Azhar

Azhar review :

Before reviewing Azhar, it's important to understand what a biopic means and how Bollywood has misunderstood it:

A biopic is a cinematic adaptation of various events of a non- fictional personality (living or dead) dramatising (to some extent) crucial aspects of his/her life.

Unfortunately, Bollywood mistakes biopic to be a cinematic "glorification" of a real life person to such an extent that it turns him/ her in to a superhero of sorts. It worked fine with 'Neerja' whose story itself, was heroic. But when you do that to a controversial figure like Mohammad Azharrudin, it ends up looking fake. Truly, the climatic revealation of why Azhar fixed those three international matches of his otherwise illustrious career takes away all the good the movie built up to right till then....

A long disclaimer read out in the start tells you that the movie is not a biopic but an adaptation of Mohammad Azharrudin's life for entertainment purposes. Wow! I wish they had also stated that it will end up making him in to a messiah of sorts while tarnishing his fellow players including Ravi Shastri and the legendary Kapil Dev.

Anyways, the film covers all the major events of the former Indian captain's life - from his childhood when his Nanajaan (Kulbhushan Kharbanda, endearing) motivates him to vent his anger through the cricket bat rather than words, his still unbeaten back to back three centuries on debut, his handling of resentful senior players on being suddenly elevated to captaincy position as well as his personal life - initially blissful with his first wife Naureen (Prachi Desai) and his subsequent affair with bollywood actress Sangeeta (Nargis Fakhri).

Presented in non linear format, the narrative flows well and certain scenes like Azhar talking cricket lingo in his awkward first meeting with Naureen and his ad shoot with Sangeeta which is the germinating point for their affair are well executed.

On the other hand, certain questions like how did Azhar learn his trademark flick shot, what made him the outstanding fielder he was, how did he handle the tremendous success he got as a captain before the match fixing allegations struck him are unexplored. I wish director Tony D'Souza had touched upon these aspects.

Even the match fixing scandal is fleetingly passed with one scene where the bookie (Rajesh Sharma) is introduced to Azhar in the dressing room and a few scenes later, a deal is struck between the two of them.

On the film's positive is Emraan Hashmi knocking it out of the stadium with a solid performance. He doesn't physically resemble Azhar but gets the cricketers mannerisms and body language spot on. Maturing as an actor with every film of his, Emraan has come a long way from his serial kisser days. Of course, he gets his lip lock in Azhar as well but now, the guy can act like never before...

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Rajesh Sharma is convincing as the bookie. Prachi Desai is okey dokey. Nargis Fakhri still can't act and here, she doesn't even try. Azhar's fellow mates (Shastri, Siddhu, Kapil, Manoj Prabhakar) are too one dimensional and caricatured to leave a mark.

On the tech front, editing appears flawed with an entire scene repeated for no rhyme or reason. The two romantic numbers are soulful but the Oye Oye song is poorly recreated.

Overall, Azhar works better as an entertainer than a biopic. It's desperate attempt to make him a messiah is its undoing. One time watch, nevertheless!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Azhar the Movie, like Azhar the Kaalpanik/ Fictional Character mentioned in a disclaimer (at the beginning of the movie) - both of them lack spine.

This movie is a sad attempt to justify a character who was poor as a husband, as a person and as a father. Quite frankly, and as several of the other reviews on IMDb are mentioning, this is a clear case of propaganda that the actual Azhar is trying to indulge in.

The famous match fixing scandal of the 90s dragged in some big players, both in SA and in India. The legal cases against them were substantiated, and these individuals were subsequently banned from the game for varying periods of time. Are we questioning the calibre of the courts when we try to show these folks, several years later, as upright? Seems kind of 'easy to portray, but difficult to believe'.

Azhar was first and always a cheat. In the game, in his marriage, in his relationships with his children (the famous affair with Jwala Gutta, who was his son's friend), and otherwise. Following the debacle in cricket, he went where most goons go - to politics. No guesses into the affiliation he sought and achieved.

Now coming to the movie. The acting is unconvincing. The plot is poor. Great actors wasted. Dialogues are juvenile, at the best. Melodrama misplaced. The characters are shallow. The direction a guffaw.

As a final statement, I'd like to say that there was no research. This is just the case of a cheat who is trying to show the world he was victimized, when it was actually the reverse. The scenes seem purported from La La Land.

1 star out of 10 is what this deserves.

