Heroic Heroes
iView Author: Jehan Handa (New Delhi, India)
Email: jehanhanda580 [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] in
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Heroic Heroes
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Of late, we have seen a blitzkrieg of films based on bash- bash and bang bang. Alas Hijack et Tahaan. Most promos mislead the viewer no end. They promise the moon, the viewer is hooked and very often, they fail to meet the expectations. Here the promos look promising, and the star cast is blinding, with the likes of the Khan and the Deol brothers, the film looks like some Pak bashing, or anti-Pakistan or some pro- border film, honestly it is completely different from anything you expect, it delivers the unexpected.
After watching director Samir Karnik’s previous films consisting of an extremely weird Kyun Ho Gaya Na, and a sincere Nanhe Jaisalmer, you come with zilch expectations, you don’t expect him to touch the sky, and neither do you expect Salman to give a superb performance, thanks to his recent performances. (God Tussi Great Ho, Hello and other shit). But once the reels start rolling, you see the film with a different perspective, and you come out with a smile on your face. Director Karnik narrates a refreshingly new tale that is bound to enthrall you, umm yeah somewhat enthralling. Heroes talks about a journey undertaken by two boys and the three letters they’ve to deliver to the families of the deceased. Heroes is more of an emotional experience, how each family copes with life after their beloved has become a martyr.
Three different stories that catch you by surprise hold you emotionally and make you realize what joining the army, and serving the country is all about. It is not about simply dying for your country, and not about simply joining the army, it is more about how the army risks their lives at stake, their loved ones at stake, and protects our country from our enemies. All three stories have their own charm, and stand out in their own ways.
Besides evoking strong emotions, Heroes also arouses strong patriotic feelings. There’re moments in the film that compel you to salute those who guard our nation, so that we can sleep in peace
Sohail Khan and Vatsal Seth, two close buddies, who cant live without each other, are given a task, to make a graduation film in order to travel to U.S.A. The two accept the challenge and travel on a motorbike (Motorcycle Diaries), and wish to create a film on why a common man shouldn’t join the army force. Heroes is a revelation. Heroes salute the heroes who guard our nation. It’s a powerful film. A moving experience!
Story Number One
Balkar Singh (Salman Khan), a brave and proud soldier, leaves his family deserted in their village. His wife (Preity Zinta), is the pillar of the family, and is survived by one son (Dwij Parashar). This chapter is high on the emotion quotient, and is worth watching. Salman Khan delivers a superb performance, so does Preity Zinta, with the Punjabi language, they are well casted. The kid is first rate. A few scenes stand out, the way they stand at the fence, at the Indo-Pak Border, and the dialogues that take place, everything is simply moving and amazing. The story stands out, and gives the film a rocket headed start to move on. Bravura!
Story Number Two
Sunny Deol is an air force officer, and has lost his younger brother (Bobby Deol) who works in the army. Sunny is a handicapped, but jovial man. He hasn’t lost hope, and tries to stay happy most of the time, what stays with him is the pride, and doesn’t feel sorry for anything with his brother. The story is well executed, but isn’t that compelling. A few scenes stand out again, the one where they sit on the truck and turn back to find the martyrs in their coffins, it is outstanding! Sunny Deol delivers a competent performance, and Brother Bobby lives up with a cameo.
Story Number Three
The weakest link of them all. You don’t feel like moving on with the film, the film takes on a slow pace, and you wish that it gets over with the two stories. Nothing wrong with the writing or its execution, but something is missing, the pace suddenly dips.
Now the rest, other than the script, the music falls flat. Mannata is a soft romantic track, and adds a soothing touch, but Uggh, Badmash Launde is a bhojpuri nightmare, and the other nameless songs, just add to the noise, Sajid Wajid falls flat, outright rejected! Dialogues are outstanding at places, simply saving in slow situations.
Overall, Heroes is a moving attempt, something that had me in tears, something that made me sit up, think whether I should do something, think whether we should do something, for our country, for other people, and not act selfish with ourselves. The film falls in the league of Lage Raho Munnabhai or Rang De Basanti, despite the fact, the film looses pace with the third story, it is a commendable effort, and is bound to be counted among the better films in recent times. The film might not set the Ganges afire, neither will it set the box office, but what matters is it sets a flame in all our hearts, to get up and do something, the decision is with us, whether to or not to.
Tags: bobby deol, Kyun Ho gaya na, Nanhe Jaisalmer, Preity Zinta, Salman Khan, Sameer Karnik, Sohail Khan, sunny deol, vatsal seth
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Salman Khan was a surprise element in the film. But the superstars of the film were Vinod Pradhan and Gopal Shaw for their brilliant piece of cinematography.
Sorry Jehan.. But this is what I thought…
Have u ever sat through a film so painfully boring that u spend half of ur time planning ur escape?
That’s the only thought that entered my mind (which was completely numbed) whilst being subjected to the latest disaster from Bollywood, ‘HEROES’!
Director Samir Karnik seems to confuse subtlety with buffoonery.
