Shamitabh (2015) User Reviews

New story and good performances make Shamitabh a one time watch!

[darpanthacker · 6/10 · 6 February 2015]

One thing that helps Shamitabh in making it a decent watch is a new story line. The concept itself is not yet tried in Bollywood. The trailer pretty much speaks about the story yet watching it unfolding on screen can be interesting.

The second great thing about Shamitabh is the performances of Amitabh and Dhanush. Dhanush just nails it again and manages to get noticed even when he shares the frame with Indian legend Amitabh Bachchan. Kudos!

On the flip side you might have wanted the screenplay of the movie to be more tight as there are few dull moments in the movie which at times hamper the narrative.

Nevertheless, Shamitabh is a one time watch owing to fresh new story and decent performances by its lead protagonists.

An uneven film made on a fresh concept that deserves to be seen for its polished performances, few well written highs & a thoughtful climax.

[bobbysing · 6/10 · 19 March 2015]

The film is another salute to the phenomenon by director R. Balki who previously presented Amitabh in two unconventional roles superbly in CHEENI KUM and PAA. Though in SHAMITABH, he once again brings in a fresh concept that in fact is not an easy one to shoot with all the voice and expressions matching to be done perfectly. Still the basic theme of the storyline is much thinner than his last two projects, which in turn makes it look like an overstretched, uneven film having few highs and lows together till its sudden and sad climax.

It begins with a great promise from a star studded premier of a film called LIFEBUOY attended by celebrities giving supportive TV bites and then introduces Dhanush the new star of the industry more famous for his heavy & impressive voice along with the acting. During his speech on the stage we are taken back to his flashback introducing another exceptional child artist who is a treat to watch (in a mute appearance) in those 10 opening minutes accompanied by an apt, catchy song with the lyrics "Salaam-E-Fillam" talking about the love for cinema in the general public. The intercuts of more flashbacks further introduce us to a grown-up Dhanush (as a bus conductor in a small city), who cannot speak but is confident enough to be a Hindi film hero rushing to Mumbai.

After this fine start the first unconvincing phase of SHAMITABH comes as Akshara meats Dhanush (who is just an Assistant Director) and she at once decides to help him out by even sending the struggling actor to foreign land for a costly operation of planting a voice box into his throat. A device, that enables him to lip-sync someone else's voice with a kind of micro recorder/transmitter working between two persons within a range of a few 100 meters. Now though the proceedings try hard to explain the procedure clearly, still the explanation remains a confusing one and the viewer has to accept that OK, let's assume that its possible!

Anyway the brilliance returns on the screen when the enigmatic Amitabh Bachchan is introduced as a drunken, beggar like defeated personality living in a graveyard and from here on we have the few worth watching sequences of the film written and enacted impressively. Both Akshara and Dhanush choose Amitabh to be the voice behind Dhanush's face and the fun begins as SH from Danish (Dhanush's name in film) and AMITABH together becomes SHAMITABH. Their first movie together becomes a hit and then the ego clashes begin claiming who he is the bigger star among the SH and AMITABH from the SHAMITABH.

The story progression featuring a hit film-star (who cannot speak) living a celebrated life, fooling the entire industry, successfully hiding the man behind his famous voice in the closet, turns out to be unconvincing repeatedly. And so does the character of Dhanush, who doesn't seem to be caring about anybody around like an arrogant celebrity proud of his instant success. As a result the ride becomes even more bumpy post intermission with uninteresting sequences coming at regular intervals like the use of bathroom pots in the immensely likable "Pidlee" song, Amitabh giving voice to a rival producer's B-grade film without any issues raised, his unnecessary dialogue with Robert De Niro poster leading to jail abroad, a lot of brand endorsement made in its various sequences and then the investigating reporter track left in the middle.

Yes, no doubt the director comes with many realistic characters with a visible effort of delivering a fine product based on a thin but fresh plot line particularly in the film's first half. Yet overall its only the superfine performances that actually carry the film forward much ahead than any other department of music, cinematography, background score or art direction. Promoted as the maestro Ilayaraja's 1000th film as a composer, the soundtrack has both good and average songs together with Swanand Kirkire's theme related lyrics.

In the performances, as I already mentioned it's a film once again proving the Shehenshah status of Amitabh Bachchan in the industry, who gives another worth watching and worth cheering performance as the deserted man with a golden voice. And I must say that I haven't seen anyone doing a better drunkard act in Hindi films ever with so much ease, elegance and conviction winning hearts right away. Also another appreciable feature of Amitabh's act remains that he never tries to outshine the co-actors giving them much space to perform too. And that's what proves the greatness of this 'Actor of the Millennium' evidently. Dhanush, the 'on-screen' hero of SHAMITABH confidently manages to stand in front of the magnetic persona of the Big B throughout and wins your heart in the early part of the movie before becoming the Superstar. Plus he also leaves a highly emotional impact on the viewer after the sudden, unexpected tragedy striking in the climax. Akshara Haasan makes a stunning as well as sincere debut amongst two towering personalities and so does the actor playing the landlord of Amitabh in the Graveyard hut.