Now Bollywood made a movie with the mixture of sport and drama. Before seen the movie i read writer got inspired from the Azhar's life so this will be the good movie. But its not like that, the movie is quite simple and the dialogue delivery is not that level. Now a days the standard of Bollywood is so high . Emran Hashmi act Azhar role and he has done great job. In the movie writer tried to show how India board committee slaps a life ban on Azhar. This movie tells the story of Azhar how much he suffered. As i told story is quite simple but writer shown to the society about the Azhar.At least now people knows about Azhar. Media is the great medium to give the knowledge to society. I want to thanks writer,producer who told the story of Azhar by movie.

Biopics are gaining popularity in Indian Cinema as it tells the true incident of a person or event portrayed on the silver screen. With Dirty Picture, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Manjhi-The Mountain Man following the trend, it is thoroughly inspiring and motivating. Will "Azhar" lives up to the reputation and gives you hard-hitting drama with realistic views on life ? Well, let us check it out…

"Azhar" tells the untold story of legendary cricket Mohammaed Azharuddin (played by Emraan Hashmi) who was center of controversy due to one incident which changed his life.

It takes nerve of steel to make biography of a famous personality who took 16 years of his life to fight for justice. First time film maker Tony D Souza does gives a sincere attempt but it too far from making any impact. The film talks about the cricket which is considered as the most famous game in India but matches shown in the film lacks the excitement. Tony D Souza only shows the brighter side of legendary cricketer but when a biography is being made, true introspection of a person's life should be depicted which include the grey areas as well. This is clearly missing in the film. The content of the film and even the characters have not been defined. The real-life drama has been tweaked into reel world with extra spices. The screenplay in the first half is pretty smooth but falls down in the later half. Art direction is good. Cinematography is excellent. Music is tuneful. Dialogues are too corny.

Being fan of Azharuddin, I was expecting Emraan Hashmi to deep-dive into the character. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The actor tries hard but falls flat on the face. Still his performance is sincere compared to his previous films. Other actors like Lara Dutta and Kunal Roy Kapur gives a good performance. Prachi Desai does well in small role while Nargis Fakhri disappoints.

Overall, "Azhar" is a golden opportunity gone wasted.

Azhar lacks spine. It is evident in the long disclaimer preceding the film in which the team seems to be making a claim on cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin's colourful and controversial life as a source material yet maintaining that it is a fictional account. All to escape the legal battles the film could land them in.

Azharuddin (Emraan) is a fascinating character to have built a dispassionate film on. A man, who rose meteorically because of his game, the way he let his bat do all the talking on the field. He fell from favour just as fast because of his covetousness and his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal that rocked cricket. He is a man of frailties and shortcomings both on the field of cricket and in the arena of love. But instead of exploring the many shades of grey in him, Tony D'Souza attempts to defend and validate him. Such is the bias that the other players — Manoj, Ravi, Navjot (only first names, no surnames mind you) — get the wrong end of the stick.

Manoj is made to come across not just as jealous and vengeful but selfish, playing for himself than the country and crude and unrefined to boot. Ravi is nothing but a rake. As though that wasn't enough you have Kapil tell Azhar It's the good-for-nothing kids who trouble the class monitor the most. Poor Azhar! Such is the eagerness to justify him that D'Souza makes it seem as though the whole bad world is out to get him. From his haughty fan-turned-prosecutor Mira (Lara Dutta) to the condescending owner of the gym that he inaugurates. Why he took the Rs. 2 crore from bookie M.K. Sharma and what he did with the money is portrayed in such a way as to earn him some desperate brownie points. Even his walking away from an ostensibly fine marriage into the arms of actress Sangeeta Bijlani (Nargis) is turned into a soppy inevitability with him righteously mouthing lines like A broken relationships doesn't actually mean an end of it. But what of Naureen (Prachi), the one who was wronged? When it comes to the craft, the film looks too outmoded in the way it has been mounted — the loud background score soaring over everything else and dialoguebaazi in the name of conversations.

The lines, some of them utterly inane and vacuous, reminded me of heavy duty dialogues of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. In that masala flick they seemed entertaining, here desperately out of place.

Azharuddin's love for his grandfather becomes a way to draw out melodrama; he gets selected in the national team just as granddad breathed his last. And then there is Azhar's father's obsession with his underwear: the mandatory crass comedy track.

In the name of acting you have Emraan being stiff, staring deep into the camera, looking far from his comfortable self. Prachi and Nargis weep buckets when they are not being coy. Nargis does it most inelegantly. If that wasn't all there is also Kunaal Roy Kapur as Azhar's lawyer. As yet another stereotype of the South Indian in Bollywood, he irritates to the hilt. So does the film.