Viruddh... Family Comes First (2005) User Reviews

linear story line with great acting by Bachan and Tagore

[venkat1926 · 6/10 · 25 February 2006]

I am coming from Tamilnadu. In Tamil picture circuit rarely two post retirement/post menopausal couple are the chief protagonists. The last such film, I remember was "Vietnam Veedu". The Tamil filmdom thinks that old people can only be character actors. In our films even old male actors with fading faces have to act as lovers of heroines of their daughters' age. It is sometimes pathetic to see the old heavy actors making some dance sequences. So it is refreshing to see the old couple both in their mild and mature flirting with care for each other and the poignancy of their tragedy of the murder of their son and subsequent legal shenanigans. It is the younger men are the character actors in this film.

Amitab Bachan and Sharmila Tagore act brilliantly bringing the gamut of emotions. The final meeting with the murderer was excellent. Of course the story line is linear and some excellent pieces of dialogue crop up.

Yet there are a few rather typical cinematic scenes which are rather incongruous The old lady who is a retired teacher goes out with her teacher's cane and beats up the roguish Ali and others to bring some sense of decency in them which is rather too dramatic. Similarly the last verdict of NOT GUILTY on the old man is rather surprising. I am not a lawyer and am not aware of judicial nuances. But after all the old man is a murderer however justifiable his actions are and some token punishment (at least the time spent in the prison so far) would have been more judicial. Besides during the first trial the Home Minister and the Police went far out of the way in harassing Patwrdhan and his family but after his son's death the Home Minister seem to have been paralyzed. Nobody even tried to confiscate the tape recorder which ultimately reaches the presiding Judge of the second trial -"a shocking piece of evidence". The police officer who foisted the Drugs in the son's bedroom seemed to have gone scot-free.

But for these loose ends, deliberately left for dramatic purposes, Viruddh is a very good and interesting film.

Comfort, loss and struggle

[Peter_Young · 7/10 · 21 March 2011]

Viruddh starts as a very nice and light family movie which presents an elderly middle-class couple played by Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore living an ordinary and happy life while their only son is settled in London. Soon he comes back with a young non-Indian girlfriend and following his parents' approval, the two get married. While everything seems to be perfect, a tragedy strikes the family when their son is killed in a party. There starts a hard double-struggle for the family, as they have to live with the pain of losing their only son and at the same time prove the murder and his innocence as it was covered up by false reports of him being a smuggler.

At first, Viruddh is a watchable yet strikingly ordinary movie and it looks like nothing special is coming. When the son came back with a new foreign bride, I thought this would be the film's main conflict and was prepared to be disappointed by an old-fashioned melodrama. But a rather unexpected twist changed the picture and slowly the story started taking shape. Mahesh Manjrekar is a prolific director and some of his films are excellent. Viruddh is not at all his best, but it is an appreciable effort. After watching Baghban, a good but melodramatic movie, somehow I thought this one would be similar in execution and I was wrong. Manjrekar pays attention to small details and portrays the movie realistically.

The second half is interesting, although the concept itself does tend to remind of those horrible masala movies dealing with injustice and corruptness. The movie does falter there a bit, but Manjrekar tries to do everything differently by giving the narrative a rather subtle feel, and he partly succeeds. The film has absolutely no songs, it is devoid of overdone melodrama, the characters look authentic and genuine, and the dialogues are simple. More than anything, what marks the film is the portrayal of the elderly couple, their love, their care for each other, and their common pain and struggle. Again, unlike the exaggerated romance in Baghban, here their relationship looks believable and real.

The film's main lead is played by Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore, and both are excellent. They were not paired together that much in their heydays, but their chemistry here is very good. Just look at the scenes portraying their struggle post their son's death. There isn't much overdone sentimentality, just quiet suffering. This phase of the film is very convincing, and due credit goes to them. Bachchan efficiently plays his character's grief and determination. Tagore delivers one of her finest performances. The first half is entirely dominated by her wonderful presence, while the second presents her brilliantly understated portrait of anguish and strength.

Among the supporting actors, Sanjay Dutt is very likable as the neighbour. Anusha Dhandekar is pretty good as the daughter in-law. John Abraham is okay, nothing impressive, and well, his is not that demanding a role to begin with. This brings me to one of the film's aspects which I quite disliked, and it's the narration. I cannot understand why Abraham's character had to appear on-screen while narrating the story. It took away a lot from the credibility and did not contribute much. The ending is very sugarcoated, and reminded me in a way of B.R Chopra's Insaaf Ka Tarazu. Having said that, this one is definitely better than Chopra's son Ravi's Baghban, and is quite a nice movie overall.

