¨Freedom can never be asked for. Seize it and
live forever free.¨
Udaan is an Indian film directed by
Vikramaditya Motwane which was nominated for the 2010 Cannes Film Festival for
the Un Certain Regard Award. Even though it didn`t win, I have to admit that
the film was pretty strong and had a lot of soul put into it by first time
feature film director Motwane. The story isn`t original, we`ve seen the premise
before, but the way it is presented and the performances from the unknown
actors are what makes the film feel real and authentic. My only complaint might
be that the film is a little too long and drags at times, but it still is a
very entertaining watch with several emotional moments throughout the movie. I
loved the performances in this film especially the one of the seventeen year
old son played by Rajat Barmecha and his estranged and abusive father, Ronit
Roy. Aayan Boradia, the six year old brother, was also a charm and despite not
having much dialogue he steals your heart in every scene. This is a strong and
emotional film about family and finding the courage to follow your dreams. Some
scenes may seem like taken out of a Disney movie where you have the abusive
father who wants to force his kid to work in the family business and neglect
his personal dream or goal of becoming an artist (in this case a writer). The
characters in this film have a lot of depth, but at the same time they are one
dimensional sometimes. The father is abusive, mean, and disciplines his
children like if they were in the military by making them call him ¨sir.¨ He
shows no love for neither of his sons. Despite the story being familiar and cliché,
I still found it very touching and powerful thanks to some great performances
and a good soundtrack. Udaan was a very interesting film and I absolutely
recommend it.
The film begins with four friends escaping one
night from a boarding school to go watch an adult movie at the cinema. Once
they are at the movies they have the bad fortune of running into the school
guardian who informs the principle about their misconduct. Rohan Singh (Rajat
Barmecha) and his friends are expelled from school. Rohan is forced to return to
his hometown in an industrial part of India where his estranged father lives.
Rohan hadn`t seen his father since his mother died and he was sent to the
school over eight years ago. His father, Bhairav (Ronit Roy) never visited him
during that period and only wrote to him one letter a year. Bhairav is very
displeased with Rohan`s behavior and forces him to work at the steel industry
that he manages and study engineering. Rohan wants to go to art school and
become a writer, but his father is determined he study engineering and abandon
his silly dreams. Rohan also discovers for the first time that he has a six
year old brother named Arjun (Aayan Boradia) who obeys every word coming from
his father. The only person who seems to treat Rohan well is his uncle, Jimmy
(Ram Kapoor), who unsuccessfully tries to convince Bhairav to let his son
become a writer. Rohan feels imprisoned at home and can`t find the way to
pursue his own dreams. He finds refugee some nights by escaping from his home
and hanging out with his friends, but he also begins to worry about his little
brother and the way his father treats them.
If I would`ve just read the premise of the
story I would`ve probably thought the movie was going to be cliché and
predictable, which in a way it is, but it`s still worth the watch because of
the emotional drama that is poured into the film. It has a lot of heart and
some terrific performances from Ronit Roy as the mean spirited and strict
father and Rajat Barmecha as the son who feels abandoned by his father and
locked in a cage without being able to pursue his own dreams. You can`t help
but feel sorry for him knowing that he has a special talent but can`t do
anything about it due to his father`s stubbornness. There is no good in Roy`s
character, it`s as if he has no love in him and wants to force everyone to be
like him. He is a tyrant and is good at it. The film is entertaining and worth
the watch thanks to these performances and the emotional moments that transcend
the big screen. Udaan is a great social drama that many will enjoy.
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