Uunchai Movie Review
Though there’s some emotional turmoil present, the first half is full of comedic moments and goes past breezily. The second half is dedicated to the trek to the base camp. It’s shot like a documentary and we see the day-to-day activities of the group, led by Shraddha (Parineeti Chopra), chronicled in a dramatic way. The three friends are aged and out-of-shape. They suffer from different medical ailments as well. As a result they find the trek a tough going. Then, the journey is fraught with emotional issues as well. Walking gives them time to introspect and as they dwell on their lives, they start to find fissures. Prem is unhappy that his son wants to sell their old bookshop in lieu of a space in an upcoming mall, Javed is unhappy that he has to lie to his wife to come to the trek, while Amit, who is a celebrated writer of self-help books, finds he’s been serving up platitudes to his audience and needs to mend up his own relations with estranged wife Sumitra (Nafisa Ali). There are physical hazards as well. Some fall sick, some meet with accidents while some find the trek to be physically demanding. There’s an edge-of-the-seat moment shot on a rope bridge, where our travellers collide with a group of porters coming from the other side amidst bad weather, leading to minor injuries.
Thanks to the brilliance of the actors involved, the bonding in the film feels genuine. We do feel we’re seeing a group of friends who know their quirks inside and out. The film is centred around Amitabh Bachchan, of course, but the other actors too get their moment in the sun. In the first half, he’s the jovial friend who takes lead in all things while in the latter half he portrays a man who realises the emptiness of his life and wants to mend fences with those he’s caused grief. It’s yet another command performance by the thespian. Boman Irani and Anupam Kher don’t indulge in their trademark screen mechanisms and come across as real men having real issues. Boman and Neena Gupta share a heartwarming bond as husband and wife and should do more films together as a screen couple. Sarika, seen after a long, long time, is a delight to watch. She’s a natural in front of the camera even now and so is Danny Denzongpa, who looks insanely youthful in the film. For once, he’s devoid of wigs and prosthetics and his dazzling smile does light up the screen. Parineeti too impresses in her brief role.
The film is shot well by Manoj Kumar Khatoi. Whether it’s the car sequences or the trek across the hills, the camerawork provides an immersive experience. It’s a delight for the foodies, as it introduces us to yummy treats found on the way from Delhi to Kathmandu. It’s hard to believe that Director Sooraj Barjatya can make a film which doesn’t involve marriage. It’s brave of him to take senior actors and weave an ode to friendship around them. He tells a tale which unfolds at its own pace and will surely appeal to your heart.
Trailer : Uunchai
Renuka Vyavahare, November 11, 2022, 8:51 PM IST
Uunchai Story: Three best friends in their 70s — celebrated author Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Javed (Boman Irani) and Om (Anupam Kher) — decide to embark on a trek to the Everest Base Camp to fulfil the wish of their late friend Bhupen (Danny Dengzongpa), whose heart belonged to the Himalayas.
Uunchai Review: Uunchai is a welcome change from Rajshri banner whose films have mostly revolved around multigenerational joint families, class divide and good rich people. Simplicity has always been at the heart of each story, even as wealthy uncles slyly boasted of their successful karobar. Bhaiyya, bhabhi, devarji singing ABCDEFGHI in private buses, women dolling up for multiple ladies programs in palatial homes, was aspirational for the 90’s generation. However, life is not white or black and there’s more to grey characters and issues than snooty stepmoms and gold-digging outsiders.
Uunchai starts off as a fun road trip movie, as the old friends (literally and figuratively) decide to achieve the impossible. Keeping their age related health issues at bay, they set out to fulfil their late friend’s only wish — to get to the Everest base camp together. While Bhupen is no more, the other three embark on this dangerous journey to celebrate his life and love for the mountains. Accompanying the three on the road trip without being aware of their big plan is Javed’s caring wife Shabina (Neena Gupta) and a surprise co-traveller Mala (Sarika). There’s no ‘bagwati’ here, but a warm Shabina bhabhi has shades of Kalki from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
Sunil Gandhi’s story and Abhishek Dixit’s screenplay have its teary-eyed moments but they are unable to maintain the momentum and zest all the way. The Delhi-Agra-Kanpur-Lucknow-Gorakhpur- Kathmandu journey is heartfelt and cathartic. The film’s best moments are limited to its first half alone. Parent-child, intergenerational discord is analysed rationally without viewing it from the Baghban lens. Food is used beautifully to establish places and culture.
Sadly, once the trio reaches Kathmandu, the story loses grip, lacks direction, gets cluttered and things go downhill. The events don’t seem organic, personal backstories feel irrelevant to present day, and the mood gets too dramatic. The background score is overbearing and the scenes seem to drag endlessly.
It’s the performances that keep you interested despite a messy latter half. Masters of their craft — Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Boman and Amitabh Bachchan are brilliant in their respective roles. It’s once again a testament to fine acting elevating a muddled script. Bachchan aces the shift in his character, from an Instagram-friendly successful author to a lonely old man battling Alzheimer’s, he is outstanding.
Amit Trivedi’s music is decent but doesn’t do much to elevate the narrative. Parineeti Chopra plays trek guide Shradhha, who seems terribly indifferent to things around her. Her character isn’t finely sketched out.
Life is too short to say ‘phir kabhi’ and friends can be family. Uunchai scales new heights in terms of storytelling and concept, but never quite reaches the top. The film is not solely about older people, and even with its flaws there’s a certain relatability to the characters and the story. We wish the writing was stronger and did more justice to the fabulous cast.
