Barfi! (2012) User Reviews

A perfect example of art that can forever stay in your heart

[ayanpal1 · 9/10 · 20 September 2012]

India's official entry to the Oscars - Barfi! might as well have been an acronym for: Breathtaking (cinematography), Astounding (acting), Ruthless (breaking of stereotypes about the disabled), Fantastic (music), and Invigorating (feeling in your heart as you leave the theater).

This is essentially a love triangle between Barfi (played endearingly by Ranbir Kapoor), a hearing and speech impaired son of a poor chauffeur, Jhilmil (played brilliantly by Priyanka Chopra), an autistic girl almost abandoned by her rich parents, and Shruti the narrator of the tale of love (played convincingly by debutante Illeana De Cruz), the soon to be married tourist visiting Darjeeling along with her parents.

The writer and director - Anurag Basu uses non linear storytelling to traverse between 1972, 1978, and 2012 Darjeeling, Calcutta, and little known places of Bengal as they three protagonists try and grapple with Love and its various heart rendering implications to their lives. For a film with hardly any dialogs, 'Barfi!' amazingly manages to say a lot, using a combination of sign language, facial expressions, first person narration, and sometimes simply stunning silences to convey a gamut of emotions.

Several sequences stand out for their sheer brilliance, be it Barfi's reaction at Shruti's choice of her fiancé (Jishu Sengupta in a small but significant role), Shruti and her mother's (played beautifully by the veteran Roopa Ganguly) exchanges on certain choices in Love, Barfi and Jhilmil's night in the forest illuminated by fireflies, Barfi's cutting off of the lamp posts to test the loyalty of his friends, Jhilmil's fantasy about getting married as she watches a 'Chau Dance' in a village, Daju's (Haradhan in a superb supporting role) tear stricken face as he finally accepts Jhilmil's fate and let's her go, the unfolding of the photograph's at Shruti's house to finally reveal the truth about her entire life, and lastly, the finale. All these, and many more, are sure to be etched as a memory, not in your mind, but rather in your heart.

This film shows how one can find happiness in the small things in life, and how disabilities, be in financial, mental, or physical can never really appear as a handicap to an otherwise soaring spirit that does not know how to give up on life. This film reminds us that falling in Love is natural, while staying in Love a decision that must be taken with the heart, rather than the mind. And finally, this is a film that tries, without trying too hard, to help you understand that the language of Love does not necessarily require the wisdom of words.

One might argue that certain portions of the film are 'inspired' from other films. For example, certain dialogs between Shruti and her mother might remind you of the Notebook, certain mannerisms of Barfi as he tries his best to escape the bungling cop (played aptly by Saurabh Shukla) cause you to recollect sequences from the films of Charlie Chaplin, while the way Barfi tries to entertain Jhilmil & Shruti remind you of Singing in The Rain and Mr Bean. Yet, Barfi manages to stand on its own for the way it interprets these classic scenes and the logicality of their inclusion in the proceedings.

The Hair and Makeup department, however, especially when it tries to show the same actors playing aged characters, is the only one that takes a slight dent. Yet almost everything else manages to come together in unison to more than compensate for this slight glitch. And it does so, at numerous places managing to make you think, smile, cry, and sigh, sometimes all at the same time, and in quick succession.

Watch it for the performances (especially that of Ranbir and Priyanka), the vision of the director Anurag Basu and cinematographer Ravi Varman, the terrific score of the music director Pritam Chakravarty, and last but not the least for the innumerable ways in which Love has been expressed between the characters. Trust me - this is the perfect example of art that can forever stay in your heart.

Love can't be expressed only with sanity and language..

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 8/10 · 4 August 2021]

Barfi:in a word, a magnificent Indian movie..the features that should be in a movie are present in this movie. An Indian made movie that should be watched well, proving that love can't be expressed only with sanity and language.. Charlie Chaplin movies came to my mind in the first minutes of the movie.

Barfi : A visual poetry

[rhitwick · 9/10 · 14 September 2012]

I was not actually very keen to watch Barfi. The trailers intrigued me enough to go for it but till the last time I was unsure if it would be any good. And then on a boring Friday I found myself waiting in queue for a 3.05PM show. And I do not regret my decision.

Story/Theme: I'm not sure how to tell the story without giving anything. Let me then take the help of IMDb here.

Three young people learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society's norms of normal and abnormal

Actually, giving any more would spoil the movie for you.

Character Development:Once in a while there comes a movie which consists of characters not stars. But, it takes a master to make his puppets grow in the short span of 2hrs and 33mins and make people feel the change. Barfi is such a movie where you could observe the characters changing with time, maturing, being tolerant to each other with passing time. Though Barfi is the central character of the movie still, Jhilmil, Shruti and Inspector are well crafted and given ample scope to go through changes. Anurag basu gets full marks from me here.

