Four school mates scale the walls of the Boys Hostel to watch a seedy B Grade film Kanti Shah Ke Angoor. To their horror they discover that the middle aged man getting cozy with a woman in the row behind them is the Hostel warden. This chance encounter turns a harmless teenage adventure into the beginning of a life changing experience. Forced to come back to Jamshedpur to live with his authoritarian father who Rohan – the protagonist (Rajat Barmecha) has not met for eight years. Udaan is the story that is beautifully layered. There is the relationship among four friends that is brief but endearing. Rohan is coming back home to a father (brilliant performance by Ronit Roy) who scoffs at his poems and does not hesitate to wallop him mercilessly when drunk. Rohan is forced to sign up to study Engineering and work in his father’s small run down foundry. It is grim existence for a dreamer. Rohan still manages to sit on the banks of Subarnarekha river and write some really sensitive poetry. The other layer in the story is the brilliantly handled relationship between the teenager and his 6 year old step brother (played by Aayan Boradia).Udaan is an all boy’s world and coming of age in a small town. It is the first directorial venture for Vikramaditya Motwane who is no stranger to the complex art of film making. He did the screenplay for the cult film DevD and also for Udaan. Not too many people can claim to have their first film screened at Cannes 2010 fest! Rajat Barmecha who is 21 pulls off being a 16 year old. He was made to experience isolation by being in a room without a television and cell phone to get him to get into the skin of the character Rohan. The method acting approach clearly shows up in the brilliant performance by the actors. Udaan scores by creating characters who are real and believable. It would have been very easy for the director to create a precocious and annoying Bollywood version of a “cute” six year old step brother. That is where the director scores.https://youtu.be/GDCJZUbjfsMWhat did I not like about the film? The first half is perfect. The script is tight and the acting is flawless. The despotic father who does abuses his children. The indulgent uncle and aunt who are a safe haven for the unsure poet. The four gawky teenage kids who are curious to enter the forbidden world of adults. All make for a great story. The second half slackens a bit at the end. Trim off about 5-10 minutes of the second half and you would have a real tight rope of a film. Also the sequence of the old man at the hospital who encourages Rohit’s talent for storytelling was just out of tune and like a cheap imitation of the hospital scenes of Munnabhai. But everything else about the movie was superb – especially the poetry that somehow always gives you an insight into the mood of the character and ever so apt. I loved those. There is glimpse of the poetry in this trailer. But the movie has many more. Especially the one Rohan recites to his father in tentative halting words. That was lovely. The town of Jamshedpur, the Subarnarekha river, the essence of a small town are all captured with as much elan as the anguish of youth. Loved the movie and Amit Trivedi’s music. Like DevD, this will create many more clones and bolder film makers. More power to the thinking film makers. This poem by Amitabh Bhattacharya captures the essence of the movie.Chhoti-chhoti chhitrayi yaadeinBichhi hui hain lamhon ki lawn parNange pair unpar chalte-chalteItni door chale aayeKi ab bhool gaye hain kiJoote kahan utaare the.Aedi komal thi, jab aaye the.Thodi si naazuk hai abhi bhi.Aur nazuk hi rahegiIn khatti-meethi yaadon ki shararatJab tak inhe gudgudati rahe.Sach, bhool gaye hainKi joote kahan utaare the.Par lagta hai,Ab unki zaroorat nahin.https://youtu.be/MOoFAFcc8Z8————————You may like to read my take on DevD, a must-watch film that show cases Vikram Motwane’s skill as a screenwriter.
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Udaan
Comments
28 responses to “Udaan”
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Great review… good movie…. we all bunked Madhukar Shukla Sir’s class to watch this movie only to find Prey (Dean of acad affairs) sitting in the row before us.. 😛 😛
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Oh!!!…. Shivam, now I understand the thin attendance that day :0)…. we could have all gone together 🙂
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I’ve been wondering about the effect Udaan will have on my 14 year old son–who thinks very highly of his 4-5 friends he’s had with him a few years of school. Sometimes I’ve considered a boarding school for him and have worried about how he’d take separation from them…I was going to skip the poem as I was only interested in your view of the movie butSach, bhool gaye hainKi joote kahan utaare the.these words made its read and the extra time on your site very worthwhile 🙂
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Udaan is a all boys movie….. I could witness so many youngster (esp. boys) enjoying every bit of it….. The unsure poet indeed won lot many hearts… Well directed though the trimming was very much req.Superb Review AB!
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Yaaaaa really watchable movie….I have enjoyed it…
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Boss !! Review apart….. Its “Kanti Shah ke angoor” ………………………. and not “Kanti Singh k angoor” 🙂
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@Vaibhav – Spot on ! I goofed up. The visuals on screen prevented me from concentrating on the audio 🙂
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thanks for the poem lines.i loved the movie and would request you to pls. post the remaining poems also!!
