Youngistaan Movie Review: An Original Tale

A film which tries to say a lot in quick time and does manage to leave back a few points too, Youngistaan is easily Jackky Bhagnani's most polished film with a classy appeal to it. Credit it to the very subject and backdrop or the vision of the director but Youngistaan indeed stands out as a film that looks and behaves differently from what Bollywood has to offer week after week. Of course this doesn't mean that it turns out to be the best in the business but at least in terms of telling an original story while staying within commercial boundaries, it does well.

Not to say that the film sees a heady kick-start for itself. In fact after well establishing the characters played by Jackky Bhagnani, Neha Sharma and Late Farooq Shaikh, the film tends to get under a repeat mode. Jackky faces challenges in his stint as a the youngest Prime Minister of the country, Neha continues to be disturbed with her sudden change in lifestyle and Sheikh stays on to be the voice of reasoning. However when one would have liked to see more of Jackky escapades as a Prime Minister, the story keeps going back to the love story, which at times seems like a deterrent.

Thankfully, pretty girl Neha has such a desirable personality that even such distractions aren't quite a turn-off, despite threatening to take the film off tangent. A far too much time is spent in the love story that by the interval point, it becomes the core of the film. Now for an outing that was promoted as the voice of the young nation, one would have rather seen Jackky slogging it out in the political battlefield and win some points for him.

No wonder, whenever the story pans towards the cabinet meetings, RAW updates, CBI enquiries, Nuclear codes and stuff alike, there is excitement that comes back in the proceedings. Thematically, at places you are reminded of Rana Daggubati's Telugu starrer Leader but the similarities just end here as Jackky's film has its own heart and soul. That is made all the more believable, courtesy a very natural act by the youngster who has otherwise played a much carefree character in most of his films. Here he is level leaded with a thinking mind that sets him apart as not just a character but also as an off-screen personality.

This is the reason why you do adore him when he shares his suggestions with the senior brass in the political ladder, expresses his helplessness in front of his loved ones, has those silent conversations with his dead father (Boman Irani), reacts to the gossips around his personal life, takes a few steps before hitting back in the political arena or come up with the cry of Youngistaan en route to his win in elections. You do relate to him and that is the biggest high for a film which was otherwise set on an unbelievable premise.

In fact the film sees a constant escalation in momentum and though the first half is just decent, the last 30 minutes of the film take a different route altogether, hence turning out to be most impressive of the lot. It is due to this reason that makes one wonder if the love story could have been curtailed and added focus on the political setting would have made the proceedings better. Nevertheless, and as stated earlier, it is Neha's presence that makes it all count eventually.

As for the senior actors, Farooq Sheikh is present in almost every scene featuring Jackky and is natural to the core all over again. He would most certainly be missed. Each of the three actors who play senior politicians is very good and lives the part. Brijendra Kala shines in a solitary scene featuring him as a wine-cum-kulfi seller. However, one would have loved to see more of Mita Vashisth who has precisely two major scenes.

Though one gets a fair deal of idea around the politicians on whose life the film has been set, credit must go to the makers that none of that is in-your-face, which could otherwise had seemed like a political propaganda. Given the current scenario, the film does carry good potential to grow further on word of mouth.