Viruddh---A struggle of a man

[samrat19 · 8/10 · 10 September 2005]

Its truly a Big B and Sharmila film.Mahesh Manjrekar is back with his good stocks after Astitva...The movie shows the struggle of an old man to justify his sons innocence to the society.Bachchan was superb.His expressions were splendid in each of the sequences.Sharmila is equally powerful,and both have shared a terrific on screen chemistry.Sanjay Dutt excels,though he got very less on screen time..Jhon was OK.. The only minus point of the movie is the climax..It could have been more twisted and realistic. One person is worth mentioning here is Amitabh Dayal..He was terrific.

Some of the scenes which were well executed,

1) Amitabh Sharmila's conversations 2) Amitabh,Sharmila, Jhon and his wife together chatting at the bedroom. 3) Sanjay Dutt bashing the advocate. 4) Big B's conversation with Amitabh Dayal at the climax. 5) Big B pretending laughing at the park and bursts into tear.

Go for the movie. You will like it.

Sam

Sharmila is back and oh so good!

[doughboy401 · 24 July 2005]

Wow did I like this movie. I might even buy it. First of all, to see Sharmila Tagore acting after SO long (24 years, I think) is like watching a beautiful butterfly light on a nearby flower. She really hasn't lost it. She's amazing. And she and Amitabh still do the couple thing well. I can't really decide if he's better with Jaya or Sharmila. He's such a great actor, he can turn it on and off whenever the director says "action".

The story is about an Indian boy who goes to a party, sees a woman shot, and decides to intervene. Huge mistake. The shooter is the son of the Home Minister, and before the struggle is over the, boy (Amar, son of Vidhya) has been fatally shot himself. He had JUST been properly married by his parents to Jenny, his love who is English. Of course the whole family and all its friends is totally convulsed, including Jenny who has seen her husband snatched away by death on the wedding day itself.

Well, the whole rest of the movie is about the struggle of Vidhya to get justice for his dead son. It is narrated by the ghost of Amar (more ghosts, ghosts seem all over the place in Bollywood). The theme of the movie is that when powerful people commit heinous crimes, Justice becomes not only blind but deaf and cold-hearted.

There are so many nice performances in this movie, its impossible to remember them all. Sanjay Dutt plays a mechanic who buys the building next to Vidhya's house and does noisy repair work when Vidhya and Sumi are taking an afternoon nap. There is a lot of conflict at first, but eventually they all become best friends. It becomes important to the plot.

John Abraham. Man he is GREAT as the faithful and respectful son. I know this won't make him give up his "bad boy" persona, but now fans know he has two (or more) dimensions. Jenny is played by Anusha Dhandekar who did an item number in the Rahul Bose-Perizaad Zorabian movie Mumbai Matinée. Her English accent (assuming someone didn't dub the movie) gives me to believe she is NRI. In any case, she is bahut bahut cute! She reminds me of a more familiar actress but I can't think of whom.

It is not a very musical movie, so don't expect that. It is a family drama and masala in the sense of laughter and tears all mixed together.

Anyway, for Amitji, Sharmilaji, and John, I give it an 8/10. And here's hoping Sharmila is now "back in the saddle" for good. She can give her son a bit of competition.

Exercise in good Film making

[Herag · 7/10 · 18 October 2005]

A gaze that can penetrate steel and the clothing of a corrupt Police Officer-the ensuing scene and dialog is a snippet of a good Film. Very few actors are blessed with this talent-like Rod Steiger in the "In the Heat of the Night", Robert De'Nero in "Good Fellas", Al Pacino in "God Father". Bachchan, the indisputable Icon, has managed to give another impeccable role probably the best in his career.This scene coupled with few other memorable scenes puts Mahesh Manjrekar as the top in his Profession. Khedekar as the Police Officer is another fine actor. After"Swades", I enjoyed this movie. The imbeciles who selected "Paheli" as the entry for the Oscars are a National disgrace.This SRK idiot,not just walk the Red carpet but take a walk, period.