Direction: Day by day directors are understanding the value of freedom and Anurag Basu once again proved that. Even though having powerful stars and big banner for his last movie Kites various restrictions took away the artistic freedom from him and we got a flop movie. This time he showed what a master director he is. Look at the character of Barfi. How beautifully its crafted. His mannerisms, gestures, postures all are shot with utmost care. Then take Jhilmil's character. An autistic girl. Who gets tangled in the Barfi's life. They fall in love and discover love in their own way. It had the risk of being a "Koshish" anyday. A lucrative trap for making a tearjerker, emotional serious drama but Anurag Basu took the risk of walking on rope here. He subtly showed the pain of the characters through comedy. And there he wins hands down. Then there is Shruti and confused normal person. Who gets lost in the world of few 'abnormal' persons and never survived fully. And, hats off for choosing Saurav Shukla as Inspector. He's a revelation in this movie. Other supporting casts are also good but coming out of theater I bet you would remember only these. And, the subtle touch of live background score...an intelligent touch :)

Screenplay: The movie narration does not go in linear motion. We get jump cuts, flashback within flashbacks and stories from different key characters. I don't know if many would appreciate such story telling. Screenplay is neat, dialogs are few and far between. Silence plays a bigger role in this movie.

Acting: I'm speechless here. Every actor seemed to be acted in this movie considering this is their last chance to prove themselves. Ranbir proved his level in Rockstar already...but Priyanaka just took reinvented herself. A very strong but sidelined character she played here. The focus was never on her but whenever she got scope she just marveled it. Kudos to her and Kudos to Anurag Basu to show us what Priyanka could do. Barfi for Priyanka is going to be what "Jab we Met" is to Kareena. Then, the next gem of the movie is Saurabh Shukla. Another brilliant performance. Ileana as Shruti also did well.

Cinematography: The movie is a visual poetry. Every frame is such beautiful that reminded me "Raavan" by Santosh Shivan. After a few searches I found out the man behind this poetry and he is Mr. Ravi Varman. Just remember this name. Because if you watch the movie you are obvious to search who was the man behind camera.

Songs and background score: Songs are good, specially "Main Kaya Karoon". And, nice melodic background score. Best thing is the story does not stop when the songs happen. The songs just help enrich the moment on-screen.

Editing: In theater few were complaining about the length of the movie. I on the other hand think its the way it was meant to be. Such movies are best told in slowly, like a poetry. Such that every scene, every dialog leaves mark in your mind.

Verdict: Reading this far it might seem its nothing but a romance between two invalids and Anurag Basu emotionally blackmailed you in the movie to love it. But what I've not told you is how much laugh riot it is, how this is even a thriller or how beautiful this movie is. All in all, a movie that gives the pleasure of listening a complete story. A movie to watch with your family. A movie where if you take your girlfriend does not stop saying "how cute!"

Go, watch Barfi!. Watch the best movie of 2012.

Barfi ! - An Inch from Masterpiece!

[avaclub · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

Love needs expressions not language, it requires feelings no boundaries, it's beyond oceans beyond limits- Free and Beautiful but only few know how to live it. Barfi as its name is sweet, full of aroma, delicious and tasty. This in true sense expresses love without any language, caste, creed or color –Selfless with heart; an impeccable cinema worth watching with your beloved, friends and family.

Barfi ! Essentially is a chapter of life which has numerable good moments to recall, laugh and to love with. Every character is well placed without being dramatic with excellent music, performances, direction and screenplay.

Anurag Basu- the director has done extraordinary work in terms of narrating the story. Like 'Inception' his narrative style takes you in flashback and a flashback within a flashback to narrate a simple story in its most impactful form without creating confusions to audience. Every story has been woven perfectly till climax. Despite the destiny of characters what audience recalls some beautiful moments, cheer, laughs, true love and sacrifice. Each and every prank on screen gives you a bucketful humor and feel good factor whether it's Barfi-cop chase or Barfi's effort to impress Jhilmil and Shruti throughout the movie.

Ranbir Kapoor- Well this guy has redefined himself, and the only commercial cinema star of recent time who knows how to act dances and laugh with perfection. Whether it was 'wake up sid', 'Raajneeti'or 'Rockstar' with every movie he has successfully set benchmark for himself but with this movie he has set benchmark even for so called Khans and Roshans. The beauty of his character is despite being deaf and dump in the movie not a single moment you will realize that he even require to speak. His expressions are heartwarming and simply outstanding.

Priyanka Chopra – Luckily we have a pool of talented actress these days and Priyanka Chopra with this movie will give a tough challenge to her peers. Her expressions as an autism child are natural and clean. Her feelings for Ranbir as a lady could be easily readable and this is undoubtedly one of the best performances of her career.

Ileana D'Cruz – She is one of the best debut of this year. Extremely good looking and charming, she never gives the feeling of a debutant. She does her job perfectly as a narrator and as an actor.

Barfi is a way of life, it has potential to make you laugh without getting dirty, it has power to make you cry without getting dramatic and it has energy to teach you love for all without being a documentary. Barfi is perfect in all sense. And for those who could ask why I have written an inch away from Masterpiece ,well being a critique we always expect more than what we got but as soon as the wedding bells rings in the end it was obvious that Barfi has crossed that inch of perfection… It's a Masterpiece of Indian Cinema.

