Rant, I mean, Review: Now, when ‘Manihar’ first fluttered onto the screen, I thought – “Perhaps, this is an homage to some obscure literary masterpiece.” How utterly mistaken I was. Like a poorly constructed sandcastle, the intrigue crumbles, leaving us stranded in a desert of disappointment.
Okay, let’s meet our hero, Ballu (Badrul Islam), a bangle hustler from Uttar Pradesh’s best-kept secret, a small village. With the aid of his friendly neighborhood matchmaker, Sadi Ram (CP Bhatt), Ballu is all set to tie the knot with Savitri (Roshni Rastogi). But alas, the night-blindness demon strikes, and Ballu is left groping in the dark. When Balwant (Sunny Thakur), the Hulk Hogan of the family, discovers Ballu’s impairment, he goes into full villain mode, calling off the wedding. Our hero, in a fit of righteous rage, vows to bring Balwant down, by wrestling no less! I mean, who needs eye-sight when you have a vendetta, right?
This comedy-drama, or so they claim, could have been a contender, had someone bothered to pay attention to the screenplay. The attempts at tension are as effective as a feather duster in a sandstorm. The comedy? So flat, you could iron your clothes on it. ‘Manihar’ does do one thing right – its portrayal of rural life is as genuine as it gets. But that’s about it. What it lacks in depth and soul, it makes up for in…nope, there’s nothing.
As for the performances, Badrul Islam’s Ballu is as average as a lukewarm chai, while Roshni Rastogi’s Savitri barely even registers. Among the supporting cast, only CP Bhatt as Sadi Ram manages to hold our attention. Sanjeev Rajput’s direction, if you can call it that, is as flat as a pancake. ‘Manihar’ could have been a gem, but it seems like the makers decided to take a nap instead of giving it the polish it needed. In the end, it’s just another film that had potential but ended up as a soulless puppet show.
Epilogue: So folks, that was ‘Manihar’ for you. A cinematic ride that begins with a promise but ends up as forgettable as a Bollywood remake of a Hollywood classic. Until next time, this is Review Rani, signing off with a friendly reminder – not all that glitters is gold!