A slow and typical beginning leads way to an incredible film

[onandonandon92 · 7/10 · 25 July 2009]

Viruddh is a film that has interest for the star power in it. Big B, Sanjay Dutt, and John Abraham make out to be a perfect cast. That's why I got it and was not let down

The first 45 minutes or so of this film is quite slow to the point you wonder if there will be a plot. It reminded me a LOT of another Amitabh/Abraham film Babuul which was really bad... but it turned out this slow beginning was just to get you hooked to the main characters. The husband/wife relationship played by Amitabh and Sharmila is at the heart of this film and without this intro film wouldn't have been as good

but hold on through the dragging beginning because Viruddh surely picks up and becomes an incredible tale. I won't say much because I don't want to give away the plot (which would ruin the film). But I will say that this film is truly unforgettable. Acting is superb, story keeps you going, characters are excellent.

One problem with Viruddh, not really a problem with the film but more of an annoyance was the RIDICULOUS product placement!!! Motor oil shot to the bottle an Sanjay pours it in a car but most hilarious was the WESTERN UNION scene that played no consequence to the film and was a scene added in where John Abraham essentially tells Amitabh just like in the commercials "hey Dad am sending you money, you can go to any location, etc. etc" wih a shot of Amitabh happily going to Western Union. I was cracking up!!! It distracts you from how real the film is... shameless!!! But forgivable because this film is great

And if you like this film you should check out Big B's Family with Akshay Kumar. SImilar like plot and Amitabh's acting is far better.

Both films are great. Enjoy!

High and lows

[calhobbes99 · 7/10 · 2 August 2005]

Strange mix in a movie. The acting of tabh bachan and sharmila was very good and the first half of the movie was a lot of fun (though substanceless). The story wasn't moving forward but was very humorous and the character development was nice. The concept of John Ab telling the movie was fresh. Interesting to see him doing the voice over instead of Ab, even though AB was in the movie.

*** spoilers ahead ***

I couldn't see the second part of the movie coming. After spending so much time making the movie funny and getting the audience happy and laughing why would the director suddenly make the movie such a big tear jerker :P! His choice i guess. Abruptly without any warning the movie turned 180 degree into a sad fest :(!

Poor Sanjay Dutt got the short end in this movie - no character development or anything just a bit part role. How did he accept this role ? Also he looks very old now.

Good Points:

1. Only 2 hours long 2. No songs throwing the movie off track 3. Great acting by AB and sharmila 4. John A looks better after each movie - making of a superstar. His voice is awesome too.

Could not stand the blatant product placements though - there is one thing of showing a name brand but the actors were shown singing praises of reebok sweats, Elf motor oil, western union money transfer. Was shown in a cheap and crass way. Maybe the producers were not sure it will make money and thought they will recover money by putting adverts in the movie.

All in all the movie is not a bad one and can be seen once.

Punch-packed!! Extremely Good!!

[Vishal_s_kumar · 9/10 · 24 July 2005]

Well-made! Well-Shot!! Mahesh Manjerekar redeems himself as a director.

Story of a couple above sixty and their strife "versus" the system is told with much reality and grit. Though compared to "Saaraansh", Viruddh differs in the story and treatment. A retired couple with life revolving their only son, their daily routine and their daily interaction with neighbors and surroundings are penned with zeal. Their tragedy and their fight for what is the truth is touching and brings many a heart-rendering moments.

The couple, played with an ease and truthfulness by Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore, is heart-warming and touching. Watch out for them bantering between themselves over tea, the way they handle the "new" nuisance in their locality, the way they come to terms with tragedy and the system. Amitabh proves again that he is truly an actor to be reckoned with still. Sharmila gives able support.

The end was too swift!! But thats very minor!!

Watch it and have a warm experience!!

Real story with a punch of cinema

[rebel_wid_a_coz · 6/10 · 6 August 2005]

I am a great admirer of Mahesh Manjrejar Movies. But Virrudh kind of disappoints me when it comes to the directors ability to show real world. I mean the story is very familiar when it comes to the Indians but i was expecting the directors to make it look very real and very touching which the director fails in doing. The film has some extremely good performances given by Mr Amitab Bachan and Sharmila Tagore Patudi, but fails to get that extra which would have done justice to the subject that the director chose. More importance was given to the before death story than the after death.

Virrudh could have been made better!!

