Aarakshan (2011) User Reviews

Truly random comments

[susanc-12 · 7/10 · 18 August 2011]

As an American (now living in America, despite my profile), I occasionally go to Indian movies to sort of clear my head and watch a story told in a completely different way than most American movies. For this purpose, Aarakshan fit the bill just fine. In the controversy over the school entry quota, there was an obvious parallel to the controversy over affirmative action quotas in the U.S.

The story did drag on and on a bit. The bad guys, particularly the vice principal, were a bit too over-the-top evil, and the noble persecuted principal stuck to his guns so firmly that at some point (specifically at the point where he sent the boys away rather than invite them to help him tutor the poor children) he went from principled to sort of stubborn and stupid.

A few other random thoughts that distracted me during the movie: The "American" accent, if that's what it was supposed to be, of the Cornell professor was truly lamentable. I laughed, I grimaced. It was awful.

In the scene where Sushant orders two coffees, it appears that the waitress delivers two glasses of milk.

The actor who played Prabhakar Anand, the university president, seemed too young for the character he played; the one who played low-caste love interest and firebrand student Deepak Kumar looked decidedly too old, especially when compared with the character of Sushant, who I assume was supposed to be the same age and who looked age-appropriate. I also found that "Deepak Kumar" looked gym-toned in a way that was attractive, but detracted from the verisimilitude of his character ... and a further distraction was that to me he bears a strong resemblance to American comedian Robin Williams!

Well, I told you these would be random comments. I did more or less enjoy watching the movie as a way to pass the afternoon, but it was no profound experience.

movie lost track in the 2nd half

[dramit-vmmc · 6/10 · 30 October 2011]

movie lost track in the 2nd half. it was a movie about aarakshan which was truly portrayed in the initial part of the movie but lost its track in the 2nd part. Aarakshan follows the same rules of the games, where the filmmaker attempts to take an incisive look at India's policy of reservation and its impact on the Indian education system. At least that's the issue he begins with and focuses on in the first half of the film.As long as the film concentrates on the key concern, it is full of high drama, with powerful encounters between the prime players.As a film on the issue of reservation, Aarakshan was rocking till the first half. But as an omnibus on the travails of India's education system, it flounders into no-man's land. Watch it for the intermittent high drama and the gritty performances, scattered as they are

Explores the educational system instead of Aarakshan(reservation)

[ajit2106 · 6/10 · 31 August 2011]

I expected a well researched movie about the Aarakshan from Mr Prakash Jha after Raajneeti but it's not about reservation as story was lost in the very first 30 minutes and never found again.

It digs into the decayed foundation of educational system. How the coaching system has affected, commercialized and immersed in India.

Amitabh Bacchan gives a powerhouse performance, his on screen presence is enigmatic and dialog delivery is Eminent. Saif Ali Khan is good but not convincing as a dalit with muscular body. Deepika padukone has done a nice job. Prateik Babbar has guts to be a good actor in near future.

Manoj Bajpai is fabulous as rival and greedy human being but his role has gone too far as a villain. Rest of the cast has done fantastic job.

Prakash Jha chose very sensitive issue but could not elaborate it, despite all the controversy this movie is not going to be big hit.

Dealing with this issue needs guts Mr. Prakash Jha

[jmathur_swayamprabha · 15 August 2011]

I have always kept Prakash Jha in high esteem since I watched Hip Hip Hurray (1984) and Damul (1985) on Doordarshan and Gangaajal (2003) and Apharan (2005) in theatre. I always appreciated his guts of calling a spade a spade and dealing with his chosen theme without fear or favour. Further, nowhere I found him going astray from his track until I watched Rajneeti last year in which he turned the hard-hitting political drama into a Mahabharat-wrapped revenge saga in the post-interval session of the movie.

In Aarakshan (reservation), he has gone a few steps ahead in the wrong direction. Before release, it was thought in the cine-circles that he has dealt with this sensitive issue with sensitivity and maturity. Pro-reservationists having a vested interest in the Indian voting politics, had started making a hue and cry under the impression that perhaps it has said anything against the reservation policy of the state. And it's been banned in some states too which, now I know, is ridiculous because the movie speaks in favour of reservations for backward classes. Instead of presenting a balanced view, Prakash Jha has taken a stand this time, the stand in favour of the caste-based reservations. He had (unsuccessfully) fought the Lok Sabha election a few years back and he might be willing to make any such attempt in future as well. And therefore, he knows very well that no anti-reservationist can win any election in India in the given scenario. So the politician in the disguise of the filmmaker also has not taken any chances in this regard.

