Hawaa Hawaai (2014) User Reviews

A nice , brave attempt with wonderful direction and hard-hitting performances

[ketgup83 · 8/10 · 17 May 2014]

Small budgeted cinema have come up well which shows that time is certainly changing in Bollywood and it is definitely changing for good.

Hawa Hawaai is one of the most daring film which will inspire and motivate you with head-strong story of a 12 year old boy who succeeded and achieved within short span of time.

Ditrected by Amol Gupte who has been credited as creative director of Taare Zameen Par and Stanley Ka Dabba, Hawa Hawaai holds certain aspects of life and explores the inequality of children in the city of Mumbai. He succeeds in telling the story of brave kid who, despite all odds, dares to dream and achieves the goal. The screenplay is outstanding keeping the audience alive coupled with beautiful background score and strong performances. Music gels well with mood of the film supported with catchy cinematography and crisp editing. Partho A. Gupte delivers yet another knock-out performance after Stanley Ka Dabba and he gives his best. Saqib Saleem is getting better with each film and has proved his mettle in the film.

A nice , brave attempt with wonderful direction and hard-hitting performances. Very good 4/5

Hawaai Hawaai : On your mark ,get set ,Go!

[ahwaan_padhee · 7/10 · 12 May 2014]

A poor fatherless chap,Arjun Waghmare(Partho Gupte) who works as a helper in a tea-stall in the posh Bandra-Kurla Complex of Mumbai discovers a hidden world - a swarm of kids getting trained in skating by an elusive coach,Lucky Sir and nurtures a dream of mastering the skill.With a backdrop of a sport thats rarely explored on our celluloid, director Amol Gupte weaves a sentimental tale of the underdog.

The mentor and his protégé foster an endearing relationship and Arjun becomes the modern-day 'Eklaava' as mis-spelt by his chillar party friends who put in all their heart and efforts to craft his wheels of fortune and glory - The Hawaa Hawaai.

Gupte's approach is piercingly intimate;bolstered with a profound background score, the camera caresses each of the character's expressions with extreme fondness while depicting their day-to-day chores and some interesting vignettes.It does get preachy at times with an attempt to make the film socially uplifting when it portrays the natural economic inequality between the kids of different strata.

Even you would notice that it tries hard to tag you with its melodramatic elements- like the back-story of the protagonist's dead father ,a cotton farmer(Makrand Deshpande) or the mother-son relationship.And it does evoke tear in our eyes.Morever, what kept me invested was the camaraderie between Arjun and his four closest friends - Gochi,a garage mechanic (Ashfaque Khan), Bhura,a flower seller (Salman Khan), Abdul - worker in zari workshop(Maaman Memon), and Murugan, a rag-picker (Thirupathi Kushnapelli).They are the picks from Gupte's theater workshop.The band of boys spell magic with their sheer effortless performances.

Yet, its Partho who steals your heart with an admirable performance.An underprivileged guy with an unflinching determination to win against all odds and hardships,he unleashes his nuke potential with great ease.Saqeeb Salim , who impressed us in his last outing Bombay Talkies, is in terrific form this time.As Lucky 'Sir',his spirited act imbues the skating coach-figure with flesh, blood and bite.

A well narrated and emphatically told story,Hawaai Hawaai deserves an ovation.Amol Gupte crafts a heartwarming,tear-evoking masterpiece on the triumph of human aspirations and dreams.Do give it a try !

Rating : 3.5/5

A Delicacy Of Emotions. ♦ 63%

[nairtejas · 6/10 · 17 May 2014]

Amole Gupte has always fascinated me with his excellent approach towards children, emotions and drama. He captures the little things and reads between the lines to bring out fantastic images of pure sense, passion and realism.

Unfortunately, with Hawaa Hawaai he employs a tried, tested and succeeded formula that talks about a boy's wish to skate. The characters are written with finesse. Saqib Saleem's character is that of an altruist, which if we relate with reality, hampers the thought. There may be 5 out of 1000 people like this character which was previously found in Gupte's Taare Zameen Par i.e. Aamir Khan's character. Partho Gupte should be lauded for his brilliant performance, both while expressing and skating.

