Udaan (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
Udaan is a 2010 Hindi film produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap
, and Ronnie Screwvala
; and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane
. The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard
(A Certain Glance) category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
.
Rohan returns home to Jamshedpur to a stern and abusive father and a 6-year-old half-brother, Arjun (who he didn't even know, existed), not knowing what's in store for him. His father forces him to attend engineering classes at the local university and work at his metal works factory. His father's disappointment takes the form of verbal and physical abuse and constant humiliation. His kind uncle supports Rohan's ambition of being a writer, but his father will have none of it. One night he sneaks out of the house, takes his father's car and goes to a local bar. There he meets some seniors from his college who try to rag him but later become his friends. Then he does this regularly, taking his father's car and drinking at the bar.
An uninterested Rohan deliberately fails the exam so that his father will give up on him, leaving him free to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. At exactly the same time, his father is summoned immediately to school to take Arjun away because of something he has done. This causes his father to lose an important contract. Rohan comes home to a scene where Arjun is being rushed to the hospital for some unknown reason. His father says that Arjun fell down the stairs. Fearful of complicating matters, Rohan lies to his father and says that he passed his exams. His father then goes to Calcutta on an urgent business trip leaving Rohan to take care of Arjun in the hospital.
In the hospital, Rohan impresses a lot of people including doctors and nurses with his stories and poems. He finds out that Arjun was beaten by his father after losing a contract worth millions of rupees. While he befriends Arjun he gets to know that Arjun had a fight with his schoolmate and had hurt a couple of them. Then his father comes back from Calcutta and finds out he has failed the exams. He has a fight with his father and is assaulted by him in the night and next day his father apologies to him. A somewhat hopeful Rohan feels that maybe his father has realized the error of his ways. His father then stuns Rohan by declaring that he is going to marry again and decides to send Arjun to a boarding school while Rohan is supposed to work full-time at the factory. His father has a fight with his uncle when his uncle desires to keep Arjun with him. Rohan pleads with his uncle to take him away. Furious about this, his father burns Rohan's diary where he has written all his poems. Rohan calls Maninder who tells him that he, Vikram and Benoy are now working at Vikram's restaurant in Mumbai and Maninder invites him too.
One day, Rohan takes all his frustration out on his father's car and some policemen happen to see him in the act. He spends a night in prison after his father knows about the car and leaves him there. When he goes home, his to-be stepmother and her relatives are there. He takes a bath, packs his things to leave home. As a dejected Arjun watches him sadly, Rohan asks him when he will be leaving for boarding school. Arjun says he would be leaving the next day. Rohan simply wishes him luck and prepares to leave. On his way out, Rohan exchanges some words with his father and when confronted, punches his father and runs away. He spends the night in his uncle's house and the next morning he suddenly realizes that he cannot leave his brother at the mercy of the same circumstances that he left. He goes to his home and takes Arjun with him to Mumbai leaving a note behind warning his father to stay away from them. The movie ends with Rohan and Arjun walking away holding hands.
from Bollywood Hungama
gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a simple, straight-forward film that doesn't need to be explained. It needs to be experienced." Gaurav Malani of IndiaTimes
rated it 4/5 "In an industry known to indulge in larger-than-life ‘flights of fantasy’, Udaan is one of those intermittent ‘coming of age’ films from Bollywood. Do not miss!". Nikhat Kazmi
of Times of India rated it 4/5 "Udaan is unconventional Bollywood at its biting best. The film is a moody, introspective and ekdum different look at teenage angst" Pankaj Sabnani of Glamsham.com rated it 3.5/5 and stated that "The best part about Udaan is its simple yet heartrending & relatable story... Udaan surely passes with flying colours. It will linger on your mind for a long time to come." Vinayak Chakravorty
of Mail Today gave it four stars, saying: "The film documents subtly the great smalltown Indian dream that defines engineering as the only yardstick of success for boys." Mayank Shekhar of Hindustan Times
rated Udaan 3.5/4 and of the view that "This is that rare, superior latter: a bleak beauty, a commendable debut." Rajeev Masand
of CNN-IBN gave it 4/5 and stated that it is"intuitively written and lovingly crafted, Udaan is packed with moments that will resonate with every viewer because they mirror real experiences." Kaveere Bamzai of India Today rated it 4/5 and described it as "an extraordinary story told without veering into the maudlin. It's a tightly controlled drama without any melodrama." Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
rated it 7.4/10 and calling it a "must watch". Vivek Bhatia of Filmfare.com rated it as 3/5 and elaborated that "the strength of Udaan lies in its story telling, which is very real. As are the setting and the overall ambience." According to film critic Subhash K. Jha, Udaan "gives us some great moments of cinema , done in shades that leave the camera lens far behind to romance the very core of middleclass life..." Gaurav Malani of Economic Times rated it 4/5 and described it as a film which should not be missed and told that "Udaan is one of those intermittent ‘coming of age’ films from Bollywood, which is usually known to indulge in larger-than-life ‘flights of fantasy’". As of September 2010, the film has a 8.5/10 rating on IMDb. Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog : "I found that the film deserved the accolades it was getting. Vikramaditya Motwane, a school mate of Abhishek has directed this film. A young man who had come some years ago to me with a marvelous script, has directed this venture of his with the maturity that one does not expect to see from one on his debut venture"
on July 16, grossing 3.2 crores INR in theatres.
