The Last Lear (2007) Poster

(2007)

User Reviews

Review this title
180 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
The first Bachchan
Peter_Young15 August 2009
Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear is an artistic though slightly simplistic work. I did not really like the film being in English but obviously it wouldn't have been possible in Hindi or Bengali, considering it's about a Shakespearean actor. The story is interesting, and the idea of taking an old, Shakespearean theatre actor (Bachchan) and casting him in a motion picture is intelligent. Not less impressive is that despite the film being entirely about Bachchan, all the other characters are well-written. Every character is portrayed as a struggling person. In his way to become a film actor, we meet several characters through Bachchan's Harry: his co-star, Shabnam (Zinta), a model-turned-actress who does not know how to act and what to do with her film career, and who has problems with her jealous husband; Siddharth (Rampal), an arrogant independent filmmaker; Vandana (Shah), Bachchan's mistress (double-meaning); and his confused nurse, played by Divya Dutta. I think the film was well written, although it does become a bit slow at times. Harry's character is wonderful - an artist who insists to work on his own artistic terms. I liked Bachchan's scenes, I liked the scenes of the three women who have a nice evening on the day of the film's release, I liked the scenes of Bachchan and Zinta together, their conversations about what acting is.

Bachchan is extraordinary - one of his finest and most difficult performances ever. He is intense, generous, impulsive, and his English line delivery is spectacular. The film belongs to him completely, although the rest of the cast do a good job. Preity Zinta is extremely vulnerable as Shabnam. She lets go of her bubbly, vivacious image completely, and is portrayed as a very conflicted woman throughout. Although she gives a fine performance, I don't find it up to the level of her work in her commercial films - I generally prefer her in roles of vibrant and strong women who are full of life. Anyway, I liked the scenes in which she smoke anxiously, I liked the scene in which Bachchan teaches her how to release tensions by screaming, and she breaks down (this scene has appeared several times in different films), and she was particularly impressive in the film's last scene. Shefali Shah turns in a brilliant, exceptional performance, not that I expected any less from her. Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta are very good as well. I knew from the very beginning that this film would not work for the wide audience, it's a film for people who like artistic films and festival stuff. This is not a particularly entertaining film, but I enjoyed it mainly due to Bachchan's performance.
14 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Last Lear: the real tragedy will be if this doesn't get into theatres!!
VirginiaK_NYC14 November 2007
I've run into comments about this movie that call Amitabh Bachchan a scenery-chewer in this movie. I'd say he's not. That makes it sound as if you're going to get Prithvirraj Kapoor in Mughul-e-Azam -- but Amitabh's character, Harish Mishra/Harry, not AB, is himself something of a scenery-chewer, and in fact in The Last Lear he gives a nuanced performance of maybe the best character I've seen him play in this career phase, and maybe ever.

(Most coincidentally -- the current New Yorker Magazine - Nov. 19, 2007 -- has an article, "The Player Kings," about this kind of bigger-than-life Shakespeare guy,Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier.)

It's wonderful to see major "Bollywood" stars take on straight acting roles in English. And for some time I hoped Preity Zinta, cast as Shabnam, an actress Harry's co-star in the film he is making, would be given something like this to do that used the mature intensity I thought I saw in her.

Importantly and fascinatingly to me, The Last Lear takes the 75-year-old Harish Mishra and us eventually and starkly into some of the themes of King Lear, not that you have to know the play to be affected by his performance as a retired/withdrawn Shakespearean stage actor in Calcutta, persuaded to take his first film role by Siddarth, the hotshot young director played by Arjun Rampal.

I'd say it's only in the last maybe 20 minutes of the movie that you might start having a cascade of recognitions about the Lear themes here. This guy is irritable and cranky -- plenty of scorn for the movies heaped on Arjun -- but also wise, loving, and fully responsive to life. In a great scene on an outdoors shoot in the mountains, you see true delight replace bluster when the old actor, on a film set for the first time, catches on to the filmmaker's way of using shots of unguarded conversation to compose his story.