I always admired Prakash Jha's guts to point out a finger at the system. But now I can see the hollowness of his guts. Now I realize that the times have come when you can criticize the shameless cops and the thick-skinned politicians because they have now got habituated to their criticism (and condemnation). However, you can't dare to speak a single word against the reservations in the state-owned (or state-aided) educational institutions and govt. offices (and PSUs). Since the reservations have become an ever-milkable cow in the hands of the politicians, themselves as well as the beneficiaries of the system have become intolerant enough to behead the people who speak a single word against them or even demand a healthy debate on them. Prakash Jha understood that the reservation issue is a tough nut to crack, hence he chose a softer target to attack - the private coaching institutes.

To justify the title, the filmmaker has considered a few statements and arguments for and against the reservation system enough. Otherwise, he has focused upon the commercialization of education. Well, that's also a good subject and a burning issue for the middle-class parents who dream big for their children. But then, what's the need to make the movie under the title Aarakshan and what's the need to create some traditional villains in the movie and showing them as anti-reservationists (and even castists) ? By showing the baddies as cursing the reservation system and humiliating the lower caste people, the moviemaker has made his own stand pretty clear. The main protagonist opines in favour of caste-based reservations and terms the social rift created by them as the price is to be paid to correct the social injustice. Well, is it the correct price to be paid and is it the correct way to ensure social justice, he does not delve deep into it. And can one injustice be corrected through another injustice ?

Prakash Jha (and his hero - Amitabh Bachchan) is unable to comprehend that the reservations are being expanded only because they have become a means to catch votes. The social harmony and the national unity has got shattered to pieces due to them but do the pro-reservationists really care ? Politicians are not interested in increasing resources and means, they are only interested in restricting access to them through reservations and strengthening their vote banks consisting of the beneficiary communities.

Commercialization of education is definitely detrimental for the society and Prakash Jha has rightly said at a place that even the among the reserved classes, the real beneficiaries will be those only who have money to buy education. However he has presented a too simplistic picture of it and offered a too simplistic remedy for it. This is a traditional hero versus villain clash and the larger-than-life angry young (now old) man comes triumphant in an utterly filmy manner. Not really expected of Prakash Jha.

The main characters (except the baddies) seem to be real but their activities do not seem to be realistic. Other than Saans Albeli (sung by classical singer - Pandit Chhannulal Mishra), the music is just passable. However, let me admit that the cast has invested hard and sincere work in performance and despite some characters being caricature-like (especially the character of Manoj Bajpai), the cast has done pretty well.

I still recommend this movie because it's impressive in patches and it's an entertaining movie which keeps you glued to the screen like a regular masala flick. Let me tell one thing to Prakash Jha loud and clear - the performance of a race-horse is to be compared with that of a race-horse only. It cannot be given any concession for the fact that it is running faster than the Tonga-pulling horse or the horse used in Baaraats (marriage-processions). Prakash Jha's work is to be evaluated against the high-standards set by him for himself only and those standards cannot be relaxed for any film of him. If he delivers a movie which does not live up to his set standards, he should be ready for brickbats.

Decent Movie

[Herag · 6/10 · 22 August 2011]

Prakash Jha is a director with a string of good movies to his credit including his last debut "Rajneeti". This movie is not the same caliber. Amitab portrays well as a secular teacher, but he is not enough to sustain the film. There are a few atrocities brought up as a side bar like the landlord and tenant rights. The two children really take advantage of good faith to the hilt. Deepika Padukone has acted well and so is Saif Ali Khan who is a good actor, considered to this arrogant midget with the same last name, who is ugly looking slob with monkey ears who should have been driving rickshaw for living, along with this chimpanzee apeman. The movie lacks "Fire in the Belly' story. May be there should have been more societal ills brought up instead of one main theme. I think, the time when Amitab Bachchan carry a movie on his shoulder, is probably over. What we have these scum filthy rats from Filthystan who are corrupt to the core, filthy maggots who lived like rats in the sewer, have taken over Bollywood and they are bribing the Media, Award Shows to prop up movies like,Dabaang, Three Idiots, Tees Maar Khan, Delhi Belly, which are produced for the sole purpose to demean Indians and Indian culture in India and abroad. These suvvar banchods should be kicked back to the sewer where they came from or put these banchods with Kasab in a cell, that is where these suvvar rats belong in the first place.

