Decoding Udaan (2010)

June 18, 2018

Movie no 18/100

When I began writing this post, all I could feel was pain – gut-wrenching, blood-boiling and excruciating pain! That is the most prominent emotion that director Vikramaditya Motwane evokes through his 2010 dark drama, ‘Udaan’. A close-to-reality flick, Udaan is an agonizing story of a father and his relationship with his children, devoid of any love or compassion.

Rohan (played by debutante Rajat Barmecha) is a class twelve student, studying in a boarding school in Shimla. Owing to a misadventure with his friends, he is expelled from the school, forcing him to return home after eight long years. 8 years in which he had neither seen or spoken to his father – who considered paying his fees and sending a token letter every year as his sole responsibility. Upon his return, he discovers that he has a 6-year-old brother, Arjun (played by Aayan Boradia), from his father’s second marriage after his mother’s death. The gloom has just begun to seep in. Rohan’s father, Bhairon Singh (played by Ronit Roy) appears to be an emotionless father, who imposes rules worse than that of a boarding school – his children call him ‘Sir’, they are made to wake up early, beat him in a jog around the city, attend the course that he picks and work in his factory post the classes. There is not a bone of empathy or kindness and he appears as unmoved to his children’s pleads as a cold-blooded murderer.

Udaan is not an easy movie to watch or digest. It can leave you disturbed, but the ending on a positive note feels like a huge redemption. The makers do not sugarcoat anything, there are no silver-linings (well, almost). Also, writers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane invest so much time in layering these characters that one requires to keenly observe or watch the movie multiple times to understand them. For instance, Ronit Roy as Bhairon may seem ruthless and lacking benevolence, but his temperament is a result of his circumstances. The writer hints of Bhairon having a troubled childhood, being burdened by pressures of his family to excel and the need to revive his failing business. While he deserves all the hatred, one would realize there is more to those steely gaze and stern demeanor, than what it seems to be. This is beautifully hinted in the letter Rohan leaves for his dad, saying ‘Pyaar ke bina Arjun bhi Bhairon Singh ban jaega. Another small but effective character is that of Chhotu Chacha (played by Ram Kapoor), who tried to mend the bridge between the estranged father and son.

In terms of the performance, every single actor makes an impact – whether they are central to the narrative or play supporting roles. To begin with, Manjot Singh as Rohan’s best friend, Maninder, is a complete natural and so is Anand Tiwari as Appu, Rohan’s college senior who acts helps him vent out his ire. Rajat Barmecha as Rohan, is fantastic, seducing the viewer with his anger and despair, albeit being restrained. His hatred for his father is palpable and can be seen when he smiles on seeing his father puke, but shows concern for an elderly patient he does not even know. Another memorable performance is by the little, Aayan Boradia as Rohan’s step-brother, Arjun. His naïve eyes and cute face make your gut twist in anger, when he is ill-treated. But, it is Ronit Roy, as the shrewd and cruel father, Bhairon Singh, that evokes the maximum emotion in the viewer. He is brilliant. Very rarely do we get to see such a layered character in Hindi movies and Ronit Roy laps up this opportunity. He adds gloom to the narrative, which is further enhanced by the camera work by Mahendra Shetty. Also, the music by Amit Trivedi, who was relatively new back then, is edgy and adds well to the theme of the movie.

The genius of Vikramaditya Motwane requires no mention. His cinematic expertise has always resulted in brilliantly crafted films, like Lootera or the recent thriller, Trapped. Udaan, for me, remains his best work till date – a simple, yet complicated movie that captivates the attention of its viewers till the last frame. It is a must-watch, even for the faint-hearted!