This is movie is sure running
full-houses in India and abroad and rather surprising that I couldn’t get a ticket until the second
week. A more
than 8/10 on IMDB and one would think it is a must watch and I would say not as
much as Dangal or Badri ki Dulhaniya. Ok so why are these two movies my parameters
of the measure- both these movies focused on societal issues and delivered them
in fabulous entertainment- while the subject matter did touch your heart, the screenplay
kept you engaged and there was a natural flow. My expectations of Hindi Medium were way high with the talented Irfan Khan, the very beautiful Saba Qamar and the most
entertaining trailer, I was just counting days for its release and perhaps, it
is only with that level of expectation you become more critical
The subject / story of
this movie is most relevant to the current scenario in the Indian Society,
where parents struggle to get their Children in to a good school and are hit
with tiresome and stringent processes, fierce competition, bureaucracy, red
tapism, and above all the societal pressure being shamed if the children are
not sent to “well-known” educational institutions and Ivy Leagues. Raj (Irfan
Khan) and Mita (Saba Qamar) are a couple from Chandni Chowk who aspire to send
their daughter Piya to a plush, among the Top 5 School, so that she can have better education
and prospects in life in comparison to their upbringing. So strong is their
aspiration that they don’t leave a leaf unturned, including faking poverty and
living in the slums to get their child through the RET(Right to Education)
Quota
The plot chosen was
awesome, the cast chosen was super awesome, the story was awesome, so what so not
so awesome and perhaps mediocre was the confused treatment of the subject matter, screenplay
and maybe editing. Both Mohit Suri and Neha Dhupia (Neighbours of Raj and Mita)
have been cast for no reason, or perhaps their scenes have been edited. It may seem at the start if the movie that
Mita has some history with Suri and then nothing ever unfolds. You wonder why
these two actors of this caliber were even cast
The climax of the movie is
the weakest and perhaps kills the entire experience. In the last scene when
Irfan Khan goes to the school principal to confess and accept the fraudulence admission
of his child, the scene jumps to an annual day function, and then miraculously,
talented children from a government school (an entire van!) come on stage to
give a surprise performance. All this is happening in the same frame and with
no sense of time lapse. Irfan Khan then gives a heart touching speech in
Hinglish, which goes a bit too much for my logic- the entire movie was about getting
the child in to the Top 5 and not really about English/ Hindi Medium Schools. Infact
there are so many instances in the movie where they show the importance of
learning English. They even show how excited government school parents are when
their child is talking in English and hence the clear focus on the subject
matter was missing.
My expectations were way
high, like I said and this didn’t turn out be my No.1 movie of the year, so I
am disappointed. So what are the strengths of the movie- clearly 2 elements
which I think one must watch for. No.1- Deepak Dobriyal, much has been said
about this truly talented actor from Tanu Weds Manu. There is so much sincerity
in his acting that every role he has played, the character marks so different
from the other. He plays the naive, loving impoverished neighbor of Raj and brings
the Awww and the haha! moments with his excellent comic timing . No.2, I would
give it to the dialogue writer, for some very funny and witty dialogues in the
movie.
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