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Angrezi Medium Review: Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal earn grace marks for this entertaining film
Angrezi Medium breezes through as an entertainer because of a commendable performance by the star cast. However, the star cast's gift of the gab, acting skills and some witty one-liners take the shortest route to the audience's hearts. It is a hilarious and heartwarming account of a father-daughter relationship.
Movie Name: Angrezi Medium
Angrezi Medium Cast: Irrfan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madan
Angrezi Medium Director: Homi Adajania
Angrezi Medium Stars: 3/5
There are very few Bollywood films that have explored the father-daughter relationship thread. Angrezi Medium takes this chance and delivers on it. Let's begin with a fact: Angrezi Medium is not a franchise of Hindi Medium. What is, however, in common is the earnest desire and tireless effort of a parent to provide his child with the opportunity to achieve top-notch education.
Angrezi Medium is a story about an unassuming mithai shop owner from Udaipur, Champak (Irrfan Khan) who is a single father and like any other Indian father, lives for his daughter's happiness. We wonder when and how did Ghasitaram become the go-to name for Bollywood for any small enterprise? Subtle brand push or just serendipity?
Ever since he can remember, Champak's daughter Tarika (Radhika Madan) had an obsession with studying in London, and this sets him on a journey, full of misadventures, in a quest to fulfill her dream. There are very few Bollywood films that have explored the father-daughter relationship thread. Angrezi Medium takes this chance and delivers on it.
Champak shares a beautiful yet complex relationship with his idiosyncratic brother Gopi (Deepak Dobriyal). Though they are engaged in a legal tussle on who is the real owner of the brand name 'Ghasitaram', they set aside their issues whenever it's about Tarika's need.
Fast forward, Tarika gets selected for a scholarship through her school to study in London's prestigious institution. However, things become a bit awkward, and she loses the opportunity – thanks to the foot in mouth syndrome of her father. Hereon, the story takes hilarious turns as Champak and Gopi go to bizarre lengths to get her admitted to the same London university. Like Hindi Medium, the duo becomes victims of circumstances, terrible command of English language and yet adopts a hook or crook method to fight admission and immigration systems.
The film scores an 'A' in the acting and the dialogue department. Irrfan, we missed you! He is unbeatable as Champak. His innocence and effortless acting make you fall in love with him. Deepak Dobriyal is cherry on the top and definitely a very crucial element to make this film entertaining. Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal won't let you pay attention to the script's innate weakness and keep you entertained throughout. Their one-liners and jokes leave you in splits. It's a tall task to steal a bit of thunder when you have actors like Irrfan and Deepak in the frame. However, Radhika Madan manages to leave an impact with her presence. The chemistry between Irrfan and Radhika is endearing.
The biggest grudge a film lover may have with the film is the underutilization of talented supporting cast and addition of unnecessary sub-plots that stretches the film by an additional 10-15 minutes. Pankaj Tripathi is an actor who usually has a stellar screen presence. Unfortunately, in Angrezi Medium, he is wasted. So is Ranvir Shorey. Dimple Kapadia is a treat for cine-goers. But her character and the unresolved (and unexplained) tiff with her cop-daughter Kareena Kapoor Khan was a burden on the film. The actors deliver the best from what was offered to them by the makers. However, the rough edges of the character sketch are conspicuous. You wonder: Were they really required in the film? It is one question that lingers in your mind even after you step out of the theatre. However, this can also be a case of a film critic's obsession to surgically scrutinize every decision of the filmmaker. We leave you to be the judge!
The director has managed to weave an entertaining story around the father-daughter relationship. There are certain stereotypes that could have been easily avoided. The length of the film might also bother a few. Especially with subjects like this, a crisp story is a better bet. Thankfully, the film avoids the inclusion of several songs. The re-mixed version of the Hindi Medium finale song has been beautifully weaved into the story. Setting aside the mishmash created through a myriad of characters and sub-plots, Angrezi Medium breezes through as an entertainer because of a commendable performance by the star cast. It a film that threatens to prove the proverb 'many cooks spoil the broth'.
However, the star cast's gift of the gab, acting skills, and some witty one-liners take the shortest route to the audience's hearts. It is a hilarious and heart-warming account of a father-daughter relationship. It is a tale of friends, of coming of age, of small-town dreams obsessed with an illusion of studying in a foreign university, and of teenage rebellion to attain freedom from parents.
Watch the Angrezi Medium's trailer below:
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