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Another poem from UDAAN…Jo lehron se aage nazar dekh paati toh tum jaan lete main kya sochta hoon,Wo aawaz tumko bhi jo bhed jaati toh tum jaan lete main kya sochta hoon.Zid ka tumhare jo parda sarakta toh khidkiyon se aage bhi tum dekh paate,Aankhon se aadaton ki jo palken hatate toh tum jaan lete main kya sochta hoon.Meri tarah khud par hota zara bharosa toh kuchh door tum bhi saath-saath aate,Rang meri aankhon ka baant-te zara sa toh kuchh door tum bhi saath-saath aate,Nasha aasmaan ka jo choomta tumhe bhi, hasraten tumhari naya janm paatin,Khud doosre janam mein meri udaan chhoone kuchh door tum bhi saath-saath aate.
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Awesome movie better than 3 idiots ……really heart touching……I HOPE WE CAN GET……”UDAAN 2″…… the next part of udaan where rohan and his brother go to mumbai and live there ……………..awesome song ‘”Kahani’” ..it should be more long and extended it’s very short …….i REQUEST THE DIRECTOR AND THE CREW TO MAKE THE NEXT PART “UDAAN 2″…………..MUST WATCH THIS FILM…..
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thanks for providing such gr8 poems……keep it up..
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special thanks to tirpat pal singh.i was seraching this poem from a long time,
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awwwsum movie i ama fan plz plz plz plz plz we want udaan part 2 must need love the movie and the 2 part will b awsum i know it and the sardar ji part was short so u can extend it nxt tym
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sir I seen dis movie twice…n wat I lykd da mst was da screenplay… n the last thing that rohan did for himself n for arjun too…. the story n the concept was soo strong dat if u strt it once u can’t leave it… dis was smthin new n it was a real passionate movie….not for money jus for work…. 🙂
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We are studying Hindi. Could anyone, please, send me the text of “Chandu ki cycle”? Thank you!
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really awesome movie…….i have watched this movie around 100times….i wants its 2nd part….pls Mr. Director make its 2nd part….i hv suggested so many frns of mine to watch dis n now they realy praise me for giving them information abt this movie…….every 1 pls pls pls…watch it…..
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i love this moive .gerat moovie,great actor,great music,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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i am a 17yer old & some wad facing the same prob, my dad iz not dat worse cuz after my mom passed away he din get married 2 another woman. i hav a 8 yer old bro. The scene in which ronit roy tells him 2 smoke a cigarette in 4nt of him happened wid me!!i want to be a musician bt by dad wants me to be a C.A !!!i saw dis muvi wid my frens & after dat i som how convened my dad 2 watch it when i got d cd!!After watching dis muvi he has changed a lot!!this film has done co much good to my life god bless all those who were involved in making this film!I hav dis paragraph on my door !!Subah ki kirno ko rokein jo salaakhein hai kahanJo khayalon pe pehre daale woh aankhein hai kahanPar khulne ki deri hai parinde udh ke choomengeAasman aasman aasmanAazaadiyan, Aazaadiyaaaa !!!Maagey na kabhi, mile mile mileAazaadiyan, aazaadiyanJo cheenay wahi, jee le jee le jee le
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awesome story and lovely poems…one of the best movie of bollywood
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hello,i v seen dis movie thrice……when i was 17, i had a same situation,insteed of sir he was babuji to me.but der were lot of conditions, rules n regulations to b followed..i m from small town in UP. on my 18th birthday i turned my self to mumbai n today after 4 years i hav a happy life n fantastic carrier…thank god
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A real classic movi..thank God bollywood walo ko akal aa rhi hai..dheere dheere hi sahi..A must watch movi for everyone.
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awesome n genuine movie…i loved his acting n quite different 4m other movies whch dn hve any othr stuff like pyar,ishq,mohabbat.
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A beautiful movie,exceptionally well crafted….filled with some soulful poems….A story that has created a landmark in Indian cinema….
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Excellent Story according to our society i think 2 many peoples will take awarenesss from this movie.
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please make part 2 of UDAAN really an awesom and heart touching movie especially his small bro wat an act by every 1 and poem mindblowing
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maine ye movie dekhi h aur mujhe bhut achi lagi even iski story merse milti julti h aur mere papa bhi merse abuse karte the jisk karan mujhe bhi apna ghr chodna pada bt i m very happy . . .
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awesome movie and lovely poemss and story of movie……one of the best movie of bollywood…It’s about hostel boys who play important role in life without supporting parent and encourage the young star. and the role of friends in life
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Wonderful blog, I’m going to spend more time reading regarding this subject.
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