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Join UsStar Cast: Nana Patekar, Utkarsh Sharma, Simrat Kaur, Ashwini Kalsekar
Director: Anil Sharma
What’s Good: The solid message is getting increasingly relevant in today’s times.
What’s Bad: The length of the film
Loo Break: Luckily not, despite the long length
Watch or Not?: A film that is valid probably for viewers of all ages
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 160 Minutes
User Rating:
The story of Vanvaas moves between Shimla and Benares. Three sons of varied ages, all married and with kids, are aghast when their widowed father, Deepak Tyagi (Nana Patekar), decides to turn his bungalow into a trust and name it after his late wife Vimla (Khushboo) in honor of her countless loving memories.
But his sons would rather make money than memories now since Deepak has dementia and forgets things. The three couples take him to Benares, ostensibly for a pilgrimage-cum-birthday (of his) celebration, try their best to ‘dump’ him in an old peoples’ home minus identity, and when every ploy fails, leave him in a crowded place where an aarti is happening, and sans his Aadhaar and memory pills.
After this heinous act, they return and tell their kids and everyone else that their dear father decided to swim in the Holy Ganga and drowned. And what happens to Deepak?
Vanvaas Movie Review: Script Analysis
From frame one, the film tightens its grip on the viewer, and the emotional rollercoaster spins a series of incidents with interesting characters in the holy town where the older man is abandoned.
There is Veeru (Utkarsh Sharma), a con man and petty thief in Benares, who first cons the dementia-struck Deepak, but soon, a series of events force him to develop a rapport with the man. Things intensify when he is in love with a young dancer (Simrat Kaur) whose guardian aunt disapproves of him but says that she will allow her to marry Veeru if he reunites Deepak (at that stage, his name or identity is unknown) with his family. Deepak, however, is in the amnesic phase where he thinks he has lost his kids, who are young pre-teen boys, as had happened once in the past.
After some not-very-convincing but (necessary for the script) emotional moments (with Veeru’s romantic interest providing the not-very-noble motivation for him), Veeru saves Deepak from the clutches of an organ trafficker. He decides to unite Deepak with his family. Like his cohorts (Rajpal Yadav and Paritosh Tripathi) and everyone else, he is well aware that Deepak has actually been abandoned by his clan.
Then begins the challenging path of tracing who the old man is, which is helped by strategically questioning him according to medical advice about his past. From the second half, things become more interesting. Deepak’s family has to indulge in more duplicity to get the whopping amount the government will allot them for another property owned by Deepak’s father and the bungalow.
Another chain of events, partly by chance and partly by investigation, finally brings Deepak home at a dramatic moment. The last 20 minutes are pretty stretched, but the final confrontation between father and sons and his heartfelt talks can lead to lumps in throats and wet handkerchiefs for susceptible audience members. Thus, the script scores high.
Vanvaas Movie Review: Star Performance
After The Vaccine War, Nana Patekar once again puts in a magnificent essay as Deepak, especially in his memory-ravaged sequences and outbursts of anger. He is also fantastic in his romantic scenes with his wife, Vimal (Khushboo Sunder). Ashwini Kalsekar as ‘Aunty’ is wonderful in yet another fiery, part-comic role. Rajpal Yadav impresses after a long, long time as Veeru’s sidekick. The actors playing Deepak’s family are well-cast, and so is Rajesh Sharma in a cameo as the lawyer. Simratt Kaur, as Veeru’s girl, is generally competent.
This film finally shows Utkarsh Sharma’s true potential. His performance is easy and fluid, and his eyes speak myriad emotions like the rakish Veeru. If he handles his career well and gets the right opportunities, Utkarsh can become a complete package of a star.
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Vanvaas Movie Review: Direction, Music
Anil Sharma returns to his Apne zone even as we await the long-announced Apne 2. His grip on emotions and way of weaving a film, just like in the classic Hindi cinema mode of the 1960s to 1990s, without coming across as dated, is immensely praiseworthy. Come to think of it, his tendency to hard-hit and give an emotional wallop was evident right from his debut 43 years ago—in Shraddhanjali. However, the action forced in the film’s first half, an unnecessary character towards the end, and an extraneous ex-disciple of Deepak unnecessarily added to the length, something that should not be indulged in today.
Mithoon and Sayeed Quadri give very average songs that do not boost the film commercially or in terms of memorable work, though they are not substandard. Monty Sharma’s mood-oriented background score, however, adds to the film.
Vanvaas Movie Review: The Last Word
The audience will say the last word, but it will be praised for a very topical, thoughtful, and touching tale that looks at a relatively common social ill—parents’ neglect at a crucial time when they need the maximum love.
Four stars!
Vanvaas Trailer
Vanvaas releases on 07 September, 2018.
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