Besharam (2013)

Any doubts over Ranbir Kapoor's stardom must be erased after watching 'Besharam'. If any other actor had done this film, it would have sparked a national outrage; propaganda YouTube channels would have spewed gormless parodies; the entire nation would have been seized with moral panic. But since it is helmed by Ranbir Kapoor, everything is swept under a bulging carpet. Indian audience likes playing chamchas (sycophants) to a given actor at a time. It's Ranbir's time now; it's Ranbir's rule — until they set their sights on firmer flesh. Critics panned 'Besharam', audience rejected it and box-office figures were acutely deficient. So, by all yardsticks it was a failure, yet everything was hushed off. There was not a single protest from the country obsessed with panning films; there was no misgiving from the audience that lusts for blood. Ranbir is a fine actor but comparisons with the legends like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are downright snobbish and far-fetched. This flatulence manifests in 'Besharam', for it's not just a shoddy film but frozenly shoddy. Ranbir Kapoor is an epic miscast and he overacts like never before. He just doesn't cut out as a crude, creepy larcenist. Ranveer Singh or Nawazuddin Siddiqui would have been apt for this character. It's hypothetical, of course, for it would have been a regretful move for their careers. Abhinav Kashyap comes from the generation of new-age auteurs. He wants to be objective. He loves flawed characters. The trouble here is that he strives for objectivity without backing it up with any substance, just because objectivity considered a respectable trait in the dogma of modern cinema. In the process, he glorifies ostentation and feet-worships peer-pressure. Tara (Pallavi Sharda) takes a hefty loan to buy a luxury car, just because she has to attend a friend's wedding. We are told that it's a lowbrow practice to attend a wedding in a 'normal' car. It's hard to sympathise with such an insecure, snobbish character when her car gets stolen. Moreover, because of his misguided fixation on flawed relationships, he butchers the chemistry between the two leads, which is one of the biggest flaws of this film. (He handled flawed relationships and dysfunctional families so well in 'Dabangg'.) Pallavi Sharda does not impress. It does not help that her character is a pompous bore. Javed Jaffery does not impress as the antagonist. His character is poorly written like rest of the film. It is unclear whether is his character is a sinister villain or a buffoon. Amitosh Nagpal does not impress. Rishi Kapoor is wasted. His 'mujra' to adopt the kid reeks of ageism. The toilet humour is totally out of context. Kashyap is hopelessly tentative about the fight scenes. Perhaps Ranbir Kapoor intends to do a proper action film before showing his pugilistic side to the audience. As a result, the fight scenes are ineptly undeveloped, with a knotted Ranbir Kapoor springing up and down like an ungainly dancer. It's appropriate that he hasn't done an action film: he would be as misfit in an action film, as Salman Khan would be in an Alfred Hitchcock's film.

So the movie should be rated 5 but I am giving it another grace point because it has a better screenplay then Ranbir's last YJHD. Although this movie has its fair share of goofs n where u r made like.. com'on ... but at least they are done in a way where they want you to know its deliberate and not shown as a matter for fact.I was going to avoid it, I avoided it for a bit, but then I saw it last night and I had few good laughs. The movie wasn't a drag. Don't see the trailer if you want to enjoy even more...If you are an Indian movie follower, I can bet you you have seen much worst recently under bigger names so don't be afraid and give it a shot. I hope you will enjoy

To be very honest, i was waiting for this movie for almost 2-3 months and i was pretty much excited for its release and also did planned to watch it in a nearby cinema. But after the movie got released, from the very first day, i got to see only negative reviews about this movie. i thought it would be worst than Phata Poster Nikla Hero. So i cancelled to watch it in the cinema and downloaded instead. Last night i got to see this movie, well it was bearable to be very honest. The 1st half was gone past that i didn't even realized. The 2nd half dragged a little bit. Could've been shorter, but then it goes that everything is fair in a Bollywood movie. I kinda like the movie just like a normal movie, also i know that it was highly anticipated. But go see the movie yourself and then decide.DO NOT GO ON BAD MOUTHING.

First of all, it's very clear that Besharam aims to be no masterpiece. Instead, it is an intentionally loud film that seldom takes itself seriously. The day this movie came out, in fact, when the trailer itself came out, many Ranbir Kapoor fans were disappointed with what kind of a film Ranbir had chosen. Hence the current below-4 rating on IMDb. And I can't blame them, either. Right from Bachna Ae Haseeno, Ranbir has been giving back- to-back great films, with his performance standing out the most.Ranbir is one of my favorite Bollywood actors as well, and I can't help but compare him to another one of my favorite actors, Aamir Khan, for his choices in film. Before I watched this film, I thought that this was going to be Ranbir's 'Mela' in that regard. I'm also no fan of Abhinav Kashyap's work either; I think Dabangg is one of the most atrociously horrible films to ever come out of India. So, I really thought that Besharam would also be a serious contender for 'Worst Bollywood Film of All Time'. Of course, it's far from THAT, but to be honest...Given the current hype that was created for this film, and the immediate backlash afterwards, I can honestly say that it would be a crime to call this one of Ranbir's best movies right now. But it wouldn't be in another, say, 7-10 years.The plot is simple enough: the adventures of a 'besharam' car thief. Yes, it's another character-centric film, but it actually has many other characters with their distinct personalities. There's Babli, the shameless protagonist; T2, Babli's spontaneous best friend and partner in crime; Tara, Babli's ladylove; and of course Chulbul and Bulbul Chautala, the bickering cop couple.The acting is non-surprisingly loud and over-the-top, but still has depth, especially in Ranbir Kapoor's case. The newcomer Pallavi Sharda is decent in the acting department, and mostly relies on her taut dialogue delivery. Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor are FANTASTIC. Javed Jaffery, as the villain, doesn't quite fit, however.The dialogues and some of the scenes are really childish, some even resorting to toilet humor. Nevertheless, the film evokes some laughter. The songs are actually very good and memorable, and the lyrics of 'Love Ki Ghanti' are quite innovative.However the film is not very well written, and is unrealistic. Every 20 minutes or so there is a song. The Aa Re Aa Re song is especially annoying. The film is sloppy, sometimes even feels cheap, and the action sequences are completely over-the-top.However it's this nature of the film which makes it unique, more unique than any other masala film. Some of the jokes even aim at political satire, and the film has its takes on corruption and violence. All this will surely stay with people after a long time. It is truly BESHARAM.If I had to rate this film right now, it would be an obvious 4 out of 10. But according to me, this entertaining film, though not very clever or serious, is yet to find its audience. Only time will tell...