Though the film revolves around a few characters only, here we also have some smartly inserted cameos by the industry figures too such as Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar, Raj Kumar Hirani, Rohit Shetty, Ekta Kapoor, Javed Akhtar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Boney Kapoor and many more along with Rekha giving an award to Dhanush on the stage smilingly calling him SHAMITABH.

On the whole, SHAMITABH certainly cannot be rated as a close to perfection project as Balki's CHEENI KUM or PAA but it does have its appreciable highs along with the avoidable lows (offering a novel, inventive plot), making it a one-time watch for sure, especially for its enjoyable performances led by Amitabh Bachchan and his cult baritone voice.

SHAMITABH - Enigma, Entertainment, but falling-short.

[Tanay_LKO · 6/10 · 22 February 2015]

SHAMITABH is an appreciable attempt of penning a "love letter" to cinema with several anecdotes - both anonymous and known - in a semi-hilarious fashion. The letter does romanticize and speaks of a myriad of emotions and heart-felt moments but culminates in such an odd, abrupt manner that somewhere it disheartens viewers.

The direction and screen writing by R. Balki seem original. A mute, small-town bus-conductor, Daanish, with the ambition of making it big in the Hindi Film Industry. While bumping into an Assistant Director, Akshara, in the film-studios who finds his pantomime-talent worth a bigger shot but fails to find him a role due his lack of voice. By a serendipitous medical boon, where by "live voice transfer technology" a mute person could speak, though through someone else's voice. A suitable voice for Daanish is found in Amitabh Sinha, who is (ironically) a failed actor with the voice-of-gold, allowing him to carve a niche for himself in a short-while. What follows is a trail of ups and downs of ego-clashes among 'Shamitabh', who learn to play it along eventually unless, alas, tragedy strikes.

The screenplay is treated well on an average with smartly put, allusive moments of nostalgia (including of Amitabh Bachchan himself), though, during the second-half of the film it seems as if Balki lost his way and thus, turned the tale into an abrupt "cataclysmic lull" and the worst of all – "oblivion" for the survivor. It does add sensitivity but unfortunately, it also adds unappealing abhorrence to a potentially impressive storyline and production. An upcoming film-maker recently mentioned in her review that this film would have been much better treated had it been directed by Gauri Shinde ("English-Vinglish") thereby, having much smoother transitions and thus, a more palpable effect.

The casting seems aptly done. Akshara is a débutante, and that speaks sufficiently about her – full of energy, and falling short of emoting effectively. By and by, she improves during the course of the film however, being tomboyish and childlike adorable. She has miles to go hereafter.

Music by Iliayaraaja has a touch of carnatic, but is very cinematic. However, just two tracks stands out of the other deliberate ones – "Ishq-e-Fillum", which defines the undying spirit and the involvement of films in a common man's life; brilliantly lyricised by Swanand Kirkire and vocalized by Suraj Jagan, this track takes the film to its peak moments of "larger than life" significance; and, "Piddly si Baatein" is hilarious, depicting the absurdity-levels of modern-day comic inclusions in films. However, the real-miracle is the film's Sound Design by Dileep Subramanian ("Jab We Met, My Name is Khan, Rockstar"), adding much credence to its events.

Finally, to derive from Satyajit Ray, "Last, but not least -- in fact, this is most important -- you need a happy ending. However, if you can create tragic situations and jerk a few tears before the happy ending, it will work much better." Alas, in this film it happened the other way round, thus the displeasure. Nevertheless, SHAMITABH could be enjoyed and perhaps forgiven by the ardent aficionados of motion picture.

Rating – 6.5/10. Verdict – Watchable, with emotional discomfort.

Average movie

[Harshithnagraj · 6/10 · 26 January 2021]

This type of movies if you make that should be believable but this movie fails to do so. Old sentimental movie that too fails to impress very boring movie. 6 star because of that song try not to laugh.

one of the worst movie of my life

[rohit_m49 · 6/10 · 13 February 2015]

i watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!! this is the first movie I watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!! this is the first movie I watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!! This is the first movie I watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!! this is the first movie I watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!! this is the first movie I watched in which no STORYLINE is there and seriously END is so low with no result and sadness...and this HASSAN don't know acting..I bet....!!

