Uunchai Review: This is a trek worth taking

Hyderabad: At a time when actors are looking for image changes to further their careers, it is interesting that Sooraj Bharjatiya decides to move away from his comfort zone and make an out and out near adventure thriller based however on human sentiments (his forte). Even the hunky-dory family gets a shake up in the […]

Hyderabad: At a time when actors are looking for image changes to further their careers, it is interesting that Sooraj Bharjatiya decides to move away from his comfort zone and make an out and out near adventure thriller based however on human sentiments (his forte). Even the hunky-dory family gets a shake up in the script and we have nuclear families finding things hard to come by. Somewhere the film is intrinsically Sooraj yet characteristically different.

Three friends: Javed (Boman Irani), Om Sharma (Anupam Kher) and Amit Srivatsav (Amitabh Bachchan) are mourning the death of their common friend Bhupen (Danny). Over the years Bhupen has been trying to sell them the idea of a trip to the base camp of the Mount Everest. What was a jinxed trip in his life time turns into a challenge for the surviving three friends. Each has a little story, a little challenge and a different question hanging up before them. Joining them in the journey is Maya (Sarika) who is a new entrant but is deeply connected.

---

How does the trip go? Given the mechanics of mainstream cinema we know for sure the three friends, unwelcome as they may be to the tour guide Shradha Gupta (Parineeti Chopra), will succeed notwithstanding the chronological challenges of age. Even as the film pays tribute to friendship it deals with other relationships namely the husband wife between Javed and his wife Shaboo (Nina Gupta) and their daughter Heeba (Sheenu Das).

Similarly, Om has issues with his son while Amit a successful writer has a skeleton in his cupboard in the form of his estranged wife Abhilasha (Nafisa Ali). The vigour the characters bring to the screen and the zest for life and the never say die spirit to overcome challenges of age and physical limitation in trekking while may at one level be just physical Sooraj ensures he leaves a mark outside of just the physicality that is being spoken of.

As ever, the bane of our cinema and the signature of Bharjatiya! The film is needlessly long. A long narrative fleshing up the characters is wholly unnecessary and could have well been avoided. While the film starts off with a keti kho – keti kho number, the needless swing into the families could well have been avoided. The film has some amazing moments. Yes, sometimes a tad overdramatic. Yet, most often well within cinematic license in the regular space of drama.

Often a good film is not just about the story and the director but how it is backed by the crew and cast. Abhishek Dixit writes very competently. Music by Amit Trivedi is good. Manoj Kumar Khatoi raises the cinematography to an art. As a director, Sooraj Barjatya is at his best.

Sarika and Neena Gupta have their moments in the film and add tremendous credibility to their short but meaningful roles. Parineeti Chopra also has her moments in the film. Partly as the director sees it but it must be said that it is Anupam Kher who is tad over board and predictable. Bomman Irani is studied steady and reliable. Danny comes off with an interesting cameo.

Yet again give Bachchan a good script and he will give you a winning performance. Except in the finale, he is top class. The scene where he crosses the bridge and his final metamorphosis is right up his street. Sheer magnetic performances led by him and supported by the rest celebrates the heights of Unchaai.