Well, let me start this review with a flashback of my native place, since it’s very much related with this movie. History of my native place - Once upon a time, this city was famous as Industrial city of Rajasthan, since it housed many industries biggest name being JAY KAY and DCM, but then such a bad era came, which took the place by storm, almost all industries closed, and which left many unemployed person, struggling for basic income, and with a permanent headache of supporting their families. In such bad times, came a man with a vision, and he opened the first coaching institute named "ALLEN CAREER INSTITUTE", which later on excels in PMT state level medical exams, and then in every corner, every gully, opened up many coaching centres, named Career Point, Bansal Classes and etc. Yes, this city is known as EDUCATION HUB of INDIA, but it’s not because of any college/ or degree level institutes, but because of these coaching centers, which didn’t provide you degrees, they prepare students to compete in IITs, PET’s and PMT’s, means pre-preparation of entrance into degree courses, and they charge more than many degree colleges. Yes, they certainly provide something to the collapsing economy of this city, but now its following the blundered way of following education business, charging more than many person’s annual incomes, and, I heard so many comments from the parents whose children are studying into these institutes, they felt proud, if their child come into cutoff of these institutes, and also if they get scholarships from these institutes, really shame on them, these institutes just provide entrance coaching and it becomes a more bigger business than real education, the house owners charges more than 2k-3k for a single room for so many aspiring students, but that’s the irony of this place and this new business - the education business.
This is the main theme of this movie - AARAKSHAN, but surprised, why did the movie named AARAKSHAN, it should have been named something else, and this was the point Prakash Jha missed in the movie. Yes, movie is good, and 1st half totally represent the name of movie, but 2nd half goes another way, towards the education business. Well nevertheless, the message given is awesome, the handling and presentation is good (unlike Paathshala), and acting is good, and it becomes a one time watch for sure. Amitabh Bachchan again proved his mettle in the same kind of role as he performed in "Mohabbatein". Next best I liked is Manoj Bajpayee, he performed the negative role very good, and recreated the magic of Raajneeti’s act of his. Saif Ali Khan also performed well and earlier I was thinking whether he can act the role he was given, but he too did the justice to movie. Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar, were okay. Saurabh Shukla, in negative role looked good, Yashpal Sharma in positive role looked awesome, this proved that these character artists are why called the versatile ones. Mukesh Tiwari was not used well, where we all know about his act in Gangaajal. Rest were okay okay. Some other negative things about the movie - 3 songs in first half really tried there best to derail the movie, not much great lyrics (Prasoon Joshi) not much great music (Shankar Ehsaan Loy), I even thought what happened to Prakash Jha when the modern music composition "Achcha Lagta Hai", I really hated all the songs. "Mauka" was again such a bad song. The movie’s starting also felt awkward, scenes coming and going with no inter-linking, but its good soon the movie came on track. 2nd half not related to the movie title, although the climax somewhat mention the answer to aarakshan. 1st half was awesome, with powerful dialogues, and powerful scenes based on India’s today’s boiling issue of reservation, and the movie has an apt ending, giving the solution for reservation - prepare the poor children at lower level by giving them free education, so they can compete with other class students, and gain the seats on basis of their merit. This way, neither general category student feel cheated, nor reserved category student can complaint of being ignored, and hence reservation is actually not required.
Well, I missed telling the story, so here it goes - A famous college STM have an idealistic maths professor Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) as its principal, and this college counts on only ability, and it gave rise to students like Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan), who also belongs to reserved category, and Sushant Seth (Prateik Babbar). All lived happily, but then came the supreme court’s decision of providing more reservation quota for backward classes, hence it increassed tension between the two Indias - reserved and general India. And this turmoil hit Prabhakar Anand and his family very hard. And then came one more villian named Mithilesh Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), who also runs a private coaching center alongwith his education job, and degrading the value of education by making it a business. In the end, eveything comes to know, what’s wrong and what’s right.
I will rate the movie as 3/5 for honest attempt, nice presentation and acting. Had the movie plot dealt more on the point as the title goes, I would love that.
GRuchirG.
Jai Kishan ji ki :)
AAP SABKO JANMASHTHMI KI BADHAIYAANa