Best movie of the year for me although many more to come..

[brij-raychanda · 10/10 · 20 February 2015]

‪#‎SHAMITABH‬ Review: Just came from the movie... I can't get the words properly to right about this movie... Even while typing movie name I was confused that what should I keep bigger, SH or ‪#‎AMITABH‬ ... That's how the acting was done from both of the lead actors... To compete in acting with such a superstar is really tough but ‪#‎Dhanush‬ has done it fantastically... Even in some scenes fabulous then Big b... Big b is also splendid n natural in almost every scene... I can say he did enjoy this movie for sure while acting... Superb concept n great direction... Music is also fantastic... Songs mean more for me then previously... I think Balki is making scripts to make big b immortal n unforgettable by giving him such movies... Must must watch... Best movie of the year for me although many more to come...

A (Very Good) Film About Films About Films About Films About Films... ♦ 74%

[nairtejas · 7/10 · 7 February 2015]

I love when they make films about films, the reason I love some of those offbeat Indian indie flicks (the most recent one being Sulemani Keeda (2014)). So when R Balki came out of the cave and collaborated with personalities of two very different generations, the end result turned out to be a spectacle.

The film starts with a proper flashback montage telling a concise story of a mute, aspiring actor and film enthusiast Danish (Dhanush). The fact that he is a superstar now increases the excitement. He meets Akshara (same name), an assistant director and what follows is although slightly unbelievable (literally, in its premise), it is immensely enjoyable. The muteness vanishes and we welcome Amitabh's (same first name) baritone voice talking for Danish while he acts his character.

The only things that bothered me are one, why would an amateur assistant director help out an aspirant? and two, the voice technology. Of course, it is not a foolproof way for a mute person to speak his feelings. But, all these thoughts withers away as the narrative indulges you into it, demanding your attention about a consequential rags-to-riches story coupled with a mysterious source of envy.

The film amazingly addresses issues of that of envy and ego and how these two feelings can cause self-destruction, creating waves that also affect the people closer to one. The singleton phenomenon Shamitabh turns into two different entities as the film unfolds toward climax. The film basically acts as an intellectual spoof of the cinema industry, and it does it with finesse.

Dhanush is marvelous, and the measure of his excellence is only competed by his co-star Bachchan Sr, who displays a splendid air of being a drunkard wannabe. His mystery could have been demystified, given the importance it plays in the story construction, but it is forgivable. Akshara Haasan did not impress me much because clearly she cannot pull off romantic scenes properly. She may be the chip off the old block, but has a long way in order to master the art of acting.

Other than having a literally impossible setup, Shamitabh excels in all other departments, from the beautiful art setup and production sets to the beat music (by the maverick Illayaraja), from a fine camera job to inventive writing by Balki. He has carved out a fine plot, often taking potshots at recent filmmaking trends viz. masala nonsense, illogical songs (and even more illogical videos), etc. But, these potshots are not cringe-worthy, instead they will make you laugh. The film has a great amount of humor if you watch closely, and helped by Bachchan's fabulous dialogs delivery, you will roll on the floor laughing.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite a drag in the funnier second half, Shamitabh does not disappoint at all. Bachchan's few solo sequences made me yawn, but I am ready to call this the first good Bollywood film of the year. Go watch the next show, because this is one drama we have all been talking about haven't seen. You will be enthralled by the catchy songs.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES (if few expletives from the mouths of Bachchan Sr and Haasan's second daughter are okay with the heads of the family).

Movie to be watched at least for pure acting....

[b-kalyanpuli · 8/10 · 7 February 2015]

Watched "Shamitabh" movie yesterday with few of my friends. And what i get to know everybody liked the film including me.After so much hype and having two actors who are just mindblowing...i could not wait to see it....

The review may contain spoilers.So watch it after watching movie....

Coming to the plot ..The movie is about a struggling mute actor Danish(Dhanush) whose voice is given by a drunken guy Amitabh Sinha (Amitabh bachchan), who later get into ego clashes and leave each other but individually they were nothing since they were a "mixture" ;)...Aksharaa hasan is a assistant director who helps Danish to get the technology and find a voice.For the movie sake he changed his name to "Shamitabh"....in the last a reporter warns to tell the truth. Meanwhile they come together again and wanted to say truth by themselves but on the way...they meet an accident after which Amitabh loses his voice and danish dies(An emotional ending)... :'(

Now, when it comes to the performances "Dhansuh" and "Amitabh Bachchan" both were extraordinarily amazing and Dhansuh at beginning of his bollywood career got this chance and proved his talent and Aksharaa hasan was also impressive.