What makes this powerful old guy verge on boorish in one situation - he declaims Prospero's big speech about his mastery of the spirits to the back of the house in his own smallish living room, to teach Arjun something or other -- makes him a wise counsellor for his co-star Preity in the next, when he uses what he knows about both life and art to push the unhappy and inexperienced young film actress to shout her anger out to the faraway mountain top, and we can feel and see her grief unlock and blood start to flow.

The movie begins explosively on the Diwali when the film is having its opening, with a fight in a fancy flat between Preity, Harry's film co-star, and a man she lives with who is hectoring her offensively about where she's going. She's going to visit Harry instead of attending her premiere, and he now some kind of invalid. Her character is strong and self-possessed, somebody a woman would want for a real friend. She's also somewhat bottled up.

In the course of a long night with fireworks in the background Shabnam, Shefali Shetty as Vandana, Harish's long-time companion, and Divya Dutta as Ivy the night nurse, form a world in Harry's old Calcutta flat, furnished like the home of a London stage actor at mid-century, and the story leading up to the accident on a film-shoot in the mountains unfurls along with their own stories.

The back-story scenes of Siddarth and Harry meeting in Harry's flat, quoting Shakespeare and bonding over watching guys relieve themselves against the wall outside on the closed-circuit TV Harry has installed, are comical and moving.

As the night goes on - it's really a night of metabolization of what has happened -- the night nurse is fired and then offered tea, and she's agitatedly trying to get hold of a boyfriend who, like Shabnam's man, is a persecutory, entitled jerk, full of offensive accusations, and the two older women -- try hard talk her out of submitting to him.

By dawn when Preity crosses the threshhold into Amitabh's room, I think you start to get it about his tragic flaw - I am not spoiling things if I tell you it has to do with his pride - as well as the flaws in someone he's trusted -- that's ended him up in a tragic situation, and thus you're prepared for the brilliant full emotional finish that follows.

One thing I'd hope for from another viewing is a better understanding of what's going on with a shocking decision made by Arjun's character.

I haven't said much about Shefali and Divya, but they are wonderful. Vandana is loving, loyal, angry, exasperated -- if the spirit of Cordelia is in the story, it's distributed between her and Shabnam; Divya is adorable -- she supplies a comic presence -- and touching as a girl who probably can't help going down a tube she's been warned about, off into her own tragedy in the name of love.

I hope the actors found this first English-language movie as rewarding to make as I found it to watch at a film festival, but I also hope this finds theatre release in English-speaking places – if it doesn't, that will be a tragedy.
23 out of 38 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Amitabh Bachchan at his best!
dwslink2 November 2012
It is said that greatness is never a thrust on you. You are either born with it or you are not. Amitabh Bachchan today stands at a place where anything and everything that he does surprises us.In the last lear,Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Harish Mishra aka Harry, a theatre actor hailing from the Shakespearean school of thought. Moody like the English weather, he expects everyone to be well-versed with A Midsummer Night's Dream and recognise it's the Tempest that he lovingly quotes.Like an actor in play, he's always a different person at different hours of the day. At times, he transforms into a gallant knight in a grand battle. On other occasions, you can hardly tell him apart from an eight-year old petulant child languishing to have his way. Occasionally, he is eerily quiet only to unexpectedly bark at a mindless passerby peeing on his walls. His penchant for drama reflects in the unkempt white tresses dominating his wrinkled countenance as well his choice of clothing, ranging from kimono robes to Egyptian galabeyas. He is a legend of his own making. Amitabh Bachchan essays this startling personality with awe-inspiring ardor. The Last Lear is only about Harry, how he is persuaded to act in a film and his concealed regrets.And Amitabh Bachchan as Harry has done a brilliant job.It is a movie to be watched out for simply because of his brilliance.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Love watching Priety Zinta in Indian Avtaar
nivedita_roy020928 March 2013
Being a Bengali,i love watching Bengali movies but watching Amitabh Bachchan in an English movie is a treat.And one more thing which attract me towards this movie The Last Lear is Priety Zinta.The way she dressed,her makeup,she carries herself beautifully.I find her very beautiful in saaries with a big bindi on her forehead. She looks so beautiful in the movie,the funniest thing is i used to copy her most of the time but can't look exactly like her.For me,she is the most beautiful actress in our bollywood.The movie is based on Shakespeare's play,the way Rituparno explains the story of Harish played by Amitabh Bachchan is just mind blowing.All must watch the movie,the movie can't be missed.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Nothing Rituparno about it
AvinashPatalay23 January 2009
I watched "Raincoat" I thought it was "Satyajit Ray with commercial sensibilities" product. Needless to say I was excited about Rituparno Ghosh – Big B combo. "If not better than ¨Black¨ at least equal" was my expectation.

