I had been waiting for the film since the day it was announced and had enormous expectations from it. Starring the solid actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the promising debutante Sara Ali Khan, Kedarnath is based on the life of two lovers from different communities dwelling around one of the most religious temple of Lord Shiva better known as Kedarnath. As far as the trailer was concerned, what got me curious was the Kedarnath tragedy which happened in 2012 which lost approximately 3,000 deaths with 7,000 people still missing. With such a powerful and impacting background, breathtaking location and a solid cast, the makers could have made an iconic movie but they failed.
Plot : It is the tried and tested formula of two lovers, Mandakini who is nicknamed (Sara) and Mansoor (Sushant) passionately in love but belonging to different communities, here, Hindu & Muslim, where the guy gets beaten and the girl is grounded. Their parents are no where close to agreeing to let them be together and are separated. There are romantic songs, mushy moments, crackling chemistry between the lead actors followed by sadness and tears which one may expect after seeing the trailer. I was specifically looking out for the details which the movie could have shown about the tragedy, how it happened, what really went there when the calamity stuck and how was it treated by the Indian government to bring it all back to normal. Though one will say that the makers have tried to show it all but there is no detailing and time given to build what could have been shown. Till the movie’s interval, there is no mention of the hazard and soon after the interval, when I started asking people around me that when will the nature’s force will take charge, it finally happened but for a brief 20-25 minutes.
While Mandakini is the adopted daughter of a local brahmin in Kedarnth, Mansoor who has also lost his dad is a local pitthoo who carries the tourists till the top of the mountain sometimes on a horse and sometimes by himself.
Review : The first half is relatively much better and keeps you entertained. Abhishek has only paid heed to the romantic angle and in building the lead characters & their chemistry. The beautiful and breathtaking location & landscapers enhance the romantic vibe and Amit Trivedi’s magical music charms you. But the lack of quality VFX, a sensible climax and losing the script’s direction & purpose really brings the overall movie experience down. It could have been a masterpiece as the makers could have given more emphasis on production and could have made it look believable as they had it all right from an interesting plot to good actors.
Performances : This is an important film in Sushant’s career who has given a few solid performances in his career. His endearing Mansoor act will be a delight to his fans and he is commendable. He somehow speaks through his eyes and portrays all the emotions well. Not to forget, he lip-syncs and dances like a true Hindi film hero. Coming to Sara, who has made a promising debut with Kedarnath, the girl’s natural act is hard to miss and her talent will speak for herself. She is fiery and will remind you of her mother Amrita Singh and even Preity Zinta, in a few scenes. Sara definitely brings the old world charms of actresses of the 90’s with her mannerisms and adaayegi.
Overall, the movie disappoints but the actors and the music don’t and here’s where it’s passable. I go with 2.5 stars. If you are a big fan of Sushant, you might just watch it in the theaters and also for Sara’s charismatic debut.
