a heart-warming tale..very good storytelling,particularly immensely engaging in the 2nd half,gr8 acting(the child actors has been a revelation)...and above all superb music..Vikramadiya motwane in his debut film has produced a stunner. Motwane and anurag kashyap's storytelling technique,as always has been impressive. The film has its own moments,particularly the evolution of the relationship between the brothers. The songs are also well placed. The Director carefully brings out the intricacies of teen age mind..Rohit and Aayan,both the actors has been above the mark...The story too ends on a high note..and to be mentioned...Ronit roy was a treat to watch...

Above all this was is a must watch...very few films of this genre are made in Bollywood.this is certainly one of the best of them..I am giving it 10 on 10..

P.S.-Was shocked as well as pained to see the cold response of viewers in the theatre..Perhaps for this only such films are scarce in bollywood.

For some reason I have been postponing watching 'Udaan' until finally I watched it last night. I figured, why shouldn't it be the first film I watch this year? I had only heard many good things about it but even then it surpassed my expectations. 'Udaan' is one of those rare Indian films that scores high on every component of filmmaking, be it, direction, writing, cinematography, casting, score... It looks authentic and it feels honest.

What particularly stands out about 'Udaan' is how true to life it is and at the same time it's not a documentary style film but one with a great big heart that tells an inspiring story of a teenager fighting for his dream to become the man he aspires to. Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have done an outstanding job in the writing department. It's very detailed without being showy, poetic without being operatic, subtle without being too restrained and poignant without being preachy.

In addition, Motwane does a phenomenal job translating the words from paper to screen. The narrative style is superb and remains consistent throughout. The characters are very human and easily recognizable mostly because of how the relationships are depicted, with sincerity.

Shetty's cinematography works in a subtle way. Every frame is photogenic but not to the point of looking like a postcard or being distracting. Trivedi's score is used very efficiently, never intrusive but rather contributing by echoing the mood of the sequences. Kalra's editing is solid as never does the pace feel uneven nor does the film lose its focus at any point.

Now coming to the performances, each and every actor's portrayal is genuine. Starting with newcomer Rajat Barmecha who is spot on as he looks the part and acts sublime. Ronit Roy finally gets a role that showcases his previously unknown talent. This is definitely a breakthrough performance for the actor who's been in movies for almost two years. While his portrayal of the authoritarian father is haunting one can also sympathize for him as he himself is a victim of abuse and he really does believe that he's doing the best for his sons and yet shows signs of regret at some of the wrong decisions. Ram Kapoor is equally convincing as the supportive light-hearted uncle who is the polar opposite of the quick tempered father. And of course, last but not least, there is young Aayan Boradia who delivers one of the most accurate performances of a child. It's amazing how, mostly through non-verbal gestures, he displays Arjun's innocence, loneliness, quiet suffering and longing with such precision

While most of the first act and second act of the film depicts Rohan and Arjun's quiet suffering, the final act is excellently cathartic. I don't mean cathartic in the sense that events take an explosive turn that involves loud confrontations. Here it's rather matter-of-factly but at the same time energetic, invigorating and symbolic. Even though I was expecting what Rohan would eventually do for himself to escape his father's imprisonment, there are some precious little surprises that happen along the way, making 'Udaan' a one-of-a-kind gem.

'Udaan' is a celebration of the human spirit. I'm very glad I picked this movie to start the year.

With "Udaan", director Vikramditya Motwane has proved that he is here to stay and be the 'change' that we are all desperately seeking. "Udaan" is so brilliantly written, directed and acted that it just mesmerizes you with its story telling. Rohan's journey after being expelled from boarding school in the city of Jamshedpur working under his tyrant father and the way his character evolves simply touches your heart. Little bit of one liners shared between Rohan and his friends stay with you. Rohan's younger step brother is absolutely fabulous and even if he spoke barely few dialogues in the movie, he made an impact by his sly little demeanors. Character of ultra strict father played by Ronit Roy is so well crafted and acted that it is very much believable. To top it all, amazing music from Amit Trivedi gels so well into the movie that it lifts the spirits up by tons. At the end, kudos to the whole team for delivering such a lovely work.