Film review: 'Hawaizaada' has Sanjay Bhansali written all over it

Film: Hawaizaada 
Rating: *** 1/2
Starring: Mithun Chakraborty, Ayushmann Khurrana and Pallavi Sharda
Directed by: Vibhu Virender Puri
 
WHAT’S IT ABOUT:

Young director Vibhu Virender Puri makes his directorial debut with Hawaizaada, which is not exactly flawless. But his sheer conviction in the subject and his stupendous effort into creating a world within a world establishes the young maker as a force to reckon with. Hawaizaada is part-reality and part-fiction – the story of unsung hero Shivkar Talpade (Khurana) who apparently created the first ‘flying vehicle’ eight years before the Wright brothers were credited with the same. In the movie, Shivkar is shown to be a carefree young man whose talent is discovered by an eccentric scientist Shastri (Chakraborty). Before he realises his true goal in life, Shivkar is busy wooing a dancer girl Sitara (Sharda) and assisting Shastri in his ambitious projects. But when the inevitable happens, Shivkar dedicates himself towards a greater cause – building the plane that Shastri has envisioned but left unfulfilled. Thus begins an inspiring voyage filled with hope, aspiration and achievement, uniting a country that is awakening to revolution and freedom.
 
WHAT’S HOT:

Those who aren’t aware that Vibhu Virender Puri assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali for a long time would surely know so after seeing Hawaizaada – the unmistakable ‘Bhansali’ flavor and tone is all over the film. What’s commendable is that Vibhu has achieved that level of scale and grandeur in perhaps one-fourth the budget. Puri’s sense of detailing and aesthetics is overwhelming. Hawaizaada is an extremely difficult film to execute, especially for a first-timer. Puri (again following his mentor’s footsteps) creates a make-believe version of Mumbai, which is vivid, colorful and opulent. His interplay with relationships between the lead characters is interesting. He brings forth a fresh approach in his song placements and the kind of soundtrack he has chosen – braving to go the unconventional way. He ensures that the scientific innovations look real. Puri maintains a relaxed pace in most of the film – accelerating high on drama very effectively in the two crucial ‘plane flying’ moments. The climax of the film where Shivkar eventually achieves the impossible will get you the goose bumps. The production design by Subrata Chakrabarty and Amit Ray is top-class. Cinematographer Savita Singh has shot the film beautifully. Dialogues by Vibhu himself deserve a special mention. Among the cast, Ayushman gives his most honest performance – bringing his own to a character that’s not easy to essay. Pallavi Sharda springs a surprise – she brings a certain dignity to Sitara. The ace of the film is Mithun Chakraborty – as the temperamental Shastri, he is outstanding in every scene.
 
WHAT’S NOT:

Where Vibhu scores in his direction, he lets himself down in his screenplay (he has written the film with Saurabh R. Bhave). The love story between Shivkar and Sitara is so weakly penned that it slackens the film. There is too much of time wasted before the writers get to the core plot of the film. And that is what leaves you restless. Also, considering the film is a part biopic, it would’ve been interesting to know what happened to Shivkar after his experiment succeeded and why was his achievement forgotten so easily? And why do all the British characters in the film look once again like caricatures? When will Hindi cinema overcome this?  
 
WHAT TO DO:

Hawaizaada is like a picture post-card – watch it for the outstanding effort of a first-time director.