Rituparno is excellent when it comes to extraction the best in terms of performances, so lets not even go there.

The spoilt-sport is the content itself which fails to connect. Too many flashbacks hamper the narrative. The screenplay could have been sleek and execution more taut.

Yes, there are many layers to the characters in the movie but a few of them unwarranted leading to overkill. "Two is a party and three is a crowd", thereby one-to-one conversation between Preity & Shefali would have been apt. Divya Dutta's character was unwarranted, perhaps forced to drive the message of domestic violence and abuse.

Unlike others from the same clan, I expected Rituparno to be secular but guess he succumbs to blowing the trumpet. Too many Bengali references and unnecessary mouthing dialogues in Bengali.

O. Henry kind of ending was decipherable in "Raincoat" but in "The Last Lear" the open-ended question seemed more like a can of mysteries.
3 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Sometimes difficult to follow but otherwise a good film
silvan-desouza20 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Some films cannot be understood in 1 watch while some are abstract THE LAST LEAR is like that. It takes time to understand the film. The film has an interesting story but the way it's handled it is interesting but not for everyone. Amitabh's dialogues and his hatred towards films is well handled. There are other subplots too well handled, though some things are left unexplained like the accident part could be clearer.

Direction by Rituparno Ghosh is great

Amitabh Bachchan plays the part superbly, he is the life of the film Preity Zinta is fab in her role, Arjun Rampal is great too Shefali Chaya won national award for her role does a great job, Divya Dutta is good too, the others are good
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
An outstanding work by Rituparno Ghosh & his team.
sachinchaudhuri18230 October 2012
The Last Lear is a very special film for cinema lovers.What makes the film so special is the coming together of director Rituparno Ghosh and the legendary Amitabh Bachchan along with Preity Zinta,Arjun Rampal and Shefali Shah. No doubt the film is really good as could be seen during its world premiere at Toronto International film festival,where it received tremendous reception and was highly appreciated.Amitabh Bachchan who plays the role of Harish,a Shakespeare age stage actor is brilliant in the film.This could be said to be his best performance till date.All the stars in the film,be it Preity Zinta,Arjun Rampal or Shefali Shah,are exceptionally good in the film. People should see the film to see Amitabh Bachchan's brilliance.He is simply awesome and with each of his movies shows a completely new face of his acting skills.The last lear is an outstanding film by Rituparno Ghosh supported brilliantly by his actors.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Tragedy and The Lear
" Tragedy in the form of King Lear's play is not new to Shakespeare fans. However , Rituparno used King Lear as a character sought to be played by Harish (Amitabh) ; a veteran stage actor primarily on Shakespeare's plays. However, the basic crux of the film "The Last Lear" is neither about Shakespeare primarily nor King Lear. So what was it all about ? Well here you go – 1. Dying Art form and the desire to perform one last time – Harish played by Amitabh is an ex stage artist on Shakespeare's plays. He now lives a retired life in unknown alleys in Kolkata along with his live in partner 'Vandana' (Shefali Chaya). Harish is a purist who had a last desire to perform the lead role of the tragedy King Lear, however his past did not allow him to play it. Hence there is a fire in his belly to perform Lear which will never come as films today have killed stage plays. Hence Harish hates films and differs to agree it as an art form. The film moves on where 'Siddharth'(Arjun Rampal) offers him a script of a character known as 'Maqbul', once a renowned skillful clown who goes jobless because of invasion of TV in life of kids, commits a crime and absconds.' Maqbul' then lives in the hilly slopes, secluded looking for a perfect opportunity to run away from life and Police. The character of 'Maqbul' reciprocates that of Harish himself and he agrees to play the lead role in his first film. 2. Women – Like most Rituparno films Women play a pivotal role in the "The last Lear". There is a common facet here, viz. Men taking Women as a moral right to bully and try to control them. The film shows the same act of bully with the nurse of Harish, with the co-actress 'Shabnam', with 'Vandana' as Harish's live in partner. This flow is shown in common across the society. 3. Tragedy – King Lear divides his property among his daughter and ultimately becomes insane in strange circumstances. 'Maqbul' too is tragic who falls from a cliff while escaping Police in the climax and so does Harish who refuses to take a dummy action lead and dictates to do the last climax of Maqbul himself and get's his backbone fractured. 4. Film within Film – Maqbul's story drives the main film. There is a film within a film. Harish is basically 'Maqbul' in some ways. 5. Confusion and gaps in contemporary Indian film production – Its diwali when the film finally premieres. This is not strategic but due to a planning blunder. Siddharth the director does not want to meet media, The lead Heroine Shbanam (Preity Zinta) runs away to Harish as he is bedridden and overall the lead 'Maqbul' is missing too.

