The Blue Umbrella (2005)

I had read about the film in some reviews which were all positive. The names Vishal Baradwaj and Gulzar did create some expectations in me. And did they meet? Well, frankly..more than that !The story is simple. A girl in a remote village with an attractive blue umbrella, is suddenly grieved by the loss of it and she suspects all those in the village who had an eye on it, especially the 'Kathri', the tea shop owner, amazingly portrayed on screen by Pankaj Kapur.Never before, have I seen Himachal so beautifully captured on screen, with all the green and the snow white during the last part of the movie. The director goes poetic when on screen he shows the transformation to the winter, from the cotton dust to snow flakes. The other main character of the movie is the music. The songs and the BGM do add to the feel and look of the film.It's a treat to watch this one. Though categorized as a children's film, it is for all ages.

well... what can one say about pankaj kapoor .. one of the finest actors is almost every kind of role and this movie is no different his expressions his voice modulations are all awesome... the girl Shreya Sharma also deserves mention ...she does a great joband the story is extremely subtle which can only be conceived either by R.k. narayan or in this case Mr. Ruskin Bond....Vishal does all justice to the story in this great movie... specially striking bout the movie is the way it changes tone halfway the movie..the change of mood is almost palpable....GreatJust the kind of movie that tells what should be the standard of direction ...

This movie is basically based on a novel written by famous writer Ruskin Bond. The movie is about a little girl Bindiya residing in a hilly state Himachal Pradesh... .....she gets a blue umbrella from some foreigners and then drama starts. The acting of Pankaj (khatri in movie) is superb. I truly recommend all of you this movie....go watch it. I watched this movie 2 years back and believe me that i decided never to delete it from my hard disk. Song sung by famous singer Sukhwinder-Barfan is worth to listen.. I love this movie because it touches my nerves and i love that place where this movie has been made. Quality of comedy is also good. Movie is good from starting till end. Acting by all the actors is good.

The Blue Umbrella is an instant classic. It is simple, heart warming and metaphorical at the same time. It is based on a novella by celebrated author Ruskin Bond. Bond's story captures the mood and the uncomplicated lifestyle of a small hill town spot-on and Vishal Bharadwaj renders it on the screen flawlessly.A little girl (Shreya Sharma) trades her lucky charm for an umbrella with a Japanese tourist. The beauty of the umbrella takes over the whole of the town. Everybody falls for it but none more than the stingy shopkeeper Khatri (Pankaj Kapoor). He wants to have it by hook or crook. What Khatri finds and looses in his quest for the umbrella is the rest of the story.This film is a reminder of the fact that Pankaj Kapoor never got the recognition he deserves. He is one of the finest actors this country has ever produced. He single-handedly turns 'The Blue Umbrella' from an ordinary film into extra ordinary achievement. The nuances he brings to his role - a twitch of his face, a gait to his walk, everything - works to etch the character in the minds of the viewer. A splendid performance is all I can say in short.The little Shreya is endearing. We are as heart broken as she is when she looses her umbrella; and we rejoice with her when she dances with it.The biggest credit of all, however, goes to Vishal Bharadwaj. It takes courage and commitment to make the kind of films he has made so far. A gem of a film !