Lee bats on screen in UnIndian

 

Neena - UnIndian Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A review By Neena Badhwar

UnIndian has been talk of the town since its production started about a year ago. The feature film, a first time effort by director Anupam Sharma, was premiered on October 7, simultaneously at three full houses of Hoyts Cinemas at the Fox Studios.

Film making is not new to Anupam as he has been involved virtually in all Bollywood productions in Australia, managing the crews and locations, liaison with local authorities and everything else related to shooting a film. His name is synonymous with everything Indian, be it art, culture, travel or promotion.

UnIndian is Anupam’s first venture (and more to follow), something of his own, which relates to two distant lands and cultures ”“ Australian and Indian, and weaves a poignant story that bridges the gaps through love. It is a simple family drama spiced with cultural conflicts and well-tried humour of the types of ”˜Mind Your language’ and through stereotyped Indian parents as in ”˜Bend It like Beckham’. Anupam, himself, appearing briefly in the movie as a swami, is a breath of fresh air, maintaining the lightness of the storyline. There is even a car chase to add some suspense in the melodrama.

UnIndian star appeal is in film hero Brett Lee who every Indian will look in awe: Lee as a cricket hero and everything else a backdrop, his presence alone lifting the film several notches.

Heroine Tannishtha Chatterjee is not one of your glamorous Bollywood actresses – not a Madhuri Dixit or Bipasha Basu. She is known for her serious acting as in ”˜Brick Lane’, but unfortunately her role, straitjacketed into a second fiddle to Brett Lee, does not allow her that flourish.

Sydney’s well-known news presenter, Kumud Merani, fits well in her role as an aunty as do other local talents Pallavi Sharda and Maya Sathi. Nick Brown, Arka Das and Sarah Roberts form a good team around Lee creating moments that bring laughter. A large section of the Indian community from Sydney, cast as the Indian Community Network (ICN), provides good comedy as well as being recognised. The film  does not forget its sponsors  as it weaves  them in the script rather overtly.

UnIndian may not be an Oscar material, but commercial success it will be in Australia and in India. Its various segments knitted into a storyline are all tried and tested tracks, everything an average viewer expects from a family movie ”“ romance, comedy, song and dance and even some suspense.

I will give it three stars for projecting the community on the big screen.

 

unIndian opens in cinemas around Australia today on Thursday, October 15th 2015.

 

 

 

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