Life does not end after crossing an age, but a new inning begins. Many movies in this spirit have been released in the past. Now director Ajayan Venugopalan has come up with his first Hindi movie Shiv Shastri Balboa around this theme. The movie has been released in theaters. Read this Shiv Shastri Balboa movie review if you plan to watch this movie.
Cast: Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Sharib Hashmi, Nargis Fakhri, Jugal Hansraj
Director: Ajayan Venugopalan
Shiv Shastri Balboa Movie Story
At the story’s beginning, Anupam Kher abandons his old habit of drinking and opens a boxing school. The movie’s story revolves around the characters of Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. Anupam Kher could not become a boxer, but he trained many boxers. After retirement, he goes to America to live with his son and grandson. He meets Neena Gupta in America. He seems to like it there with a companion of his age.
Neena has been living there for many years but is not happy. Not only this, but Neena Gupta’s passport also gets stolen. Neena wants to go back to India but is stuck in America. She wants to go to India for her granddaughter’s 13th birthday. After knowing the misery of his new life partner, Anupam joins her to fulfill it. Anupam promises to send them back to the country. Both face many difficulties in coming back to India.
His pet dog works to increase Anupam Kher’s enthusiasm at every step and inspires him to face every difficulty and overcome every obstacle. On this journey, they both meet many people. Will Anupam and Neena be able to fulfill their wishes? The story progresses on in this way.
Shiv Shastri Balboa Movie Review: Writing and Direction
Ajayan Venugopalan, who made excellent web series like ‘Metro Park,’ has directed ‘Shiva Shastri Belbua’ with great passion. All the characters in the movie look real, the movie’s humor is amazing, and none of the characters in the movie look artificial. This is the reason that the movie proves to be successful in effectively conveying a serious message to the audience in a funny way.
The bonding between Anupam and his dog is also endearing, in which what the dog is thinking is shown by writing on the screen. However, the movie also has several things that could be improved, such as the slow pace of the movie. The length of the movie could have been cut. The love-affair angle between the supporting characters doesn’t feel necessary.
The movie’s story is based on the family’s elders and their desires and outlook toward life. Especially parents from India visiting their children abroad who struggle to adjust to the culture and lifestyle there and feel lonely despite being with their family. By the way, this is not the first time such a story has come in front of an audience. But Ajayan Venugopalan has done the work of telling it in a new and different way.
Acting
In his 40 years long movie career, Anupam Kher has been trying to do something new in every movie. In ‘Shiv Shastri Balboa,’ also he tried to do something different. How he has played his role hardly any other actor could have played his character in such a powerful way. On the other hand, Neena Gupta as an actress is also good in the movie. She left no stone unturned in bringing the story to life.
Supporting actor Nargis Fakhri comes as a breath of fresh air in the movie. At the same time, Jugal Hansraj is seen carrying innocence. Sharib Hashmi has also done amazing acting; his character will make you laugh. The acting is bound to be amazing when the actors are so seasoned. Anupam Kher, as always, has played his character very well. On the other hand, Neena Gupta won the audience’s hearts with her performance and energy. Nevertheless, the Shiv Shastri Balboa Movie Cast and Movie is overall well made.
Music and Cinematography
The music touches the mind and heart with a balanced mix. The deadly combination of songs and music has resulted in four songs. However, apart from two or three songs, the rest of the songs are not able to leave that much impact. Some songs from the movie, ‘Dil Dariya,’ ‘Petrol Pump’ and ‘Hak Tera Hai’… you can bring these songs home with you. The music and background music of the movie are both great.
The movie is shot in two locations, including New Jersey, US. Shot by cameraman Joshua Ausley and Binendra Menon at the stunning locations of the US and India. The movie’s cinematography and the New Jersey shots are good too. The dialogues in the movie are good, and the editing is also fine.
Shiv Shastri Balboa Movie Review: Final Verdict
Two seasoned actors from Bollywood, Anupam Kher, and Neena Gupta, have won hearts with their powerful performances in the movie. The movie has been released in theaters today. The movie teaches us to live with new enthusiasm and spirit. This movie tells us that no matter what your age, no matter how adverse the circumstances are, you should never give up on life and keep trying to change it all the time.
Looking at the poster and title of the movie, the story will be about boxing. However, this movie is based on the philosophy of life. The question is whether you stand up after falling in life or not. There needs to be more newness in the story of the movie. However, the feel-good story puts a smile on the face due to the actors’ excellent performance. This movie also gives an important lesson to love life and your dreams at every stage of age.
Family and things related to it attract Indian people towards them. In the family, where today we mostly live as a single family, the changes and problems of our lives have been shown through the movie when elders come with us. In such a situation, there is an opportunity to understand the family’s struggle through ‘Shiv Shastri Balboa’ and to face such problems. This family movie is worth watching at least once with the family.