Powerpacked Drama

[venkat2cool · 10/10 · 24 July 2005]

A movie that is full with power packed performances from Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham. It shows how the political power in India can ruin the life of a simple "common man". It shows how the entire system is inside a corrupted vicious cycle. It shows how the police, witnesses, and even law succumbs to political pressure.

And Mahesh Manjrekar (as usual) gives an excellent output. Another good thing about the movie is that it contains no unnecessary songs/dance. Its kept to the point. The first half seemed a bit too long, and could have been shortened. However, it was compensated by a fast-paced second half.

The film basically revolves around Amitabh and Sharmila Tagore, and all other characters including Sanjay Dutt, John Abraham, and Anusha Dandekar seemed to be doing a side role.

All said and done, it is one of the best movies I have seen in 2005. Great performances, great story, and an overall good movie!!!

Rating: 10/10

Nice story but unrealistic ending

[masterofuniverse-ayush · 7/10 · 2 January 2016]

The story has humour, action, drama which binds you with the movie till the end. However, the end is highly unrealistic both legally and systematically (Corrupt Indian system). Only if the end was more plausible would have made this movie a hit but sadly it ended in the way which will give this movie more 'audience acceptance'.

I think the acting was generally fine, however looking at the plot, the actions of police are quite inconsistent especially the main inspector involved. One thing I liked about the movie was that it focused on the victim and not on the politicians and their schemes. Sanjay Dutt is kind of a redundant character whose presence does not add anything to the movie.

Needs editing but beautiful moments!

[mrdee-1 · 10/10 · 27 July 2005]

OK i was expecting something different but still i was happy overall with this movie. The starting is brilliant with the amit sitting in a cell cross legged saying nothing at all. As the first half draws together the family life of amit it does kind of drag on where you think when the hell is his son going to die and him fighting back? Although its got some gr8 comedy moments and sanjay dutt is brilliant as a mechanic called Ali. The movie takes a turn for the better once the son dies...the scene where amit is starring back at his son and his son narrates how he was wishing his dad would save him but both were helpless. I loved the way the son appears as the dead son narrating the film and offering us a glimpse into his life and his parents. I was expecting amit to start fighting in the courts for justice..i expected great speech's but thats not what happens. We actually get a more true to life account of amits fall into despair and the attempt to gain courage to take some action. there are lots of moments where you truly feel the pain of loss....the scene where amit is onthe bench and attempts to cheer himself by trying some laughter therapy just ends him breaking down into tears and i looking around i saw quite a few tears in the cinema audience..i too had to hold back. I thought the ending was rather sudden as if there as no time left to draw out some issues...instead the final court scene is so short i was expecting a nice long speech...or other high drama but no. Still you know i was actually perfectly happy with how things turned out..maybe the scriptwriter needed lessons in editing.

One thing that really peeved me about the film was the in your face product placement...i felt like i was in some kind of commercial ad...it was just too blatant and it just made me angry...there was no need to such blatant advertising..ill def NOT be using damned sandoz calcium tablets!

All in all a moving film..a film that proves once again the great acting capabilities of Amit...he just seems to be getting better and better with age...i think he was born to act no wonder he could never stay away from acting for long.

I must say the film does haunt you once you have left the cinema..you recount little parts in the film..especially the bench scene which will stay with me forever.

A full load of crap

[motwani · 1/10 · 30 July 2005]

sometimes its just a wonder what the script writer, the director and the actors were thinking during the make of the movie. Viruddh is a complete senseless movie with lack of acting, story line... so much so that it even portrays a fictional legal system. after an hour and half of crappy romance between amitabh and sharmila when u finally feel the movie would gain on some story, the director adds another hour and half of nonsense. I came out of the theatre with a high bp. The good part of the movie: made me believe that I am also capable of writing better stories and directing in a better way. just gained come confidence in myself.

Stellar! One of the best films of 2005!

[Sherazade · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

If you thought or think this film was a clunker, then too bad for you. Viruddh is one of those rare movies that come around every once in a while to put all those popcorn flickers to shame! It's a great film! It didn't need to be a box office hit, it didn't need to pretend to be anything that it is not, it was a simple story about a family just like any other family touched and shaken by tragedy and that's that. Amitabh Bachchan plays the father of John Abraham's character, a hero type guy who likes to rescue women from the clutches of bad boyfriends. Well, like the Shakira song lyric goes; "It's an animal city, it's a cannibal world, so be obedient and don't argue with some are ready to fight you..." and that pretty much sums up what happens to John in this film. The second half of the film deals with his father seeking justice and trying to restore the glory of his fallen son's name. Stellar performances by Sanjay Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan. A definite must see for all who appreciate fine films.