However, I would be candid in saying that this is a very complex film and if someone does not like Shakespeare much he would be bogged down by the numerous dialogues which the film uses. See this film if you love Amitabh and just admire the acting skills of him. For sure, it's also one of the best performances by Arjun Rampal as the young director. Rituparno did a great job but this for me is not his best work but definitely in his top 10. As I leave you in the wonderful world of the clown Maqbul and his dying arts I ask you all, how will you fell if you give 30 years to a profession and excelled in it, but just to realize that today your expertise is history; a null and void past. What you would have done if you were Harish/Maqbul ? Would you have taken a second chance to do your best , one last time ? If yes, then you too are the Lear ! "
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Wonderful script -- Amitabh at his best again!
AishFan18 October 2008
The Last Lear is a very intelligently and well-made movie. Shakespearean dialogs and references are used cleverly. Amitabh Bachchan is mesmerizing. Once again, he defeats his toughest competition--himself. He improves noticeably with each and every film. As his character demands, Amitabh gives a performance full of passion and vigor. Each scene is very nicely executed making it a pleasure to watch be it when the three women are dealing with their frustrations in the middle of the night or when Amitabh and Arjun are trying to stop people from urinating in public areas. The emotions are beautifully relayed across the screen. Shefali Shah is also fantastic. I'm not an avid reader by any stretch of imagination, but I enjoyed this one. However, those who are put off by art cinema might not fancy this flick.
6 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
"the ageing, narcissistic actor is showing tantrum to the new age director whose views are not understood by the old man"
smkbsws16 September 2020
It is a move made in english language, very uncommon for the big star Indian directors. Yes, even though making art films till his death, Ghosh was a very much celebrated star by then. You will understand this from the lead of this movie based on Utpal Dutt's semi-autobiographical play 'Ajker Shahjahan'; the Amitabh Bachchan. It also featured a cool ensemble from bollywood - Preity Zinta, Arjun Rajpal, Divya Dutta and Shefali Shah - who were actually playing the non-lead counterparts of Shakespeare's 'King Lear'. Just came to my mind, this movie is even more enjoyable now where the ageing, narcissistic actor is showing tantrum to the new age director whose views are not understood by the old man.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A Movie That Was Worth The Wait For - Excellent
Pratik11216 September 2008
Just over a year ago, I had heard about this movie and that it was being released. But then nothing happened. Then finally it has been released and it was worth it. Ritupatrna Ghosh has done what no other director has done since Aparna Sen released "36 Chowringhee Lane" in the early 1980's – a movie with Bollywood stars in English, mixed in with some Hindi and Bengali.