and includes 7 tracks. The lyrics have been done by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anurag Kashyap. The film's music got overwhelming response from the critics. Amit Trivedi's rock & grunge style was highly appreciated whereas Anurag Kashyap's lyrical debut "Motumaster"'s lyrics had got good response. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics in the other tracks were called "a classy act".
(A Certain Glance) category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
. Udaan was first Indian film to be part of Cannes' official section in seven years. Udaan got screened in 40th Giffoni Film Festival
for children's films in Italy bagging Audience Choice Award along with the trophy for Best Music Score. It has also been adjudicated as the Best Film and Motwane as the Best Director at the 17th Annual Star Screen Awards. Udaan won Best Narrative Feature at the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles in April 2011.
, more than any other film that year.
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
, and Ronnie Screwvala
Ronnie Screwvala
Ronnie Screwvala is an Indian film producer and CEO and founder chairman of which recently partnered with Walt Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment production company, expanding its global reach.In September 2008, he was named amongst, Esquires List of the 75...
; and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane
Vikramaditya Motwane
Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, and screenwriter of films like Dev.D and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal...
. The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
(A Certain Glance) category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
.
Plot
17-year-old Rohan is expelled from the reputed Bishop Cotton School, Shimla boarding school along with three friends Vikram, Benoy and Maninder when they are caught by their warden watching an adult movie off campus .Rohan returns home to Jamshedpur to a stern and abusive father and a 6-year-old half-brother, Arjun (who he didn't even know, existed), not knowing what's in store for him. His father forces him to attend engineering classes at the local university and work at his metal works factory. His father's disappointment takes the form of verbal and physical abuse and constant humiliation. His kind uncle supports Rohan's ambition of being a writer, but his father will have none of it. One night he sneaks out of the house, takes his father's car and goes to a local bar. There he meets some seniors from his college who try to rag him but later become his friends. Then he does this regularly, taking his father's car and drinking at the bar.
An uninterested Rohan deliberately fails the exam so that his father will give up on him, leaving him free to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. At exactly the same time, his father is summoned immediately to school to take Arjun away because of something he has done. This causes his father to lose an important contract. Rohan comes home to a scene where Arjun is being rushed to the hospital for some unknown reason. His father says that Arjun fell down the stairs. Fearful of complicating matters, Rohan lies to his father and says that he passed his exams. His father then goes to Calcutta on an urgent business trip leaving Rohan to take care of Arjun in the hospital.
In the hospital, Rohan impresses a lot of people including doctors and nurses with his stories and poems. He finds out that Arjun was beaten by his father after losing a contract worth millions of rupees. While he befriends Arjun he gets to know that Arjun had a fight with his schoolmate and had hurt a couple of them. Then his father comes back from Calcutta and finds out he has failed the exams. He has a fight with his father and is assaulted by him in the night and next day his father apologies to him. A somewhat hopeful Rohan feels that maybe his father has realized the error of his ways. His father then stuns Rohan by declaring that he is going to marry again and decides to send Arjun to a boarding school while Rohan is supposed to work full-time at the factory. His father has a fight with his uncle when his uncle desires to keep Arjun with him. Rohan pleads with his uncle to take him away. Furious about this, his father burns Rohan's diary where he has written all his poems. Rohan calls Maninder who tells him that he, Vikram and Benoy are now working at Vikram's restaurant in Mumbai and Maninder invites him too.