This movie doesn't do a lot to encourage tourism in India...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 26 December 2014]

"Viruddh" is a very unusual film in that it's like two totally different films. The first portion is lighthearted and fun--the second extremely sad and cynical. And, this final portion will do little to encourage tourism in India--particularly to Mumbai!

When the film begins, Vidhyadar (Amitabh Bachchan) is sitting in a jail cell--refusing to eat. The police inspector says he feels guilt every time Vidhyadar comes to his office or looks at him. Why? What immediately follows is NOT an explanation of this short prologue but instead is a surprisingly warm and lighthearted segment about Vidhyadar's life before some incident occurred--and what that incident is you'll just have to wait to see. This sweet portion of the film concerns the man and his relationship with his wife. They obviously love each other and their life is quite predictable but nice. Their son, Amal, lives lives in London and helps to support his retired parents. However, you know that Amal will soon die, as his ghost narrates portions of the movie!

The film changes when Amal returns home for a visit. Surprisingly, he brings along his girlfriend, Jenny, and he's worried that his parents may not approve of this relationship. However, they all become fast friends and life is looking just fine. But, when Amal just happens to be in the wrong place soon after his marriage, he is murdered and everything is turned upside down. It isn't just because of the murder but because the savage killer is well-connected and his father's influence manages to completely subvert justice. It's the police themselves who not only help the killer escape justice but also to ruin Amal's reputation in order to get the murderer off for his crimes. Vidhyadar's faith in the system is destroyed and he then decides to take it upon himself to receive justice. What this is and how he does it is something you'll need to see for yourself.

There is a lot to admire about the film. Bachchan's acting (as usual) is superb and it's easy to see why he's probably the most beloved and famous Bollywood actor today. His emotional range is astoundingly good. In fact, the acting is excellent all around. Also, the direction and production values are generally quite nice. The story is also very compelling and your heart breaks for the parents--as you feel really connected with them.

On the other hand, there are a few problems which prevent an even higher score. The biggest is that the ending, while satisfying to watch, is awfully difficult to believe. I'll say no more--you just need to see it to know what I mean. Additionally, I think the use of slow-motion was a bit over-used. Still, a super-impressive film and one that cannot help but grab your heart. And a great example of an Indian film that is every bit as good as most of the films coming out of Hollywood.

Also, for non-Indians, there needs to be a bit of an explanation for one small bit in the film. The father's attending a meeting where folks stand in the park just to laugh hysterically with their friends IS a real thing. Mira Nair shows this in her made for TV film "The Laughing Club of India" and these clubs have been promoted for good physical and emotional health.

A decent, and highly watchable movie

[aritrabanerjee-1 · 8/10 · 25 July 2005]

I went to see this movie in London. It was decent enough, without ever touching greatness. The problem was that it took too long to get going, as the first hour of 2 and a half was used up in just showing the day to day lives of the family. a few things in the film, didn't fit, eg the student lives in a penthouse flat on the bank of the Thames in London. Amitabh Bachhan was his usual best, and as was Sharmila Tagore. The part where Amar(John Abraham) is shot, is, i feel, the best bit of the film. Another minus of the film was the ending, it was poor, it shows him warping away, as though back to his home planet. Overall, good film to keep you occupied for 2-3 hours. It contains no songs, however, but still, good acting based on a solid plot, make this film a good film.

A decent effort, but promises more and doesn't deliver

[zielzibub · 3/10 · 23 August 2005]

Amitabh Bachchan delivers as usual with uncanny reliability.

His willingness to submit to the director at his stature is almost unbelievable and probably the main reason why he's right there at the very top.

Having said that though, the movie promises a lot but delivers very little. The establishment of the old couple is very nice but John Abraham's character never gets convincing.

With the exception of one scene where they lock eyes separated by a window - which is quite poignant- John Abraham's character seems to be a filler, nothing more.

The heaviness felt by a lonely old couple facing up to the vagaries of a less than perfect legal system just doesn't seem to register.

The advertisements dotting the screenplay over most of the movie just make it all the more unpalatable.