Not Arkshan based on Arkshan.

[rohanjay-58875 · 6/10 · 28 January 2021]

Not based on Arkshan ( reservation ). Is it like extra paid for tution and etc.

going excellent but suddenly fall !

[daorestes · 6/10 · 9 July 2018]

Ok what i write? this movie could be a masterpiece but it couldn't. First half of the movie is excellent but ending is so typical ! I mean you arises a question then suddenly you changed the plot. so typical hindi film. you were talking about quota system, then suddenly moved to free coaching system ? how man, really how? totally disappointing. But I must say Mr. Amitabh and Mr. Bajpayee acted very well.

The storyline - Lost and never found

[abhijeet-c-yadav · 3/10 · 14 August 2011]

Looks like the poor scriptwriters got confused between what they wanted and what the producer wanted. The name is a complete misnomer. The movie is based on few a few central characters with the topic of reservation forming a backdrop. Definitely a no-no from Prakash Jha's stable.

With a very strong cast the movie lacks a central story line. Although the performances delivered by Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpayee are outstanding; they fail to hold together the movie as it spins out of control.

The movie fails to delve on the sensitive issue of reservation. It only makes a half hearted attempt to touch upon the pros and cons of reservation.

Considering the star cast and the director, I was expecting a much more sensible movie on this social issue. But at the end I was disappointed watching a half baked commercial movie hopelessly trying to debate a social issue.

A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: Amitabh Bachchan delivers tour de force in Prakash Jha's case study on India's socio-political setup

[murtaza_mma · 8/10 · 13 August 2011]

Prakash Jha's Aarakshan has something for everyone: To an average viewer, Aarakshan would serve to be a decent offering made special by the presence of a stellar cast led by Amitabh Bachchan himself. Aficionados would find it to be good enough to be considered as a case study on India's socio-political system. The critics will find it too absorbing to merely regard it as a satire on the prevalent education system. Jha has a great understanding of the Indian socio-political setup having himself contested elections from the state of Bihar—the second most influential state in the Indian political context. This knowledge places Jha at a point of vantage in the purview of Indian cinema. Jha's penchant for depicting realism in cinema puts him in a very elusive list of Indian filmmakers. With Aarakshan, Jha succeeds at both the technological and emotional fronts and more than makes up for the shoddy display in his previous production, Raajneeti. Jha uses his stellar cast and camera to full effect in order to capture the audience's attention right from the onset. He builds up his plot slowly but rhythmically with a scalpel like precision that one seldom sees in Hindi Cinema. What makes Aarakshan unique is that it not only succeeds in posing serious questions about the sensitive issue of reservation but also manages to propose a common humanistic solution for it—one that follows a universal approach aimed at working at the very roots of the problem.

Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan), a private college principal, has devoted his life to the ideals of equality, righteousness and self- sacrifice. His undeterred determination for his cause has elevated and evolved the education standards in a state that is plagued by casted- based politics. During his three decade long tenure as a principal of a private college, he has not only taken the college to new heights but has also shaped the lives of hundreds of underprivileged students from the backward sects of the society and is respected by everyone alike. One of benefactors has been Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan), who also happens to be his favorite pupil. Deepak Kumar comes from an extremely backward setup and owes everything to Prabhakar Anand and worships him as a disciple. He has a strong liking for Prabhakar's daughter Poorbi (Deepika Padukone), who reciprocates it fully. Prabhakar is a staunch condemner of commercialization of education and wants to provide quality education to the poor and the needy free of cost. He is the sole target of all those who advocate commercialization of education. Mithilesh Singh (Manoj Bajpai), who runs a chain of coaching institutes, heads the nexus that aims to destroy Prabhakar and his followers.

