Hawaa Hawaai | Movie Review – Stunning, Brilliant And Inspirational

Star cast: Saqib Saleem, Partho Gupte

Writer, Director: Amole Gupte

What I had expected from the movie: Sweet and inspiring movie about life and sports

Praises: Terrific performance by the all the actors and brilliant direction

Complains: Music could have been better, probably required A .R Rahman

First Word

There are two kinds of kids who head out early in the morning with their bags and lunchboxes packed. They travel on their small innocent feet to spend their day at a place which becomes an integral part of their lives, it becomes the place from where they learn the most. The first kind go to schools to learn about life, science and biology and the other kind stay on the streets and learn the art of survival and the science of hunger. Hawaa Hawaai is the story of one such kid who works 12 hours a day for a mere 50 bucks to feed his family who has lost their only bread earner.

Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare serves tea near a skating rink where he has his first encounter with the sport. As buying skates is  beyond his reach, his friends decide to build a pair of skates for Arjun to fulfil his passion for skating.He gets his first pair of skates and he starts practicing by secretly watching Aniket Bhargava train other kids. Aniket spots his passion for skating and takes Arjun under him and decides to make a champion out of him.

What happens next is predictable but the way it has been shot and directed is what does that magic in a simple story. Hawaa Hawaii directed by Amole Gupte is nothing short of a marvel, every scene has been done with so much emotion and grace that it’s hard to find flaws in it. Its pure work of passionate cinema making.

Direction

Making a movie on a simple yet heart-warming story requires a delicate handling of the subject. The material should be strong and yet not be preachy .Maintaining that balance requires the craftwork of a master story-teller and when it comes to movies for kids, there is no one better than Amole Gupte (‘Stanley ka Dabba ,Taare Zameen Par’).Each and every scene has been shot with sheer brilliance. There are certain sequences which are shot in a way only documentaries are shot and that lends the film its authenticity in portrayal of the life of the kids who spend their childhood working in the streets. It’s the realism of the direction which makes the movie so invigorating.

Performances

If I was to choose the best actor award this year ,I would give it to the actor who is brimming with talent at such an young age.Though his father Amole Gupte has a big hand in his performance but I am sure there is no other kid in the industry as talented as Partho Gupte.His portrayal of the innocent, strong and vulnerable Arjun is near perfect. There are very few in the industry who can perform such brilliantly and all of them are at least 20 years senior to him.

Same can be said about Saqib Saleem whose tenacity in the movie reminded me of SRK from ‘Chak De India’, a big feat for an actor of his age. With back to back brilliant performances Saqib is here to stay and to do quality movies.

Final Word

Hawaa Hawaii is one of such rare Bollywood movies which make you feel completely satisfied. Laden with brilliant performances from its lead cast and sensitive direction, it’s truly a gem. You should not miss such a movie for any reason. Watch it, it will win you over with its honesty and simplicity.

All those people who complain about Bollywood not making quality movies, will have a change of heart after watching this marvel.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Watch the trailer of Hawaa Hawaai here: