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Uunchai Movie Review : Even with some hurdles, Uunchai scales new heights

• Times Of India

Uunchai - Official Trailer

Uunchai | Song - Keti Ko

Uunchai | Song - Arre Oh Uncle

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MANISHA SIRWANI 8811 245 days ago

If I have to describe or rename this movie I would rename it as &quot; Hum saath saath hain Featuring Everest Base Camp &quot;.<br/>I actually had good expections from this one because I like slow paced and Motivating Content. But this one is quite boring. The Starcast is On-point but Story is damm weak &amp; Production house haven't Changed their way of Story Telling which is Very Important in today's time. I didn't like Parineeti's Character and she was not fitting the part. She as a Trek Leader is not Convincing enough &amp; unable to control the damage on Trek. Also writer could have worked on Other side characters who are part of Everest Base Camp. I liked all the other Aspects which includes Frames, Tones, Cinematography &amp; Music. The transitions from past to present are very smooth &amp; it shows how visionary Sooraj Barjatya is as a Director. The movie tries to Celebrate the Friendship but Dialogues &amp; The Situations in each Character's life doesn't touch the Core. Well, we hope Bollywood comes up with these Subjects with good Scripts .

Om 42 401 days ago

Heart touching movie &lt;3

Manu 479 days ago

Just too good movie. Teaches you about various but common behavioral scuffles within a family and how to rise above them. Adventure is there as well.

Edward Wilson Mollah 480 days ago

Great Movie to watch with family. Amazing work of all stars...

Ram Thakur 95 483 days ago

I fully agree the first half of the movie is the best. My major disappointment about the second half is lack of authenticity about the locale, i.e., trek from Namche Bazar to Everest Base Camp. I have trekked to EBC thrice in my life. You don't trek every day for acclimatization reasons on this part of the trail. The location of EBC is not exact. It is totally fictitious. The long bridge on which some irrelevant action is shot is below Namche and we cross it on the second day's trek from Phakding to Namche. There is no such bridge between Lobuche and EBC. Shows total lack of proper research. Overall, it is a good movie in terms of human feelings, relationships and life in general.

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Uunchai movie review: A heartwarming tale of friendship and loss

Uunchai movie review: amitabh bachchan, boman irani, anupam kher's movie is warm and wholesome tale of true friendships..

It's not very often that you walk out of a theatre and your heart feels full and makes you want to live all your dreams, sometimes even those of your friends. Uunchai left with me sense of solace, happiness and fulfilment. A heart-warming story without any intent of being preachy or trying to evoke extreme emotions, Uunchai moves you from the word go. Returning to direction after seven long years, Sooraj Barjatya brings a mixed bag of emotions varying from love, loss, dreams, desires, friendship, failures to self-belief, conviction and a promise made to your loved ones and most importantly yourself. Starring veterans including Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Neena Gupta and Sarika in leading roles, Uunchai rightly boasts of being loaded with powerhouses of talent. (Also read: Black Panther Wakanda Forever movie review)

Unlike his earlier family dramas mounted on a large scale with a backdrop of a family wedding or a love story, Barjatya's Uunchai is refreshingly different and breathtakingly beautiful. It opens with a group of three friends -- Amit (Bachchan), Om (Kher) and Javed (Irani) along with Mala (Sarika) who are on a trek to reach the EBC (Everest base Camp) led by tour guide Shraddha Gupta (Parineeti Chopra). Soon after, we are shown a flashback from two months ago about how they landed here and what unfolds thereafter. Back in Delhi, we are told, this trio celebrated their close friend Bhupen's (Danny Denzongpa) birthday, and the next morning his demise leaves them shattered. To fulfil his last wish of doing a trek with his friends, these three decide to embark on a journey full of uncertainties and hardships. Will they be able to complete the trek and fulfil their friend's last wish? Will the difficulties along the journey break them? Or will there be more harsh realisations along the way? Uunchai beautifully showcases these dilemmas that each of the characters go through.

Bachchan, Kher and Irani are a riot together. Their camaraderie instantly reminds you of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara albeit they have different set of life issues they're dealing with. The finesse and expertise they bring to the screen in unmatched. While Bachchan as the most sorted and sure of the three, convinces the rest for this trekking expedition, Kher is the cry-baby yet the sweetest and most relatable out of all. Irani brings forth his charisma and wins you over with his performance. With his wife Shabina (Neena Gupta), they make for an endearing couple. Their chemistry together makes you believe that love has no age. Neena's expressions, dialogue delivery and screen presence just light up the mood. Sarika, on the other hand, carries a more poised demeanour bringing a sense of calm to the chaos. However, her track, I felt, was quite rushed and never explained much in detail for me to fully connect with it. For a tour guide, I often found Parineeti Chopra less empathetic while dealing with senior citizens but guess she gets ample space to justify her actions and convincingly so. Amid all this, it was a treat to watch Denzongpa on screen after so long. His smile, persona and mannerisms leave you in awe and wanting to see more of him.

