The beauty of the film lies in the subtlety with which director Kabir Khan weaves in the inherent biases people often have about other religions - more specifically in the case of this film, the Hindus about Muslims and vice versa - into a story that deals with a theme as sensitive as the Indo-Pak relationship. He brings those emotions to the fore but does not scratch it deep. He just let's that moment linger enough to leave us with a thought. There's a scene early in the film where Dayanand (Sharad Saxena playing Kareena's father and a devout Brahmin) questions Pawan Kumar Chaturvedi aka Bajrangi (Salman Khan) on what makes him think that the little lost girl is also a Brahmin, and he responds by saying, "She is fair, so she has to be Brahmin". But a few scenes later, he discovers the girl's love for non-vegetarian food and hence thinks she cannot be a Brahmin, and is even quicker to assume that she must be a Kshatriya instead. You cannot help but chuckle at instances like these that induce a sense of familiarity.
Also, the film is quick to get to the point. The director does not spend much time dwelling into the various sub-plots. Ten minutes into the film, we find the adorable six-year-old mute Shahida/Munni (Harshaali Malhotra) separated from her mom and reaches Kurukshetra where she meets her saviour in the simpleton Bajrangi who due to circumstances is forced to take care of the little girl. We are quickly brought to speed with Pawan's Hindu Brahmin upbringing, his love story with Rasika (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and the current state of affair with his would-be father-in-law. Soon the family realise that the girl is a Muslim and belongs to Pakistan. When all efforts to send the girl back home through legal means fail, the man with a golden heart decides to escort her personally to Pakistan through the illegal route. And thus begins the most enchanting and endearing journey of the film. The adventure gains direction when the two meet Chand Nawab (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a Pakistani reporter, who helps them reach their destination. How they do it is what makes for second half of the film.
Crossing the territorial boundary between India and Pakistan was far simpler for Pawan than crossing his own personal boundaries. Salman's character starts the journey with a rigid frame of mind and shows strong religious vulnerability, but sheds his traditional beliefs for a progressive outlook by the end of it. From refusing to enter a mosque because he is a Hindu to sitting in a dargah for hours, Salman's character takes a giant leap of faith. After all, there is no religion greater than the love for mankind.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is not intended to be a film that dwells into the depth and complexities of the relationship with the two neighbouring nations. To watch the movie with such expectations would be bordering on foolishness. Honestly, there is nothing extraordinary about the story but art lays in the way the commercial and emotional elements of the subject have been mixed to give us a delightful film. In fact, if you go expecting a usual Salman Khan fare, you will be pleasantly surprised. "Budbak" Bajrangi is no super hero; he is a man replete with follies. The actor lets theatrics take a back seat, so there are no punch dialogues, no trademark movements. This is Salman's best in a long time.
Nawazuddin shows you why he is one of the best actors we have. He effortlessly plays the role of a small time reporter chasing a big story. Kareena barely has anything to do in the film. Despite not saying a word right till the end, the little Harshaali lets her expressions and gestures do all the talking. As the lost Shahida, she garners all the sympathies and wins many hearts.
Aseem Mishra's cinematography captures your attention right from the time credits start rolling till the time the reunion happens. His camera captures Kashmir as beautifully as it does the essence of old Delhi. Pritam's music just goes by.
Interestingly, the film starts with Pakistan winning a match against India but only ends with the film winning everyone's heart. Watch the movie with the heart on your sleeve and to see Salman's transformation from bhai to Bhaijaan.
Review by Mangala RamamoorthyOther Related Posts
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