If we talk about backdrops... 2nd half became slow and mostly on story and emotions which caused bore for audience and story is not understandable by everyone...songs were cut off.

Finally verdict is "Watch the film for sure, you may or may not like the story but you will for sure like the acting of the star cast and support movies which are made up of different concepts...comedy is not everything....

His Master's Voice

[sesht · 8 February 2015]

First of all, as it has been in the past, watching an R Balki movie ensures one thing at the very least - you get to watch an original piece of work.

I'm sure the guy has his inspirations, but that thankfully does not translate to him trying to pay 'homage' to those, at least not overtly.

In spite of the that, having watched the 'Piddly' trailers that showcased this work, I was not happy seeing the big man literally hamming up his tired and angry old alcoholic act, and was determined to watch this one only for the 'Piddly' song.

I secretly hoped though, that the movie would be worth the price of admission.

Everyone knows the plot by now, so I won't dwell on it.

Surprisingly, there are/were many who mis-labeled this one as a satire on Bollywood. While I won't (alright - can't) deny their existence and use (Thappad!), the movie, at least to me, was a character study more than anything, with the surrounding 'overt' satirical elements just acting as a distraction, albeit welcome, since they're lighter in tone to the main plot playing out, and nothing else. I confess to enjoying those elements along with the rest of the audience-members.

However, while having a strong first-half, good performances, great music (for the most part, not all of it), the same problems that plagued 'Cheeni Kum' resurface in this as well.

First of those being the tendency of characters to scream their every word (and I know one would wanna thank the choice made about Dhanush's character, but...) when they're agitated. I get that it could be a cultural things, with drama queens abounding in real-life as well, but it does get a tad heavy after the first 2 times that any of the leads does it.

A conversation with a major celebrity on a bus billboard completely went awry, and I hope none of the principals involved re-visits it for any reason. Embrassing, to say the very least - a weak and pathetic attempt to mirror many such sequences with the key character during a drunk rant (speaking to the mirror and band-aiding it, cockroach on a boat etc.). Not funny, and could have at least been chopped off on the editing table.

The movie, considering the plot, is at least an hour longer than it should have been. The eventual denouement could have come in anytime after the 80 minute mark, IMO. However, that's just wishful thinking.

This is perhaps Balki's darkest work yet, and though I'd be probably the first one in line who'd wanna embrace and encourage that, in any filmmaker, the 2nd half, with its pace and the fact that it goes on for longer than it ought to, make me call it out on all its flaws.

It does get quite a few things right, though. A subset: - The original plot, - Key performances, though the casting could have been better, -(Refreshingly) Treating the audience to real/mature relationships, including those indicative of physical intimacy, - The realistic use of technology by today's characters, - Avoiding (in one case) and keeping to a minimum (in another) the use of back-stories and rationales for character behavior, ensuring that the here-and-now matters more than wasted flashbacks. This was a key aspect of enjoying 'Cheeni Kum' as well, so its consistent, and that's always re-assuring since it is being consistent about something that worked.

I'd still recommend a theatrical viewing for this one, though it did Not satisfy me on many levels, simply to appreciate the originality of the effort, and the sincerity of intent. This year, more movies are getting points for being sincere in their intent, in spite of their poor execution, and that's never a good thing.

One time watch..Amitabh is the soul of shAMITABH

[sushant0406 · 7/10 · 18 February 2015]

Positives

1. Amitabh and too some extent Dhanush's acting. 2. An excellent first half. 3. Dialogues were witty and powerful. 4. Good BG score. 5. Love-hate relationship between the two main protagonists. 6. The sophisticated humour in the first half.

Negatives

1. AKSHARA HASSAN: the girl can NOT act.

2. The lengthy second half was a major letdown. Lots of forced humour and a needlessly stretched ending reduced the momentum of the entire film. The editor could heave done a better job and knocked off around 20 minutes on the whole.

Of Balki's three films, this is my least favourite. But, his direction and Amitabh's yet another powerful performance, makes this ode to the Hindi film industry's greatest baritone ever, a definite one time watch.

A proof that a bad script will always equal to a bad movie regardless the stardom of the actors

[rezwanabbas · 3/10 · 8 February 2015]

Bollywood isn't stranger to movies where the lead actor is handicapped. From Khamoshi to the recent Barfi, movies have portrayed that with the right will no handicap can stop you.

This movie is about Danish who is a mute. Like the thousands that are born in India who apparently only has three professions to choose from (i.e. Engineer/Cricketer/Actor), he shared a passion to be a film star. He goes straight to the film city where he understandably gets a beating from the guards before being saved by Assistant Director Akshara. Now I'm sure she must've seen hundreds knocking the door of film city to get an opportunity to be in a film. Despite that she grows sympathy towards Danish's cause and decides to help him in anyway possible. Even if that means sending him to Finland and paying for what I'd imagine is a very expensive experimental operation to install a fancy speaker into Danish's mouth. Through that speaker anyone's voice will come out through Danish.

Now comes the part to find that perfect voice. Enter Mr. Amitabh. Ironically it was his voice that apparently stopped him from making it in the film industry himself and made him an alcoholic. Now if you are a mute that needs to hide the fact to the world that his own voice is being borrowed from someone else, would you choose someone who is a drunk and could be dead from natural cause or otherwise in a not so distant future? You would if you are working with a bad script. Because if Danish chose someone who is more sensible, sober, and maybe a bit younger, the movie would've ended right there. I understand they chose Amitabh because his voice made Danish stand out from everyone else, but I refuse to believe that they couldn't have find someone else with equally distinct voice that also matched those criteria.

Also if your entire career depended on the guy giving you voice, wouldn't you treat him with a bit more respect and not as a servant? Well again, in order to create unnecessary drama and move the plot forward Danish doesn't.

So the failed actor Amitabh starts to get jealous that Danish is getting all the fame even though without his voice Danish is nothing. Danish feels that without his acting, Amitabh who couldn't become anything will go back to being nothing. Ego clashes and both goes their separate ways. Of course that doesn't work out. Akshara then takes them to school literally, to teach them the importance of team work.

Is that the happy ending then? Nope. The bad script becomes even worse. Like the Masala movies where the hero comes back to life despite being shot 50 times and kills the villain and leaves with the heroine and his mother, this movie ends in a car crash where, hold on to your seat, Amitabh now loses the ability to speak. Oh the irony huh. And Danish? Well what is Danish without his voice? Dead. Yep.

On an end note, this movie also introduces us to Akshara Hassan who comes from a family of movie stars. She is just terrible. Another proof that acting isn't born in the family. You either know how to act or don't.

To be fair this movie gives you a hint of its terrible nature in the title where the best way the director tried to show the Yin and the Yang is by combining the two lead stars names.

Superb!

[namashi_1 · 9/10 · 7 February 2015]

Writer-Director R.Balki delivers a terrific film with 'Shamitabh', an ambitious yet engaging tale about artists & their egos. Its Sharply Written, Dramatically Directed & Brilliantly Acted!

'Shamitabh' Synopsis: A mute film fanatic comes to Mumbai to become a star, but is rejected everywhere due to his handicap. But with the help of an aspiring director, he gets an opportunity. And lastly they find a voice for him, but in the form of a drunk, frustrated old man. Things worsen after the mute becomes a star & the voice behind his genius clash with their egos.

'Shamitabh' is an innovative idea, that translates into a striking film. Balki's Writing is crisp & well-worded. The protagonist, played by Dhanush, is fabulously layered, while the ace of the film, played by Amitabh Bachchan, is entertaining & also the highlight. The clash between the mute & the voice, has moments of pure humor & also a few over-dramatic scenes, but overall, the unlikely camaraderie between the two, works hugely! While the first-hour is more about the struggle & passion, the second-hour shifts into intense mode, with a disappointing climax. The climax is the only minus point in an otherwise superb film. Balki's Writing is first-class, but he definitely could've ended the film in a better way, certainly not so depressingly.

Balki's Direction is high on drama, capturing the soul of the film, vibrantly. Cinematography is top-class. Editing is nicely done. Art Design is wonderful. Music by the legendary Ilaiyaraaja is decent.

Performance-Wise: 'Shamitabh' triumphs also due to its brilliant performances. Dhanush is phenomenal as the mute superstar. He displays rage, arrogance & vulnerability with remarkable conviction. He's in top-form! Amitabh Bachchan is unparalleled, yet again! He enacts the drunk, frustrated old man, with such intensity, its hard to take your eyes off him. The on-screen camaraderie between the two, is delightful all through. A Special Mention for Akshara Haasan. She delivers confidently, despite being pitted against two accomplished performers!

On the whole, Keeping aside its bland ending, 'Shamitabh' is a superior product, that arrests your attention at most parts. Definitely, Worth A Watch!

It's high time for Bollywood to..

[rakesh-hpr · 7/10 · 8 February 2015]

Hello Bollywood..

a. I don't need to slog for 2.5 hrs to appreciate a movie. please slim it down to 1.5 hrs

b. Feed our imagination, not our patience

c. Let the Indian audience do some thinking too..infuse complexity into your scripts

d. Rajkumar Hirani effect works for his movies only. Please make us dislike Hollywood if you REALLY can (hint: don't spoon feed us with things that are predictable)

e. A leads to B leads to C leads to D is a very passé..twist the plot so that even you (directors) find it challenging to truncate it down to a successful movie.(Hint: Allegory is powerful if used in smaller doses)

Give some meaning to your beard and glasses which an ordinary man like me regards as "Intellectual"

Average movie

[nk-32466 · 5/10 · 5 October 2016]

The movie Shamitabh is a Indian comedy-drama film written and directed by R. Balki.The theme of the movie was just an average. But related scenes and sets of Imaginary field was very nice. The film features Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Haasan. the soundtrack album and background score was good. The story of Movie was interesting .moreover, the theme music of movie was attractive & it's touching according to the visualization. The soundtrack album and background score were composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Besides, emotional scenes were very nice.Songs of movie was good according to compositional aspects.

Finally i rated this movie with 5 stars as average movie .

A tribute to AB's baritone

[phgupta · 7/10 · 18 February 2015]

It is simply phenomenal to see a daily wager/bus conductor/rickshaw puller/bonded labour looking guy pull of Amitabh Bachchan's baritone. Yep ! that is the thing to check out in Samitabh !! Nothing in place yet everything in place, is what is Dhanush ! I am absolutely Dhanushstruck !! A tribute to 'the' voice of Amitabh Bachchan and all the valets of Bollywood....Samitabh clearly shows Balki's fanaticism with AB. Akshara Hassan is a very welcome change from the usual Bollywood glamour actresses. Watch it only if you are another Balki or me....;-)(Meanwhile I am trying to download a new ring tone on my phone....sha sha sha mi mi mi)

Drag

[krishnapreethika · 26 February 2015]

Shamitabh is a very unlikely possibility ... I share this for the following reasons.

1. Two unknown people come together to collaborate for their own good (sans the usual 'mutual' approach seen in the beginning at the least). Sinha is a difficult man right from the beginning and the friction is needlessly dragged for a good length of the movie ... On the other end, if it was about a built camaraderie gone wrong over time, the story would have made sense like in Omkara. Human beings usually take an avoidance approach at the earliest time possible with strangers and after a few benefits of doubt if there was 'trust' factor applicable between both. The plot lacks strength.

2. This is my personal opinion: Dhanush and Amitabh has given great performances individually and together too but the voice doesn't match. Dhanush did stand taller to the extent he could but his Shamitabh's (the name is a misfit) survival hinging on Sinha exclusively was a ridiculous plot. Abhishek's sounds real than Amitabh's given the age difference ... And to emphasize severely on Amitabh Bachchan's imminence (his baritone voice) doesn't seem the best approach. The director's bias for Amitabh has gone overboard. Had the voice been someone else's, I don't think there would have been any story. Had Balki tried a clash between Rajinikanth and Dhanush as two super-stars who admire each other secretively, there would have been thrill. There are several other contexts where Dhanush/Amitabh combo could be tried ...

Balki has a glorious example of Mohan, the Karnataka-based actor who sizzled with a dubbing artist in his Tamil films initially ... the relationship fizzled out and Mohan's career did get doomed. Balki's enthusiasm has translated into short-sightedness.

3. To think that none picked Dhanush's speech difficulty in the industry is a bit too much. And I am bored seeing Dhanush killed for no real reason and to see him die back to back in two Hindi films is just too much.

PS. Akshara is alright. Got to see more of her in the screen to take a stand ...

Nice experiment.

[nadkarnisumeet · 7/10 · 7 February 2021]

Shamitabh review :

Two things I have understood about writer -director R.Balki after watching Shamitabh: One, his stories are novel, interesting and intelligent at concept level. Second, the guy's in love with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. After exploring his romantic side in 'Cheeni Kum' (2007) and extracting an extraordinary performance from him in "Paa" (2009), Balki celebrates the superstars baritone voice in his latest venture. Yes, Bachchan's voice is the centre point of Shamitabh's plot where everything else only acts as a filler.

Balki utilizes the idea of a mute actor (Dhanush) "borrowing" the voice of a loser alcoholic (Big B) to become a Bollywood star pretty well, infusing it with fair amount of fun and drama. He also references real life cinema lore by making his actor start out as a bus conductor (emulating a certain Southern Superstar's reality) and bringing in Rekha for a hilarious cameo at an awards function. But after a breezy first half , the plot loses focus intermittently in the second half as the drama arising out of ego clash between the lead characters appears monotonously stretched. In short, Balki's script, inspite of its uniqueness, has its share of visible glitches...

