Title: Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Radhikka Madan, Paresh Rawal and Seema Biswas
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 3.5
National award winning filmmaker Sudha Kongara’s Sarfira celebrates the courage of conviction in a rather melodramatic style with a dollop of ambition. Emotions run high as you cry and cheer for the protagonist Vir Mhatre (Akshay Kumar), as he takes the flight of an incredible imagination to make his dream come true for the collective.
After experiencing the dry spell of several commercials duds, Akshay showcases his strength as an actor and as a superstar. If you thought Baby, Airlift and Toilet Ek Prem Katha were impressive, watch Sarfira to witness Akshay’s range as a performer who must be pushed hard to tap into the fullest potential.
Kongara’s remake of the Tamil film Sorarai Pottru is inspiring, engaging and emotional. Over two hours and 30 minutes, Sarfira is a masterclass delivered on motivation and resilience. You can’t hold back your tears as you appreciate the protagonist’s audacity to overcome any challenge crossing his path.
Akshay plays Vir Mhatre who fails to meet his dying father as he can’t afford to pay for an air ticket. The tragic incident leaves him shattered, but it also fuels his ambition to create low cost airlines for everyone. He believes that boarding a flight should be democratised not just as the mark of the common man’s aspiration to fly high, but in order to break the walls created by elitism and casteism.
The hurdles and the obstacles are many in Vir’s path to glory. His nemesis Paresh Goswami played by Paresh Rawal, leaves no stone unturned to ensure that Vir’s dream never takes off. Goswami abhors the very idea that the affluent folks will rub shoulders with the masses. Standing alongside Vir is his wife Rani (Radhikka Madan) who is as ambitious as her husband, if not more, smashing patriarchy without dishing out much gyaan on feminism. She doesn’t play the proverbial second fiddle to her life-partner but is equally ignited when it comes to her own individual passion and her audacity to craft a career out of it.
The makers have a solid grip on the narration and the style in which the subtexts are delivered. For sure, the second half could have been crisper and the editing tighter, but the pace at which the events unfold will keep you invested — as much in the lead characters as the emotions they wear on their sleeve. Watch Sarfira to experience the sheer courage of conviction. Seema Biswas, Radhikka Madan, Akshay Kumar shine like true gems, while Paresh Rawal remains uni-dimensional. The writing doesn’t give him much to experiment with in terms of the placement of his character and the broad strokes with which his psyche is portrayed.
Put on your seat belt and take the crazy Sarfira ride with Akshay Kumar where ambition and passion runs high. This one does land safely and beautifully!
.jpg)