Thanks & Regards Yours AVA For Complete Review Please VISIT www.thecritiquelab.com Your Views are heartily welcome

Sweet, romantic and brilliantly funny.

[ankitkumar313 · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

I went into this movie with very high expectations and guess what Anurag Basu did it again.

I am always a fan of movies which are slightly different from traditional bollywood style where hero heroine and villain engaged. This movie was comic most of the times and lovely.

The message I liked the most was "Follow your heart" Well movie can't be good until the actors do their job. Ranbir, Priyanka and Illena were spot on. Though a lot of credit to be given to anurag basu. Most of the gags were new.

Seriously I didn't expected the story to be so twisted in the middle but again credit to Mr Basu, the way he streamlined at the end.

Fantastic.

People this is definitely one of the bestest movie released in bollywood. Lot of intelligent directors are doing great job, kashyap, basu etc.

Must watch 10/10

Thoroughly enjoyable fable, light & bubbly...

[anagpal · 8/10 · 14 September 2012]

This is a fable, a beautifully shot, light, airy, bubbly fable. It will make you laugh. A lot. And cry, or mist up, a little. If you're still not a fan of Ranbir, you will walk away as one. And the background songs just don't stop playing in your head.

There are some deeper layers, as well. Why is it in India that we cannot take care of our disabled children ? Why do we get threatened by them, so scared of social approbation that we are willing to abandon our own flesh and blood, despite having the means to look after them ? Why is it that playing safe seems to be ingrained in our blood ? In love, 9 times out of 10, we will choose the guy who is rich and doesn't make us cry to the guy who is poor but makes us laugh ?

Ranbir, a deaf, mute, has never let this inhibit him. He is always happy and always upto something, not all if it legal, much to the chagrin of the local cop, Saurabh Shukla, who blames him singlehandedly for reducing his waist size from a respectable 52 to a mundane 42. He falls in love with the elite, gorgeous girl, visiting Darjeeling, Ileana. She is engaged to be married to Jishu, a prize catch, the dream of every girl in college. But she has never encountered anyone as free spirited as Ranbir.

Ranbir, though, is the son of a lowly driver. Who works for another elite, powerful family. Who have an autistic daughter, Priyanka. Who has been left in an old age home, Muskaan, run by the gentle, ageing, Haradhan Bandhopadhyay. When Priyanka's nana, the man who runs the house with an iron fist, but has a soft corner for his grand daughter, decides to bring her back due to his ill health, the lives of all the characters get affected and change…

The photography and the music is so good that I'm out of superlatives here. Am sure tourist traffic to Darjeeling is going to increase and the music of this film will be played many years from now, a rarity in todays world, where songs struggle for a shelf life beyond three months. Am not so sure about the editing. The flashbacks, the talking heads. Not sure they were needed in a story which was reasonably fast paced and as entertaining as this. Its almost become a fad now, to not tell a story linearly…

Ranbir is amazing. Gets every expression just right. Whether his happy face, the ridiculous expressions he uses to make others laugh, his angry 'speech', or his bewildered look when things go wrong, as they have a tendency to do with him. Ileana is stunning in western dresses, early on in the film. She is nice as the adarsh Bengali nari later on, but didn't think much of her older avatar. Undeniably a great actress. Priyanka proves her acting chops once again, conveying her battles with her inner demons appropriately

Special praise for Saurabh Shukla. The film would've been flat without his Hardy to Ranbir's Laurel. Or Bhola Raja Sapkota, Ranbir's comrade in arms and translator in chief. Or Rupa Ganguly, Ilena's mother, who understands her daughter's predicament and does what she thinks is best for her.

Amongst the moments of the film are the opening credits (set to the song 'Film shuru), the comic chase sequences between Saurabh and Ranbir. The Darjeeling scenes between Ranbir and Ileana – on the train, or cycle or even the horse. And the scene when Haradhan bawls his eyes out, when the apple of his eye, Priyanka leaves the ashram, is just touching beyond belief.

After a long time, a film which doesn't just show perfect, rich, urban people. But people who, despite their imperfections, seem determined to be happy. There is a lesson in there for all of us. More at ww.apurvbollywood.blogspot.com

Barfi: Splendid Blend of Ingredients, Superlative Taste!

[hsm2310 · 9/10 · 15 September 2012]

Barfi is that gem which has the capacity of making blood in your heart rush just like children rush through the school gates at the ring of bell. All you have to do is to open yourself and let it do the magic.

It offers everything that is there to take from a pure cinematic experience: real characters, genuine relationships, a simple yet poignant story and a soulful score. It offers much more th an this if you can indulge yourself into it a little more. It has acting that connects you straight with the characters and makes you feel for/with them; each frame is a lyrical composition not only by the presence of colors but through their absence as well, the screenplay is such that it either allows the emotions to be overwhelming or would take you out of the scene (completely depends on the viewer).