I was falsely lead to believe that this film was ‘Motorcycle Diaries meets Rang De Basanti’!
The performances range from pure bad to over-the-top! Salman Khan proves that u CAN mouth dialogues without parting ur lips. Impressive!
Must’ve been the glue from the ’stuck on’ beard!
Priety was the only redeeming factor here, but sadly her beautiful performance is suffocated by an overlong, badly executed film!
Maybe Himesh Reshamiya won’t mind us taking a ‘Z’ off ‘KARZZZZ’ and adding it to the begining of the title in this film!
I really wanted to like this..but it really was a drag!!!!
Hahaha,Steve I wont argue. I feel its ur opinion. Yes i have mentioned the film was a drag, no doubt. I didnt want to see the third story, and yes dubbing was bad. What I felt was that the message was right, and the intentions were good,but yeah not cinema at its best, but some experiences did move me.
Thanks Though
But what Anand Kumar said in the Hindustan Times review, calling it ‘Rang de motorycling’,calling it motorcycle diaries meet Rang De Basanti was absurd, Can we have Mr Khalid Mohamed back? =p
@steve
Yes it not a great cinema but its not a bad film . Salman acted very well i think. Being overcritical for such kinda film is not correct.
Yupp, the film anways didnt promise you path-breaking cinema.
Very well written,Jehan.
Excellent Write up Jehaan.
Just a point which i’d like to mention…
I am not sure how sunny deol looses his legs in the arial combat as he mentions, and considering his personality, we can even bare his breaking tiles with those DHAI KILO ke HAATH’S. However i’d seriously like to know how a person on a wheelchair can drive a 4 wheeler.
well written there, Jehan
“Story Number Three
The weakest link of them all. You don’t feel like moving on with the film, the film takes on a slow pace, and you wish that it gets over with the two stories. Nothing wrong with the writing or its execution, but something is missing, the pace suddenly dips.”
care to explain what’s story number three?
The movie even though had it’s heart in the right place was at the end just another jingoistic patriotism lesson we have come to expect from Bollywood over & over again.
If this kind of movie is the wake up call you need to realise you need to do something for your country then good luck mate!!!
Summer 2007 (Sounds B grade masala flick) is without doubts one of the best movies come out this year…its dedicated to the farmers of india…its a story abt five rich medical students and how the rural india transforms them…
Do watch it…Small films make it big (In terms of respect)…this movie shud have been publisized in a right way…Samir karnik shud c “Summer 2007″ to compare his film with a good film…
you must be real easy to con, considering that you wasted your time effort money and tears on this peice of crap….
Thanks Vanshaya,Koolguru and judegag( yeah we all tend to forgive him for being sunny deol =p)..Haha Sorry Tushar..I realised that a bit later, that I shoulve said something about the story, and thank you others for your views.
kooolguru – there are vehicles for disable ppl. i mean to say it can be modified to fit their needs
koolguru
if it would have been uma thurman in a quintine tarantino film in place of sunny deol u would have said …..wah kya cheez hai……sensibilities boy sensibilities
Good point shashank
Sunny
If you watch the movie & are observant you see the car doesn’t have even the basic modifications for a disabled driver , especially some one who is paralyzed knee down.
Chk out what i have said in detail here;
http://www.moviesum.com/bollywood/reviews/heroes-review.html
Shashank, I guess the general plot itself is good, so are the intentions of the maker.
And Priety? Wah, wah, wah!
But, it’s so badly made.
It almost DEMANDS that we should be moved.
That just doesn’t work.
‘R.D.B’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ put the message across in a far more superior and intelligent way.
This…was…? Ab main kya boloon man??!
Steve you are absolutely correct. Director gone confused and included elements that were not needed in the film but were there to make film more saleable
The Sunny Deol story was the comic element in the movie. The restaurant scene was one that had me in splits till the time i did not remember that it was a serious patriotic film and not a spoof. Somehow Sunny Deol in his “typecast” role seems a spoof of himself nowadays. His shouting itself is enough to have me grinning.
Another really sore point i have with the movie is the music. Other than the Salman – Preity romantic track none of the songs are worthy of being in the film. Whoever among Monty and Sajid Wajid screwed up , did it really bad !
And finally , to start , was the complete rip off from “Friends” necessary ?
Yeaah Nawabi Sand..to each his own,and yeah after reading all your comments, I do agree that i might have overrated this film a bit,but see again you say Salman should get light hearted scenes..Why?!..So he entertains the audience..or makes you happy, if his role demands seriousness,he wont break into comedy scenes..sensibility dude..but yeah on other points i agree,thanks, and thanks everybody.
well considering all the “mainstream” junk we get from bollywood every month
Heroes was relief i mean compare hereos with other commercial movies like drona, kidnap, SIK, Bachana ase hasino, GR etc
i said “mainstream” because bollywood does have small budget gems this year like Amir, A wesnesday, Mumbai meri jaan etc and these “small” movies did not have srk, akshay, or any other big star