This film was on my radar for quite some time and unfortunately it didn't release in my city but thankfully Netflix gave me the chance to see this beauty.
Kaamyaab tells the story of Sudheer, a side actor who worked in the film industry for many decades. Whilst doing an interview after his retirement he comes to find out he did 499 films in his career. This leads Sudheer to make a comeback and reach the milestone that is 500 films.
Bollywood always focuses on the lead actor/actress and puts them front and centre of their movies but we very rarely put our attention on the actors supporting them. We never get know the names of the actors who play the henchmen of the villain, the doctor who gives the bad news or the lawyer who loses the case. Well, writer-director Hardik Mehta decides to change that and makes a film dedicated to all the side/supporting/character actors that we never got to know.
The film starts off with this amazing montage of classic 70s and 80s style films focusing on the supporting actors. It's very nostalgic to a lot of people who watched films during that time and it showed Mehta's love of the film industry. Mehta takes us through the life of an unknown actor and presents it in a very realistic manner. We get to see how these people live and the struggle many aspiring actors go through to get a role. Kaamyaab also reveals secrets about the industry, the importance and love of a family and the dreams people have coming to Mumbai.
Not only that, Hardik Mehta managed to bring us actors who lived through that very life. We get to see the likes of Lilliput, Guddi Maruti, Manmauji, Viju Khote and many more make an appearance for us to give a huge amount of respect to. Avtar Gill plays a version of himself here and is fun to watch. We also see Deepak Dobriyal play casting director Gulati who is great in his role. The standout is Sanjay Mishra, a man who's been in this position for his career, and to see him play the lead couldn't have been a better casting choice. He plays Sudheer with utmost sincerity and makes you feel for him he reaches a low point. He is especially brilliant in the film's climax which beautifully conveys the power of a star in comparison to that of a side actor.
Whilst the film has emotion, I felt it wasn't fully developed. The relationship Sudheer has with his daughter and his neighbour Isha needed to be fleshed out more and the scene of Sudheer imagining everyone in his home didn't fit with the style this film was going for. The songs didn't contribute much to the film either.
Overall, Kaamyaab is a great film. I loved the concept and how Hardik Mehta decided to approach it. This is a film that will go unrecognised by many people and I feel it's one that people should see in order to respect all the actors that go unnoticed.
Kaamyaab tells the story of Sudheer, a side actor who worked in the film industry for many decades. Whilst doing an interview after his retirement he comes to find out he did 499 films in his career. This leads Sudheer to make a comeback and reach the milestone that is 500 films.
Bollywood always focuses on the lead actor/actress and puts them front and centre of their movies but we very rarely put our attention on the actors supporting them. We never get know the names of the actors who play the henchmen of the villain, the doctor who gives the bad news or the lawyer who loses the case. Well, writer-director Hardik Mehta decides to change that and makes a film dedicated to all the side/supporting/character actors that we never got to know.
The film starts off with this amazing montage of classic 70s and 80s style films focusing on the supporting actors. It's very nostalgic to a lot of people who watched films during that time and it showed Mehta's love of the film industry. Mehta takes us through the life of an unknown actor and presents it in a very realistic manner. We get to see how these people live and the struggle many aspiring actors go through to get a role. Kaamyaab also reveals secrets about the industry, the importance and love of a family and the dreams people have coming to Mumbai.
Not only that, Hardik Mehta managed to bring us actors who lived through that very life. We get to see the likes of Lilliput, Guddi Maruti, Manmauji, Viju Khote and many more make an appearance for us to give a huge amount of respect to. Avtar Gill plays a version of himself here and is fun to watch. We also see Deepak Dobriyal play casting director Gulati who is great in his role. The standout is Sanjay Mishra, a man who's been in this position for his career, and to see him play the lead couldn't have been a better casting choice. He plays Sudheer with utmost sincerity and makes you feel for him he reaches a low point. He is especially brilliant in the film's climax which beautifully conveys the power of a star in comparison to that of a side actor.
Whilst the film has emotion, I felt it wasn't fully developed. The relationship Sudheer has with his daughter and his neighbour Isha needed to be fleshed out more and the scene of Sudheer imagining everyone in his home didn't fit with the style this film was going for. The songs didn't contribute much to the film either.
Overall, Kaamyaab is a great film. I loved the concept and how Hardik Mehta decided to approach it. This is a film that will go unrecognised by many people and I feel it's one that people should see in order to respect all the actors that go unnoticed.