I can only wish to visit the Darjeeling of 70's as portrayed in the movie and I am sure Basu would not have had any problems filming the Kolkata part of the movie as it is the only city which has majority of its elements from that period still intact (No pun intended). Basu has always been good at using earthly elements in his scenes and he reinforces that here too. The manner in which rain, texture of clouds, stones, bright sun have been used to complement various moods in scenes is just exemplary.

What makes this movie a winner is the unending list of scenes which will make you laugh, cry and sometimes do both at the same time. Dialogue through expression and enactment has been integrated so beautifully in the movie that you sometimes forget that you are watching a movie where two of the protagonists are incapable of communicating conventionally. It's a movie which celebrates one of the most prized feelings of each human being: the joy of being loved, through a story of people who could have easily decided not to embrace it. Priyanka is at her uninhibited best and Ileana plays her bit to the tee. Needless to say that no other present day actor could have done justice to the role of Barf!

Visit http://imnotafilmcritic.blogspot.in/ for more filmy experiences!

Intoxicating, Brilliant, Inspirational, and Multi-Layered- what films are meant to be

[indranil2121 · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

Wow- what an incredible movie! There are so many layers to this film. one could almost see it 4 times and get something new out of it every time.

There is a love story… A deep love story. Ranvir handles his role with such ease that it's hard to judge whether his acting or directing of Anurag is the greater accomplishment… He stands as a challenge to his conscience when he finds the correct answer in his heart… Ranvir seems a natural for this role. Like he didn't even have to act, he just let his own emotions take charge. He stole every scene when He was on. Anurag Basu(Director) was given his best in direction and screenplay. I'm requesting you all just go and watch this movie. It would be one of your best movie. Watch it.. Watch it.. Watch it..

Masterful!

[namashi_1 · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

'Barfi!' Written & Directed by Anurag Basu, is a Masterful Film, that ranks amongst the best films of 2012. A simple, heartwarming, emotional & feel-good film, that also offers outstanding performances, brilliant music & fabulous cinematography. Its A Big Winner!

'Barfi!' Synopsis: Three young people learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society's norms of normal and abnormal.

The Adventures of 'Barfi!' are extremely enjoyable & heartfelt. Basu's Screenplay is a terrific mix of romance, slap-stick comedy & suspense. Basu's Screenplay never falters & appeals all through. Basu's Direction, on the other-hand, is proficient. Cinematography is outstanding. Editing is sharp. Music by Pritam is brilliant. Amongst the musician's best soundtracks to date. Art Design is proper.

Performance-Wise: Ranbir Kapoor is a fearless actor & he presents Barfi superbly. The versatile actor lives the utterly lovable protagonist to the fullest. Amongst Ranbir's Best Performances! Priyanka Chopra is another topper. She plays the easy to love autistic character matchlessly. Ileana D'Cruz does a decent job. Saurabh Shukla is mesmerizing in a strong supporting role. Shukla hasn't been this good in a long, long time! Ashish Vidyarthi does well. Others lend perfect support.

On the whole, 'Barfi!' is a Must See.

Sorry, for me its more a Priyanka's masterpiece than a Ranbir's triumph.

[bobbysing · 7/10 · 28 October 2012]

There were two main reasons why I wished to see BARFI after watching his promotional trailers. One it was the Raj Kapoor kind of a silent Chaplin act perfectly done by his talented grandson Ranbir Kapoor and two, the gorgeous Ileana D'Cruz making her debut in a Hindi film posing as a Bengali girl. Hence I entered the theater with these limited expectation of mine and then came out largely satisfied with a pleasant surprise which was not at all expected, quite honestly.

The delightful surprise was that contrary to all the praises being showered upon Ranbir Kapoor in so many high star reviews in the media, for me the film was more a milestone achievement of Priyanka Chopra than the over-publicized classy triumph of Ranbir. Undoubtedly Ranbir is there with one of his career best performances as the dumb and deaf boy who falls in love with an autistic girl. But truly speaking, I found the depth missing in his written character throughout the film which resurfaces and touches you deep inside only in the last 20 minutes and not before that.

Now basic reason behind this perception of mine is that first of all BARFI has a confusing and less focused script which keeps wandering between comedy and sympathy in an imbalanced manner. Plus the story has many more avoidable angles of greed, murder and mystery which take the focus out of its main theme and you feel distracted. In other words, both before and after intermission it is more like a collage of different comic scenes which get the complete support from its actors, cinematography and background score. So you do enjoy them till they last on the screen but still don't get a collective major impact of the movie in the end as always seen in such ventures having a lovingly emotional conclusion.

The soundtrack of the film has been widely appreciated both by the reviewers and listeners. But here too I found the lyrical beauty of the songs much ahead than their melody part, which could have taken them to a different height altogether. So for that matter, it isn't a METRO and I personally feel that one might enjoy the lyrics as mere poetry much more than the songs recorded for some special situations. However I did enjoy the title track and the ghazal on the screen as it made a better impact together in the script.