An ageing Shakespearean stage actor, Harish Mishra, quits acting a week before he is to due to give a performance of his life in William Shakespeare's "King Lear." But then a movie director persuades him to work in his film and once the filming starts, the ageing stage actor, trains his co – star in pitching her voice.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Shefali Shah, Divya Dutta and Jishu Sengupta, this is one movie that can be considered to a speciality one. Aparna Sen's style of direction has been applied here in the most effective manner for a movie. It gives one the feeling that they are watching a Shakespeare drama on a screen and I am saying this from my own experience in not just studying some of the bard's dramas, but also having acted in one many years back. The director has taken all the efforts in portraying the characters in the rightful manner related to a Shakespeare drama that unfolds and does not have a dull moment ever.

It can be said that this is Amitabh Bachchan's best performance – not that it needs to be mentioned. He truly shows what acting is all about and his versatility as an actor can clearly be seen.

What made this movie so interesting besides the Shakespeare side of it, is that its starts off from an intriguing and inquisitive point and then through the back flashes everything unfolds. This is not a typical Bollywood style movie with songs and a dance troupe or with all sorts of glitz and glamour but it is a simple story, which is enjoyable for those who enjoy Shakespearean style acting.

Conclusion: A movie that is most definitely worth watching but not so if one does not fancy watching something that does not have songs, etc and more so if one doesn't like Shakespeare.
6 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Exceptional!
pushpargha16 September 2008
Hail Indian Cinema and its talents, Hail the contemporary age of film making but also Hail the old school concepts and Hail Amitabh! Over the last period or so, quite very often nowadays, I have begun taking notice of the fact that along with the usual plagiarized concept of movies and the typical trend setting commercial Indian entertainers which when once appears, seems to come in a chain or pattern one after the other with the same level of thoughts and stuffs, comes some outstanding masterpieces comparable to the best of World Cinema and compete with the classics of the past and present. Are we having a dearth of talent in terms of versatility in Indian Cinema when it comes to direction and movie making? Well the answer is certainly a big NO! HOW? Well, How about some movies that include taaren zameen par, a Wednesday,Mumbai meri jaan and now add to that..The Last Lear.

I haven't sent much of Rituparno Ghosh's work but I have labeled him as a talented filmmaker but after seeing The Last Lear, I believe first I have to applaud him and then label him as one of the best directors in the country at the moment.It was simply exceptional.I would never had thought that such a movie would ever be made after the days of Satyajit Ray. I was literally in awe of the performances and also the story. I have a taste for movies of every genre and I can separate quality from crap but when it comes to making of a movie as The Last Lear and watching Dr. Amitabh Bachchan give a performance of a lifetime, I just didn't know how to separate quality from quality.

Amitabh Bacchan as we all know is a versatile actor and is a mark of greatness in the Indian Film Industry.Along with the likes of Nasseruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal,Anupam Kher, Om Puri, he has been the pillar of strength only and only in terms of pure acting talent and when it comes to role personification and giving powerful performances.When we talk of acting, we generally think of delivering or presenting the role of a character of a story in front of the audience and playing the character in the most skillful manner possible so that more than anything else the viewers gets to know the character and the character sells the movie to all.But nowadays,it's the actor who consumes or engulfs the character and not the other way round and sells himself and not the character. Almost everyone does that.When we look at a movie, we see a Shah Rukh Khan or an Aamir Khan or Hrithik Roshan or Rani or Preity etc not the characters.In the last lear,after a long long time that I see the character of the movie Harish and not Amitabh Bacchan because what Amitabh did was he became Harish and was not seen anywhere as the personality that he is.Amitabh Bachchan was at his imperious best.The direction and plot was outstanding and the movie was so well conceived that it just grabs you like anything.