As beautiful as these characters, the film has a beautifully written story by Sunil Gandhi that's high on emotions and there's never a dull moment. Beautifully complementing the narrative are dialogues from Abhishek Dixit, which look apt for every situation. I loved the way how even in the grimmest situations, he tries to put in a tinge of humour yet doesn't make it look odd. Shweta Venkat Mathew's editing could have been a little crisper and the film could have been easily 20 minutes shorter yet you don't complain much about the length for the story keeps you hooked. With Amit Trivedi's music that's soothing to ears and isn't forced into the screenplay, Uunchai turns out to be the perfect family entertainer. Special mention to Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography and the way he has captured stunning views of the Himalayas. From aerial to low angle to close-up shots, it's nothing short of magical and makes second half of Uunchai a perfect visual spectacle.

What I particularly loved in the film is that the makers didn't rush into showing the group of friends on the final trek instead they took their sweet time to soak into their respective stories. As the trio along with Neena Gupta took the road trip to reach Kathmandu, we get to see India in its full glory from places like Agra, Kanpur to Lucknow and Gorakhpur and their cultural influences. Every scene celebrating this friendship and emotions puts a smile on your face and that makes Uunchai worth it.

• Amitabh Bachchan
• Amitabh Bachchan×
• Anupam Kher
• Boman Irani

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Uunchai Movie Review: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani are the quintessential friends we all need in life

Amitabh bachchan, anupam kher, boman irani-starrer uunchai is a beautiful tale about old school friendships. here's our review..

Listen to Story

• Uunchai released on November 11 in theatres.
• The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa and Boman Irani in lead roles.
• It has been helmed by Sooraj Barjatya.

Cast & Crew

Amitabh Bachchan Actor

Anupam Kher

Boman Irani

Danny Denzongpa

Parineeti Chopra

Release Date: 11 Nov, 2022

Keti Ko Keti Ko Surkh Aggan Hai - We live in an age where Gen Z feels that friendships are driven by need and greed. Would you go miles (literally) to fulfil your deceased friend’s last wish of travelling to an unimaginable destination together, that too in your 70s and 80s? No matter what your answer is, Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzonpa-starrer Uunchai seamlessly explain how friendship can be spirituality for some. Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, the film is set in the modern era, where four old friends are ready to climb mountains for the sake of friendship.

There’s no cinephile who’s never watched a Sooraj Barjatya film. In fact, there’s a pattern to his films. It starts with an ideal and happy family, making the most of their time, until the unfortunate befalls. But if you know the pattern, you can pat yourself and say that everything’s going to be alright in the end. That is exactly what you will find in Uunchai – a tale that is about deep, underlying love, friendship and life. So, Danny (who plays Bhupen) passes away in his sleep, a day after his birthday party. That’s when we see a clearer picture of the bond he shared with his pals, Amitabh Bachchan (Amit), Anupam Kher (Om) and Boman Irani (Javed).

Bhupen always wanted to go on a trek with his friends but just when he was envisioning a trip to Everest Base Camp (EBC) with them, he was gone. His friends then take the baton to take the plunge in their 70s and bury his ashes in the place that he forever thought of his own, Everest. And that is how the adventure begins.

Not only is their mission difficult but they have a lot of things to take care of. Climbing EBC in the 70s is no cakewalk. The best part if Uunchai makes it look real. For instance, health reports had to be taken care of, indifferences about whether to opt for it in the first place and fitness concerns, Uunchai had it all. As the story progresses, the film also hangs on to realism. When Javed and his wife (played by Neena Gupta) prep to surprise their newlywed daughter and son-in-law ahead of her birthday, the latter duo don’t seem too happy about it. Reason? They’re all grown up now and have a life of their own.

Parineeti Chopra has a small but meaty role. The actress only proves that she is getting better with every film. She plays a tour guide and looking at her performance, one can figure that a lot of homework went onto it. Also, we loved her costumes! Neena Gupta plays Javed’s (Boman Irani) wife in the film and since she’s so perfect at her job, we would sometimes forget that it’s happening in a reel world. Another surprise element in the film was Sarika as Mala Trivedi. Without divulging much about her role, all she does is make us wonder why doesn’t she act more!

We have to give it to Sooraj Barjatya for yet again living upto his name and doing a great job with the direction and storyline. A little into the film, there are a few pause-and-breath moments, which have been shot well. For instance, while the camping troupe along with the three lead protagonists land up on a bridge, the weather turns grey with anger and it rains cats and dogs. Now, that is no cakewalk when you are standing thousands of miles above sea level. The jerky shots and sudden close-ups were indeed intriguing.

One of the few things that could have been mended was the length of the film. Sooraj Barjatya films are famous for being lengthy and this one too is no different. Some bits and dialogues look forced too. We know it’s a film about friendships with four veteran male leads but we also wished to see more of Parineeti, Neena and Sarika.

Coming back to the pros again, it needs no mention that the star cast of the film was outstanding. Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa and Boman Irani are all legendary actors and each one of them looked effortless and real.

