Critics Review

Angrezi Medium Review

Angrezi Medium Review

This charming comedy-drama, directed by Homi Adajania, is the spiritual sequel to Hindi Medium, released in 2017. The final film starring Irrfan Khan to be released before his untimely death and is a charming and fitting tribute to one of the biggest legends Bollywood has ever produced, getting a Star Rating of 3.5 Stars.

Plot: Angrezi Medium is a comedy-drama set in the metro of Udaipur in Rajasthan. The story follows the life and times of Champak Bansai, played by Irrfan Khan, who is a widower that owns a sweet shop and wants the best for his daughter, Tarika.

Tarika’s big goal in her young life is to become clever enough to be accepted to a foreign university so she can travel and study in a faraway country. The catch is that she is not particularly strong academically, so it requires a lot of support and guidance from her father.

After some hard work and dedication, Tarika earns the right to study overseas. Still, an altercation results in her scholarship letter being torn to pieces and her father vowing to do everything he can to make her dream a reality.

Review: The film is a charming coming of age story of triumphing over adversity no matter what the cost. It is a tale about how there is nothing stronger in the world than the love between a parent and their child and that, in the end, honour will triumph over evil.

The only criticism of the movie is that it doesn’t offer anything that we haven’t seen before, nor does it take any risks. Instead, it is a solid, fun movie to watch that has you laughing to break the tension and adds drama at all the right moments, which is why it earned its three and a half stars.

While not groundbreaking in any particular fashion, Angrezi Medium is worth watching for fans of the comedy/drama genre, Irrfan Khan, or people who enjoy an excellent feel-good movie.

Direction: Adajania was assisted by some phenomenal casting for this film, but he still does an excellent job building up the importance of the relationship between Khan’s character and his daughter. There are a couple of intriguing subplots that are woven expertly into the story without taking away from the main plot.

The lighting and sound effects are used well to add character to every scene, but just as with the plot and overall impression of the film, it is more that it was only executed well rather than setting a new standard for how things should be done. A solid effort overall.

Why To Watch: As mentioned, this was the last film starring Khan to be released before his untimely death in April 2020. Over his career, Bollywood has become one of the biggest film industries globally, and it has been responsible for the release of more major motion pictures than even Hollywood in America.

This popularity has naturally led to influences in other industries that have seen very surprising clashes of culture, such as the Japanese heavy metal band Baby Metal composing a song based on the Hindi call to piece called Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, or the wildly popular songs that have been embraced internationally like Jai Ho.

It can also be seen in the video game industry where several Bollywood-themed games such as Ra.One have been released. There is even evidence in the iGaming sector where Bollywood themed slots such as Bollywood Nights, and Bollywood story are available at online casinos that accept players from India such as 10Cric. 

Khan was a huge part of building Bollywood to be the international film juggernaut it became during his 32-year career on-screen. The film is not Oscar-worthy by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a must-see for Khan fans.