Bonding with a child can make you do strange things, their innocence and vulnerability can bring out the best in you and many a times their despair and grief can stretch you to attain the implausible. In BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN, the same bond transcends all- caste, religion and even borders and transforms a simpleton into a messiah.
Usually, a Salman khan film does not necessitate an emotional and coherent plot. Commercially speaking, his movies are never in need of anything which even vaguely resembles a decent script.
His swagger and his demeanour is all his fans ask for, his pelvic thrusts and cheezy one-liners are what they throng in for. Paisa vasool for them, end of the story.
But this film displays a different him, he minus his flamboyance and swagger. He is no larger than life hero here who thrashes the daylights out of the bad guys, does not vocal his signature one-liners and never for once rips off his shirt for the audiences.
Instead, he plays ( or underplays) a naive, honest and earnest simpleton who keeps bowing in front of every ape in gratitude owing to his Hanuman worshipping. Still then, he brings an unmissable charm and sincerety to his character which gradually grows on you.
BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN, then, is a hypersweet, over simplistic and unabashedly massy portrayal of a man reuniting a mute six year old girl to her family in Pakistan.
The show stealer in this Salman khan film is strangely, not him. She is this super cute and adorable mute girl, played by Harshaali malhotra, whose charming demeanour and expressive eyes do wonders for the film. The film succeeds largely because of her and her predicaments. Her relationship with Salman khan is of essence here and their journey, though predictable, has its heart at the right place.
The intelligence is lowbrow here, but the intent is omnipresent. The cross border conflict is addressed very simplistically and is way too contrived, but the message seems to make sense. The ideologies, religious practices and the socio norms all faintly dealt with, some work and most don't. But what for the most part works, is the fact that it projects love and peace as strong forces. What makes the film rise over its flaws is the message it puts forth: compassion being a universal language and transcending every barrier.
The film also succeeds because of the infectious energy that Nawazuddin siddique brings to the forefront. Though he has his presence only in the second half, he is an absolute joy to watch. His timing and body language is both crackling and riveting.There are instances when the sheer talent and craft of Nawazuddin even overpowers the charm of Salman khan.
Every attempt is made in the long drawn climax to impact the tear ducts of the audiences and to the director's credit, it does work.You know the consequences, you know what is to come and you know the result and yet you feel the lumps in your throat when it happens.
It is very tough not to like a film which makes you cry in the end. Over dramatic as it may seem, and way too loose and a tad too lengthy, but still this film is immensely watchable.
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