Udaan - Review

After generating excitement on its entry into Cannes, Udaan quietly hits the screens this week with hardly any fanfare. Being co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, one surely expects a lot. Does it deliver?
Absolutely. This one is bang on target.

Udaan takes you into the life of Rohan(Rajat Barmecha), a boarding school student who hasn't met his authoritarian father Bhairav(Ronit Roy) in 8 years. He gets expelled for watching a B-Grade flick "Kanti Shah ke Angoor" and returns to the small town of Jamshedpur only to find himself a step-brother he was unaware of. The film deals with the father-son conflict as Rohan is an aspiring writer while Bhairav wants him to join the business. Bhairav is a no-nonsense individual devoid of emotions. Also in the fray is Rohan's caring uncle Jimmy(Ram Kapoor) whose ideologies greatly differ from his brother's. How the relations play out and change their lives is what the story is all about

The film is a beautiful concoction of emotions as you laugh in one frame and are moved in the other. Full credit for this goes to the writers Anurag Kashyap-Vikramaditya Motwane. Whether the funny college scenes or angry confrontations, each scene is etched beautifully. A little trimming and this could be a masterpiece.
The music by Amit Trivedi is stellar, lending a great vibe to the film, adding depth to the overall experience. After Dev.D he delivers another winner.

The performances too are terrific thanks to the clear-cut characters. Standing tall to take the honours is Ronit Roy. A complete knockout performance by him leaves you astounded. Rajat the lead also gives a sincere & restrained debut performance. Child actor Aayan Boradia leaves you speechless by the way he emotes.
But my favourite, and I am sure most would agree, is Manjot Singh(last seen as the young sikh in Oye lucky lucky Oye). In a small role, he leaves a lasting impression and makes you laugh in every frame he is in. A fine actor, one wishes he had more screen-time.

Debutant director Vikramaditya.M trumps an ace. Poignant and genuine, he weaves the story intricately, throwing in various characters that remain with you well after you leave the theater. One waits for more work from him.

At the end, Udaan is a sensitive ride that all must experience. A tad bit heavy on emotions, it will not disappoint you. Tough competition from Lamhaa/Inception might hamper the box office efforts of this work of art.

Rating: 4/5