Mausam Movie Reviews

Mausam begins on a beautiful note. Loads of atmospherics, mood, sentiment and stunning visuals of a sleepy rural backdrop, captured in arresting mode by cinematographer Binod Pradhan make you sit back determined for an artistic tryst with cinema. Sonam's shy femininity as the anguished Kashmir migrant, trapped in alien terrain and Shahid Kapoor's boyish buoyancy add a spark to the proceedings as does their old-fashioned style of romance

When a seasoned character actor of the quality of Pankaj Kapur takes the director’s seat, expectations are bound to be high, especially in the light of the fact that the thespian’s professional alliance has consistently been with Hindi cinema of the offbeat kind. So it wouldn’t be fitting to judge his first film by the indulgent yardsticks usually reserved for less ambitious Bollywood potboilers. Had it been made by anyone else, Mausam might well have been dubbed an exceptional film

The film tries to strike a balance between art and mainstream cinema and succeeds partially.

If, like most Bollywood fans, you love a good love story then Mausam (minus the seasons) will make you want to fall in love again. However, if what you’re after is a story which you could list for years to come as one of the most touching love stories given by Indian cinema, I’m sorry to say that Mausam doesn’t quite hit the spot. Although a strong and impactful love story, the movie sadly seems to get lost in its own fate.

It takes a lot for any actor to give away two years of his career for a film. And when one does, expectations from him peak to extreme extents. Shahid Kapoor might just be facing the same. After almost two years, the actor is making his way to silver screen with his father's ambitious project Mausam. The film has already been the centre of controversies first with the Indian Air Force's disapproval and now the Railway ruckus. Now it only remains to be seen

‘Mausam’ starts like a dewy-fresh spring morning, where everything is familiar yet new. It then wilts, autumnal overtones taking over. And then never quite recovers, falling into a dreary never-ending winter.

It's become a ritual. Week after week, I make it a point to gauge audience expectations from a forthcoming movie on Twitter and Facebook. Based on what they have seen in the promos of a forthcoming film, or after listening to its soundtrack, the prospective viewers/moviegoers share their thoughts on the movie on my timeline. MAUSAM, I must add, had generated tremendous excitement prior to its release for varied reasons. One of the key reasons being

Our hero, a bizarrely uptight young air force officer, sits across from the beautiful woman he loves, yet seems afraid to smile. Suddenly, in what may be perceived as a moment of weakness, humanity or merely kindness toward an exasperated audience, he lets his guard down and says, "Yeah, baby." And then he grins. Bad, bad idea. He knows it; cluelessly, abruptly, his face automatically falls. Not everyone can get away with that, and in his latest film Shahid Kapoor

As you leave the hall exhausted from the sheer length of this misguided enterprise, you cannot help but note that despite its many flaws, this is a noble failure. The film doesn’t work, but not for lack of trying.

Finally, giving you opinion about a film called Mausam turn us critics into weathermen, so here goes: Bright and cheerful day, hit by a predictable, gloomy downpour and turned into a damp, middling mess. Perfect one-day cricket conditions, as the English would say.

The old-world charm of Mausam is likeable, but doesn’t salvage it. In the end, the only thing epic about the film is its unwarranted length.

On the whole, MAUSAM is a colossal disappointment!

Like an overcooked dish, MAUSAM, towards the end leaves a soggy taste in your mouth. Sad. Because as a director, Pankaj Kapoor has shown his class. It’s just that he was playing with too many ideas in one go. Give him time and he will be one of our best.

The leading couple has barely met. They eye each other from a distance. Constantly. It’s a popular form of rural love. She disappears from the pind suddenly. He checks out from the village as well. The movie goes off on another tangent, on to another plain. So do your brains, from here on.

Mausam review by Komal Nahta Biz rating: 2/5 stars. What’s Good: The music; the performances of the lead actors....