Right from the beginning, when we know not as what has happened when slowly till the time Jishu sengupta(the protagonist) brings light towards the events that takes the movie forward and enter the characters one by one. First, Preity Zinta was very good.Portraying Shabnam, an actress troubled with her marriage and personal life, who decides to take a visit at Harish's residence who is dying on the day when his first movie is being premiered.Arjun Rampal meanwhile contemplates some thought that worries him.Soon we get to see the whole plot unveil itself and what exactly happens in it. How amitabh Bachchan, a man who was once a stage actor and used to play the characters of the different plays of Shakespeare being completely obsessed with Shakespeare and still lives in the lines of the plays gets to first meet Jishu and then Arjun rampal. How arjun convinces Amitabh to act in his directorial venture in a film and how the relationship between him and Amitabh(Harish/Harry)develops as between two friends and also between a director and an actor.Also unfolds other strong relationships between Shabnam(Preity) and Harish. The scenes describing the shooting of the Film, the colourful events during the shooting and also the how the film reaches its climax through the film's description.The story of the plot unfolds is narrated both by the protagonist( Jishu) and Preity Zinta who meets Shefali Chhaya(daughter of Harish).The events in the house of Harish that take place in between the scenes of preity, Shefali and Divya Dutta(the nurse) are also quite realistic and well crafted.The small events in Harish's house when he first meets Jishu for an interview about Neeraj marked the introduction of Amitabh in the Plot and it was fabulous.How Harry watches everything from the window outside and scorns the public for anything he sees wrong. From the first lines that he shouts "Idiot" to the mocking of the people who litters on his boundary walls is just amazing. The way Harry suddenly breaks into the Shakespeare characters time and again is superb. The ending of the movie is so very touchy and awesome that the character of Harry just consumes one. The technicalities of the movie were brilliant.The camera-work, background score and editing was fascinating.What really impressed me the most was the cinematography. The way small stories within the major plot take place is also so beautifully crafted. I won't reveal the plot anymore though I 've already spoken a lot but what I can say is a masterpiece has been produced.If anyone is interested in watching genuinely good movies as this one, please watch it and if you like it, write your comment here.I don't think it'll be very different from that of mine.Simply exceptional
6 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Awesome combination of Rituparno Ghosh & Amitabh Bachchan
shakuntala-509-6198423 October 2012
The movie is simply amazing as it shows the brilliant combination of two great people.Amitabh Bachchan and Rituparno Ghosh are two legends in their own field. Last Lear is a movie about how Amitabh Bachchan, also playing the lead role in the film wants to be a great stage actor.Preity Zinta,Arjun Rampal,Shefali Chhaya were among the other casts in the movie.Believe me,all have given tremendous performance. in the film.Amitabh Bachchan needs no word to describe his acting.He is always super in any role that he plays.Arjun Rampal perhaps can be proud to be a part of this film.It is one of his best film where he has played his in a much better way than what he does.Preity Zinta is in a completely different role and is superb. Great direction,great screenplay,good story line and amazing performance- last lear has it all and must not be missed at all.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Great work by Rituparno and Amitabh
saxena_ashes12 October 2008
Rituparno Ghosh. Amitabh Bachchan. William Shakespeare. I had already started loving the movie when I knew these were the names involved. An intriguing movie in typical Ghosh style, where people quietly sit and talk and the narration is by means of flashbacks. The story is that of an ageing and ailing stage actor being persuaded to act in a movie, which happens to be his last, and has been left in a coma as the aftereffects of the shooting. Idiosyncratic, vain, impetuous he is, occasionally lashing out at the modern world, and using too much of Shakespearean verses in normal conversation. Though AB looks funny in the poster, he looks amazing in the movie, and has delivered an intense performance. Preity Zinta's role is her most un-bubbly one, and her English dialogues are only slightly better than the rest of the cast, in which case they sound like recitals. Out and out an AB film. Watch it for him.
4 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Awesome script-rituparno at his best!
sandeep-chaudhuri6 December 2012