Taking up the most talked about feature of this movie i.e. its performances; I strongly feel that it is a wrongly publicized project giving all the emphasis to only its one lead character, taking the limelight away from all the other deserved candidates in the film. May be its a strategy planned by the makers to sell it as a Ranbir Kapoor movie (which is sure going to get them sure shot buyers and viewers), but for me BARFI is arguably a Priyanka movie much more than a Ranbir Kapoor film. In fact Priyanka surprised me as a shock since I was never expecting such an authentic and touching portrayal of an autistically challenged girl by the lady who has come a long way from an International beauty contest winner model turning into an actress. Her performance in BARFI is undoubtedly her career best till date and I would even like to rate it a step above than Ranbir too because of a basic reason.

Ranbir Kapoor in BARFI, as revealed in its promos is simply exceptional and there is no second opinion about that. The boy reminds you of two great masters of their art, Raj Kapoor and Charlie Chaplin with his single act. But his outstanding performance is mainly dependent upon all the comic sequences with which he regularly provides the much needed laughter in the film based on such challenging characters. The viewers enjoy watching him mostly because he is more or less entertaining them with his novel face making techniques, innocent gestures and Chaplin- like sequences. But Priyanka doesn't get that kind of comfort zone in her character and that's what gives her an edge over the more likable act of Ranbir posing as Barfi.

Completing the triangle there is another extremely talented girl from the South, Ileana D'Cruz, who straight away announces that she is much ahead than many reputed Hindi film actresses both in the terms of beauty and talent. Supporting the three, there is Saurabh Shukla in his famous form, Rupa Ganguly with her sensitive approach to life and other actors who add their own sparkles to the film with their small but notable acts.

Director Anurag Basu once again shows his regained abilities which were simply not there in his KITES. With BARFI he has bounced back strongly hitting a big score but still it cannot be called a clear century from the veteran in my opinion. Continuing with his trademark musicians visible in several scenes, the director has extracted some milestones performances from his lead actors and has made a largely satisfying project which is sure to get appreciation from all corners. However personally I found Anurag at his best only when Ranbir, Priyanka and Illeana get together in the film till its final sequence, which actually is the most impactful part of the movie as I felt.

To conclude, BARFI is indisputably one of those few films which do have some exceptional, career best performances given under a fine direction. But it still somehow fails to generate a collective impact on the viewer in the end, missing the target with only a small margin.

Yet, there is one message which I always take back home after watching movies made on such differently abled characters………and that's giving "A BIG THANKS" to the Almighty above, for blessing us with a sound mind existing in a sound complete body. So do watch it and remember to give your own thanks to the One Above as the end credits start rolling.

A movie of cinematic excellence

[vikas-taank · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

Barfi , well its a movie which I had been waiting for long. I perceive Barfi as an academy award winner as it brings out the cinematic excellence and emanates the highest attributes of human creativity. It speaks though its silent. Barfi is effortless , it flows smoothly from overture to crescendo. The comedy is so subtle and full of sweet subterfuges. Its an epitome of innocence. I will not reveal anything about the plot but the plot is superb with very miniature flaws that I would not like to notice in the purview of such momentous acting, editing, background scores and mellifluous songs. The narration in the movie is intriguing and funny as well in a sense that keeps the viewer hooked. Songs are well in place, situational comedy is more than appropriate , nothing seems imposed , every scene seems to have taken its own natural course. The movie is set in Darjeeling way back 1970. Ranbir has exuded his panache with excellent acting. Priyanka actually has evolved with this movie and she is all set to move to next level. The screenplay of the movie is amazing, the events are well woven , the movie flip-flops between past and present and the narration makes it very clear, there is no place where events confuse the viewer. Well as a final verdict I would say that I felt cathartic after watching the movie , I expunged all maturity and I found solace in craziness, the movie exposed me to simplicity of life and helped me to appreciate who I am. Must Watch.

Only reason to watch it is Ranbir

[nitin-blue · 20 September 2012]

Anurag has let down hard working actors and the audience. The film is too long, boring and indulgent. It is badly edited, hence confusing. The director copies from many other movies, but in an unintelligent way. Every character looks cute for about first 10 minutes, but after that you do not really care about any of them. The music is dull. The photography is excellent. The best thing about Barfi! is all the actors esp. Ranbir and Saurabh Shukla , but they are not given anything to work with. Anurag, who wrote it as well, appears to have fallen in love with his own story. Roopali Ganguly is impressive in a small role. Watch Nana Patekar in Yugpurush and compare it to Priyanka.

Pure , Honest and Innocent. Watch it for Ranbir and Priyanka...