Amitabh Bachchan shines in the portrayal of Prabhakar, a portrayal that is highly reminiscent of his 'Angry Young Man' days. He goes through an entire gamut of emotions with an ineffable sense of ease that makes the portrayal utterly memorable. As Prabhakar, he is a loving husband, a caring father, a faithful friend, a staunch idealist, an undeterred revolutionary and most importantly, a humanist par excellence. It is Bachchan's best performance in well over a decade and even surpasses his portrayal of an inexorably idealistic principal in Mohabbatein. In fact, it wouldn't be a hyperbole to say that one cannot think of many actors in the country who could fit into the shoes of Prabhakar Anand better than Bachchan. Saif Ali Khan is brilliant in his portrayal of Deepak and yet again proves his versatility as an actor. It's his most powerful performance since his Langda Tyagi in Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara. Manoj Bajpai is ever so reliable in his portrayal of a conniving business mogul and offers a great contrast to Bachchan's portrayal of an outright righteous man. In fact, Bajpai seems to be the only actor in Hindi Cinema who has never been known to act badly. His previous full-fledged performance alongside Bachchan in Aks had earned him a flurry of awards and one wouldn't be wrong in expecting the same this time round. Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar offer great support to a cast that is studded with veterans like Saurabh Shukla and S.M Zaheer.

Overall, Aarakshan offers a great insight into socio-political scenario of the country while also focusing on the flaws in the existing educational setup. The movie celebrates the spirit of humanity and proposes a common humanistic solution to the paradox of reservation in our country based on principles equality and freedom. Despite the occasional lack of coherence, Aarakshan is a must watch for the fans of Amitabh Bachchan and Prakash Jha and all those who have a place in their hearts for good and healthy cinema. 8/10

http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/

MISLEADING TITLE

[manigarg0000 · 6/10 · 23 October 2020]

I wanted to get more informed about the reservation system in India and what more interesting way to than watch a movie on it. But this movie is not about Aarakshan, it is about commercialization of education and corruption. It does not even remotely tries to go deep into the topic, and except Amitabh Bachchan none of the actors were given much to explore their character. No wonder it got released, because it is a general movie and does not give a clear answer about Aarakshan.

Aarakshan is not at all about aarakshan

[supratim-dam · 3/10 · 12 August 2011]

First things first, Aarakshan is not at all about aarakshan (reservation). Prakash Jha's latest directorial venture has managed to create a lot of hullabaloo because of its title and expected storyline. But none of these seem to reflect in the film. Barring a scene or two, the film boldly deals with the commercialization of education and how a principle educationist stands tall with the changing times. The opening half of the film fails to generate any interest and the screenplay very poor. It picks up only at a later stage which gives a feeling that the movie is forcefully dragged for a prolonged duration. The story is of Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh) who is the principal of a private charity institution and how Mithilesh Singh (Manoj), the vice principal neglects college duties because he runs a private coaching class charging a lot of money from the students. The story then takes a typical Bollywood turn with the politicians and police playing dirty and everything turns against Prabhakar. But then he hits upon a plan to give free education to everyone, and becomes a hero again. Talking about performances, the biggest disappointment was Deepika Padukone. Her Hindi still needs a lot of work. Saif Ali Khan was completely wasted in the film, but Prateik's repeated portrayal of a spoilt brat turned good will give the audience something to cheer on. Stalwarts like Amitabh, Manoj and Vinay fit their roles perfectly and do a brilliant justice to the script. After Rajneeti, Manoj seems to have got the cue as to what kind of role suits him most. The dialogues of the film were crisp and interesting, which held the movie together. The editing could have been a lot tighter and the 'Green Screen' was clearly noticeable. The running time of the movie is almost 165 minutes and it fails to hold the audience together. Though the story idea was quite thought provoking and engaging, but the fact is that it could have ended a long way before. Bollywood trio Shankar-Ehsan-Loy also failed to click any popular number in the film. The music was decent. Apart from the individual performances of the characters and their conflicts along with some power hitting dialogues, the film isn't impressive at all. The whole idea of reservation was sidelined and a new dig was taken into the Indian education system. Thus, the title is not at all apt. If you do not get a reservation at your favourite restaurant and have no other place to go, then you should think about going to the theatre and munching pop-corns by watching Aarakshan. Or else, Prakash Jha this much-hyped venture can be surely given a miss.

Powerful Characters Bring Out A Relevant Topic. ♦ 84%

[nairtejas · 8/10 · 20 September 2013]

Prakash Jha is one filmmaker who doesn't mind taking controversial topics & this time too he has succeeded in adapting a relevant topic on screen.

Amitabh Bachchan & Manoj Bajpai are terrific with their characters & portrayals. Deepkia Padukone & Saif Ali Khan add to the fervor. Supporting cast supports well. I am mesmerized by the intuitive fast- paced screenplay for a drama without cutting the lines short. Music is apt & there is no single moment where it attenuates. With all the college atmosphere & the grave state of education system in India just makes it too interesting.

