Uunchai Movie Review Rating: 4/5
Sooraj Barjatya, one of the most successful Bollywood filmmakers, returns to direction after a long gap of seven years with his latest film Uunchai. He last helmed the mega-blockbuster Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, starring his all-time favourite star Salman Khan opposite Sonam Kapoor. His latest directorial Uunchai also boasts of some powerful names on the cast - Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika. The film has been the talk of the town ever since the makers announced it. They dropped its theatrical trailer last month, which took audiences’ excitement level to another level. Now that Uunchai has finally landed in cinemas amid huge expectations, here is what our reviewer has to say about the same.
STORY: Uunchai is the story of four friends whose friendship has stood the test of time. Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa) has always dreamt of scaling the heights of Mount Everest with his friends, Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Om (Anupam Kher), and Javed (Boman Irani). However, it becomes to look like a distant dream for them as they are in their 60s. But destiny had something else in store. Amit, Om, and Javed finally come together to fulfill Bhpen’s dream, but only after his death. The film then focuses on the journey of the other three friends to defeat the odds and scale Mount Everest and give his deceased friend a deserving farewell.
HIGHS: With Uunchai, filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya attempts to drift from his previous films. However, his new outing remains as rich in emotions as his all films in the past. The main USP of Uunchai is its honest writing, competent direction, and amazing performances from each and every cast member.
Amitabh Bachchan delivers yet another remarkable performance. It is so incredible to watch him on the silver screen as Amit. His presence adds weightage to the film. The actor gets some of the finest scenes and he makes them even more impactful with his powerful performance.
Danny Denzongpa also manages to leave his impression with his limited screen space. It is his character that propels the film. Boman Irani and Anupam Kher also create their own magic with their performances. Neena Gupta and Sarika are also brilliant in their roles. Parineeti Chopra in her role as the instructor helps the trio prepare for Mount Everest. She does complete justice to her character. It is after a long time that her performance really leaves an impact.
The production value of the film is rich. The cinematography is praiseworthy. The visuals are breathtaking. The background score of the film is also praise-worthy as it blends perfectly well with the film’s narrative.
LOWS: Though there is nothing that should stop anyone from watching Uunchai, a lot of youngsters may complain about its runtime. But then, all Sooraj Barjatya films have been lengthy and still ran for weeks in cinemas. The first half of the film could have been a little tighter.
FINAL VERDICT: Uunchai is a rare and wonderful film that talks about the importance of friendship in life and also teaches you to revel in life's low times. It is yet another example of filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya’s talent to explore legitimate human emotions. In a nutshell, for most of its length, Uunchai delivers a steady stream of emotions that will definitely form a lump in your throat. It actually lives up to the hype. I am going with 4 stars.
Watch Uunchai trailer:
MOVIE CREDITS
Banner: Rajshri Productions
Director: Sooraj Barjatya
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika
Runtime: 170 Minutes