When you see the casting of the film with Amitabh Bachchan and Rituparno Ghosh as the lead actor and director you will be intrigued to watch it.And when you see the storyline based on Shakespeare,you will be amazed more and more.This is one art film that you can not afford to miss.It's an intriguing movie in typical Ghosh style, where people quietly sit and talk and the narration is by means of flashbacks. The story is that of an ageing and ailing stage actor being persuaded to act in a movie, which happens to be his last, and has been left in a coma as the aftereffects of the shooting. Amitabh Bachchan has delivered an intense performance. Preity Zinta's role is her most un-bubbly one, and her English dialogues are only slightly better than the rest of the cast, in which case they sound like recitals. Out and out an AB film. Watch it for him. The back-story scenes of Siddarth and Harry meeting in Harry's flat, quoting Shakespeare and bonding over watching guys relieve themselves against the wall outside on the closed-circuit TV Harry has installed, are comical and moving.It is an amazingly beautiful film with awesome script.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Movie can't be missed
ravi-kapoor88811 December 2012
The Last Lear is a movie given by Rituparno Ghosh with director producer,also called management guru Arindam Chaudhuri.This is the movie based on Shakespeare's play.All have given tremendous performance. in the film.Amitabh Bachchan needs no word to describe his acting.He is always super in any role that he plays.Arjun Rampal perhaps can be proud to be a part of this film.It is one of his best film where he has played his in a much better way than what he does.Preity Zinta is in a completely different role and is superb. I had advised all my friends to watch this movie and also advising you all,should watch this,the movie is really nice and can't be missed.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
An excellent art film by Planman motion.
subha-rajan88828 November 2012
I haven't seen much of Rituparno Ghosh's work but now I label him as a talented filmmaker after seeing The Last Lear.He should be applauded by all as he is one of the best directors in the country at the moment. The last lear was simply exceptional.I would never had thought that such a movie would ever be made after the days of Satyajit Ray.I have a taste for movies of every genre and I can separate quality from crap but when it comes to making of a movie as The Last Lear and watching Amitabh Bachchan give a performance of a lifetime, I just didn't know how to separate quality from quality. Amitabh Bachchan as we all know is a versatile actor and is a mark of greatness in the Indian Film Industry.When we talk of acting, we generally think of delivering or presenting the role of a character of a story in front of the audience and playing the character in the most skillful manner possible so that more than anything else the viewers gets to know the character and the character sells the movie to all.But nowadays,it's the actor who consumes the character and not the other way round and sells himself and not the character. Almost everyone does that.In the last lear,after a long long time I see the character of the movie Harish and not Amitabh Bacchan because what Amitabh did was he became Harish and was not seen anywhere as the personality that he is.Amitabh Bachchan was at his best. The direction and plot was outstanding and the movie has been very well conceived and it just grabs you like anything.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
A great combination of Amitabh-Rituparno
pgupta57818 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Rituparno Ghosh is one of the finest storytellers from Bengal,and chose Utpal Dutt's play 'Aajker Shahjahan' as the premise for his movie The Last Lear. The Last Lear is the story of an aging superstar,Amitabh Bachchan.There's no denying that The Last Lear has its share of engrossing moments.Amitabh Bachchan(Harry) lives for acting, loves theater, adores Shakespeare and absolutely detests cinema,while Arjun Rampal(Siddharth) is a a movie director.The Last Lear has something for the Festival circuit. A few individualistic sequences are noteworthy as also the portrayal of characters by some prominent names. Amitabh Bachchan has given one of his best shots in the movie and his combination with the director has yielded an excellent result.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
As a Shabnam,Priety Zinta was mind blowing in the movie
pankaj-malhotra88817 December 2012
Amitabh Bachchan Starrer,The Last Lear is a movie completely belongs to Shakespeare and his art.Amitabh plays his role efficiently,it doesn't looks like he is acting,he is mind blowing.Amitabh Bachchan was the perfect choice by the director producer for this role Harish.Although the posters of the movie not able to attract us,but the movie is really interesting and you will realize this only after watching the movie.All the actors were at their best and all were so realistic in the movie.Priety Zinta,one more big star in the movie,she was beautiful as Shabnam.Although the movie completely revolves around the character Harish,but as a Shabnam,she was mind blowing in the movie.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