Personally, I enjoyed the whole movie which also is emotional, dramatic, romantic & lovable at times. Except for the foggy climax & the feeble conclusive plot lines, I rate it a good 8.4 out of 10.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly Recommended to youngsters & adults alike if they are looking for an answer on the education system in India. Not that it answers brightly, but you will enjoy for sure.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity: Mild | Sex/Nudity/Porn/Smoking/Alcohol: No | Violence: Strong | Gore: No

Reserve Your Expectations!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 20 August 2011]

Prakash Jha's 'Aarakshan' offers a rock-solid first hour, but loses pace in it's slightly deary second. This tale on India's socio-political setup, begins very well, but later on, loses focus on the issue, it tries to tackle on.

'Aarakshan' is a socio-political drama based on the controversial policy of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions.

The Screenplay by Anjum Rajabali & Jha himself, is impressive in the first-hour and offers a punch. However, the second-hour, becomes slightly deary and goes off-track. What starts off as a film on 'Reservation', suddenly becomes this story of this one man's struggle to, basically, win back his house from the devious villain. Even the climax for that matter, isn't as effective, as it ought to have been. Also, the excessive running-time, needed some trimming. Jha's Direction is nice. Cinematography is fair. Editing is alright.

Performance-Wise: Amitabh is in form. Saif Ali Khan hardly gets scope. Deepika Padukone delivers a sincere performance. Manoj Bajpai plays the evil part superbly. Prateik has been better, while Tanvi Azmi is perfect. Darshan Jariwala is excellent. Saurabh Shukla, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Chetan Pandit & Vinay Apte lend support.

On the whole, At best, A Passable Fare, that deserved to be better.

things other then mentioned on the box

[bharat14101991 · 1/10 · 12 August 2011]

Well i was excited about this particular title, as this was something i was in favor of 'ANTI-RESERVATION' (as the promos showed). The promos were totally like they are in favor of anti reservation, check out any poster or promo out there.

"what will be the future of 1.2 million students in the time of 49.7% reservation", Now what does this strike to you? the movie shows exactly the opposite stuff.

Now when i get to the movie, what i saw was totally opposite. the movie was totally biased towards reservation, all the main characters were in favor of reservation and the villain n side kicks were in oppose. now i'm not saying that movie should have been in favor of anti reservation, as none of those goddamn directors, actors or producers have guts to go off the governments bloody decision. actually politicians do this for votes, n directors for money, that is why they don't want to say something in oppose of reservation. But even if you are creating a movie in favor of something you should say something about the opposite stuff too. this movie was totally biased, one side of the coin. not good for such a huge movie with huge star cast. this movie disappointed me so very much.

Now getting to the other flaws. all the impressive stuffs, dialogs n scenes which were shown in the promos were over in the first 45 mins of the start. after that i was just dumbstruck, the movie just a god knows what degree turn n whole stuff about reservation was trashed and a new topic was raised (lemme tell you first this topic had nothing to do with the main topic 'reservation'), and this was against coaching institutes or business in education. although this idea wasn't wrong fully but then they should have promoted the movie with this not the bullsh!t reservation thing.

Prakash Jha should not play with the sentiments of people, shame on him. it's a never-ever-ever-watch movie if you are a little sensible and you want some story. for rest of the dumbs, welcome carpet is still there.

Could have been much better without the bollywood melodrama

[caiged · 17 October 2011]

This is precisely the kind of movie that should come out of the part of Bollywood that thrives on making real movies. Movies that don't have massive explosions or heroes beating up thousands of villains or dancing with 50 people on the beaches of Sydney or in night clubs. In the hands of a director with good vision this could have become one of the top movies of the year. But instead with some bollywood clichés and melodrama the movie sinks into mediocrity, but with one saving grace.

This is an actor's movie, a thespian's movie so the casting of Amitabh and Manoj was a clever move. Amitabh can be forgiven for starring in rubbish like Buddha Hogaya Tera Baap or some stupid movie where he's dancing with and romancing girls less than a third of his age. His performance as a teacher is highly credible and his purity is equally matched by Manoj's sleaziness. It would be hard to find anyone better than these two men when it comes to proper acting. Nasserudin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar are the only others I can think of.

Saif Ali Khan gives a subdued performance but it's not bad. Sadly he doesn't look very convincing as a Dalit and no amount of makeover can take off the bollywood glamour shine that always surrounds him. He was miscast here. Deepika was decent. There's another poster who was complaining about her Hindi or her acting skills but I find that she's one of the rare few young women out there who can act and she's getting better each time.

While the upside was the casting of Amitabh and Manoj the downside was the script and character development. The topic of "untouchables" and rights is a serious issue and it deserved to be treated with respect and given the center of attention, something Prakash Jha failed to do. Instead the focus goes on Amitabh's woes and troubles and his enmity with an increasingly sleazy Manoj which took it away from the main issue. Even the underlying sub theme of ministers abusing the value of education for their profit was briefly touched upon and then forgotten so that we, the audience, could anguish over where Amitabh was going to live. The hordes of students that he suddenly starts teaching nonstop becomes a silly competition between him and Manoj's venture, a typically stupid Bollywood melodramatic move. The ending is a huge let down, contrived to give it a feel good moment. Yet, the main issue is never once broached nor resolved.

Despite my negativity I'd still recommend the movie for several reasons: Amitabh and Manoj's acting, and the lack of numerous typically cheesy song and dance numbers. I sincerely hope that another, more focused director tackles this sensitive issue and gives it more consideration with a more driven story and scope. Look at Black Friday. That was a brilliant movie with little commercial success but that wasn't the aim of the director of that gem. He stuck to the main issue and there's no reason why another director can't do the same with this topic.

Aarakshan- A failure

[saish746 · 4/10 · 11 March 2012]

Let me make it clear, Aarakshan is not about reservation or caste feuds but its more about the existence of two coaching centers although based out of different ideologies. The circumstantial controversies were false and farce. Prakash Jha failed to raise the social issues like he did it before in Damul, Mrityudand, Gangajal or Apaharan . The title is misleading and the biggest disappointment. One may feel cheated , expecting the big battle of Indian caste system and reservation of SC/ST/OBC. One may expect some great screenplay of both sides but the movie and Jha falters completely and is in lack of words when asked whose side the protagonist is? The film opens very poorly in an interview room where the questions are asked about the mother who is maid in a sarcastic way by so called high castes interviewer. It was so unreal that the mood was set to be not in sync with the director's view. The honor was lost with the dialog of Tehzeeb. Within the 10 minutes of beginning you were bombarded with two useless songs, defying the mood further. Jha was never good with songs earlier and still he is not. All the characters were introduced slowly without a clear explanation. There were some good exchange of words to arouse the heat but it all fell flat on the ground like a fallen ash. It explains that even a good topic can be worthless without the good narration and script. The Film looses plot of reservation and started churning the illogical fight between two coaching centers. Definitely the second plot was based of Anand's Super-30 which churns IITians from the poorest family of Bihar with 100% success rate. Even Prakash Jha inspired the name of lead protagonist as Prabhakar Anand , played by Amitabh Bachchan. But in real Mr Anand didn't face any competition from any commercial coaching institutes neither from any College nor politicians. The characters were not sketched clearly and lacked commitments.

Deepika Padukone was too unreal for city like Bhopal where she was seen moving around with a Dalit Saif, hand in hand wearing designer salwars. Saif role was too short for any comment. His UK migration and abrupt end of his Phd was never explained. The mustache looked good on him. Praetik Babbar failed again with his way of mouthing dialogues. He has lost confidence and that shows that why he was not at all liked. Manoj Bajpayi was a caricature with a funny wig. The last 15 minutes of the movie, he literally lost it all. The strong character was turned into a caricature. Amitabh Bachchan had nothing new to offer, he played the extension of his role from Mohabbatein. His wardrobe was changed with his voluntarily retirement in a drastic manner and his only saving was a house which was given on rent to provide a platform for this circus. Overall movie has only few scenes which touched the right cord, when a lost daughter comes back to home and hugs her father saying sorry and confessing that she is hungry was brilliant coming out of jha's brilliant past. The whole plot of STM college and KK coaching center was so unreal as if only these two sources of education exits in a city like Bhopal. Where you will find and education minister playing all sort of smaller games. The audiences were hoping something big.

The film also lacks historical correctness and chronographical sequences. This issue based movie changed its issue amidst of the movie and became a thudddddd....

forget the title, enjoy the film..