I loved the screenplay because it doesn't tell you everything at once. The lead characters' stories are narrated with time as the plot advances. Although the story is tad clichéd, the execution is fine. Supporting cast, music, cinematography and editing all are good. The four boys who enacted the roles of poor, street lads of Mumbai are the bees' knees and secondary cynosure of the film, after Gupte Jr.; I envied their friendship, mind you! The thing about sports movies is that they inspire but it is ironical to know that the inspiration fades after you leave the theater.

But still, this time Gupte samples ounces of melodrama which have varied effects: one, that it induces emotions into the viewers and two, it gives away the idea that the whole film is make-believe. Having said that, the climax is predictable and because I did not experience anything new, I rate it a humble 6.3 out of 10.

BOTTOM LINE: Just because the film doesn't bore and engages you to the core doesn't mean it is highbrow. It can be considered as a very watchable film if we are talking about all those recent potboilers in Bollywood. Recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

The movie that every person must watch....!!!

[laviluck-299-463098 · 10/10 · 9 May 2014]

I entered in a theater with confused mind that it should be a paisa wasool or not.... But believe me its more than that.... Every single frame of the movie has been created brilliantly... I just love the movie... It inspired me a lot , it will inspire you will make you weep , will make you clap, will make you laugh... Just go for it it is a movie with great performances , great script . ALL GOOD... Saqib saleem improved with acting part and shines in the role of lucky sir, partho carries his role brilliantly.. The mother and partho's scenes will make you cry . The gang of partho (friends) will tickle you you'll smile and laugh every time when they come on screen.. There are plenty od moments which will make you laugh as well as make you cry.. The climax flashback scene is brilliantly shot.. You will jump out of your seat and shout go Arjun... Makrand deshpande in brief role satisfied us as a father... Hats off : Amol Gupte,.. Kudos...

Excellent!

[yashmishra91 · 9/10 · 9 May 2014]

Hawaa Hawaai (Hindi): Finally 'Taare Zameen Par' got its replacement by its own screenwriter Amole Gupte whose script and direction in this film not only brings back the realism, charms and warmth of his 2011 film 'Stanley Ka Dabba' but makes the film a compulsory watching experience for all children and adults. Loaded with great cinematography by Amol Gole, superb editing by Deepa Bhatia and brilliant music score by Hitesh Sonik which make the narrative of this compact film slick and striking, the best part of the film is that you get to see the brilliant character development of all the characters which are warm and humane. The lead played by Partho Gupte and Saqib Saleem is simply superb along with the co-actors. Despite, the pre-climax being slightly draggy, HH ends up as a brilliant, gripping contemporary and charming cinematic experience worth a watch. My rating would be:4.5/5.

Motivates you to push your boundaries

[dineshprakash · 6/10 · 9 May 2014]

Director and writer Mr. Amol Gupte's vision and execution are good. He didn't compromise for a single shot if it was required. In this type of sports based film you know the climax before watching the film so always screenplay makes it interesting and here it is. Dialogues are natural and powerful. It is a children based film but most of the dialogues have maturity. Casting and locations of this movie is so perfect that you start believing that you are witnessing a real world but alas, the length and presentation of climax again reminds you that after all it is a film. Humor and emotions are blended very well. Yeah there are few moments when you can feel your eyes getting moist. Maximum credit goes to actors. They are too good in emotional scenes. This movie will be definitely able to spread the roller skater wave among kids. Performance wise Saqib Saleem as coach is very good. He is too good in emotional scenes. Partho Gupte as Arjun is fantastic. Neha Joshi as Arjun's mother is so intense. Anuj Sachdeva and Pragya Yadav are fine. Rest four kids are powerful and natural performers. I wish I could have watched there more scenes. Music supports the film's mood well.

Best Movie

[gktheory-405-950233 · 10/10 · 15 May 2014]

It is the best movie i have seen in a long long time. All the actors have done a fantastic job. Saqib and Partho were at their best. If u liked movies like Paan Singh, Bhag Milkha, Stanley's Dabba then it is a must watch for u. And if u r preparing for any competitive exams, u must not miss this one, it will give u immense motivation and will to work harder. Even if u r a hardhearted person like me there will be moments when u will cry like a baby. Real meaning of friendship lies in the movie. Eklava punch by one of his friend was terrific. Picturisation is perfect.Humour was unbearable at times. Looking forward to its sequel now.

a motivating small scale sports movie......

