Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Walking into the movie Azhar, you'll be expecting to see a lot of the preconceived notions you have about the man and the cricketer unfold on screen. By the time the movie is over, you'll be walking out questioning most of what you thought you knew, your preconceived beliefs having been dealt a severe blow.
Director Tony D'Souza and his writer Rajat Arora brilliantly capture the journey of one of India's greatest batsman, right from his birth to his eventual exoneration by the court, focusing equally on Azharuddin's storied career as well as the shocking scandal that derailed it. Along the way, he makes us remember that this man's career is indeed worth remembering, and the controversy that erupted toward the end of it needs to be looked at from a different angle. Tony's Boss and Blue suddenly feel like distant memories.
All Azhar ever wanted was to dedicate his life to playing cricket for India and fulfill his maternal grandfather's dream of him completing 100 test matches, which he tragically fell short of by a solitary match. And this dream, his every emotion, the man's simplicity, never-say-die attitude, introvert nature, and humble yet fighting spirit is captured to the T by Emraan Hashmi, who finally gets a movie deserving his talents after some time. He smashes every dialogue, every scene, every mannerism, every inflection in his tone, and every expression in his eyes for a six. When all's said and done, it may not go down as the year's best male performance, but it'll definitely be remembered among the year's ten best.
Giving Emraan able support at every step are Lara Dutta and Prachi Desai as the prosecution lawyer and his first wife, Naureen. Lara's tough-as-nails over here. Prachi is a symbol of support and niceness and her performance shines. She surely nails the 'good' spouse part but she definitely has a lot more to offer in terms of acting and it would be great to see her in different kind of roles. Nargis Fakhri, however, is a complete letdown, and falters big time in both emoting and dialogue delivery. She towers over Prachi in height, but it's the other way around when it comes to their performances. Gautam Gulati is stylish in his small part, and his performance in the film should fetch him more urbane roles in the future. He exudes flamboyance as ex-cricketer and Azharuddin's teammate Ravi Shastri, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do with a meatier role.
Matching Nargis in terms of disappointment is the timing of the film's music. The songs are no doubt chartbusters, but they do little to take the story forward, especially Nargis' Oye Oye track. A serious sporting flashback like Azhar needed songs that help its character's journeys progress, which, sadly, isn't the case. Also, Tony's Direction while good, stumbles slightly while handling the court room scenes, which form some of the major points in the movie.
Azhar may not go down as one of the best biopics ever made. But, when the dust settles on the movie and its eponymous subject's story, quite literally, it'll emerge as a highly absorbing tale that takes you through a roller coaster of emotions and nostalgia. Perhaps, the best aspect of the movie is how it compels you to introspect and question whether Azhar was actually guilty. And, that itself is a rare feat for any movie to accomplish.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Walking into the movie Azhar, you'll be expecting to see a lot of the preconceived notions you have about the man and the cricketer unfold on screen. By the time the movie is over, you'll be walking out questioning most of what you thought you knew, your preconceived beliefs having been dealt a severe blow.
Director Tony D'Souza and his writer Rajat Arora brilliantly capture the journey of one of India's greatest batsman, right from his birth to his eventual exoneration by the court, focusing equally on Azharuddin's storied career as well as the shocking scandal that derailed it. Along the way, he makes us remember that this man's career is indeed worth remembering, and the controversy that erupted toward the end of it needs to be looked at from a different angle. Tony's Boss and Blue suddenly feel like distant memories.
All Azhar ever wanted was to dedicate his life to playing cricket for India and fulfill his maternal grandfather's dream of him completing 100 test matches, which he tragically fell short of by a solitary match. And this dream, his every emotion, the man's simplicity, never-say-die attitude, introvert nature, and humble yet fighting spirit is captured to the T by Emraan Hashmi, who finally gets a movie deserving his talents after some time. He smashes every dialogue, every scene, every mannerism, every inflection in his tone, and every expression in his eyes for a six. When all's said and done, it may not go down as the year's best male performance, but it'll definitely be remembered among the year's ten best.
Giving Emraan able support at every step are Lara Dutta and Prachi Desai as the prosecution lawyer and his first wife, Naureen. Lara's tough-as-nails over here. Prachi is a symbol of support and niceness and her performance shines. She surely nails the 'good' spouse part but she definitely has a lot more to offer in terms of acting and it would be great to see her in different kind of roles. Nargis Fakhri, however, is a complete letdown, and falters big time in both emoting and dialogue delivery. She towers over Prachi in height, but it's the other way around when it comes to their performances. Gautam Gulati is stylish in his small part, and his performance in the film should fetch him more urbane roles in the future. He exudes flamboyance as ex-cricketer and Azharuddin's teammate Ravi Shastri, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do with a meatier role.
Matching Nargis in terms of disappointment is the timing of the film's music. The songs are no doubt chartbusters, but they do little to take the story forward, especially Nargis' Oye Oye track. A serious sporting flashback like Azhar needed songs that help its character's journeys progress, which, sadly, isn't the case. Also, Tony's Direction while good, stumbles slightly while handling the court room scenes, which form some of the major points in the movie.
Azhar may not go down as one of the best biopics ever made. But, when the dust settles on the movie and its eponymous subject's story, quite literally, it'll emerge as a highly absorbing tale that takes you through a roller coaster of emotions and nostalgia. Perhaps, the best aspect of the movie is how it compels you to introspect and question whether Azhar was actually guilty. And, that itself is a rare feat for any movie to accomplish.