The Blue Umbrella

Blue Umbrella is beautiful. The umbrella, the concept of the story, the background of the movie, the people, the symbolic values – they're all beautifully presented. Pankaj Kapoor says in the movie that one shouldn't measure the profit loss behind watching a sunrise. In the same way, there's really no evaluation of this movie because of its intangible beauty. It also showcases the culture of mountain people, how they deal with crime and punishment. It gets quite intense and still doesn't let go of its simplicity. Its joy to watch the kids dance along the streets and also the adults in a marriage ceremony. Pankaj Kapoor and the director have both done a great job!

The Blue Umbrella is an instant classic. It is simple, heart warming and metaphorical at the same time. It is based on a novella by celebrated author Ruskin Bond. Bond's story captures the mood and the uncomplicated lifestyle of a small hill town spot-on and Vishal Bharadwaj renders it on the screen flawlessly.

A little girl (Shreya Sharma) trades her lucky charm for an umbrella with a Japanese tourist. The beauty of the umbrella takes over the whole of the town. Everybody falls for it but none more than the stingy shopkeeper Khatri (Pankaj Kapoor). He wants to have it by hook or crook. What Khatri finds and looses in his quest for the umbrella is the rest of the story.

This film is a reminder of the fact that Pankaj Kapoor never got the recognition he deserves. He is one of the finest actors this country has ever produced. He single-handedly turns 'The Blue Umbrella' from an ordinary film into extra ordinary achievement. The nuances he brings to his role - a twitch of his face, a gait to his walk, everything - works to etch the character in the minds of the viewer. A splendid performance is all I can say in short.

The little Shreya is endearing. We are as heart broken as she is when she looses her umbrella; and we rejoice with her when she dances with it.

The biggest credit of all, however, goes to Vishal Bharadwaj. It takes courage and commitment to make the kind of films he has made so far. A gem of a film !

a film which can be seen with the family.a film which is made from the heart by director.the direction,cinematography,screenplay n acting are simply superb.Indian cinema should promote such films which are truly world class.a clean,simple story telling is the beauty of the film.the brilliant photography of the film enhances the story.music of the film is fresh n soothing to the ears.the child artist is wonderful.the legendary actor,has once again out beaten himself. it is an adaption of one of ruskin bond's short stories.the director has been able to do full justice to this story.fabulously casted,enacted,directed n shot. a film everyone will enjoy!go with your family and see it.

I must say after seeing omkara(vishals earlier movie), i knew that he had skill in the field of direction, but blue umbrella is a milestone in his career personifying his art. based on the Ruskin bond novel, this movie is a work of art, all packed with children singing "tesu" songs, depicting the rural India. The story although seems timid, but bhardwaj shows how small problems go big in the rural world. I would Have to go so far to say that the Indian audiences may not be as ready for the movie as bhardwaj thought they were.hence declaring it a flop for the masses. but in the true art sense it is a work of guts. and to top it all we receive a mind numbling performance by theatre actor Pankaj Kapur. who literally plays with your mind throughout the film. On an over all basis this movie marks the change of Indian cinema, or you can say the return of the parallel cinema once started by men like satyajit ray...

Cinema is a very powerful medium.Like any other powerful media it needs to be harnessed well or the results can be go awry. For all the power it has, it is not after all so easy to captivate the audience, strike a cord and forever etch it in the viewers memory. Vishal Bharadwaj's Blue Umbrella does just that and in my opinion does a bit more!

It takes a simple village tale woven by Ruskin Bond and makes it to an amazing movie. Cinematography is amazing and the first scene is proof enough. Pankaj Kapoor gives another performance worth remembering. Bhardwaj knows close-ups with such powerful actors work well and we see lot of closeups in the movie. It goes without saying Kapoor's expressions during close-ups are just brilliant and something to look out for. The filmmaker also gets the best of the child actors and the screenplay, the gait all seem add to the rhythm of the cinema. And more than all these it is a movie about humans, their desires, their failings and emotions.

All in all wonderful cinema!!! Please do watch it!!