[SumanShakya · 6/10 · 28 July 2014]

Good movies for children are quite rare in Bollywood with few exceptions like Masoom and Taare Zameen Par. Lately, watched "Stanley Ka Dabba" which portrayed the story of an orphan working in a small restaurant. Well, the film wasn't very remarkable but I liked Partho in the central role as Stanley who gets punished by his teacher for not bringing his tiffin box. From the same director (Amol Gupte) and Partho in the central character comes "Hawaa Hawaai" which is much motivating, heart warming and inspiring.

The film presents the small aims that even the orphans and street children thrive for. It motivates to search the aim of your life and see the happiness in the smaller things of life for which the film deserves a commendation. The slow pace and the non star cast might keep this film unnoticed; but the film succeeds in its theme. The central characters of the film involve five kids and all of them have given brilliant performances; and I was stunned by Partho's performance. He just makes his role seem effortless and he succeeds in tying the viewers with his character. On a whole, though the film won't create much of hype, the film still deserves to be watched for the genuine story which motivates to make your life meaningful.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

Very much Inspiring after Udaan !!

[bibek_afridi · 9/10 · 19 August 2014]

What a movie !! What a direction !! And super sets of acting by the children. The movie clearly reflects the daily life of small street children who wishes to study but have no chance at all and no luck as well. The movie provided goosebumps at each moment. The story line is predictable but is connected in a superb way.

I hated Amole Gupta for his role as a villain in Singham Returns but i was a wrong.He might not be a great actor but he is indeed a great director. Moreover, if you are bored of those stupid 100cr earning movies. Then this one is a must watch. A very much inspiring sports movie. Any non Hindi speaker can watch it on subtitle and feel the movie at each point. I am Nepali and i loved it very much. A very good Movie after Udaan.

Predictable, touching a serious issue but deserves to be seen for its fabulous performances.

[bobbysing · 6/10 · 2 June 2014]

The one person who has mastered the art of how to deal with and extract some exceptional work from kids in Hindi films is Amole Gupte and the director has strongly proved his praiseworthy skill in films like TAARE ZAMEEN PAR (as creative director) and STANLEY KA DABBA winning much recognition including the National Awards. So as expected, one gets to see the glimpses of the same lovable art form in HAWAA HAWAAI too but in a more decorated manner, somewhat different from what we had earlier seen in Amole's previous films.

HAWAA HAWAAI begins well and remains focused on the kids alone, which actually is its major triumph card played throughout the film intelligently. The first half holds out well and the second half gives you some emotional moments too with the final tournament executed in an engaging style. However this time we have a project based on a sport, which is not that famous in the country (found only in the metros) along with some over the top and unrequired sequences too which don't allow the film to excel in its overall execution.

For instance, the 30 Rupees insertion was quite a deliberate one since even a street kid knows that he cannot even get 1 liter of milk in that small amount or even one cutting chai available at a minimum of 5-10 Rupees in the market. So how can they believe just 30 Rupees to be the price of a big roller-blade set being sold at a lavish store, particularly when the kids are supposed to be so sharp & witty in their otherwise mutual interactions? Secondly all those iron-man kind of armors looked like too filmy to be incorporated in a Amole Gupte film desperately trying to make a stronger impact. And lastly a love angle thrown in just for the sake of it was also a clear indication of side- plot inserted forcefully.

So in short, the meaningful warmth witnessed in Amole's STANLEY KA DABAA is sadly missing here and the completely predictable theme of the film plays a major drawback too as always seen in projects based on Sports theme. But still Amole once again brings forward a burning issue of our society i.e. of Child Labour and Minimum Education as the right of every kid residing in the country. The sequences showing the big, ugly class divide existing all around us, hit you hard and one does begin thinking about the same, as the film ends with an interesting scene of a primary class being attended by the grown up kids.

Here I would like to mention a very important sequence in the film, wherein the coach starts training the poor kid, feeling both the responsibility and pride in doing this noble act. But in the process, forgets about the nutrition level to be maintained along with the physically draining, training sessions provided in nights. And I really found this thoughtful insertion a very enlightening one, pointing towards the fact that it's not just sufficient to provide all the kids their minimum education, but we also need to look into their 'nutritional needs' too in order to get their overall development in a much balanced manner.