All in all, Uunchai is all about feelings, love, emotions, compiled into one term, commonly called friendship. The film also draws a sensible comparison between old school friendships with the Gen Y. If you are looking for good content merged with some great acting, Uunchai is the film for you. Go with your friends and family but with a disclaimer to carry lots of tissues. Afterall, who has ever said bye to a Barjatya film without a heavy but sweet lingering in the heart?

We give the film, 2.5 out of 5. Published By: Anindita Mukhopadhyay Published On: Nov 11, 2022 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | Uunchai Twitter Review: Netizens laud Amitabh Bachchan's film, say 'it will make you cry and laugh'

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Three friends take a trek to the Everest Base Camp. A simple trek turns out to be a personal, emotional and spiritual journey as they battle their physical limitations and discover the true ... Read all Three friends take a trek to the Everest Base Camp. A simple trek turns out to be a personal, emotional and spiritual journey as they battle their physical limitations and discover the true meaning of freedom. Three friends take a trek to the Everest Base Camp. A simple trek turns out to be a personal, emotional and spiritual journey as they battle their physical limitations and discover the true meaning of freedom.

• Sooraj R. Barjatya
• Sunil Gandhi
• Abhishek Dixit
• Amitabh Bachchan
• Anupam Kher
• Boman Irani
• 68 User reviews
• 15 Critic reviews
• 14 nominations

• Amit Shrivastav

• Javed Siddiqui

• Shraddha Gupta

• Shabina Siddiqui

• Mala Trivedi
• (as Sarika)

• Abhilasha Shrivastav
• (as Nafisa Ali Sodhi)
• Siddharth Sharma
• (as Pranav Sachdeva)

• (as Sheen Dass)
• Neha Sharma

• Sunny - Asst. Trek Guide

• Guddu Sharma - Om's Brother
• Manohar Sharma - Om's Brother
• Om's Elder Bhabhi
• Om's Younger Bhabhi

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• Trivia The last time Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher and Danny Denzongpa appeared together on screen was in 1991 for Mukul Anand's blockbuster Hum. In that movie they all played enemies of each other and in this movie they all played best friends.
• Goofs The actors are shown speaking from Mount Everest base camp where there is no network.
• Connections Referenced in 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 with Maharashtra Tourism (2023)

User reviews 68

• Nov 14, 2022
• How long is Uunchai? Powered by Alexa
• November 11, 2022 (India)
• Kathmandu, Nepal
• Boundless Media
• Mahaveer Jain Films
• Rajshri Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 53 minutes

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Uunchai Reviews

Every moment, every exchange, every line of dialogue feels like it was coughed up by the human equivalent of Bing, while being held prisoner in the Rajshri basement.

Full Review | Feb 23, 2023

Uunchai takes a simple and not-very-original concept (elderly people going on an adventure trip) and ruins it with a bloated run time of 173 minutes, very hokey scenarios, and mediocre acting. The movie is half over by the time they get to Mount Everest.

Full Review | Nov 21, 2022

Uphill in every which way...

Full Review | Nov 14, 2022

A basic trek through lofty themes...

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.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 14, 2022

A bit fewer of several stretches towards the second half where the film meanders into more than one man-made crises, and this Uunchai would have been mission truly accomplished.

Uunchai spends an inordinate amount of time holding forth on ageing, transience, mortality and the urge for freedom...Not that these are not important themes to tackle, but the treatment that Uunchai reserves for them borders on the preachy and syrupy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 14, 2022

From aerial to low angle to close-up shots, it's nothing short of magical and makes second half of Uunchai a perfect visual spectacle.

The film is not solely about older people, and even with its flaws there’s a certain relatability to the characters and the story.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 14, 2022

Uunchai is a call to the elderly to embrace life and accept change. Ironically, the film itself is stuck in time.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 14, 2022

Uunchai has a simple enough story that drags on for 169 minutes and 48 seconds on the sheer good will of its veteran cast.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 11, 2022

Uunchai movie review: This buddy-drama decides to sleep when it has promises to keep

Friendship was their only motivation,” reads the tagline of Uunchai, a story of three friends who trek to Everest Base Camp in honour of their deceased companion. Bollywood has, time and again, given us tales of doing the extreme for your fellow comrade. Be it helping the bride run from her marriage (3 Idiots), going for a bachelor trip even when you don’t find the third amigo funny (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) or shooting a defence minister (Rang De Basanti). The question is, is that friend worth it? And if yes, how does the audience know that?

Danny Denzongpa as Bhupen, whose death sets the film in motion, is still affable and charming even when he is not playing a bourgeoisie villain. He is obsessed with climbing Mount Everest because he told us. He is a great friend because his friends told us.

He wanted to have a just society because his lost love later tells us. A lot of telling and a bit of preaching happens during this Sooraj Barjatya film. As for Bhupen, you, and also his friends, only remember him dancing with a Nepali cap on. Thus, the central motivation of the film wobbles like a mountain bridge. But it’s still refreshing to see Barjatya break away from the grand family. In Uunchai, Amitabh Bachchan plays Amit Srivastava, a writer who is estranged from his wife; Anupam Kher is Om, who left his brothers in Gorakhpur to establish a books business in Delhi, and Boman Irani plays Javed, a lingerie salesman with a controlling spouse.

