Shamitabh Movie Review

February 5, 2015

2 minutes read

Review Overview

Performances

Screenplay & Direction

Technical Aspects & Music

Power packed performances in a slow narrative!

Shamitabh comes with stellar performances from Dhanush, Akshara and Amitabh, in addition to PC Sreeram's stupendous camerawork and Ilaiyaraaja's music. But, pace and predictability issues take the excitement away.

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Akshara Haasan, Rekha & Others

Cinematography: PC Sreeram

Music: Ilaiyaraja

Editing: Hemanti Sarkar

Written & Directed by: Balki

Produced by: Hope Productions

Distribution: Eros International

Release Date: 06-02-2015

Run Time: 02:33:00

This review of Shamitabh is free of spoilers.

Ever since Dhanush forayed into Bollywood with Raanjhnaa and bagged awards for it, the actor has made heads turn and look forward to his next outing on the upper side. As lucky as he could get, Dhanush landed himself a role with none other than Amitabh Bachchan himself, where Akshara Haasan too makes a debut. What does the movie offer? Time to find out from my Shamitabh Movie Review.

As we all know, Shamitabh is the story of a mute bus conductor who aspires to become a hero. With the help of Akshara Haasan and some technology, Dhanush befriends Amitabh Bachchan and convinces him to lend his voice for his films. What follows is the rise and fall of the new character called Shamitabh. Director R.Balki had a stellar cast, strong technical team and the Maestro’s music. But one does feel that he did not put the talent to best use here, as the end result is slow paced and predictable. There are a lot of interesting moments throughout the film, here and there. But at the same time, the infusion of a few inane Bollywood sequences make you question the intention of the director. What is the need to introduce unnecessary elements into a story which could be beautifully molded between the three top characters?

Dhanush and Amitabh Bachchan have truly competed with each other to perform better onscreen. When Dhanush emotes laughter without saying a word, Amitabh hits back with a strong riposte in his drunk, hung over voice. His voice is the USP of the film, more than anything else. You just cannot afford to miss the scene where he recites a dialogue from Mughal e Azam. Only veterans hold their place for long and Shamitabh shows you why he is one. Dhanush’s role too, requires a lot of homework and the actor has given his best for the film, just like every other. But the show stealer definitely is Akshara Haasan who throws in a surprise with her act. Enacting long shots looks like a cakewalk to the little girl, for she has made her mark standing between two powerhouses. There are a lot of other faces and cameos in the film, but nobody seems to care when these three are on song.

PC Sreeram’s cinematography is once again a treat to the eyes. Each of his frames are wallpaper material and capture the proceedings from a different perspective. Editing is apt for a film of this kind, and a special mention for the costume designers too. Raaja’s BGM complements Balki’s visions superbly, as the mastero brings in lovely cues in background score. The mesmerizing music gets a better on screen with the impressive visuals.

On the whole, Shamitabh is belted with impressive performances which will steal your heart. What it lacks, is the heart in the screenplay, without which the film doesn’t connect very well at the end. While Shamitabh should not be missed for the cast, it could have scaled higher with a better second half. A good film, but not a great film.