Revolving around all realistic characters, HAWAA HAWAAI plays the underdog card well in its second half and the performances lift up the film with a fine display of friendship, will power and focused ambitions. The situational soundtrack doesn't grab your attention as it should have but the cinematography presents it delightfully leaving a positive impact. Saqib Saleem wins your heart as the selfless coach. Plus both Neha Joshi (the mother) & Anuj Sachdeva (the elder brother) are terrific in their respective roles. The supporting cast contributes greatly, especially Razzak Khan playing the positive character helping the kids in his garage in just two scenes.

Actually the film deserves to be seen for the five kids alone led by the talented Partho Gupte who once again delivers an astonishing performance as the hardworking boy. He remains the real hero of the film along with his four friends Bhura (Salman Chhote Khan), Gochi (Ashfaque Khan), Abdul (Maaman Memon) and Bindaas Murugan (Tirupathi Krishnapelli), with Gochi taking away most of the smiles in the theater.

In all, despite being predictable and having few avoidable sequences, HAWAA HAWAAI still can be called a decent attempt spreading awareness among the society, keeping the living spirit alive in the underprivileged kids. It's honestly not a step ahead by Amole Gupte but deserves to be seen for its sincere, inspirational performances for sure. Also because we rarely make films here with the kids playing the key roles.

Another Masterpiece from Amol Gupte

[koolkush-kushagra · 9/10 · 24 May 2014]

I have a great liking for 'Amole Gupte' ever since I saw 'Taare Zameen Par'and 'Stanley Ka Dabba'. His writing has innocence, which is the most vital thing needed in a script having a child character playing as the main lead. I had enormous expectations from the movie when I entered inside the cinema hall and my expectations were not only fulfilled but indeed have gone up many times for his next ventures.

I just loved the way the story moves. Though its a predictable story but when you club it with hope it always gives peace to the mind of the viewers.

'Partho' and 'Saqib' excelled in their roles. But, I personally liked the role of 4 other friends and their dedication towards achieving the dream of Partho.

All in all a wonderful movie. Don't miss this at any cost. I am eagerly waiting for the Blu-ray to released soon so that I can add this to my collection.

Thanks to 'Amole Gupte' for making these kind of positive and hopeful movies. I would go for 9/10 for this master work.

Good film though quite predictable

[silvan-desouza · 6/10 · 18 May 2014]

A film on Skating is hardly done in India, so Hawaa Hawaai is sort of a trend setter. The film is well handled and the kids scenes(always stand out in an Amol Gupte film) is superb though the boys do look a bit odd as street guys. Yet the scenes are well handled, though at times the film is dragged especially in the second half, also it follows the predictable nature of such films

But yet the film is riveting and does move you

Direction is good Music is okay

Saqib Saleem is great in his serious role, Partho Gupte is good in his role, rest all mostly newcomers do a good job

S*itload of Emotional Bullcrap

[bastard-from-a-basket · 1/10 · 18 February 2015]

Really?? Are Indians that dumb? This director is manipulating emotions, creating god-like characters with no trace of human evil and tell me, which father watches his son study from a school window? and the director replaced his father with a skating teacher-give me a break.

Seems like making audience feel sorry about being able to live a normal life is a way to go in Indian movies. The portrayal of slums was exaggerated and needless. The director was trying to trade tears for his movie but in the end it turned out to be a hyper-emotional, non realistic story that will only appeal to you if you mind as weak as a rice glue.

The performances were ordinary with the leads(I guess were instructed by director) only trying to make us feel sad about the state they're in. What is the world they are living in? In my world, some good things happen and some bad but apparently in their world all bad things happen to nice people until a silver lining and everything goes Okay.. You know what? F*ck this.. I'd sue the director if I could for emotional manipulation....

Keep It Up Amole Gupte!

[prabhulaldamji · 8/10 · 31 July 2014]

Last movie by Amole Gupte released some years back Stanley Ka Dabba was such wonderful entertaining movies for all families and I was eagerly waiting to watch his next instalment. After watching Hawaa Hawaii, which was a pleasant movie for all families once again, and I am glad to see that even these years to find producers, directors like Amole Gupte are still around to make such gems of movies. One do not need big stars, violence, music to entertain when there is a strong story well written and script. Good to see majority of location and scenery taken in India.

