This Eid, only Salman Khan fans will enjoy Bharat, as the director fails to put all the exciting elements of the story together in a believable plot

The much-awaited Eid release Bharat is an adaptation of the famous 2014 Korean movie Ode to my Father. The movie portrays different choices the protagonist makes throughout his life. His journey moves from Mirpur village in old Lahore to Delhi taking it through Middle East and then Malta.

The plot revolves around a little boy named Bharat, about eight years old, who gets parted from his father and younger sister during the Indo-Pak Partition in 1947. His father’s last words were to keep his mother and the two other siblings happy and safe. The situation forces him to become independent at a young age. He grows up with no regrets about his non-existent childhood, taking up many odd jobs to earn a living for his family.

Salman Khan plays the strong character of Bharat, adamant on finding his father and his sister Gudiya, as a kind of life’s mission. Altogether Bharat is an entertaining film but it tries too hard to push family values which pulls it back from being a complete success.

In his teenage years, Bharat finds his best companion Vilayati Khan portrayed by Sunil Grover who supports his best friend throughout his life. The duo struggle to make a fortune, leading them to work in a circus. Vilayati is a loyal and confident being who in his own ways can easily amuse the audience. Radha (Disha Patani) enters the plot giving the audience a glamour element. Vilayati and Bharat then take their struggle to the Middle East, working as mine labours in oil fields, Kumud (Katrina Kaif) being a hiring official who facilitates their journey.

Kumud comes across as a bold and honest character. Through the course of working in the fields, Kumud and Bharat fall in love. Kumud is the brave one who confesses her love first and comes across as a character equal to her male counterpart.

Salman Khan’s movies generally have elements of simplicity and a realistic approach to emotions, bringing families together to enjoy his films. He is an ideal choice to play this character as he embodies the same characteristics in real life.

Jackie Shroff and Sonali Kulkarni play terrific roles as Bharat’s parents. The movie portrays a package of old school values and drama with tints of emotion. The Director of the film Ali Abbas Zaffar (of Sultan fame) might have a foot in the 1970s but this movie focuses more on present elements. The audience can also see it to be a little misplaced with respect to cringeworthy dialogues.

Songs may also be placed in inappropriate scenes, nonetheless the music is quite catchy. Ali tries to paint a huge canvas in this 160-minute flick. But Bharat has too many things happening at once which may perplex and exhaust the audience despite the entertainment and humour element present in it.

Salman Khan’s performance is quite applaudable which does justice to the fans who are flocking theatres. Katrina and Salman’s onscreen chemistry is commendable and fluid. Although Katrina lacks a meaty role, she acts well as an independent woman.

Sunil Grover with his great acting skills can easily entertain the audience and does justice to his well-written role. Hopefully, this will lead to better roles for him in Bollywood. Actors Aashif Sheikh, Tabu and Nora Fatehi also make a noteworthy appearance in the movie.

Top 5 Bhai movies on Eid

Wanted (2009)

Directed by Prabhu Deva, this movie revolves around the story of an undercover police officer with efforts to exterminate crime.

Box office collection: Rs 215 crore (worldwide)

Dabbang (2010)

Directed by Abhinav Kashyap, this movie gave the audience the story of a cop ‘Chulbul Pandey’ and his journey to fight crime.

Box office collection: Rs 219 crore (worldwide)

Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Directed by Kabir khan, this action flick follows the story of a RAW agent being in love with an ISI agent played by Katrina Kaif.

Box office collection: Rs 310 crore (worldwide)

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Another one from Kabir Khan, based on a true event, this heart-warming piece follows the story of the protagonist travelling to Pakistan in order to find a lost girl’s family.

Box office collection: Rs 890 crore (worldwide)

Sultan (2016)

Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Sultan tells us the story of a local wrestler past his prime and his late life shot at fame.

Box office collection: Rs 301 crore (worldwide)