Hawaizaada: Fails to fly

Hawaizaada
Staring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Pallavi Sharda, Mithun Chakraborty
Rated: 5/10
For such a potent subject embedded in the obscure footnotes of that part of Indian history that is yet to reach school textbooks, this should have been an awe inspiring movie, coupled as it is with winsome art direction capturing the bygone era in all its hues. Unfortunately, however, it turns out to be largely inspiring and in places even confused and mostly affected.
Ayushmann Khurrana as Shivkar Bapuji Talpade gives in an endearing performance but despite the wings he attaches to his persona, not much else is given to him to do. The film is ornate and the period is captured with a lot of botox but herein lies the catch of overdoing the decorations and underplaying the script.
The film had come with a lot of promise, and promoted as one of those incredible India moments but fails to live up to the expectations despite it being a subject any Indian would have taken pride in. After all, this was about an Indian airman who deigned to fly eight years before the world feted Wright Brothers. But that emotional high of achievement is missing despite the Englishmen being around the film to push you towards patriotism.
On the whole, this one makes for a dutiful watch only as enjoyment is minimal and the timeframe just too long. 
Source: Sunday Pioneer, 1 February, 2015

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