For billions of people, life is tough and by hard work, courage and persevering, much can be achieved as depicted in this movie. Hope the movie gets recognition and award even though it has not made millions at box office. Looking forward to see the next movie by Amole Gupte and I hope its not a long wait.

Amol Gupte creates one more Gem

[abhisheksingh-428-693466 · 9/10 · 12 May 2014]

This movie takes forward the tradition that Amol Gupte himself heralded with TZP. He carried the baton forward with Stanley ka Dabba ( tiffin box ) and with this movie -- he has completed a trilogy of children issue based movies -- however -- make no mistake -- all three movies have packed a punch because of the emotional chord and the realism with which Amol has created all the three story lines -- which truly deserve an whole hearted applaud -- as it is guys like him / Anurag / Dibakar -- who are making a mark amongst the filming fraternity -- which of late seemed to be suffering from a colossal failure in terms of story telling with incessant garbage .

Coming back to the movie -- there are moments when it would be pretty hard to hold back your tears because of the intensity of the scenes -- almost all the child actors and the adult actors have pitched in with a great performance -- and to end this review -- would say to watch it for several burning topics which Amol has picked up and shown in a very layered manner -- whether farmer suicides, poor kids empowerment and most of all -- reaching your goals -- which do not let you sleep. This one would stand the test of time.

9.5 / 10

Inspiring for children but not for all audience

[prahladagarwal · 6/10 · 28 January 2015]

Directed by Amol Gupte, Hawaa Hawaai is an inspirational movie for children. The story is very basic and deals with the life of a child tea vendor trying to excel in skating and finally makes it with all hardships. Arjun (the protagonist) has a bunch of slum friends who supports him in his endeavor. He has had a troubled life since childhood, as his father dies when he is very young and he is forced into working as a tea vendor. Story develops into an adaption of Eklavya's life and the dreams of little children and ends with an emotional note. The first half of the film is funny, fast paced and interesting. However, during the second half the story loses its pace, ending with a dramatized race scene which would not interest audience of all ages. Saqib Saleem has done justice to his role just like his previous movies. The background music is neatly done and blends nicely with the emotional moments during the movie. Watch it on TV instead!

Hawaa Hawaai, a great delight to watch, would definitely reignite the passion in us to pursue our dreams.

[binducherungath · 8/10 · 11 May 2014]

Please read this review at http://moviereviewsbybinduc.blogspot.in/2014/05/hawaa-hawaai.html

Hawaa Hawaai celebrates the triumph of an ordinary Dharavi boy who dared to dream, pursued his dream and became successful with his sheer determination, hard work, and persistence. Though the plot is absolutely predictable, what makes it a delight to watch is the simple yet sensitive and unexaggerated handling of the plot by Amole Gupte; group of 'Pandavas'- five boys and their camaraderie; mentor-protégé relationship; bonding between mother-son / two brothers etc. This movie has no dearth of optimism, positive energy, and undying achiever's spirit.

Harishchandra Wagmare (Makrand Deshpande), a cotton farmer, gives a perfect start to the movie with lighting the diya and a great bhajan (explaining the Jeevan-saar i.e. meaning of life and challenges associated with life) along with his son Arjun Harishchandra Wagmare (Partho Gupte) on his side and a happy family in the background. These initial frames itself explained that the young protagonist Arjun's life may not be easy.

Then the backdrop changes to Mumbai, where Arjun is trying to seek a job at a tea-stall. His mother (Neha Joshy) reluctantly allows him to work there. Destiny changed the course of his life that day, since in front of the tea stall, he got to see lot of children welcoming Lucky Sir aka Aniket Bharghava (Saqib Saleem, brother of actress Huma Qureshi), a skate coach. Aniket is in a wheel chair recovering from an accident. He is passionate about the sport and coaching lot of students and also preparing them for District Championship. Arjun got fascinated with skating but found it a distant dream since skates were too costly to be afforded by him. When his group of other four friends (all children) – a mechanic Gochi (Ashfaque Bismillah Khan), Weaver Abdul (Maaman Memon), Rag Picker Murugan (Thirupathi N Kushnapelli) and a Gajra (Mogra) seller Bhura (Salman Chote Khan) learn about Arjun's dream, what they do next is actually to be seen. It is hilarious, when all five take leave for an hour from their respective employers to buy a skate with just Rs. 30/- since Gochi misunderstood 30K as just Rs. 30/-. Amole has spectacularly depicted the synergy of these boys where each one of them contributed to tailor made a skate- Hawaa Hawaai for Arjun (let me not reveal, how each one of them contributed).