[hardik_raychanda · 8/10 · 12 August 2011]

An Open letter to the direct:

Dear Prakash Jha,

Just came back from your movie Aarakshan, and couldn't stop myself writing you this letter. You made a quite decent movie with fantastic performances from the actors, but the movie could have named "Prabhakar" or "Shiksha" and wrongly named "Aarakshan" if you ask me. Yes the movie is not entirely based on the issue of reservation but is based on issue of commercialization of education and one man - Dr. Prabhakar Anand (played by Big B)'s fight towards that issue and his suffering due to his principles. The name of the movie and publicity of the movie based on the single issue of reservation depicts the viewers and can disappoint the viewers who wants to watch a master piece on this burning issue from the director of caliber like you.

Anyways, if one ignores the depiction or he/she knows that this movie is not entirely based on that issue would surely enjoy the film as it's quite well-made and as earlier said with really good performances by Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpeyi, Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan. Most characters, be it Prabhakar Anand (big b), Deepak Kumar (saif ali khan), Dr. Mithilesh(Manoj Bajpeyi), Sushant (Pratiek Babbar), Purbi (Deepika), Prabhakar's wife (Tanvi Aazmi), Tabelawala (Yashpal Sharma), Inspector Thakur (Mukesh Tiwari), Corrupt Politician (Saurabh Sharma), Dalit Neta (dont know his name), Pandit (dont know his name too) are well defined and this is the USP of the film.

Negative points can be film's excessive length, and though some characters like Deepak Kumar or Sushant getting less scope, and depiction as earlier mentioned.

Music doesn't let you down, but couldn't generate more curiosity too.

Performance wise every body performs really well, but it's an Amitabh Bachchan film clearly, though Manoj Bajpeyi also impresses equally.

Overall, this film could be a gr8 film (like Gangajal - just watched it again yesterday on a satellite channel) but it just manages to be a good decent film.

regards, a film fan - Hardik Raychanda

P.S. : film has nothing to make it controversial.

title was not apt....movie, its story, nd everything else was useless..don't go for it ..big bore

[sumitjangra91 · 1/10 · 14 August 2011]

when i went to theatre ..i was expecting something serious from the movie..surely everyone was ..as the name suggest.. movie could have covered the depth of such a major truth of country. the flaws and the need of this reservation system.. its origin and the reality... which is actually hidden to Indian people. But fools. .it was clear from the movie that the director, script writer, and everyone else were completely unaware of the reality.

And, also the director wants us to believe that the coaching phenomenon has originated from reservation

even more to write

For someone who is really not concerned with the reservation and does not wish to talk about it...and he or she just went to the theater for some fun. The movie was horrible. The story..man ..how can they really siphon off a complete nation in a single house running coaching classes. Songs really you enjoyed them???..OK may be 40% of crowd did. You cannot say they were fantastic or overwhelming.

Don't go for it, I suggest.:)

Great movie

[kus_ck · 10/10 · 13 August 2011]

I recommend people to watch this movie.The movie moves around the plot of Reservation and Anti-Reservation. The Movie supports both the ideas but not being biased towards particular caste or community.

The movie shows how the face of the education have changed since last 62 years becoming nothing more then a mere business for high class people and the mentality of the society and it's stinking thoughts, how they just ignore well educated and intelligent person just because he belong to lower caste.

But at last the Movie ends with a good note that whatever caste, community, creed we belong education see no difference. It belongs to everyone equally

Nice

[tushargupta-27286 · 4/10 · 29 December 2020]

This movie is nice and amazing but Bharat remove this aarakshan system

this movie Title should be Family or Tutions not Aarakshan !!

[taunt-maru · 13 August 2011]

ha! i saw Aarakshan yesterday. i was expecting some thrill and political drama.it is there but only 10%, I'm not gonna recommend this film to any one. specially no need to theater.and if u like family drama and if u r not interested in any AARAKSHAN type of stories.u may watch this movie. Movie is all about Mr.bacchan.and he has done a very good job, deepika and saif were good. in first half an hr movie goes very very slow with unnecessary songs. after that, till interval it gets more slow. but after an interval movie speed like...more slow.Movie takes speed when people running out of theater.