One day, Rohan takes all his frustration out on his father's car and some policemen happen to see him in the act. He spends a night in prison after his father knows about the car and leaves him there. When he goes home, his to-be stepmother and her relatives are there. He takes a bath, packs his things to leave home. As a dejected Arjun watches him sadly, Rohan asks him when he will be leaving for boarding school. Arjun says he would be leaving the next day. Rohan simply wishes him luck and prepares to leave. On his way out, Rohan exchanges some words with his father and when confronted, punches his father and runs away. He spends the night in his uncle's house and the next morning he suddenly realizes that he cannot leave his brother at the mercy of the same circumstances that he left. He goes to his home and takes Arjun with him to Mumbai leaving a note behind warning his father to stay away from them. The movie ends with Rohan and Arjun walking away holding hands.
Cast
- Rajat BarmechaRajat BarmechaRajat Barmecha is an Indian film actor who is best known for his lead role in the multi award winning 2010 Bollywood film Udaan.-Childhood:...
as Rohan - Ronit RoyRonit RoyRonit Roy is an Indian television and Bollywood actor, known for the roles of Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi, Rishabh Bajaj, Mihir Virani and Aparajit Deb. He is now in the serial Adaalat as KD Pathak. Roy has been referred to as the Amitabh Bachchan of small screen...
as Bhairav - Aayan Boradia as Arjun
- Ram KapoorRam KapoorRam Kapoor is an Indian television actor noted particularly for his portrayal of Jai Walia on Kasamh Se' & also for his charecter Ram Kapoor in the very populay daily, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain.He rose to prominence as the host of Rakhi ka Swayamvar'. He is the only actor to win the Indian Telly...
as Jimmy - Manjot SinghManjot SinghManjot Singh is a Indian Bollywood actor, most famous for his role in the film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! as the young Lucky.-Childhood:Manjot Singh was born in a Sikh family. His father is a doctor and mother is in government service.-Debut:...
as Maninder - Anand Tiwari as Appu
- Sumant Mastkar as Kashyap
- Raja Hudda as Vikram
- Varun Khettry as Benoy
- Shaunak Sengupta as Amber
Critical reception
The film received positive reviews from critics upon release. Taran AdarshTaran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
from Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a simple, straight-forward film that doesn't need to be explained. It needs to be experienced." Gaurav Malani of IndiaTimes
Indiatimes
Indiatimes is the Internet subsidiary of The Times of India Group, under which, some of the largest websites in India - The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times and Maharashtra Times operate....
rated it 4/5 "In an industry known to indulge in larger-than-life ‘flights of fantasy’, Udaan is one of those intermittent ‘coming of age’ films from Bollywood. Do not miss!". Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
of Times of India rated it 4/5 "Udaan is unconventional Bollywood at its biting best. The film is a moody, introspective and ekdum different look at teenage angst" Pankaj Sabnani of Glamsham.com rated it 3.5/5 and stated that "The best part about Udaan is its simple yet heartrending & relatable story... Udaan surely passes with flying colours. It will linger on your mind for a long time to come." Vinayak Chakravorty
Vinayak Chakravorty
Vinayak Chakravorty is an Indian film critic and film journalist based in New Delhi.He currently reviews films in Mail Today newspaper, where he is employed as Entertainment Editor...
of Mail Today gave it four stars, saying: "The film documents subtly the great smalltown Indian dream that defines engineering as the only yardstick of success for boys." Mayank Shekhar of Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
rated Udaan 3.5/4 and of the view that "This is that rare, superior latter: a bleak beauty, a commendable debut." Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN gave it 4/5 and stated that it is"intuitively written and lovingly crafted, Udaan is packed with moments that will resonate with every viewer because they mirror real experiences." Kaveere Bamzai of India Today rated it 4/5 and described it as "an extraordinary story told without veering into the maudlin. It's a tightly controlled drama without any melodrama." Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
rated it 7.4/10 and calling it a "must watch". Vivek Bhatia of Filmfare.com rated it as 3/5 and elaborated that "the strength of Udaan lies in its story telling, which is very real. As are the setting and the overall ambience." According to film critic Subhash K. Jha, Udaan "gives us some great moments of cinema , done in shades that leave the camera lens far behind to romance the very core of middleclass life..." Gaurav Malani of Economic Times rated it 4/5 and described it as a film which should not be missed and told that "Udaan is one of those intermittent ‘coming of age’ films from Bollywood, which is usually known to indulge in larger-than-life ‘flights of fantasy’". As of September 2010, the film has a 8.5/10 rating on IMDb. Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog : "I found that the film deserved the accolades it was getting. Vikramaditya Motwane, a school mate of Abhishek has directed this film. A young man who had come some years ago to me with a marvelous script, has directed this venture of his with the maturity that one does not expect to see from one on his debut venture"
Box office
The film was released in the IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on July 16, grossing 3.2 crores INR in theatres.
