Movie Review : English Medium (2020)

The Story

Star Power

Business Analysis

Technical Analysis

Promotion

Language
Hindi

Genre
Comedy | Drama

Target Audience
Worldwide

Running Time
145 min

Producer
Maddock Films, Skywalk Films, Uniforms & Weapons Emporium (UWE)

Director
Homi Adajania

Line Producer
Maddock Films, Skywalk Films, Uniforms & Weapons Emporium (UWE)

Music Director
Sachin-Jigar and Tanishk Bagchi

Singers
Tanishkaa Sanghvi, Sachin-Jigar

Cinematographer
Anil Mehta

Editor
A. Sreekar Prasad

Shooting Locations

London, England, UK

The Story

Champak Bansal (Irrfan) is a simple, small-town businessman – one of the owner's of Ghasitaram sweet shop chain – who’s leading a comfortable life with his teenage daughter, Tarika (Radhika Madan). But, Tarika has big dreams – of graduating from a recognised university in London. With little means to fulfil his daughter’s ambition, how far will the father go to ensure Tarika realises her 'videshi aspirations'?

Cast

Irrfan Khan ... Champak Bansal
Radhika Madan ... Radhika Madan
Kareena Kapoor ... Naina Kohli
Deepak Dobriyal ... Gopi Bansal
Dimple Kapadia ... Mrs. Sampada Kohli
Ranvir Shorey ... Bablu(Balashankar Tripathi)
Pankaj Tripathi ... Travel agent Tony
Kiku Sharda ... Gajju Manu
Rishi Chadha ... Brijesh Goswami
Poorvi Jain ... Rashi Goswami
Mark Bennington ... Officer Steve
Myrah Dandekar ... Anjali

Business Analysis

Udaipur-based Champak Bansal (Khan) is a small-time businessman who owns one of two Ghasitaram sweet shops in the same locality, the other belonging to his brother Gopi (Dobriyal). Champak’s life revolves around bickering with his brother over whose shop represents the “original” Ghasitaram brand and taking care of his daughter, Tarika (Madan), who wants to pursue higher education in the UK.
 

Irrfan Khan, Radhika Madan and Kareena Kapoor Khan's film 'Angrezi Medium' has witnessed a huge drop in its collection due to Coronavirus shut down in several cities in the country. The film has managed to earn just Rs 35 lakhs on its first Monday.

According to the latest Box Office India report, the film has reached a total of Rs 9.35 crore in the first four days. 'Angrezi Medium' won't be playing in any theatres anymore from Tuesday as all theatres across the country will close till the end of the month.
While the film has failed to earn due to the Coronavirus outbreak, director Homi Adajania announced that the film will be re-released in India on social media. Not only 'Angrezi Medium' but even Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor's 'Baaghi 3' witnessed a drop in its collection due to Coronavirus.

The release of several big budget films such as 'Sooryavanshi', Vicky Kaushal’s Udham Singh biopic, 'Fast and Furious 9', 'No Time to Die' and others have been postponed. On the other hand, films which were going to release rather this year like ''Brahmastra', Jersey', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' and others have halted their shoots.

Promotions

The promoters/marketers/media, everybody had gone crazy to cash on the hype. But the question is why to make the maximum noise in that particular market which is not going to buy your product. The hype, the 150 crores thingie, crossover fundas everything is fine but not for India as the makers himself want an international recognition. The noise should have been made over there not here going by the language even in its Hindi version the film has.

Technical Analysis

The promoters/marketers/media, everybody had gone crazy to cash on the hype. But the question is why to make the maximum noise in that particular market which is not going to buy your product. The hype, the 150 crores thingie, crossover fundas everything is fine but not for India as the makers himself want an international recognition. The noise should have been made over there not here going by the language even in its Hindi version the film has.

The promos/teaser are interesting and the media hype by Image Smiths and NR2 – the Image Engineers has been astronomical which will bring the initials but at the same time will double the expectation level.

Review

Angrezi Medium Review: Born and raised in Udaipur (Rajasthan), Champak’s world pretty much revolves around his daily bickering with his other Ghasitaram brother, Gopi (Deepak Dobriyal), and caring for his only daughter, Tarika, who’s all set to graduate high school and embark on another academic journey. But, unlike her father, she doesn’t want to limit her dreams to the place she has grown up in; instead, she wants to explore what lies outside of her small world. Unaware of what's ahead, Champak gives in to his daughter's wishes, but things start to spiral out of control when it comes down to paying the hefty fee. A dedicated father, Champak vows to do whatever it takes to send his daughter to study abroad, and treads on a path that not only proves his unconditional love for his 'betiya', but also redefines their relationship.

Homi Adajania's ‘Angrezi Medium’ touches upon the pulse of the young generation's obsession with pursuing further studies in foreign countries, and their family's determination to embrace every Himalayan hurdle for their loved ones. There are other underlying themes, too, but this remains the primary subject of the film.

It is a well-known fact that in reality, Irrfan shot this movie while undergoing treatment. But, while watching this film, you can put that thought aside. What you witness on screen is the actor in his element – in every frame. He just takes you along... you laugh with him, cry with him and every time he overcomes an obstacle, you rejoice with him. Irrfan breathes life into Champak in a way that nobody else can. And walking shoulder to shoulder with him is yet another fine actor, Deepak Dobriyal. His camaraderie with Irrfan is a testament to the fact that both of them are such polished, well-prepared actors. Radhika Madan, as this mildly rebellious and often clueless teenager, pulls off a fine performance, especially in the scenes where her movingly beautiful relationship with her father unfolds. Their chemistry is organic, and the portrayal of their respective characters seem so real that their dilemmas and inner conflicts start to resonate. Kiku Sharda, as the childhood buddy of the two brothers, is his usual funny self. Ranvir Shorey, as Balakrishna 'Bobby' Tripathy, living the seemingly perfect NRI dream, acts as a catalyst in moving the plot ahead. His depiction of Bobby comes as a refreshing twist in the plot and Shorey does complete justice to his part. Kareena Kapoor Khan does well in her brief appearance as tough cop Naina and adds to the chaos in the second half of the film. However, her relationship with her mother, Mrs. Kohli (played by Dimple Kapadia), is underexplored. It would have been interesting to watch the dynamics of their relationship play out in the movie.

The look and feel of this comedy-drama is all things sweet and small-town – the actors consistently carry a thick local accent (Radhika's sounds a bit forced though) and close attention has been paid to what we call a 'small-town traits' that beautifully plays out in multiple scenes and sequences as the story progresses. With one foot in homeland and the other in London, the music and the background score have been chalked out keeping the two different scenarios in mind; works out fine and differentiates the mood well.

The first half of the screenplay is more engaging then the second, but, while trying to fit in too many subplots, the story goes quite haywire. There are some fantastic moments in the film, and sharply written scenes between the characters, too, which in turn, prove to be the highlights of this drama. However, the story is far too convenient and has inconsistencies that are hard to overlook, but Irrfan's exceptional performance makes it worth the watch.

'Angrezi Medium' does lose its grip on several occasions, what it does not lose is its hold on the emotion that it is trying to bring out, and the message it leaves you with.