A question troubling me since childhood is, why is almost 80-90% of our ministers over 50 years of age? Why can’t our authorities be young and dynamic, especially since a major section of our population comprise of the youth? Youngistaan attempts to show how a country can hope for change if it’s headed by a person who’s young, not just in age but also in thought. Although it could have been much better, the 133 minute long film is a fine attempt by the makers. Moreover, Jackky Bhagnani finally proves he’s one of the best talents around!
The story of the movie: Abhimanyu Kaul(Jackky Bhagnani) works in a gaming company in Japan and is in a live-in relationship with Anwita(Neha Sharma). Abhimanyu’s father Dashrath Kaul(Boman Irani) is the Prime Minister of India. While in office, he passes away and due to prevailing circumstances, Abhimanyu is asked to take his place. As the inexperienced Abhimanyu is sworn in as the Prime Minister, he earns backlash from media, a section of population and also from his own partymen. How he comes out of it and tries to run the country forms the crux of the film.
Youngistaan takes a no-nonsense approach towards its script. Surely, it’s the so-called Hindi film entertainer replete with hero-heroine romance, songs et al but the makers have ensured that all these factors don’t hamper the film. Surely, the director could have shown the PM running around trees with his girlfriend and singing songs but he avoided it completely. The lip-sync version of Suno Na Sangemarmar and Youngistaan Anthem don’t make it to the film at all(the former is shown in the end credits)! The focus is simply on the storyline and kudos to the makers for the same!
Youngistaan has a breezy commencement. The sequence where the core party team decides to elect Abhimanyu is where the film goes on a high. The sequences thereafter – Abhimanyu trying to adjust to his new profession – are funny and at the same time, deftly handled. The conflict that arises during the intermission point makes for a great watch. The second half starts off on a promising note, but after a point, the sequences fail to make a profound impact. Sure, few scenes are interesting, especially the games played by Abhimanyu, but the overall punch is missing. The climax also suffers from the same problem but it’s well thought of and hence makes for a great watch.
Youngistaan belongs majorly to Jackky Bhagnani. The actor proves his naysayers wrong, and how, and makes it very clear that given a chance, he can deliver a powerhouse performance! The role of the PM is no easy task but Jackky impresses with his sincerity. Moreover, he is known for his dance and songs, but in Youngistaan, he chooses to keep all of that on the backburner. Here’s hoping Jackky does more such films and also looks for films outside his home banner. And lastly, you are indeed a ‘good boy’(see the film to understand the context)!
Neha Sharma as always is stunning and delivers a bravura performance. She has a significant role to essay and she does it very well. Farooq Sheikh(Abhimanyu’s PA, Akbar) is one of the major reasons why many will see the film. And as expected, he is simply superb and thankfully, has a very interesting and comprehensive role. Hats off to this brilliant actor! We’ll miss you, Farooq saab!
Boman Irani impresses in his cameo performance. Prakash Belawadi(Murli Mukundan) is an actor to watch, especially in negative roles. Deepankar De(Shubhodeep Ganguly) is fine while Triveni Sangam Bahuguna(Ajay Thakur) makes his presence felt, especially in the second half. Kayoze Irani(Zafar) and Meeta Vasisht(Suhasini) get limited scope.
Songs are neatly incorporated in the film and not a single track thwarts the narrative. Moreover, out of 4 tracks, 2 songs – Daata Di Diwani and Youngistaan Anthem – are relegated to the background. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score is apt and escalates impact in some scenes. Sets are appealing and believable while the film has been shot in some nice locales of India.
Syed Ahmad Afzal, Ramiz Ilham Khan and Maitrey Bajpai come up with a very interesting storyline. Dialogues too are real and to the point. Screenplay however is engaging in the first half but in the second half, it gets a bit complicated. Moreover, the impact is missing. Same goes for Syed Ahmad Afzal’s direction. It’s evident that Syed has got his facts right and tried his best to depict a realistic picture of the Prime Minister and his day-to-day experiences. But somewhere, the conflicts needed to be more dramatic. Also, one surely didn’t expect him to cover all the burning issues in the country but he surely could have touched more upon some of the prominent ones. That way, the finale sequence would have got additional boost. Nevertheless, it was a nice effort and hope to see Syed work his magic in his second film too!
Some of the best scenes:
Abhimanyu in Japan.
Abhimanyu meets his father on his deathbed.
Core team decides to elect Abhimanyu as the PM.
Abhimanyu sworn in as PM.
Abhimanyu shifts with Anwita.
The intermission point.
Abhimanyu plays games to achieve his objective.
The last 10 minutes.
On the whole, Youngistaan is a nice little surprise this season that boasts of not just a fine story, but also a brilliant performance from Jackky Bhagnani. The presence of late Farooq Shaikh makes the film even more special. It could have been much better in the second hour but yet, Youngistaan surely deserves a watch! Do give it a try!