STORY : story was so so. (5/10) DIALOGS : too much! (4/10) ACTING : every one was awesome (9/10) Speed : very boring ... too slow (2/10) TITLE : Nothing about arakshan (1/10) SONGS : so irritating .. (1/10)

The film doesn't know what it wants to tell

[ssvikas · 3/10 · 17 August 2011]

Prakash Jha has had a track record in making movies like 'Gangajal', 'Rajneeti' among others that are hard hitting and have got something to do with issues that make news. His latest is a movie whose title 'Aarakshan' suggests that it has something to do with caste-based reservations in India, an issue that raised a storm about five years ago. If the promos were to be believed, Jha had a winner in hand.

But, in reality, the title is a misnomer as the principal plot in the story seems to deal with commercialization of education which is portrayed to be somehow strangely linked to reservation. Also, while this was a burning issue following the Supreme Court that was discussed in the movie, it may not have as many takers today.

So, what's the story? Prabhakar Anand (Bachchan) is the principled Principal of a prestigious private college in Bhopal who treats all his students equally. He coaches weaker students in his verandah for free and the classes allow enough opportunity for his favorite pupil Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan) to romance his daughter Poorbi (Deepika Padukone). Sushanth Seth (Prateik) also has his eyes on Poorbi.

When the reservation issue heats up, people are divided along caste lines and suddenly the relations between them are strained. Anand has his adversary in Mithilesh Singh (Manoj Bajpai) whose commercial coaching classes clash with his principles. A twist of events puts Prabhakar Anand's beliefs to the test. And in the meantime, the film loses its way completely on what it wants to talk about.

The very fact that caste inequality persists even decades after independence is shameful. But, it is sad to see that a sensitive issue has been used only to promote the movie. Well, the movie does not take sides; whether pro-reservation or anti-reservation since it would not have been without commercial repercussions. Obviously the title and some provocative language were meant to only rake in the moolah.

On education its commercialization, if Prakash Jha wants people to believe that the proliferation of coaching classes has its origins in the nation's reservation policy, he has definitely lost the plot. As a result, what you get it a 'Baghban'esque lengthy film that seems to go nowhere. It has lectures on principles, conniving villains, treacherous friends and some kind hearted souls who attempt to engage you with some drama.

To its credit, its actors do a good job. Amitabh Bachchan successfully plays the idealistic disciplinarian and a committed teacher who is complemented by Saif Ali Khan as the feisty youngster working his way though a biased system and Manoj Bajpai, as usual is a bankable actor to play the villain. As usual, Deepika Padukone sleepwalks through her role and the script didn't have much in store for Prateek.

I'd recommend that you let this one pass. It neither has a consistent storyline nor memorable songs nor a tight script. So, don't reserve your seats for Aarakshan!

Gripping and riveting story

[sg_iyer · 10/10 · 14 August 2011]

When i went for this movie, i had zero expectations. But i was blown away by the movie. The movie starts with building each character slowly and then the story premise. With time, the movie's momentum builds further and at interval, you have a real cracker of a movie on. Post interval, the movie proceeds on the momentum built before interval giving lots of twists in the story. The Climax is a masterstroke and the movie finally ends on high note. Of all the performance, Amitabh steam rolls and holds the movie completely like a rock. Can't imagine anyone could have done justice to this role. Saif and Deepika also excel in their respective roles. The director's screenplay is another thing that impressed me. He does not over dramatize any scenes but stills keeps the impact strong. I do have to agree with others who say that this movie is less about reservation and more about the commercialization of education in India, but the director beautifully conveys how the reservation(or aarakshan) is resulting in commercialization of education. People who say the trailer of the movie conveys different thing about the movie, they should go and see the trailer correctly once more. The trailer tells exactly the correct preview of the movie, which includes the commercialization of education. This movie tells a story where it tells one the bad result of reservation. Go and see the movie, i can tell you wont be disappointed. Its a gripping story.

Propoganda to Divide Hindus

[yeswecandoit-16266 · 1/10 · 21 July 2020]

They only want to divide Hindus on the basis of caste system and reservation system

This is how good popular political movies can be

[Igu_Soni · 10/10 · 18 August 2011]

Why does a movie literally called "Reservation" degenerate into a fantastical clash between personalised and commercialised education? Because Prakash Jha is a mad genius whose realisation that they are actually the same problem is only one of the brilliant insights that animate this film, which goes from eighties camp to the very heart of the political and ethical mire that is the issue of reservation and comes back, very carefully laying the breadcrumbs behind it: the fairy tale ending is actually lent credence by the (stated) fact that the power of the rich rests on the cooperation of the poor and finally transcends its seeming idiocy to become a version of a model for the future that can be accommodated into the public imagination.