'Manjhi The Mountain Man' review: Not quite 'Shandaar, Zabardast, Zindabad' as one would expect it to be

Film: Manjhi - The Mountain Man
Director: Ketan Mehta
Cast: Nawazuddin SIddiqui, Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pankaj Tripathi
Rating: *** (Three stars)

What's it about: 

Dashrath Manjhi refused to be a bonded labourer like his father. He wanted out of a life of drudgery in his forgotten-in-time village Gehlaur. He ran away to work in a coal mine and eke out something of a respectful life, something he'd never get back home. But years later, on his return, little or next to nothing has changed. Except that the girl he married as a child, Phaguniya has grown to be a beautiful woman. They soon elope and start a happy family, but that happiness doesn't last too long. A mountain comes between them and their happily ever after, when she slips and falls to her death, trying to cross it. That's when Manjhi decides to carve his way through the mountain - first as an avenger and then as a seemingly insane do-gooder.

What's hot:

If you watch this film and stay in your seat for all of two hours it's because of some superlative acting by Nawaz and Radhika and some fantastic cinematography by Rajeev Jain. That and some memorable dialogues that really hit the right emotional spots. At the core of this film, is the Dashrath-Phaguniya love story and that comes shining through despite the short time they have together. It's heartbreaking to see Manjhi go from a devil-may-care to a man on a mission.

What's not:

If you're going to make a biopic on the enduring power of hope, love, courage and determination, you're going to be better off having fewer depressing moments than the ones that make you smile. Dashrath's father's character is irredeemable for the most part and even when he has his flashes of kindness, you really don't feel for the man who cares for the Mountain Man's son and daughter. Much time is wasted establishing the zamindar's son Raub's villainy. Many points in rural Indian history -- from Independence to modern-day -- are touched upon, but never fully explored, at least not until the point to make you care enough. 

What to do: 

Not quite 'Shandaar, Zabardast, Zindabad' as one would expect it to be. It makes you proud that such Indian lived among us and makes a compelling case against Indian politicians and the bureaucracy. But beyond that, it's simply a love story - a man tearing through a mountain to keep the memory of his wife alive.