[shubh_328-471-817687 · 7/10 · 16 September 2012]

It's a time in bollywood where we can see some 'heavy' commercial cinema being made such as 'Bol Bachhan', 'Ek Tha Tiger' where everyone are just talking about those 100 or 200 crore barriers. It's now a money grabbing fight for those hundered of crores. So why does 'Anurag Basu comes up with a movie like 'BARFI' where his lead actor or actress does not get to have any dialogues or lines to speak where they can get those hooting and the whistles from the public (like the usual 'one liners' which are religiously followed in Bollywood). Well, to tell you, it does not matter one bit because 'BARFI' beautifully manages to hold you despite being more of a 'Silent Cinema'.

BARFI is the story of a deaf and mute boy played by Ranbir Kapoor, through which Anurag Basu tries to gives us a message that, we all are surrounded with happinness all around us, it's just that we are strangled up so much in our daily life of artificial complexities that we don't recognize the little any tiny things that are capable of giving us immense happinness, peace and comfort. Priyanka Chopra's character too is one which is suffering from a disease known as 'Autism'. It's a disorder of one's neural system. Priyanka plays the character of the disabled girl with absolute brilliance where we can really feel for her. She easily manages to hold the audiences at their perfect nerve.

BARFI is mostly a 'Silent film, where almost the entire movie is in narrative, but, this really does not even slightly affects it in any bad way and therefore hats off to Anurag, Ranbir, Priyanka and Pritam (Music Director) for that. The movie has got arguably the most soulful music of 2012. A movie in which you don't have any verbal connection among the lead actors, the music does that part in a very justified manner. The bond of Ranbir and Priyanka gets strengthenend inside the minds of the audiences mainly because of the soulful music which sounds abolutely soothing to the ear.

Barfi may be a movie not for everyone. The movie has its certain drawbacks. There are quite a few moments in the film which tends to bore the audience at more than one instances. That said, it is certainly not a movie to miss out. There are a number of sequences where you will laugh your hearts out.

Talking about Ranbir Kapoor, his acting skills has polished up so vividly that its so much fascinating to see. Ever since 'Rocket Singh' his skill as an actor has improved a lot. Ranbir who was just awesome in 'Rockstar' , plays this deaf and mute character surprisingly with so much ease and charm. This is among the best performances given by both Ranbir as well as Priyanka recently. As far as Illeana D'Cruz, I really did'nt find her connecting with the plot of the film at any stage. Although, the screen presence of Illeana may be more than that of Priyanka but Priyanka easily takes you away with her innocence. There are times when you want to see more of Ranbir and Priyanka moments rather than with Illeana.

Barfi really could have been a great film but what kills it is its runtime. Its too long, which adds up the boredom and enables the audiences to yawn a bit too.

Well , Otherwise Barfi is certainly a must watch. You will not hate it ,though its not guaranteed that you will really love it. Decide for yourself, I liked it. Its a sincere effort from Anurag Basu and his team to present to the public one of the most pure and innocent film for 2012. Watch it for Ranbir and Priyanka.

Barfi is not an original screenplay

[simiverma11 · 3/10 · 23 September 2012]

Four reasons why Barfee will not win the Oscar

1. The scene where Illeana Dcruz's mother shows her a poor man she used to be in love with, is copied from a Hollywood film The Notebook. If you have the Hollywood film with you go to 1 hour and 31 minute and you will see the scene.

2. The scene where Ranbir Kapoor and Illeana Dcruz are on a train and are throwing food towards poor kids is copied from a Hollywood film "Fried green tomatoes."

3. The scene where Ranbir Kapoor puts a fire fly inside a bubble is copied from a French film "Delicatessen."

4. The scene where the waiter pulls Ranbir's chair and Ranbir is upset about it is copied from Mr. Bean TV series.

Mr. Anurag Basu I think you forgot that the "O" in Oscars stands for "ORIGINAL" Try something original next time and may be the Oscar jury will be impressed.

Barfi is a movie that everyone can enjoy from beginning to end.

[samrendra1263 · 10/10 · 17 September 2012]

BARFI A MUST WATCH MOVIE--

Barfi is a movie that everyone can enjoy from beginning to end. It is entertaining, genuine, bringing a fresh and worthwhile love story to life in a very Unique way that many others have tried and failed. You will laugh till u cry n cry , till u laugh again.

Barfi simplicity is delightfully misleading- the script is a masterpiece of most sensible comedy writing, and however good the rest of the cast is, the central trio is magical. Ranvir kapor comic timing will have you in stitches, but it is his honesty, sensitivity and vulnerability that make you fall in love with his character.

This is one of the most unique, and beautiful film which will make you laugh, It will make you cry... a delightful celebration of everything in life that makes it worthwhile. Never seen any film so so sensitive yet so comic.

I rated Barfi 10 out of 10 because I feel that it has really accomplished what movies like this should accomplish.

Highly Recommended 👍

[TheNonSmoker · 10/10 · 21 June 2020]

Worth watching, this movie is suitable for every age range, has some very deep meanings, imotions, the story is very unique and very imotional :'(

Crying and laughing at the same time!