If this was the early nineties, this film would have been set in Om’s, now ramshackle, haveli, and the title would have represented a business family’s losing morals at the height of its success. Bless our stars, Uunchai is a buddy film. But it is still an uphill road less travelled for Barjatya and he manages to keep on track. He crosses all milestones of a road comedy: there is the initial reluctance to go on the trip, the uninvited traveller who has a past, and the jolly friend who is hiding a deadly disease.

The film at points feels like traditional Rajshri characters dealing with an evolving world. In a scene Anupam Kher’s Om, after being shunned by his elder brother, asks Amitabh, “Sab kuch badal kyun jata hain?” (Why does everything change?). In another sequence, Amitabh explains to Boman’s Javed and his wife Shabina (an alluring Neena Gupta), after their daughter doesn’t invite them for her birthday party, that sometimes they should also understand their children’s predicament. Although it’s a dated theme, Uunchai tries to bring the young and the elderly together, arms-over-shoulders, laughing and being merry with just a Hariharan song missing.

The hurdle, however, is the pacing. Barjatya spends too much time on the stopovers. The film starts from Delhi, crosses Kanpur, Agra, and Gorakhpur before reaching Kathmandu, and before the actual trek begins, we are into 80 per cent of the film. Uunchai then inflates its length to make up for lost time and resultantly becomes dreary.

It emphasises a point with its sentimental music long after it is made. The film goes on and on, like its main characters on trek, but doesn’t explore the thrill and the dangers of climbing Everest enough. You start hoping for the climax to come sooner and when it does, it is more relieving than cathartic. Uunchai’s runtime feels like a lifetime. But I guess, ye jeevan hain.

Uunchai Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Danzongpa, Neena Gupta, Parineeti Chopra, and Sarika Thakur Director: Sooraj Barjatya Rating: 2.5/5

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Uunchai REVIEW: Amitabh Bachchan starrer is a heartwarming movie backed by an emotion-driven plot and stellar performances

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Film: Uunchai

Directed by: Sooraj R. Barjatya

Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Sarika, Neena Gupta, Parineeti Chopra

Uunchai Movie Review:

I know that only very few wouldn’t have a last wish. While many manage to fulfill their dreams and ambitions, a certain few fail to. Uunchai, based on a journey of three friends around 60 years of age or so, who plan to trek to the Everest Base Camp aka EBC, is all about friendship and hope. The movie is heartwarming and well-executed. However, if you let go of the beautifully captured and picturesque views of the Himalayas, Uunchai does have its flaws. As the stellar performances and plot keep you hooked, the music of the movie keeps it all well-bound together and accompanies it perfectly.

Uunchai opens with Parineeti Chopra, the trek guide, excited and welcoming her team. She looks amped up for the trek and so are the other youngsters in the clan. However, it is a test for three friends, Amit Srivastava (Amitabh Bachchan), Om Sharma (Anupam Kher) and Javed Siddiqui (Boman Irani) who set on a mission to fulfill their beloved late friend Bhupen’s (Danny Dengonzpa) last wish. One can easily sense fear in them as they gear up to take up a challenge that is not for the faint-hearted.

The trailer of the Sooraj Barjatya directorial might inspire you, but the movie will make you want to have an expedition of your own. Or maybe, Uunchai will leave you wanting a story just like that of four friends, left to be told.

Three friends take a trek to the Everest Base Camp. A simple trek turns out to be a personal, emotional, and spiritual journey as they battle their physical limitations and discover the true meaning of freedom.

Star Performances: 

Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of the writer of the best-selling books, Amit Srivastava. And, he is a dashing and handsome star. His performance in the movie, after Goodbye, is refreshing. Big B’s new character is a treat to watch.

Anupam Kher plays the role of an irritated book stall owner, Om Sharma, who is not interested in selling off his shop. Kher delivers a stunning performance as he plays his character well.

Boman Irani as Javed Siddiqui and Neena Gupta as Shabina Siddiqui leave you mesmerized by their onscreen chemistry. They are a treat to watch. Neena Gupta once again delivers a short yet entertaining performance. And, you will definitely love her.

Parineeti Chopra, who essays the character of a trek leader, Shraddha Gupta, perfectly fits into her role. She makes you believe she can guide you on a trek to the Everest Base Camp. Not kidding!

The performances of Sarika (Mala Trivedi), Danny Dengonzpa (Bhupen) and Nafisa Ali (Sumitra Shrivastava) add gravitas to what makes the amazing cast of Uunchai, unfaulty.

Screenplay: Sooraj Barjatya deserves applause for his near to perfect execution and visual spectacle of a film. After Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Barjatya comes back with a bang! And, Uunchai manages to bring him to the top spot once again. Be it the grandeur, the almost three-hour-long movie, or the songs; the filmmaker gives you a taste of good cinema and how! He shows how filmmaking is not lost and that Bollywood does make properly executed movies, with a simple yet heartwarming narrative, that has an almost three-hour long run time.

Drawbacks: A few ‘idhar udhar’ (here and there) makes Uunchai an average watch. At the beginning of the movie, I failed to find flaws. To be honest, my mind was even hanging between the rating I would want to give. However, by the interval, you start noticing the flaws. To elaborate further, although Neena Gupta was awesome, her character Shabina entertained me only as much as a few bouts of laughter. Eventually, the character sort of left me irritated. I was then put off instantly. Secondly, Amit and Om land in Mala’s room and suddenly discover her identity was not connecting. Lastly, Boman Irani doing a video call to Shabina from the Everest Base Camp, not from a Satellite phone, but via our general mobile service provider; quite fishy! I wonder how one could make a video call at such Uunchai when making a video call during mere travel is impossible in India.

Uunchai’s background music and songs bind the movie together. The powerful background keeps you engaged. What’s more interesting is, the background music changes with the different scenes and it’s intensity, rather than one score all throughout. Songs like Keti Ho, Haan Kar De, Savera are pleasing to the ear.

Conclusion I recommend one to watch this movie. Forgetting the minor flaws in Uunchai, the Sooraj Barjatya directorial is something you could buy a ticket for. Although the movie is rather long, if observed closely, you understand why every nook and detail was required to be explained or why the screenplay was in a certain way. Lastly, Barjatya and his team serve you ‘grandiosity’ at its best.

Watch the Uunchai trailer here, after the review:

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Also read : Monica, O My Darling REVIEW: RajKummar Rao, Huma Qureshi serve a hilarious murder mystery but the climax will make you scratch your head

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Uunchai Movie Review: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher Film An Intense Tribute To Friendship, But Unbearably Long

This amitabh bachchan, boman irani, anupam kher, parineeti chopra, starrer is high on emotion, slow in pace, a genre-reverser film about life, relationships and coming to terms with old age..

Sooraj Barjatya

Amitabh Bachchan Anupam Kher Boman Irani Danny Denzongpa Neena Gupta Sarika Parineeti Chopra

New Delhi: 'Uunchai' is like a documentation of what an intense trekking experience amidst the wilderness of Himalayas feels like. This template is then married to the family-entertainment genre of the Barjatya school of filmmaking which emphasises heightened emotions and drama. The Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Parineeti Chopra, Danny Denzongpa, and Sarika starrer is high on emotion, slow in pace, a genre-reverser film about life, relationships and coming to terms with old age. What really hurts is how each of the subject matter is treated chronologically in order to spoon-feed an audience which is smart enough to understand layers, nuances and landscape change without drilling it into their heads.

'Uunchai' begins with a voiceover narration of Amitabh Bachchan telling the intent of the film in the very beginning. The film opens in the beautiful landscape of Nepal where we are introduced to all characters until each of their life with all its layers is gradually unfolded in the process of the film.

From here the narrative and landscape shifts to Delhi and the backstory of four aged-friends is revealed. Soon after, one friend passes away, the other three try to fulfill his last wish by trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest.

The gradual unfurling of emotions, and each of characters' backstory is weaved very organically into the text, a commendable move in a film which has a lot of noise, particularly with this dominating force of a background score and with music: one song thrust upon another.

As great as it is to see veteran actors with such craft on screen come together, there are major problems with 'Uunchai' that even they cannot address.

The plot is given-away from the very beginning with this need to tell and not show. Every scene which could have added a layer of anticipation is shared with the audience helping diminish the interest in the film slowly. What keeps you going ( at least for me) was the anticipation of the beautiful landscape of the trek which begins only the second half.

So, the first-half of 'Uunchai' is unbearably long trying to establish characters, locations, why the actors do what they do etc. etc. The use of framing and the break into 'Keti Ko' song is nice; in fact the one thing to see in the first half is the song, it has a feel-good element attached to it despite the artificiality of emotions on display.

Perhaps, the pace of the film is toned down to suit the genre-reversal of a road trip which is usually filled with adventures etc. to suit the three-aged men on screen. Or, that the layering of life-drama on each of the character's backstory naturally slows down the pace of 'Uunchai'.

But, 'Uunchai' has moments and sequences which stand out. There are small incidents that have an organic flavour of comedy and drama to them, which will naturally bring a smile to your face or tears to your eyes. For instance; Anupam Kher putting food into the mouth of Amitabh Bachchan or Neena Gupta's possessive zeal to overcare for her husband, played by Boman Irani etc. Barring these, it's more like a marathon for which you need immense patience until the end.

So, perhaps, a documentary style of filmmaking would have more suited the syntax of a film like 'Uunchai'.

However, there are some ideological stances and debates that are dealt with quite practically ( almost in a moral lecture sort of way) but the way such matters are dealt with stand out. The slow revelation of glitches in parents-kids relationship and the non-judgmental attitude to take when dealing with them , for instance, or the way one comes to terms with the reality of aging and a deterioration of the body when the mind wants more... etc.

As for actor performances, Anupam Kher, Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani ace their parts as do Neena Gupta, Sarika and Parineeti Chopra. The dramatic tangent is slightly high in all of them but perhaps the need of the script or the hour or the director is the reason why that is so.

The post-interval 'Uunchai' is much faster, rooted and real. It opens with a good cathartic sequence in Gorakhpur and from there in Kathmandu, giving each of its characters a moment to shine. 

Parineeti Chopra is present in the post-interval film and much under-utilized than her potential.

The second-half of 'Uunchai' also happens to be high on the emotional tangent with extraordinary physical and mental challenges that the protagonists face in the Himalayas to come to terms with their lives.

Towards the climax, when the film enters the snow-landscape of the Everest Base Camp, the shots begin to feel unclear and unreal. A filmy grained sequence captures the essence of the climax where a lot of fog amidst mountains feels something out of an old Hindi film song sequence. Besides this, there is barely an experiment with the form of the film.

'Uunchai' ends with the cringiest end-credits song sequence teaching audiences to live life to the fullest in all honesty. The template of the film follows the conventional three-act structure with the monotony of predictability and over dramatic music, narration and dialogue to complement it. But for the performances of veterans in a different light, 'Uunchai' is a bearable watch of a film, but too long for a feature-film with this kind of content.

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Home » Movies » Bollywood Movie Reviews

Uunchai Movie Review: Sooraj Barjatya With His USP Roadmap Brings A Smile On Your Face & That’s All That Matters Here

Uunchai is a movie made with a lot of heart and a whole lot of nostalgia involved..

Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Sarika, Neena Gupta, Nafisa Ali & ensemble.

Director: Sooraj Barjatya

What’s Good: It’s an USP Sooraj Barjatya movie where even he is trying to marinate his idea with modern ideology and create a tale about friendship that will connect across age groups.

What’s Bad: The general troops that the movie follows and the obsession of the filmmaker to only have beautiful people. Also, the runtime is a bit too much.

Loo Break: There is no point where you aren’t being entertained in this one, so you might want to wait for the interval.

Watch or Not?: For a return to the cinema of your childhood (if you are a 90s kid like me) and the vibe Barjatya endorses, there is no loss as such to invest in this one.

Language: Hindi

Available On: In Theatres Near You!

Runtime: 170 Minutes

4 friends all in their mid-seventies have been together for 50 long years. Their bond is eternal and beyond the label called friendship. One fine day, one of the four passes away suddenly and the rest are left with the deceased’s last wish. They decide to trek to Mount Everest Base Camp and unfold the tale of loss, love, and friendship.

Uunchai Movie Review: Script Analysis

Agree with it or not, Sooraj Barjatya is a brand in Hindi cinema. His fan base is spread across age groups and the core ones now are all adults and crave his cinema. The wide appeal of his films on television is proof enough. Over the years, man has taken over our subconscious in a way that many of us talk about Hindi cinema by referring to his characters. Even our antakshari game rounds begin with a song from his movie. You know the influence he has on us. So when he decides to bring together 7 of the most prolific and veteran names from the industry together in a movie about friendships and family values, he is here to take you on a nostalgia trip.

Uunchai, a movie that begins in the mountains takes you back to the days the reason behind this trek was unfolded. Written by Barjatya himself with Abhishek Dixit handling the screenplay, the movie is a classic Barjatya USP film that believes in simplistic storytelling. For a man who has based half his filmography replicating the Ramayana blueprint, understands the three-act structure in a way that he doesn’t like to break it. So even when he has 7 main characters, and 1 extended cameo (that too a well-known star), he doesn’t let the lines ever cross in a very intricate manner. He believes in telling all the stories one at a time and with ease that he possesses.

The fact that he makes the biggest of the stars and also acknowledges their age instantly reminds you that his cinema has aged with them. Anupam Kher, a constant in Sooraj Barjatya’s movies is the biggest of the reminders. The good thing is that the filmmaker also wants to cater to the newer audience while sticking to his morals and ethics. While there are songs after every heavy sequence, they are fresh and not the ones we have known him for. Or his constant nudge to the world of social media. But the latter point also turns a bit caricatured at a point. But his constant attention is on the friendship and the bonds.

While all of it is a breezy watch entertaining you all the time with some very stretched sequences leading to a very long run time, one cannot really ignore the problems. Women in the Barjatya universe only equipped men to trigger their stories and that very much continues here too. Of course, it comes to a point where Neena accepts she hasn’t given herself any attention, but that is too late. Also, why are everyone conventionally beautiful in this world and nobody belongs to the middle class? If you argue Boman and Kher’s characters are from the middle-class milieu, I am not buying that. The socio-economic structure is changing and that should reflect in films talking about real-time.

Also, the children-parent and parenting conflict are not to be just touched and left, Uunchai does that and kills a bit of the vibe.

Uunchai Movie Review: Star Performance

These are all the legendary names coming together to make a product with a filmmaker who is iconic in his own way. Amitabh Bachchan is only busy defying the notions around age and being himself. He brings the chirp and emotional core of the movie many times and it is so assuring to watch him do what he does at his age.

Anupam Kher still has his comic timing in place and nothing can be compared to how he used his body to bring out the humour. Boman Irani and his quirks are altogether a different animal and he even romances this time. Just too cute.

Talking of romance and cuteness, Neena Gupta is a breeze of fresh air in here as she is the only woman with (limited) agency. Every time she comes on the screen, you have to surrender and smile. Also, can anybody even touch the level of her enigmatic screen presence? Sarika in her second innings is doing a wonderful job and I hope she continues to for years now, because she still has it in her and we need to have that on screen more.

Parineeti Chopra in an extended cameo does a pretty decent job because she wakes up with crisp blow-dried hair and I can’t!

Uunchai Movie Review: Direction, Music

Sooraj Barjatya as a director finds beauty in culture and the love between a family. His need to diversify his characters is quite visible in his movies. Even Hum Saath Saath Hai, which was predominantly about one family included a Muslim couple. So he does that here too, but it does not really do anything to the entire storyline. But the filmmaker does know how to make the simplest of the movies and still keep audience entertained and hooked.

The man even tried his hand at the survival genre at a point and those 10 minutes or so are enough to tell you he can do that too.

Just the fact that the characters even after getting out of bed are prim and proper bothers because haven’t we already criticised television enough for it?

Amit Trivedi takes over the music and gives an album that will click with the audience. Particular Keti Ko, a celebratory song is fun and the way Barjatya picturizes is it incredible. It is like my childhood dancing in front of me because these are all the actors I have grown up watching. The background score gets very interesting in the second half and is good.

Uunchai Movie Review: The Last Word

Uunchai is a movie made with a lot of heart and a whole lot of nostalgia involved. Watch it with no expectations and with the thought that it is a filmmaker who wants to talk about love and its purity.

Uunchai Trailer

Uunchai releases on 11 November, 2022.

Share with us your experience of watching Uunchai.

For more recommendations, read our I Am Not River Jhelum Movie Review here.

Must Read: Double XL Movie Review: The L In This Film’s Title Stands For Lack (Of Creativity)

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Uunchai movie review: Hum saath-saath hain now too with sugary sweetness, group dances and zero subtlety

A life-affirming lesson about how you are never too old to scale great heights is drowned out by predictability, stereotypes, silliness and dated storytelling.

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Sarika, Neena Gupta, Parineeti Chopra, Nafisa Ali

Director: Sooraj Barjatya

Language: Hindi

Four friends gather to celebrate the birthday of one. Amit Shrivastav ( Amitabh Bachchan ) is a bestselling author who prides himself on his success with young readers. He has a wife but, as one fan points out, she has never been seen in public. Om Sharma ( Anupam Kher ) runs a shop with his son and is openly resistant to change. Javed (Boman Irani) loves his spouse Shabina ( Neena Gupta ) who in turn dotes on him but keeps him on a tight leash. And then there is Bhupen ( Danny Denzongpa ), whose sudden death serves as a spark that sends the others on a trek to the Himalayas.

The men are all senior citizens, so the journey becomes a medium for a life-affirming lesson about how you are never too old to scale great heights.

Uunchai (Height) is helmed by Sooraj Barjatya who, in the 30-plus years since his blockbuster debut with Maine Pyar Kiya , has not once deviated from his signature conservatism or predictability in storytelling. It is fair then to assume from what is revealed or pointedly hinted at in early scenes that at least a couple of secrets will be confessed by the finale, new equations will be formed, the buddies will each smooth out the wrinkles and fill out the cracks in their respective family relationships, and if there is evolution, then it will be written with extreme care to ensure that the social status quo is not rocked to such an extent as to make a traditionalist audience uncomfortable. It is also fair to assume that the path to self-discovery will be lined with sugary sweetness, sanskaar and group dances with choreography familiar from all the director’s earlier films. Both assumptions are proved right.

The film’s message about living life to the fullest at every age is, of course, heartening, and of significance in India where the scripturally inspired social expectation is that every person will naturally settle into Sanyas once they have conformed to the other prescribed stages of human existence: Brahmacharya, Grihastha and Vanaprastha. But the means to that message is so maudlin, and the risks taken by the Big B’s character Amit so ridiculous, that an important point is lost.

Emotions run high throughout Uunchai . Every feeling every character experiences is signalled and then repeatedly underlined with a marked change in the loud background score. The humour is childish, particularly so in passages involving Om sniping at Bhupen and later Javed. And the narrative style is terribly outdated.

Stereotypes abound, most markedly in the writing of the women. One wife automatically gets jealous at the mere mention of the possibility that a woman will be travelling with her husband. Several long – oh so long! – stretches are devoted to jokes about her suspicious nature and how no man should ever praise another woman in the presence of his own partner. A second woman ditches her boyfriend, not under pressure from her family as is initially indicated, but because she is overwhelmed by the wealth of an alternative prospective groom. As we often see happening in the real world, a wife’s meticulous planning of her husband’s healthcare is portrayed as suffocating behaviour. These women are not villainised, which suggests that these clichés are emerging from genuine conviction – I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than insidious intent.

Meanwhile, of course there are un- sanskaari children in the picture who are unmindful of their lovely parents’ devotion and wishes. Quite unexpectedly, in the latter case, at least one father is shown introspecting and adapting to the new generation’s dreams. I suppose it is a revolutionary step for The House of Barjatya to concede that parents may possibly be wrong. As the sort of person who likes to see the glass as half full, I am tempted to celebrate, but Uunchai is so lacking in nuance that everything about it feels contrived and staged. Even this.

The only positive that seems to flow naturally is the completely normalised portrayal of the Muslim family among the friends. Sadly, what flows just as naturally is the story’s emphatically upper-caste universe, evident not only through the characters’ surnames but also the casual mention of Brahminical practices, as is the norm with Hindi cinema.

As the gang goes from Delhi to Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra and Nepal, we are served some stunning frames of the mountains, but their impact is diluted by the in-your-face studio shots. Worse, the narrative becomes increasingly mushy with every passing minute until it gets tiring.

Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani hold back to a certain extent even when the melodrama gets overwhelming. Sarika and Neena Gupta are as restrained as is possible in such a film. Anupam Kher, who is capable of so much better, over-acts inexorably here, especially in his comical interludes, but is overshadowed by Nafisa Ali who looks luminous but under-acts in what is possibly the film’s worst scene. Parineeti Chopra as a mountaineer and guide is wasted in a marginal role. And Danny Denzongpa’s cameo is a reminder of his warm screen presence that is much missed in Hindi cinema.

Uunchai is a call to the elderly to embrace life and accept change. Ironically, the film itself is stuck in time.

Rating: 1 (out of 5 stars)  

This review was first published when Uunchai was released in theatres in November 2022. The film is now streaming on Zee5.  

Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial

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Uunchai movie review: Big B's film is heartfelt ode to friendship; Amitabh, Anupam Kher and others create magic

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Release date: 11 November, 2022

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Uunchai Movie

UUNCHAI is the story of a life-changing journey of three friends. Amit Shrivastava (Amitabh Bachchan) is a successful author, based in Delhi. He is separated from his wife Abhilasha (Nafisa Ali Sodhi) and the closest people in his life are his three friends – Javed (Boman Irani), Om Sharma (Anupam ...  Kher), and Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa). The quartet meets on Bhupen’s birthday and makes merry. Bhupen, who’s originally from Nepal, expresses the desire to head to Everest Base Camp along with Amit, Javed, and Om. The friends, however, reject the idea, citing their old age and health issues. Bhupen goes home after the party and passes away in his sleep. Even in the case of Bhupen, his friends are his only family and they handle the cremation and other rituals. While going through Bhupen’s study, Amit finds that the former has booked a tour package to the Everest Base Camp for his three friends. The tour is going to take place in two months. Meanwhile, Om is making plans to immerse Bhupen’s ashes in the river Ganga in Varanasi. Amit informs Om and Javed about Bhupen’s Everest plan. He persuades them to join him so that they can release his ashes at the Base Camp since it was Bhupen’s favourite place on Earth. Om and Javed agree after a lot of persuasion. But there’s a problem. Javed’s wife Shabana (Neena Gupta) will never allow her hubby to take such a risky trek. Hence, Amit comes up with a plan. He tells Shabana that the trio will go to Kathmandu, Nepal where they’ll immerse his ashes. As per the plan, they’ll go to Kathmandu by road since Om is scared of flights. Amit tells Shabana to join them. He tells her that they’ll drop her at Kanpur at her daughter Heeba (Sheen Dass) and son-in-law Valli (Abhishek Pathania)’s place. Once that’s done, the trio will then head to Gorakhpur where Om will meet his brothers, whom he hasn’t met in 30 years. The three friends and Shabana begin their trip. But sadly, Amit’s foolproof plan goes for a toss. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

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EXCLUSIVE: “Dunki, 12th Fail and Uunchai are exceptionally significant films for our society” – Mahaveer Jain

Uunchai director Sooraj Barjatya says Salman Khan encourages him to make family-oriented films

EXCLUSIVE: Mahaveer Jain ECSTATIC as Uunchai receives 7 nominations at Filmfare Awards; speaks highly of lead actor Amitabh Bachchan: “He is a paragon of passion and an INSPIRATION for all of India. He TRULY is the BIGGEST hero in all senses”

Nominations for the 68th Filmfare Awards 2023

Amitabh Bachchan starrer Uunchai to premier on ZEE5 on THIS date; deets inside 

Rajshri Films request audience to enjoy Amitabh Bachchan starrer Uunchai in theatres: ‘Celebrate films and theatres again with movie lovers known and unknown’

Anup Jalota showers praise on Anupam Kher; says ‘Aapki Uunchai hi aapke jeevan ka Saaransh hai’

Uunchai Overseas Box Office: The film collects USD 1.028 million at the close of the second week

Drishyam 2 Box Office: Film is a superhit as it enters Rs. 100 Crore Club in just one week; Uunchai crosses Rs. 25 crores after two weeks

Drishyam 2 Box Office: Film sees very good footfalls again; Uunchai lives on for another day – Wednesday updates

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