Soundtrack
The music for Udaan is composed by Amit TrivediAmit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
and includes 7 tracks. The lyrics have been done by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anurag Kashyap. The film's music got overwhelming response from the critics. Amit Trivedi's rock & grunge style was highly appreciated whereas Anurag Kashyap's lyrical debut "Motumaster"'s lyrics had got good response. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics in the other tracks were called "a classy act".
Screenings and awards
The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain RegardUn Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
(A Certain Glance) category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
. Udaan was first Indian film to be part of Cannes' official section in seven years. Udaan got screened in 40th Giffoni Film Festival
Giffoni Film Festival
The Giffoni International Film Festival is the largest children’s film festival in Europe, and possibly the World. It takes place in the little Italian town of Giffoni Valle Piana in Southern Italy, close to Salerno. Over 2,000 children attend the festival from 39 countries around the world...
for children's films in Italy bagging Audience Choice Award along with the trophy for Best Music Score. It has also been adjudicated as the Best Film and Motwane as the Best Director at the 17th Annual Star Screen Awards. Udaan won Best Narrative Feature at the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles in April 2011.
56th Annual Filmfare Awards 2011
Udaan won 7 awards at the 56th Filmfare Awards56th Filmfare Awards
The 56th Filmfare Awards were held on January 29, 2011 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, honouring the best in film for the year 2010. The nominations were announced on January 13. The date of the function was unusual because generally the awards are hosted on the last Saturday of February...
, more than any other film that year.
| Category | Winner's Name |
|---|---|
| Best Supporting Actor (Male) | Ronit Roy Ronit Roy Ronit Roy is an Indian television and Bollywood actor, known for the roles of Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi, Rishabh Bajaj, Mihir Virani and Aparajit Deb. He is now in the serial Adaalat as KD Pathak. Roy has been referred to as the Amitabh Bachchan of small screen... |
| Best Film (Critics) Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie The Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote... |
Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, and screenwriter of films like Dev.D and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal... and Sanjay Singh Sanjay Singh Dr. Sanjay Singh/Sinh is a member of the Parliament of India, Lok Sabha from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, earlier was elected from Amethi / Amethi in India from 1998 to 1999 and earlier a member of Rajya Sabha from 1990 to 1996. He has been a controversial political figure... |
| Best Screenplay | Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (director) Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal... and Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, and screenwriter of films like Dev.D and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal... |
| Best Story | Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (director) Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal... and Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, and screenwriter of films like Dev.D and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal... |
| Best Background Music | Amit Trivedi Amit Trivedi Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his... |
| Best Cinematography | Mahendra Shetty |
| Best Sound Design Award | Kunal Sharma (shared with Pritam Das Pritam Das Pritam Das was an Indian cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and right arm fast-medium bowler who played for Assam. He was born in Tarapur.... - 'Love Sex aur Dhokha Love Sex aur Dhokha Love Sex aur Dhokha is a 2010 Indian film directed by Dibakar Banerjee and produced by Alt Entertainment, is shot entirely on DigiCam, being one of the first films coming out of India to be presented in the found footage style... ') |
17th Annual Star Screen Awards 2011
| Category | Winner's Name |
|---|---|
| Best Film | Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (director) Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal... (Producer) |
| Best Director | Vikramaditya Motwane - Udaan |
| Best Actor in a Negative Role | Ronit Roy - Udaan |
| Best Child Artiste Star Screen Award for Best Child Artist The ' is a new award conducted by the Star Screen Awards to recognise a great performance by a child actor in the previous year.-Winners:... |
Ayaan Barodia - Udaan |