[JahnabC · 8/10 · 14 September 2012]

i had a lot of expectations from this movie..and it hardly disappointed.... Don't be shocked if you see Ranbir Kapoor becoming one of the best actors of bollywood history in 10-15 years..he can do any kind of roles and do without breaking a drop of sweat.. This was RK's best performance till date..Priyanka Chopra portrayed her part brilliantly but it was pleasantly shocking to see a south girl doing so good..Ileana was the soothing factor amidst the madness of Barfi n Jhilmil!Good to see Saurabh Shukla back.. Pritam comes back with a bang..all his songs are good to the ears n suit the movie as well.. last but not the least we talk about Anurag Basu..after Kites's disaster i thought he might be lost..he just nails this one..

Special mention:Cinematographer Ravi Varman..

A Delightful Movie after quite sometime!

[fantastickamlesh · 9/10 · 1 December 2012]

After being attached to IMDb for a long time, I always thought which movie it will be for which i would write a review. After watching Barfi! I think this movie truly deserves a review.

Although initially i was little skeptic as to what mindset should i carry on while watching the movie, as i had already read so much about it. About the copied scenes and storyline.

Its true that many scenes are copied from many different films, especially Korean movies. Seems director Anurag Basu is a fan of Korean movies,(just like me!).

But keeping that fact aside, the presentation of the movie is quite good. A simple story is narrated in flashbacks in a suspense kind of way which makes it quite interesting and gripping.

As far as acting is concerned everyone did well, though i wished to see more of Jhilmil. And Ileana too for her charming presence!

There are many things which i would like to say, but i suggest u better watch Barfi and feel the emotions yourself.

Overall, a nice feel good type of movie. I m giving this movie 9, I deducted 1 because there was a lack of those three musicians towards the ending part of the movie!!!!(i wanted to see them more)!!!

Longer than expected but eternally beautiful

[saadgkhan · 8/10 · 6 December 2012]

Barfi - CATCH IT (A-) Barfi, an unlikely love triangle of a normal girl, mute boy and autism girl. This is an unlikely combination, which Doesn't seems like to work in Indian Cinema but things have been changed and great success of Barfi proves that even if the hero and heroine are not stereotypical a good story can lead to utmost success. Barfi is not a perfect movie, it was too long and becomes complicated as we travel back and forth between 1976, 1979 and 2012. Besides that life being so easy and cheerful for a mute boy and autism girl is hard to accept, there is a time they live alone for 6 months in big Calcutta city, he can't talk and she doesn't understand but apparently they are happier than ever, how they communicate with world is not explained. Anyways I know it's a movie and i should not go onto that much dept. So, kudos to Anurag Basu for making and attempting a brave subject matter. Ranbir Kapoor is great as always, though his performance is almost the same as in a movie "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" with Katrina Kaif "where he tries to get her affection". This time he was only mute. Priyanka Chopra did a fine job and looked the part. Ileana D'Cruz is a fresh faced beautiful girl. Standing next to too famous young actors and still getting noticed is a huge achievement. In the end, Barfi maybe long but it's fresh, beautiful and heartening.

When the character is central, and not the hero

[mahadyuti-adhikary · 8/10 · 14 September 2012]

It does not revolutionize Bollywood in any way nor is it an example of superlative cinematic brilliance. There are flaws, and lots of them. But, at the same time it's a lesson in the long-lost art of simple filmmaking without being pretentious. The effort is so genuinely heartwarming that it comes out through the characters in the film. I've been extremely critical of Ranbir Kapoor in the past. Maybe he is dumb, but he can surely act! In Junior Kapoor, we do see glimpses of his grandfather. His goofiness is so bloody infectious. He does not play the sympathy-card, he just lets the film carry him along instead of trying what Bollywood heroes desperately try to do - to carry the film on their shoulders. The character is central, not the hero. One of the very few Hindi films I've seen where the audience connects with the character, and not the hero. Ileana is effortlessly sweet and quite unexpectedly brilliant. Saurabh Shukla delivers a standout and stellar performance. The strength of the film lies in the characterisation - so under-toned, and pitch-perfect to counter-balance the trappings of melodrama. The cinematography is breathtaking and so is the music. The visual imagery adds to the emotional quotient of the film. The earnestness of Anurag Basu does suffer a blow because of the predictability of the plot since the temptation of repetitiveness unwittingly underwhelms the magic created in the first half, and, of course, the disappointing performance of Priyanka Chopra. Instead of under-emoting, she overdoes it. Somehow she goes retard trying to portray an autistic girl. Don't judge this film through the prism of cerebral dissection and critical analysis. For once, listen to your heart, not the critics.

Mixture of all the feelings.

