My last review was on Father Williams of the film SINS and now it?s time to write about Brother Nikhil.
My Brother? Nikhil deals with the trauma of Nikhil (Sanjay Suri), whose life and dignity are snatched, the minute it is discovered he is HIV+. It also shows the social stigma and extreme reservations attached in the minds of both the ignorant and the informed, when it comes to AIDS.
The film is set in Goa and it spans Nikhil's life from 1987 to 1994, when AIDS awareness was considerably low. The story is told to the viewer through the experiences and points of view of Nikhil's father (Victor Banerjee), mother (Lilette Dubey), friend (Purab Kohli), girlfriend (Dipannita Sharma), lawyer (Shweta Kwaatra) and sister (Juhi Chawla), interspersed with flashbacks.
Nikhil?s employer sacks him for being HIV-positive and the entire office is petrified. On the swimming front, not only is the popular swimming champion not allowed to enter the pool but is also dropped from the upcoming tournament.
This is not the end of the humiliations for Nikhil, the exaggerated part comes when his mom and dad throw him out of the house. Quite understandable because parents do tend to react strongly at times. If you thought that was the end?hold on? the even-exaggerated part comes when he is taken away by the cops for a ?medical check up?, treated like a criminal, hit and abused and eventually locked up in a shabby toilet-like room! I really couldn?t digest this scene. How can an individual of a democratic country be treated like that??? Isn?t there any law that protects people?s right to privacy?
Another horrifying and shocking revelation of the film is that Nikhil has love interests in his best friend Nigel (Purab Kohli).
I love watching sensitive films but somehow I just couldn?t connect with My Brother Nikhil. May be because lot has been spoken, written and shown about AIDS and that?s what makes the issue dated. Also, the story is very predictable. Another thing that disturbs a movie buff like me, is that Indian cinema today has started losing its charm because filmmakers seem to have lost their integrity.
If we completely ignore those filmmakers who make films to earn quick big bucks, we will be left with the ones who effortlessly select topics that are highly controversial, e.g., Infidelity, Politics, Age differences in romance, AIDS, gays/lesbians, etc.
Controversial topics seem to be the easiest and the safest route to attract the critics? and public attention. Thank god! In today?s time we do have a handful of makers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, JP Dutta, Karan Johar and Yash Chopra, who are in the film business not only for fame and money but also for the art of it.
However, My Brother Nikhil is not an out an out ?bad? film. It does have some extremely touchy scenes like:
1. The scene when Nikhil is thrown out of the house by his parents. Guys, do watch Sanjay?s expressions carefully. It?s awesome.
2. When Nikhil is dying, Juhi comes to Purab and tells him that she doesn?t have the courage to go inside and see Nikhil in that state.
3. Nikhil?s tiff with Nigel, out of frustration and helplessness that his illness has left him inactive unlike others who lead a normal life.
4. The scene where Nikhil after knowing for the first time that he has HIV.. comes to his sis and terrified within... curls in her lap... his sis unable to comprehend thinks he is scared of marrying Leena.
Some other positive points of My Brother Nikhil:
Sanjay Suri in the principal role, steals the show
Purab Kohli as Nikhil's friend is adequately sensitive.
There is an aura of goodness that surrounds Juhi Chawla?s personality.
Enjoy the picturesque backdrop of Goa, especially check out Nikhil sea-facing house
Victor Banerjee and Lilette Dubey are seasoned actors and have strong screen presence.
The only song of the film, Le chalen..., is hummable
Some negative points now:
I To begin with, it is a film about a Swimming Champ, but to my surprise, there were hardly four scenes of Sanjay in the pool. May be the unit couldn't afford the Swimming pool charges or probably they thought those many scenes were more than enough to establish that their protagonist was a State level Swimming Champion!
II Not only does Mr. Champ does less of swimming but also, very bravely flaunts his flabby body and his tiny undergarments. Sorry to say but Sanjay Suri did not look like a Champ at all. He looked more like a beginner.
III Shayan Munshi ? he looks Yucccccck!!!
IV Juhi Chirpy Chawla plays the role of the elder sister of Sanjay Suri but they did not at all look like brother and sister. They shared a cute chemistry as a married couple in Jhankar beats and somehow that chemistry was so perfect and powerful that one cant accept them as brother and sister.
V The entire film is in the Documentary style hence gets very boring after a while.
The film has no entertainment or popcorn value; so don?t waste your money in multiplexes. Instead, go and have the double crust pizza at Dominos!
Post comments:
Addressed to all the people who loved My Brother Nikhil and have objected to my review
Guys!
Don?t pounce on me! It was my point of view and I did not intend to hurt your emotions. Somehow most of us have a mentality that every film that gives out a sensitive message, is a classic. It is not our fault because bollywood has started offering us bad cinema for the past few years and that, as it is leaves us with not many good options. I respect filmmakers who take risks by taking up bold or taboo topics. However, my concern is that these days taking up such topics, has become a trend. Filmmakers don?t make those films because they care for those homosexuals or those AIDS patients but because they know that it will be a sure shot bestseller.
As far as Yash Chopra?s filmmaking skills are concerned, I think we should respect him for what he does. I disagree with chilledout25 that he uses safe topics. By the way, he is the same maker who made the socially significant Dhool ka Phool about an unwed mother, Dharamputra, addressing communal harmony, the songless and bold thriller - Ittefaq, Trishul ? which had as its main ingredient a father - son conflict with an illegitimate son destroying his father for abandoning him and his mother and last but not the least, Lamhe - probably the first in the series of cross-generational love stories
No one can manage to give those blockbusters time and again by recycling topics.
To sum it up, I am not here to influence other?s thoughts but express my thoughts. So chill and keep RRCing on Mouthshut.
