Angrezi Medium Review: Irrfan Khan, Radhika Madan And Deepak Dobriyal’s Adeptness At Their Craft Make This Film A Must Watch!

  Angrezi Medium tells the story of Champak and all the odds he undertakes to make sure his daughter gets admission into the UK college. But this surely isn’t a piece of cake. There is a lot that underlines the attainment of it. So, you see, Champak is a widower, has a daughter called Tarika who he really loves with everything he has. It is his life’s utmost goal to make sure her daughter is admitted to the London college of her choice. He is a Halwai (a sweetmeat shop owner) by profession which goes by the name of Ghasiteram.

On the other hand, he has a cousin Gopi played by Deepak Dobriyal who is at loggerheads with him because the both of them run the shop by the same name and both claim to be the original shop that has been bequeathed to them. The matter reaches the court and Gopi wins the case. Well, he bribes the judge! Champak is absolutely unaware of this perfidious action but is made aware of it by Gajju played by Kiku Sharda who records his confession while he is in a drunken stupor. Tarika manages to score 85 per cent in her examinations and is now eligible for a scholarship to the London college of her choice. It is during the felicitation of her scholarship that things go awry. When Champak sees the chief guest for the occasion is none other than the same judge who ruled against him in the court, he goes ballistic. He reveals Gopi’s audio recording to everyone present much to the chagrin of the judge’s wife who happens to be the principal of the same college.

As expected Tarika’s scholarship is cancelled. The rest of the story revolves around the struggle Champak undergoes to get his daughter admitted to the UK college of her choice.

Talking about the performances, the film has Irrfan Khan written all over it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that he owns the film and with an elan nonpareil. In every shot, I every scene and in every sequence, Irrfan Khan is just too good. He makes his character so relatable and so plausible that I felt as though I am seeing the entire story play out in front of me. It was like it is all happening in front of me. There are a host of other actors in the film. Be it Deepak Dobriyal, Radhika Madan , Kareena Kapoor , Dimple Kapadia, Kiku Sharda or Ranvir Shorey .

Deepak Dobriyal too is a lovely actor. He too has this innate capability of making the scene his own and coming out extremely plausible in the process. He is at once shrewd and at once benign. Even though he ploys against his cousin and wins the case against him, he gives whatever he has to the mission of the same person he is against (in business) so that it is fulfilled. This film is a testimony to the sheer adeptness Deepak has in his craft. He is unflinching in his portrayal of Gopi.

Radhika Madan is again a wonderful actress. She is perhaps one of those actresses who actually deserved to migrate from television to the big screen and thankfully so for all the audiences. She is convincing to the core. Never does any part of the role played by her seem forced or unlikely.

As has been already said, the other actors in the film are not given as much screen space as one would expect them to have. However, their performances were equally good. Kareena Kapoor plays a tough cop with a soft heart who again doesn’t have much screen time. It was during one of the media junk-its that she said, she did the film only because of Irrfan Khan and now we realise why she said that. Sadly she just has a special appearance in the film.

Director Homi Adjania had earlier directed Being Cyrus and Cocktail and with this film too he has done a good job. Having said that, there were places that were a bit too convoluted or should I say open-ended. There were many instances when I could not understand why were so many characters left without making them come a full circle. Not that it was necessary but, it surely would’ve shut all the loose ends. Dimple Kapadia as the landlady of the house, Radhika took shelter in was a character that seemed forced! She didn’t have any role to play in the film or the narrative. Why was she even there? Then again, Radhika’s Tarika already is settled in London, she also find a job, let alone the house – all of this while her admission in the Truford University is not even done. (Paisa Kaha se Aya?)

Therefore, while the writing by Bhavesh Mandalia, Gaurav Shukla, Vinay Chhawall and Sara Bodinar is surely gripping, it does have room for improvement.

All in all, films about education are getting some serious appreciation these days and more so because they are so well-made. This film too is no different. It is a lovely, light-hearted film that deserves to be watched by all and sundry!