Banjo film review 3* feel good film

A film about musicians from the Mumbai has the potential to inspire you. It is film where you can relate your self with the mumbai city and slums life of the city. The hardships and the dream of the poor to become big is well defined.

Banjo, led by Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri, seems to be grappling with an identity crisis.

Its an action film with a  feel-good drama about underprivileged musicians living in Mumbai slums.

There’s Fakhri who plays Chris, a DJ from New York.

Deshmukh, plays Tarat, who can single-handedly fight off brutish men with his fist and extort money from them. He’s also a modern-day superhero because he can save young boys who fall down a giant hole filled with dirty water. If that doesn’t earn him brownie points as a good-natured guy, then we are told he’s also a creative genius when it comes to the banjo, the musical instrument that’s often forgotten which is bit unconventional.

Deshmukh looks good as a shaggy musician with unwashed hair. But should have worked on his body more to look up as tarat bhai.

The scenario that a DJ from New York would come to Mumbai to hunt down a group of musicians in a Mumbai slum and talking in hindi could have been more well defined.

The other band members from Tarat’s team have some of the best comical lines. But that’s not enough to redeem this drama-slash-comedy.

To make an easy writing, there’s also a villain who dislikes tarat but in the end has a heart change towards the hero is not well justified.

Yes the film makes you cry with few emotional scene. Especially when tarats father die.

Casting is really been worked well.

While Banjo should ideally have been a showcase for Deshmukh to flex his acting muscles in a solo hero project, this film could have been more of banjo melodious tune which is lacking. The film had a potential to go gaga over box office but the director and the writers some how rushed towards an abrupt ending. But after such a long period a film has come to showcase mumbai which is good .

Out now

Film: Banjo

Cast: Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri

Stars: 3 out of 5

Director: Ravi Jadhav
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