Uunchai Review - Celebrates Friendship & Hope At Higher Altitudes With Low Air

The master of family dramas in Bollywood, Mr. Sooraj Barjatya, is back with another multistarrer drama, Uunchai, with an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta and Sarika. This film is a nice little break for him from those regular family dramas he is known for. Uunchai is mainly about friendship and hope, but it still has all those trademark Sooraj Barjatya features. His new concept celebrates life at higher altitudes with all the old tricks he has been using for years that we have been seeing for years. It's not that kind of hangout flick like George Lucas' American Graffiti (1973). It's very sophisticated, but still isn't as strong and emotional as Rob Reiner's classic, Stand By Me (1986) — perhaps, the best work in this genre I have ever seen. From Rajshri's side, Dosti (1964) will top every list in world cinema for me. Barjatya's Uunchai is a typical story with dated treatments, but it keeps you engaged throughout its stretched, long narrative. Generality is the only issue; otherwise, it's a decent film with vibrant surroundings.Uunchai is the story of three friends, Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Javed (Boman Irani), and Om (Anupam Kher), who have just lost the 4th member of their BFF gang, Bhupen (Danny Dengzogpa). As his last wish suggested, they go on a trip from Delhi to Kathmandu and then trek to the Everest base camp. Javed's wife, Shabina (Neena Gupta), accompanies them until Kanpur, while a stranger, Mala (Sarika), joins them until Kathmandu on this trip. On the first trek of their lives, they battle their physical limitations and discover the true meaning of freedom by holding themselves accountable for their past mistakes. A young guide, Shraddha (Parineeti Chopra), walks with them on this journey, and all of them explore something new and motivational about life.

As you can predict, Uunchai is a very simple story. You can even predict all the twists and conflicts quite easily because you have seen them all together. We know those three friends will have issues in their personal lives and relationships with the close one, they will have some medical issues, some will have love or marriage issues, and Uunchai is no different. Now tell me which senior citizen goes on a trek with less medicine. The guide can warn trekkers about bad weather and yet take them to cross a hanging pool. The mobile network can be lost or found according to the screenwriter's convenience. Their personal issues can arise whenever they want, and despite having lived so long, they will make mistakes like teenagers. It's all plausible because it's a film. It's now up to you to decide how much to believe and how much to dismiss. The writing is disappointing in that sense because it offers nothing new to 2022's cinema. Furthermore, in the standard script, the screenplay is stretched and dragged for no apparent reason.Uunchai has a fantastic casting unit of experienced actors who know how to act, how to improvise, and how to carry the script on their shoulders. Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Sarika, and Neena Gupta have so much experience that they just can't go wrong, even in regular scenes. Together, they are a wholesome package of entertainment. They perform just like they should, and nobody among them disappoints you. Danny Dengzogpa has a small cameo, and Parineeti Chopra gets a scene or two to shine (but who uses so much makeup on Trek Man?) and Nafisa Ali and Raju Kher also have a scene or two just to appear.One of the most lovable things about Uunchai is its music. Ko is such a vibrant and delightful number, Ladki Pahadi suits the locations, and Zindagi Ko Haa Kar De tops the chart in this album. Such is the impact that I am humming it even while writing this line. The background tone of Kar De sounds even better and will stay with you for a long time. Amit Trivedi's album gets meaningful lyrics by Irshad Kamil to achieve a new uunchai (height). Manoj Kumar Khatoi has captured beautiful locations with finesse, and you'll fall in love with his framework. Uunchai is directed in the same old fashion by Sooraj Barjatya, which takes away the film's modern appeal. In 2022, you can't have loud background music or slow walks on every important scene. Those ideas from the 1990s are now older than the age of the characters Barjatya Sir has shown in the film. He should understand this and use advanced theories of storytelling in his next projects, and I'm sure he will deliver a contemporary classic again like he did in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Uunchai has those Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara vibes (and similarities as well), but they are a little outdated. As a whole, Uunchai deserved to climb more heights, but limited air from the director kept it at a moderate altitude.