Sarbjit (2016)

What makes it different from others?

People are voting emotionally.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

In the few inital moments the director comes out as this very confused sort of person who has no idea what he is trying to show and confuses the audience more than himself. Throughtout the entire run of the film it's very confusing who the film is actually about , is it Dalbir Kaur or Sarbjit Singh? Irrespective of everything Dalbir did for her brother, if the director intended to make the film about Dalbir instead then arguably this film it should have been about her. The performances are disappointing except for Randeep Hooda who is the only light which reaches out of this film through the bars of confusion that this film is. Hindi films have always made it clear that songs are an integral part of their culture and hence their films but the songs in this movie are utterly useless and convey no real emotion. All in all , the film should be avoided and account of Sarbjit Singh and her sister should be read about from online sources and what available news sources present.Aishwarya Rai and Omung Kumar have jumbled to and fro with a very potential laden idea and make it taste dust.

I was eagerly awaiting this movies release to really see what happened to Sarbjit and the trauma and hardship his sister Dalbir endured and i was totally satisfied with the movie. With world class acting done by Aishwarya, Randeep and Richa this movie was an emotional ride. Aishwarya was soo good in this movie that i could totally see what the real Dalbir went through, though the punjabi accent could have been improved but that doesn't take away from the acting poweress of Aish. Randeep was perfect to the T, he was on fire with the talent he has and he showcased it brilliantly. And last but not the least Richa leaves a lasting impact. Overall this movie deserves to win all the awards.

I saw this film only coz of Randeep. The guy is an amazing actor. What a transformation he did for this. He really looked like the part he portrayed. The movie is plain bad. Period. Randeep gets a 10/10 for his acting n effort but the movie gets only 3 from me. The direction by Omung Kumar is plain bad. Even his first film was pathetic. (Read my reviews of Mary Kom). At least in this film, Randeeps acting n effort was awesome. The screenplay is awful as well as the editing. The film is so melodramatic that at times it became a torture to sit thru it. Aishwarya cannot act for sure. She was jus shouting n screaming. Maybe she shud b given the scream queen award by Jamie Lee Curtis. Actually she robbed Randeep. This movie shud hav jus focused on Randeep. But on contrary, she was all over the trailers/promos/interviews/screen time. At times I thot m I watching a biopic on sarbjit or on his sister. After the failure of Jazbaa, she must hav told her agent get me some biopic, as biopics r the latest trend in bollywood. Biopics requires research, time, dedication n passion. Unfortunately, most of our Indian directors n actors don't have time n passion for it. The best example was Mary kom.

It's an era for Biographies in India, followed by Neerja and Azhar, Sarbjit is a very sensitive topic for a film. Some brilliant performances by Randeep Hooda, Aishwarya Rai and Richa Chadha. Omung Kumar has beautifully directed the film with all small intricacies. A tragic real-life story. A perfect cast for for Sarabjit- Randeep Hooda has lived more than the expectations. His grief, accent and looks complete the ensemble. His performance is overall quite praise- worthy, just falling short of a little longer screen time. Aishwarya Rai tries to quite live up to the character but there are areas that could have been improved. At some places her walking styles, her lip-twisting and chest-thumping are too posh for a character like Dalbir Kaur. Some of us hark back to her purple lips at Cannes. Although her voice tone impresses you. She has been quite successful to exhibit anger, unstaggering devotion,helplessness and trauma in each and every frame. Richa- Chadha's 3 minute monologue in a closed room with Aishwarya is exemplary. The screenplay, locations and overall-efforts are outstanding, though at a time the Anti-Pakistani Sentiments are a bit too much. Long-stressed empathy is remarkable and will find a place in every person-Be it a Hindustani or Pakistani or any other human. Dialogues are well- written and impactful. Personally, the movie has more songs than it would require. Some are just unnecessary. The first 15 minutes are too fast- showing many happy, emotional and traumatic scenes at a go. This leaves the movie dipping in the post-interval period. But overall I would suggest it's a must-watch to evoke the humanity, empathy and awareness in us. I give it a 8/10.