‘Hawaa Hawaai’ Movie Review – Unitezz
Star Cast - Partho Gupte, Saqib Saleem, Ashfaque Khan, Salman Chhote Khan, Maaman Memon, Tirupati Krishnapelli, Neha Joshi
Produced by - Fox Star Studios
Directed by – Amol Gupte
Duration – 2 hours
Unitezz Rating - ★★★
Filmmaker Amole Gupte is once again back with a children film, after ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ his next gem ‘Hawaa ‘Hawaai’ is also a story that is totally up Gupte’s alley. Just like his film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’, ‘Hawaa Hawaai ‘too is set in the backdrop of child labour.
We have young Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare (Partho Gupte), who after his father’s death is suddenly forced into leaving his village, and supplementing his family’s income. A Mumbai tea-stall owner employs him to cart glasses of ‘kadak chai malaai maar ke’ to his customers all day long.
It’s love at first sight for Arjun (Partho Gupte), as a pair of skates captures his imagination. He observes wide-eyed as the kids zoom past him (near the tea-shop), training under skating coach, Aniket Bhargava (Saqib Saleem).
He suddenly has a goal in his life. His five-member gang (one works at a car workshop, another is a garbage picker), understands him and his dream. Making the best of waste (probably a lesson in waste management), they make a pair of Hawaa Hawaai (skates) with the help of a car workshop’s engineer.
Amol Gupte’s story is soulful, heart-breaking and hopeful – moving you from tears to deep thought. He skillfully creates a portrait of the lives of deprived children – with profundity and playfulness. The child-like chemistry the kids share is delightful (whether it’s bonding over leftover butter chicken or skate-shopping with thirty bucks).
Gupte tries a love angle, probably for the first time in his career, in one of the sub-plots. Saqib Saleem, the coach, falls for a theatre actor (Pragya Yadav), who does not support her own brother when she comes to know he is in the wrong. Their romance, however, is subtle and grows naturally.
Gupte speaks less with words and more with visuals. He tells stories within a story and leaves a lot to imagination. Gupte’s children are pure gems – Partho’s brilliance wins you over, backed by the rest of the bachchas who’re incredibly talented. Saqib is terrific as a coach with an indefatigable spirit and Neha marvels with a motherly act.
The film doesn’t have a single dull moment even as it moves at a leisurely pace in the first half. It has a dreamy quality to it, which gets enhanced by the excellent cinematography. The film picks up pace in the second half and stops only occasionally for a breather.We also have the cotton farmers’ suicides, the abject poverty of slum dwellers, the criminal carelessness of the rich, and the never-say-die human spirit from drowning in mess.
The songs too lend a dream like quality to the movie. All in all ‘Hawaa Hawaai’ is for one and all, for children, for the child in all of us and for adults who need to wake up to dream again. Hawaa Hawaai is a tribute to people who dare to dream.
A must watch for if you liked ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’, you’ll also like ‘Hawaa Hawaai’.
Produced by - Fox Star Studios
Directed by – Amol Gupte
Duration – 2 hours
Unitezz Rating - ★★★
Filmmaker Amole Gupte is once again back with a children film, after ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ his next gem ‘Hawaa ‘Hawaai’ is also a story that is totally up Gupte’s alley. Just like his film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’, ‘Hawaa Hawaai ‘too is set in the backdrop of child labour.
We have young Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare (Partho Gupte), who after his father’s death is suddenly forced into leaving his village, and supplementing his family’s income. A Mumbai tea-stall owner employs him to cart glasses of ‘kadak chai malaai maar ke’ to his customers all day long.
It’s love at first sight for Arjun (Partho Gupte), as a pair of skates captures his imagination. He observes wide-eyed as the kids zoom past him (near the tea-shop), training under skating coach, Aniket Bhargava (Saqib Saleem).
He suddenly has a goal in his life. His five-member gang (one works at a car workshop, another is a garbage picker), understands him and his dream. Making the best of waste (probably a lesson in waste management), they make a pair of Hawaa Hawaai (skates) with the help of a car workshop’s engineer.
Amol Gupte’s story is soulful, heart-breaking and hopeful – moving you from tears to deep thought. He skillfully creates a portrait of the lives of deprived children – with profundity and playfulness. The child-like chemistry the kids share is delightful (whether it’s bonding over leftover butter chicken or skate-shopping with thirty bucks).
Gupte tries a love angle, probably for the first time in his career, in one of the sub-plots. Saqib Saleem, the coach, falls for a theatre actor (Pragya Yadav), who does not support her own brother when she comes to know he is in the wrong. Their romance, however, is subtle and grows naturally.
Gupte speaks less with words and more with visuals. He tells stories within a story and leaves a lot to imagination. Gupte’s children are pure gems – Partho’s brilliance wins you over, backed by the rest of the bachchas who’re incredibly talented. Saqib is terrific as a coach with an indefatigable spirit and Neha marvels with a motherly act.
The film doesn’t have a single dull moment even as it moves at a leisurely pace in the first half. It has a dreamy quality to it, which gets enhanced by the excellent cinematography. The film picks up pace in the second half and stops only occasionally for a breather.We also have the cotton farmers’ suicides, the abject poverty of slum dwellers, the criminal carelessness of the rich, and the never-say-die human spirit from drowning in mess.
The songs too lend a dream like quality to the movie. All in all ‘Hawaa Hawaai’ is for one and all, for children, for the child in all of us and for adults who need to wake up to dream again. Hawaa Hawaai is a tribute to people who dare to dream.
A must watch for if you liked ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’, you’ll also like ‘Hawaa Hawaai’.