The technical aspects don't disappoint except for the editing which should have been far more crisper and not let the running time of movie over extend to 150 odd minutes. On the positive, music maestro Illaiya Raja's tunes are catchy, especially the title track.

Balki has a formidable cast of two National award winning actors and expectedly both, Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush deliver. Bachchan's character demands excessively verbose and loud performance but he pulls it off brilliantly. Dhanush has the more difficult role of trying to emote through his co-stars voice and he handles it with effortless ease. Note his frustration at an initial rejection by a director. Simply outstanding. Akshara Haasan makes her presence felt even in midst of two powerhouse actors. Quite an achievement for a debutant!

Overall, I recommend Shamitabh for its acting and concept even though it may leave you a tad exhausted at the end. Try it!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Master Piece From Dhanush

[a-valliappan00 · 8/10 · 19 February 2015]

THE RISE OF SUPER STAR! Why we liking him now as comparing to past? First we wanna separate his Carrer as Before Aadukalam and After Aadukalam. For all, am asking how many Dhanush movie you like before Aadukalam? Maximum Two to Five right? (Like Kaadhal Kondein, Pudhupettai, Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Polladhavan) Picked Most rated 4 Movies from 17. But Fact is after Aadukalam (Like Mayakkam Enna, 3, Raanjhanna, Maryan and VIP) all movies were performance wise Top Notch! He won National Award for Critically Acclaimed Aadukalam (At the Age of 28) and He won Filmfare award Consecutively 3 times and Best Male Debut For Raanjhanna (First South Indian actor to get this). Who all are getting amazed with his performance and and his growth there is nothing to wonder and absolutely he worth on that! Now we wanna accept as He is not having any opponent and this horse will run till his last breath. Play Back Singer, Producer, Script Writer, Even he is interest to Direct himself too! When reporter asked About 'WHY THIS KOLAVERI DI' He Said, When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. Words like I, you, me, how, why, cow. I just framed them into sentences and that's how I came up with the song. After this success He Became Internet Phenomenon of India. Indian Prime Minister invited for the dinner party along with Japanese Prime Minister in his New Delhi residence, (I Came to know, The political parties in north India used variants of the song in their campaigns for assembly elections)

Now Coming to Shamitabh! First of all i don't know Hindi. But i know our own Dhanush ! smile emoticon Plot is, A Dump boy, Daanish (Dhanush) dreams to become an actor since he was a kid. After his mother's death, he leaves for Mumbai to pursue his dream. There he has a chance to meet with assistant director AksharaaHassan (Akshara) who sees his true potential and wishes to help. Through her father's friend, She gets to know about a technology (which one the speech impaired person can speak). A device is planted in Daanish's throat, which records the voice of the person speaking to him through an ear piece and plays it every time he opens his mouth. All he gotta do is lip sync with the voice! Akshara and Daanish then search a drunkard Amitabh(Amitabh) to be Daanish's voice. After that one time Daanish becomes Shamitabh and a superstar overnight but all the limelight makes Amitabh jealous. Then ego clashes between the two and they split.. (Watch out movie for More...)

I don't know About Amitabh Bachchan, Just Knew about him as he was a Genius and a great Actor. What is a wonder is, this is My First Amitabh movie to see at Theater! But he is simply delight to watch. Main reason why am came here was to speak about Daanish! Oh! Sorry Dhanush.. completely rocking, understandable and so matured. (The Scene make you cry which one small age Dhanush Performing for what his teacher told and various reactions form Dhanush in his intro song) Still If you not like Dhanush after this, there is nothing to speak about! Ilaiyaraaja Official BGM is out of world but there is Dejavu of some OLD Songs and Cinematography is PC Sreeram ISC what to say more than that? For me There is no exception before watch! but once you come out you will think of this. Feel free and go.. Worth a Watch For Splendid Performance from Lead Actors Like Dhanush Amitabh Bachchan and Akshara Hassan

needed more, needed less

[Alexander_seth2000 · 7/10 · 7 February 2015]

Seeing the trailers I was anticipating seeing this movie. On it starting, I felt a bit disappointed when Dhanush was using Amitabhs voice and when I found out he was mute. Even though I feel this a fresh concept, about a mute actor borrowing somebody else's voice to become a Bollywood actor, I felt frustrated listening to Dhanush repeat after Amitabh sometimes. I feel Dhanush is a good actor even though this is the first film I have seen him in, but felt it would've been better if we could watch him when hes communicating with sign language with the subtitles below. I feel the film became boring after 20mns, but watchable up to the interval. The second half was slower, and I could almost drift off at some points. However it picked up at the end and had a good climax. I agree with some other reviewers here that the film should have been shorter, I feel 30 mns could've been cut out. Overall, I feel its watchable, but probably not for the majority.