[nandiniroy24 · 7/10 · 24 September 2012]

Fantastic locations, the era shown, reminds me my childhood.Excellent cinematography,bang on music; it goes with the era, characters, emotions,on the whole "FATA FATI". I found resemblance of few scenes with "The notebook" movie. Glad to see "Kallu mama" Saurabh Shukla, he is as usual natural, naughty and entertaining, only change is he has put on some more. Story line is catchy, RK's and PC's acting is outstanding. So far, I have seen the best of both of them, in Barfi. And of course D'cruz, she is fresh and justifies the character. When I read that Anurag Basu is the director(Kites was ???), I was doubtful however Ranbir and Priyanka convinced me when I saw the trailers. And this time Anurag has proved again. Loads of emotions at the same time. If you are crying, in another moment you are laughing and you can't control it. Many heart touching moments.I don't know when I started crying along with them. Anurag has left the job of synchronization on audience. Need to pay attention while watching. Its worth spending time. I loved it. Watch it.

NOT EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA

[lovishjain-79192 · 10/10 · 29 August 2021]

A BEAUTIFUL CULT CLASSIC.

NO WORDS FOR THIS MASTERPIECE.

its about a deaf and dumb happy go lucky guy and his love

[charlie-alreich · 6/10 · 17 September 2012]

everyone is going gaga over Burfii but i dint feel its a great movie Especially you have seen Chaplin's movies i can point out 7-8 scenes directly lifted from Chaplin's classic no doubt acting was great cinematography is top class but still i feel its not at all original here are the scenes

1 entry of ranbir lying on a statue (saw the pic from City Lights) 2 same policeman chasing ranbir n whole movie 3- the door scene bw ranbir n policeman 4-the poster stuck on ranbir's shoes n then hands 5-the gesture of smile ranbir do with his hands 6- ranbir shows his torn coat n shoes to illeana 7-the way ranbir smoke cigarette if you watch Charlie Chaplin's movies you will find all these trademark scenes so Barfii is good but it will be batter if its Original another flaw of the movie is Poor Editing its a small story no need to stretch it for so long i wish people start watching good old movies so they can understand Sometimes Bollywood's most feel good or inspirational movies are INSPIRED read BLACK GUJARISH CHAK DE directly lifted from THE MIRACLE WORKER THE SEA INSIDE MIRACLE

Wasted...

[srvganguly54 · 2/10 · 18 September 2012]

Firstly the expectations were too very high, mainly after the hyped & stupendous reviews and secondly they were all shoddily devastated at the end of full-time. Mr. Anurag Basu (gave him second chance after KITES) always had common Indian people in his mind, who engage themselves watching 'saas-bahu soaps', neatly wasting their time and thought was gifting them a MASTERPIECE by making Barfi, almost forgetting that there are still few people who have seen 'City Lights' and 'Notebook'. The worst part was, it did resemble (badly) to both of those but not at all as good as seeing any part as they did. A ditto Hindi copy of either would have been better. The acting of none of the characters was up to par. Even veteran in the business, Haradhan Bannerjee failed to make a mark and so did Saurabh Shukla. A lot very was expected from these two, when they could have been used very adequately by director. The acting throughout was so very going against nature and abnormal. Although autism and spastics was a good excuse, but (for dear critics, giving the film 4.5/5) do really spastics really behave so, as Priyanka and Ranbir did. Do we ever see a mute and deaf holding window pane of a bus and riding a cycle, heroin sitting inside the bus and singing and dancing all of a sudden in public, we don't, and here was made to sit and tolerate these vistas. Too bad to again realize that it was again a mainstream, commercial movie. Ileana d'cruz, isn't the one to be blamed since the direction itself was poor.

Storyline was again same, a greedy dad, few kind maids, a cruel mom and a love triangle and the time to time narration was surely an added perk and thus came into existence another typical 'Hindi Film', which we have been seeing since our childhood. Mr. Basu even tried to forcibly pierce a bit of thrill, which didn't worked and was again a glitch. Equally the climax was tackily made again was unnatural while few were exact photo-copy of 'Notebook's' climax (when will Bollywood stop making lame duplicates). Also did seemed like Mr. Basu thought that just graying the hairs and making them trembling their fingers would make someone look old, a big gaffe again. Kolkata was portrayed good, still much better could have been done and same was for Darjeeling. Editing sometimes was nice. Few scenes were very nicely crafted. Music was the best part. In short, again a Bollywood movie, with a twist and a scene from here and there, not at all a thriller, indeed just another comedy. Moderately Recommendable. No loss if it goes unwatched.

Beautiful!!

[manishupamman · 10/10 · 14 September 2012]

First of all a different kind of movie!!Storyline is good,Music is just awesome,overall direction is perfect and brilliant performance by Ranbir make this a really good movie to watch for. Story revolves around three people Barfi(Ranbir),Jhilmil(Priyanka),Shruti(Ileana). Shruti is engaged with Rich and handsome man . Her life changed when she met Barfi who can't speak or hear. Barfi's life is full of tragedy but he lives life with full joy. He showed Shruti about happiness in little things. Suddenly Shruti starts to fall for Barfi but story has a beautiful twist when Jhilmil came in their life. Jhilmil suffered from autism and she belongs to Rich life. Barfi is all about the beautiful melodrama between these three young people. Movie leaves very beautiful and meaningful message about love and life. Small small beautiful scenes realizes us about beautiful world. Overall a perfect movie to watch for after a longtime.