What is it all about?

Emphasizing visual splendor at the expense of its source material's wonder. Reliance Entertainment in association with Trilogic Digital Media and Film Farmer productions ‘Hawaizaada’ helmed by first timer Vibhu Puri starring Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead is certainly ambitious in portraying the journey of what is said to be the world’s first airplane by India’s genius Shivkar Talpade before the Wright Brothers. But it’s done in the spirit of a comic book fairy tale musical; instead of a poignant involving biographical - making it a hodgepodge of a visual splendor in an ultra-elaborate, overly long boring wonder.

The Story

Saurabh Bhave and Vibhu Puri pen this world’s first "Udan Khatola" saga without caring much about the credibility and authenticity in their mood to ‘fly’ high.

Its Circa 1895 Shivkar Bapuji Talpade (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a loser. One day Shivkar meets Shastri, (Mithun Chakraborty) an eccentric scientist who lives in a huge wooden ship inspired by the Pirates of The Caribbean.

Shivkar is head over heels in love with a dancer (Pallavi Sharda) who has asked Shivkar to fulfill her 3 wish to get a kiss.

Shastri makes the school and house dropout Shivkar his disciple and how they make the world’s airplane by following Vedas and how Shivkar gets his kiss forms the crux of the film.

What to look out for?

The concept to tell the story of world’s first flying machine developed with the help of Vedas is destined to bring any Indian chest anywhere filled with proud. Debutant helmer Puri has a unique, promising premise.

Performances are of high standards. Ayushmann Khurrana scores well. Mithunda is excellent. Pallavi is fine.

Savita Singh cinematography is eye popping. Production values are of highest standards.

What not?

All the gaudiness doesn't  jell as the art direction and set designing fails to take us to the said era. It strives for grandiosity rather than authenticity and audience connectivity. The 1895 Mumbai looks like an artificial facial of ‘chromatical’ cross of SLB ‘Devdas’ and ‘Saawariya’. Way behind the authenticity seen in other epics like Paresh Mokashi’s ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ or Jabbar Patel’s ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’.

It’s tough to touch a biopic or a movie depicting a period. Wrong settings, buildup and environment disconnects the audience immediately they fail to feel for the characters. ‘Hawaizaada’ suffers highly over here. Being a musical period biographic, the music has nothing to hum about and it’s a big hurdle. It’s also off putting. The strange version of Ghalib’s evergreen classic ‘Dil-E-Nadan’ sung by Ayushmann Khurrana explains the understanding of quality by the this bunch of overenthusiastic artists, filmmakers etc.

Further Puri adds more jokers in this adventure in the form of those unintentionally funny English men in the film. During the climax when the British Police man screamed ‘Nahi Udega’ the audience is suppose to get tense but they burst out laughing instead.

Conclusion: Hawaizaada is a classic example of bejeweled excess of visual splendor at the expense of its source material wonder resulting in ultra-elaborate, overly long boring experience.