The justifications and validations do not seem convincing at all and one is left with a very unsatisfied feeling.

All the same, it still is a very decent effort to bring out real issues onto the commercial cinema platform. And just for that i give it 3 stars.

Big B excels

[ambo220 · 8/10 · 23 July 2005]

Impressive performances by Big B and Sharmila Tagore are enough to make the movie worth a watch. The first half is good with quite a few light moments thrown in. The second half kinda spins the mood on it's head and become serious. A few characters in the movie have been wasted (like sharat saxena and prem chopra). Sharmila Tagore's on screen chemistry with Mr.Bachchan is excellent. John Abraham has done justice to his role. And newcomer Anusha Dandekar does a decent job with her screen time. Sanjay Dutt turns in a good performance with the limited role he had (with flashes of munna bhai appearing!!) Mahesh Manjerakar is at home with plots revolving around family and sentiments. If any flaws are to be pointed out...it can only be sed of the marginally illogical end. But anything else would have made the movie less acceptable to the movie going public.

This movie once agen proves that Big B is indeed BIG.

an elegant movie, that moved me to tears

[cxw1065 · 9/10 · 22 July 2005]

Amitabh and Sharmila Two of the old school proving today that class and talent are evergreen, and that old is really gold This film is about a retired couple's fight to obtain justice for their murdered son.

However, the true beauty of the film is not the story (which has been done before, but not in this exact way) or the dialogues (which are very well written). The true beauty of this film lies in the amazing performances of both Amitabh and Sharmila.

Their chemistry is sensational, and one gets a feeling of great comfort from them, as if they truly are a couple who have seen life's ups and downs over 30years.

The majority of the film is in flashback, with a narration given by John Abraham as their son(s ghost). He is also good in his limited role, as are the actress playing the daughter-in-law, and all the other supporting cast.

Sunjay Dutt deserves a special mention-- he proves his acting skills are there when needed, and manages to give a brief cameo true emotional resonance But the film is carried by the two stars, and they do a stunning job.

Let me recommend this movie very highly.

There is a glaring flaw however-- the very clunkyly placed product placements. At certain points in the film, it felt as if we had gone to an add-break-- I understand the necessity, but did it really have to be so obvious. This truly irritated and at one point grated and almost destroyed the flow of emotion in the film. If you can make yourself ignore these placements, (or better still, buy it on DVD and fast-forward through them), then this film is otherwise almost flawless. I just wish the ending had been slightly less rushed.

BTW this is the second Amitabh film in a month (the other is that other powerhouse movie Sarkar) that has no songs (completely unlike a Bollywood movie) and yet you never notice this till you sit down and think about it later on. The soundtrack is so good that this is one lack that is not missed. Any songs would completely have destroyed the flow of the movie, so well done Mr Manjrekar for that decision.

all in all 9/10

Same schmaltzy Bollywood rubbish

[kdudala · 2/10 · 21 May 2007]

The acting by Amitabh and Sharmila was OK...not great like others on this board would have you believe. In terms of a narrative, it is contrived and silly at several junctures. The characters are uniformly paper-thin and clichéd.

There was no evident connection (that appeared even marginally sincere) between any of the characters. As a student studying overseas, I thought the suggestion that John Abraham was somehow helping to support his family at home while studying in London rather unrealistic. Its actually in bad taste since the scene is played out after the son's death with dramatic value compromised for face time for Western Union. It was symbolic of what this movie really is. A movie made with the sole intention of profiting by pandering to an all too easily emotive audience who are wowed by the mediocre acting of has-beens. Someone compared Amitabh's acting in this movie to Pacino in the Godfather, has that person SEEN the Godfather? Okay, Amitabh wasn't horrible either, there's only so much you can do with a script that is apparently being written just before its time to shoot the scene. That is presumably why John Abraham is portrayed as the dutiful son, the responsible husband/boyfriend, model citizen, alcoholic, moron, a fourteen year old child that needs mommy's permission, as well as a character from the spirit world of the Mahabharat all at once. If you think this may be a wonderfully layered, complex character, it isn't. Its just a very badly written, inconsistent, schizophrenic one.