New generation movie...Nice experiment.

[pcinpocket · 8/10 · 7 February 2015]

Mr R. Balki came up with a very unique and new idea. this movie is a one time watch but i must say that now i am a fan of dhanush. there is no contradiction about Amit ji's acting. through out the movie his performance was very amazing.

Let me tell you about dhanush. Dhanush is a superstar in south. As i am staying in south, i know what type of superstar he is. there has been always some debate about his acting in south. H e has a very good fan following here (Count me in). In this movie his performance was really amazing. he has done the role of a dumb guy. who has a dream to be an actor. he reaches mumbai and made his way to the filmcity. then the struggle starts because he can act but can not speak.

This movie is all about the struggle, sacrifice, ego, understanding and love.

happy to see this movie.

A wonderful story ruined by it's screenplay & supporting cast

[OnjiMooteDaMarle · 7/10 · 31 May 2020]

The film as an idea is wonderful. The climax is apt for the way the characters are written. The music is average. But the screenplay, length of the screenplay, songs, supporting cast, that kamal hassan's daughter's trying too hard to act, moving her head, bouncing her hair...yuck. Spoiled the entire film.

For Dhanush, Amitabh & the story of the film I still give 7 stars.

An alternative ending...

[MdlndeHond · 5/10 · 12 July 2015]

This movie is not using it's full potential. Where there are almost endless chances for major cluster comedy and hilarious screwball scenarios it stays timid. A little out of sync here, a little tension when a journalist finds out the truth there, a little conflict but it ends there. Beautiful concepts that did not follow through. The storyline contains many forceful unnatural conflicts. It would have been so much more fun to have Shamitabh team up together whole heartily to make this voice double thing work.Instead Bachchan's character is forced to sabotage his own chance of success. However the worst is the abrupt, over dramatic misplaced ending of this film. How have they missed a brilliant comedic ending? If Danush lacks charisma or if the storyline didn't provide the opportunity is hard to tell but he fails to be convincing in his role as new mega movie star. Obviously Bachchan is a god and even in this uneventful script he does nothing less then a great performance.

cut to superstar

[rajarakeshsingh · 10/10 · 6 February 2015]

Amitabh could not have been better. If it introduces to a concept that Amitabh could actually be mute its a great movie. I see movie all over the world this is the best-est freshest concept and entertaining movie I have seen. Proud to see that... hate the ending. The voice vs the actor is the pinnacle of movie making.

Go watch this in theaters.

There will not be any more.

I don't know why r baliki likes dumb and deaf concept so much but he can make a cinema out of it and its a true marvell.

All praises except for ending. If it would have ended with a punch it would be resounding for ages.

However the movie the concept is worth a watch to inspire to think.

Don't underestimate Shamitabh

[kushalashok · 7/10 · 13 February 2015]

Don't underestimate this movie as another Bhoothnath flick. The story is good, acting is better and Amitabh Bachchan is the best. This movie made me laugh and enjoy several moments that includes sarcasm and egoistic remarks shared between Dhanush and Amitabh. Some things did fall apart for me like the lessons given by Akshara in a primary school and the chemistry between Dhanush and Akshara. But I guess it's OK as per Bollywood standards. What I liked though, is that the movie also had an important appeal with it which makes us think about people who work behind the scenes and never get the recognition.The fact that you will see the names of the corresponding valets in the credits at end, establishes this further.

It also explains how ego can hurt us all if not controlled at the right time. Some of the sequences were simply excellent and succeeded in sparking the targeted emotions. The theme set for Dhanush as a die-hard movie fan, plays an important role in justifying some of his extreme actions. The child like playfulness, the fun loving personalities and the human bonding is portrayed very well.

I also felt that what Dhanush was trying throughout the movie while acting as dumb, Amit Ji pulled off right at the end with much more perfection.

Not worth the time.

[lamia_siddiqui · 3/10 · 15 March 2015]

Excellent performances from Amitabh and Dhanush. Not too sure about the green eyed beauty. Honestly, she seemed a bit lost especially in front of such other great actors. Dialogue delivery was very poor. I absolutely love Dhanush and his acting skills but this movies wasn't as good as it COULD be. Story-line lacked a solid foundation.

Also, even after the end of the movie I wasn't sure about Dhanush's love interest. Pretty confusing in terms of who he wanted to be in a relationship with. This reminds me, there was a short sex scene that didn't seem to add anything fruitful to the storyline. Expected more from the movie. Also, too much advertisement of products like Lifebouy, Knorr soup and FinnAir. And the way it was incorporated into the movie line was just ridiculous.