But the path for Arjun was not easy. He turned out to be an Eklavya who learnt by watching Aniket's coaching along with serving tea to the customers and practicing late night when everybody left. Still, Arjun was aware that he was far away from being a great skater.

How Arjun's friends plan to get his talent showcased in front of the 'Dronacharya' – Aniket is another hilarious scene. How Aniket takes an extra mile to coach his new student ? How does Arjun manage with his full day (rather extended hours too) tea-stall job followed by skating practice? Can Aniket groom Arjun to be a Champion? What happens to the District Championship? We know, Arjun will emerge as a winner at the end, but how his journey was toward the winning destination? Please watch the movie and enjoy the journey of Arjun.

What an effortless performance from Partho as Arjun! He seems to breath Arjun's character, his pain, inner turmoil, passion to fulfill the dream… Rest of the cast Saqib as a skating coach, Neha as Arjun's mother, Anuj as Aniket's brother Anirudh, of-course Makrand Deshpande's brief but lingering performance as Arjun's father and all the kids are also very good.

Writer-Director Amole Gupte has effortlessly shown the suffering of the downtrodden and their struggles to live their lives in a very believable manner. The underlying pathos is shown in a subtle manner. He has touched upon the plight of the farmers. The heart-rending song 'sapno ko ginte ginte' captures varied glimpses of children engaged in different activities of life. On one side, a few children are going to school, having parental bliss, enjoying the home made food, and on another side, a few other children are trying to earn their living by rag-picking, selling mogras, weaving, working in the garage / tea-stall, their daily battle for survival etc. These contrasting lifestyle's visuals are run side by side. The picturization of the song displays the divide between the privileged and the underprivileged / deprived lot of the children in the contemporary society. It is great to see how the kids find a way out even amidst darkness, dealing with the life's struggles with a great sense of humour.

The moment where Aniket realizes that what he learnt from the positive spirits of these Pandavas has changed his life forever is very touching.

Amole has definitely been able to raise a few questions that, aren't we responsible to ensure the following as a society: 1. make basic education every child's right 2. wiping out child labour from the society 3. Identifying and nurturing the talents of every children

Another Good Film By Amol Gupte Following The Success Of Stanley Ka Dabba(2011)

[Vivekmaru45 · 6/10 · 21 August 2014]

In both Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai, the underlying topic is the same. Children in India are forced to become child laborers due to extreme poverty. This costs them a chance to have a decent eduction and make something of themselves in life.

The ever increasing population of India means that a lot of it mainly consists of young children, who are employed far below the minimum wage to that of an adult. On top of this, the children are most of abused by the employer in the form of light beatings and occasional slaps to the face. The conditions these children work in are often below health and safety standards, and so many of them do fall sick and even die.

The film Hawaa Hawaai is the story of Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare(Partho Gupte), whose father has passed away recently, and therefore he has no option by to support his family by working at a refreshment stall for a meager pay. One day he sees some children Rollerblading at night and he becomes enthralled. From that day he dreams about getting a pair of Rollerblade for himself. Will his dreams come true? Watch the film to see what happens next.

Verdict: Having seen Gupte's earlier above-mentioned film, I thought this film would be even better. But no, Stanley Ka Dabba remains his best film. Rollerblading is a sport invented by the Western civilization. It has nothing to do with the Hindus of India. The late Swami Vivekanda often told repeatedly about the loss of Hindu spiritualism due to Western influence. How true his words sound now, when India is adopting every vice that was created by the West and is now corrupting the youth who are the future of India.

As for a solution to poverty in India. It is to adopt that communist ideal which was written by Marx and Engels. To smash the elite class in India, redistribute their wealth to the poor and needy. To control the population, a one child per two people policy should be adopted, regular and yearly population census should be taken.