Now lets get to the crux of the story...or rather, the lack of one. If I saw someone get killed, the logical thing to do would be to take down the license plate number, perhaps use my camera phone to get a shot of the guy as he slips away and to testify in court when needed. I don't really see what jumping an armed murderer really accomplishes. John Abraham's death wasn't heroic, it was stupid. It would have accomplished nothing even if he hadn't ended up getting shot. His death was merely a plot device as was the ridiculous climax where the killer not only invites the father of his victim into his office but confesses to his crime as well, without so much as a cursory security check. Did it not occur to him that the old man might try and harm him? Probably not, since he was stupid enough to hire three thugs to drag his girlfriend out of the club so he could shoot her himself in front of several witnesses.

And then there's the scene where Amitabh's lawyer says the case is lost and he would do well not to take it any higher (implying he's switched loyalties)and he gets thrown around the room by Sanjay Dutt, breaking all the furniture in the room. Its not enough that the old couple lost their son, now their furniture must be broken too. This stuff is just so absurd, it seems to have been made specifically to appeal to our baser instincts that take pleasure in watching a person get the $&^& kicked out of him even if he isn't a legitimate target. Besides, isn't violence always the solution in Hindi movies? Oh no, Shah Rukh's puppy dog eyes and girly eyebrows changed that. Don't worry though, its back...in slow motion too.

Add to all the aforementioned goodness, the ludicrous idea of promoting Western Union, Sandoz tablets, Reebok shoes, Nerolac paints , Elf motor oil (and possibly more products I can't remember) in the middle of the film. There were scenes that served as built-in endorsements for these products that did nothing to further the narrative. They were in there purely to please the sponsors. they even borrowed a few cinematographic tricks from ad filmmakers. In the old days we used to watch video cassettes of Hindi movies with advertisements every 5 minutes, that were much more watchable than this tripe. At least the filmmakers and the artistes weren't peddling the products in character. Okay, I know Bollywood isn't the place to go for high art but this is just downright cheap.

The transitions between scenes are also extremely patchy. Another highlight is that the film is narrated by John Abraham's "spirit" which dissolves at the end of the movie, aided by vintage 1980's special effects that would have been perfectly at home on the original Doordarshan Mahabharat series.

There's nothing wrong with making movies for the masses. Engage the masses, inspire them, make them think, or learn..or feel something beyond melodramatic clichés...show them beauty. At the very least, ..don't pander to the lowest common denominator. I thought this was going to be a deep character study of the changes that the death of a loved one brings about: how you perceive your place in the world and dare I say it, the meaning of life and how it is altered when such a tragic event occurs. Instead, I got the typical revenge shtick. Amitabh playing the angry OLD man, merely a pale, commercial sold out shadow of the original angry young man.

I find it disturbing that a movie like this can gain so much recognition and attention and even be hailed as Amitabh's finest performance to date. There are fine filmmakers in India but there really isn't a market for their movies. Instead, we are drawn to mindless drivel like this. I can't understand why a society comprised of this many talented, intelligent people even tolerates this kind of rubbish. Our standards must be very low indeed.

Very poor Movie, Awful

[kichdi · 1/10 · 2 August 2012]

Viruddh is movie about a middle class family fighting against a state home minister's son who mindlessly murders a pub crawling John Abraham who plays the son of Amitabh & Sharmila. The story is too small, the entire film drags, drags and drags till the end. First half is very boring, the movie starts only few minutes before the interval.

Movie making has hit its rock bottom in Bollywood nowadays,entire duration of the movie there is background music which is really irritating, it gives one a feeling of watching a TV serial than a movie starring the best actors of yester years.

Despite the slowness there are innumerable flaws in the movie, John Abraham narrates the entire movie to audience, he even continues his shoddy narration even after his death, this time as a ghost. The court releases Amitabh after murdering the home minister's son (it is good to know, but cannot be a reality). When the cops come to arrest Amitabh for killing the minister's son, Sharmila hands over Blood pressure tablets to the policeman as if he is taking her husband on a tour & he is the caretaker. Amitabh too hand over her tablets to a roadside ruffian criminal mechanic to give her daily dosage tablets, as if he is her caretaker. The only motive of the movie was to show sympathy to the elderly couple other than that there was no story at all.

Talented actor like Prem Chopra is wasted in the movie. A meek & deflated Amitabh does not give any good value. Even this 1 star is for his acting ability. The quality of today's cinema is really very low, the non stop background music & slow narration are really painstaking. I do not remember a decent ABCL movie till date, this is one of the worst movies.