The movie is simply amazing
guptaanjali7601 December 2012
For me,it is not good to watch the movie in English as i like to watch Hindi movies but i also know the movie wouldn't have been possible in Hindi or Bengali, considering it's about a Shakespearean actor. The story was compelling and interesting, and the idea of taking an old, Shakespearean theater actor (Bachchan) and casting him in a motion picture is intelligent. I think the film was well written.The back-story scenes of Siddharth and Harry meeting in Harry's flat, quoting Shakespeare and bonding over watching guys relieve themselves against the wall outside on the closed-circuit TV Harry has installed,were brilliant. The movie is simply amazing.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
One of the best movie of the decade.
diptinayak60031 October 2012
The last lear is a kind of film that few people would actually want to watch.Even I had the same opinion about the film until one of my colleague told me about the film in such a way that I was intrigued to watch it.I never knew I could love this movie so much. The way Amitabh Bachchan has portrayed the role of Harry is superb.It just goes on to show the versatility of the great actor.He indeed is the real king of Bollywood.Rituparno Ghosh does not have to prove all the time why he is among the best in his work.The film is so good because of the beautiful combination of both these gentleman. Not only these two,the other casts of the film have also performed really well.All credits to the director who actually brought out the best in his actors. It is too good as a film and reviews alone won't bring out the real picture.It should be watched once to get the actual feel of the movie.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Watch "The Last Lear" to see the layerings of emotion.
meena-yadav5557 December 2012
Just got to watch this movie few days back and found it really interesting. Not only Big B,the entire stars in the movie have given an excellent performance.This perhaps is among the best of the movies that each star have worked in on the basis of acting.Rituparno Ghosh is one of the finest storytellers from Bengal and for this film,he chose Utpal Dutt's play 'Aajker Shahjahan' .The movie is in English and is an absolute treat for all those people who love watching movies specially art film. The awesome combination of Amitabh Bachchan and Rituparno Ghosh can not be missed. Watch "The Last Lear" to see the layerings of emotion that the director extends into his narration without losing sight of the lightness of touch in the outer crust.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Amazing performances by all the actors
ved-prakash5555 December 2012
The Last Lear,Great direction,great screenplay,good story line and amazing performances by all the actors.Last Lear is a movie about how Amitabh Bachchan, also playing the lead role in the film wants to be a great stage actor.Preity Zinta,Arjun Rampal,Shefali Chhaya were among the other casts in the movie.Believe me,all have given tremendous performance. in the film.Amitabh Bachchan needs no word to describe his acting.He is always super in any role that he plays.Arjun Rampal perhaps can be proud to be a part of this film.It is one of his best film where he has played his in a much better way than what he does.Preity Zinta is in a completely different role and is superb.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Basically for all the art lovers
d-chawla868 January 2013
Amitabh Bachchan's starrer The Last Lear,is a movie based on Shakespeare's play and is basically for all the art lovers.The story is that of an ageing and ailing stage actor being persuaded to act in a movie, which happens to be his last, and has been left in a coma as the aftereffects of the shooting.Amitabh Bachchan is extraordinary and has given of his finest and most difficult performances ever. He is intense, generous, impulsive, and his English line delivery is spectacular. The film belongs to him completely.This movie is one of the finest to come in recent years from the Indian stables and sure to win accolades worldwide. Must Watch !
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Rituparno Ghosh-One of the finest storyteller from Bengal
naveen-kishore88824 November 2012
The last lear is based on Utpal Dutt's play 'Aajker Shahjahan',directed by one of the finest director and storyteller from Bengal.The Last lear is a story of a Shakespeare's fan Harry played by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. There is no doubt that this movie,The Last Lear has its share of engrossing moments.Harry loves acting,loves theater,fan of Shakespeare and absolutely detests cinema.Arjun Rampal was a movie director and want to cast harry in his movie but Harry goes in comma.Amitabh Bachchan has given his best performance in this movie and his combination with Rituparno Ghosh and Arindam Chaudhuri was just awesome.I advice you all should watch this movie.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed