"Sarbjit" -A Big Applause For Aishwarya!

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Aishwarya on release of her most anticipated movie ever - “Sarbjit”. It is already the most talked about movie at the Cannes where it was premiered last Sunday. Critics’ rave reviews from Cannes, especially showering praise for Aishwarya’s best performance ever, have already created a buzz for the movie in Bollywood:

Talking about the film’s buzz in India, trade analyst and Editor of Supercinema Amul Mohan revealed, “Expectations are good. I treat Sarbjit as a comeback for Aishwarya as there is a lot of performance in it. Plus there is this whole angle of it being a biopic, which has been the flavour of the year right now, so it ticks a lot of boxes. The anticipation of this film is high and they had a decent outing at Cannes too. They got fairly decent reviews over there, so that’s only going to add to the push they get  in India.”

I cannot resist sharing with my readers excerpts from some of the reviews by reputed film critics:

BizAsia Movie Review: ‘Sarbjit’

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by Amrita Tanna

18th May 2016 12:22 am

@Amr1ta amrita@bizasialive.com

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‘Sarbjit’, directed by Omung Kumar, sees many firsts but the most promising and arguably eagerly awaited first is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a completely deglamorized role. She essays the role of Dalbir Kaur, Sarabjit’s sister, whose only quest in life after his imprisonment is to get his freedom. With Randeep Hooda playing Sarabjit and Richa Chadha as Sukhpreet, Sarabjit’s wife, it seems this film has much more to offer than just the varied star cast.

It has to be said that the story of Sarabjit Singh is a tragic and emotionally moving one. Kumar, as director, has to be applauded for the way he has put the story across, achieving a well-rounded view of how each member of Singh’s family would be feeling in the length of time he was in jail for. He shows that he knows each of the characters well and it seems he’s really done his research in terms of the intricacies of the story and which parts he wanted to include in the film. It is commendable that the story comes across as sincere to the core but powerful, tragic and heartening at the same time…….It was almost a given that such a film would evoke performances that would enhance the story that the makers want to convey to the audiences. Rai Bachchan gives what can be described as her best performance till date as Dalbir; she manages to tug at the heartstrings with the emotional scenes and you can’t really take your eyes off her portrayal of Dalbir’s passion for the cause. Her scenes with Hooda are some of the best parts of the film overall, albeit a little heartbreaking at times. Hooda himself seems to continue to outdo himself with every film and ‘Sarbjit’ once again puts him up there as one of the most talented, understated actors in Bollywood today. His pairing with Chadha is also an interesting and fresh one. Chadha is near-perfect as Sukhpreet and adds a great support to Rai Bachchan when needed. Their scene in the second half together where Sukhpreet vocally supports Dalbir’s fighting spirit is one of the most beautiful in the entire film. Aside from this, the reunion scene between the family and Sarabjit is also particularly poignant. Darshan Kumaar’s small but pivotal role gets a well-deserved special mention – he’s one actor who seems to fit into any mould. Ankur Bhatia, who plays Rai Bachchan’s love interest, is also worthy of a mention for his performance – he makes a mark even in a short but sweet role in both the first and second halves.

…….All in all, it has to be said that Kumar has delivered a truly heart-wrenching story without misplaced grandeur and with distinction that perhaps very few would have been able to achieve…..overall ‘Sarbjit’ is  indeed a good watch and a must-see. Rai Bachchan and Hooda are truly gems to watch sharing screen space and the former has shown that she’s definitely back… and glamour has nothing to do with it!

BizAsia Showbiz rating: 4/5

Here are some other quotes and statements connected to “Sarbjit” which speak volumes to motivate watching the movie as a must:

Omung Kumar's much awaited biopic Sarbjit has garnered much attention for its hard-hitting story line, powerful trailer and melodious music. Ever since the makers have released their entire music album, the makers have been receiving immense appreciation from everyone across the board. With a versatile music album consisting of a varied range of soundtracks, the album has songs sung by some of the top singers of Bollywood like Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh, Arijit Singh and many more.

As a mark of tribute to this innocent farmer, the singers of Sarbjit did an exceptional gesture by charging no fee to the makers. A source from the production confirmed saying that "Singers like Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh, and Arijit Singh who have given their melodious voice for the movie have sung for their love for the subject of the film. All the singers who are currently at the top in the music industry took this decision with their own will and love. We are grateful to them for their sweet gesture".

It’s not only team Sarbjit — Director Omung Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadda, who are busy promoting the film, but it’s also Sarabjit Singh's real-life sister Dalbir Kaur actively participating in film promotions.

Sarbjit traces the struggles of Dalbir (played by Aishwarya) who ran from pillar to post to get her younger brother Sarabjit out of the Pakistani jail but her quest ended tragically when he died in 2013 following a brutal attack by fellow prisoners.

She continues, "Aishwarya has done justice to the character. In fact, all the actors have been true to their part and have portrayed the emotions beautifully, be it joy, sorrow, pain, wait, fear, faith. I would get very emotional whenever I saw Aishwarya and Richa shoot for the film. In one scene, Aishwarya was on the phone, and she was being informed about Sarabjit. She was speaking exactly like how I had spoken back then. I broke down watching her.”