Youngistaan
Youngistaan
| 28 March 2014 (USA)
Youngistaan Trailers

Abhimanyu Kaul - a young, independent, Games Developer, living in Japan and the love of his life, Anwita Chauhan - a bubbly, passionate and full of life, summer intern. Their happy and content life faces the test of time, when blood ties and the pressure of being born into the first family of India tears a young Abhimanyu between his love for Anwita and a promise made to his dying father, the Prime Minister of India. Being a public figure, by reluctantly accepting to represent the governing party, much against his own wishes and at the cost of his private life, is a double-edged sword that Abhimanyu must walk on.

Reviews
Rajasekhar A J

The movie starts of slow, but the attitude and the slow build of the story line keeps you gripping, the actors have played a great role in gripping the movie. The director's vision is great waiting for the sequel(hope doesn't get boxed because of low box office response).The story line is not new, it is something we already have come across in many movies the change, but the manner of portrayal sure is different. I would watch it again I really don't mind, the background music beats grip you.We see a movie just for time pass but try to see them based on what we can take out of these movies. The life lessons like the ones in the movie are small and practical and they hit the nail on the head and should be easy to identify.The above is my personal opinion.

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jmathur_swayamprabha

Vasu Bhagnaani's production Youngistaan starring his son Jacky Bhagnaani in lead role was released on 28.03.2014 telling the story of a 28 years old youth becoming the prime minister of India. Less than two months later, the rulers of India changed and we got a new prime minister who is not 28 years old but 64 years old. However the Indian masses have voted him to power with an absolute majority with a lot of expectation. Let's see what he is able to do during his tenure. However the story of Youngistaan is somewhat similar not to that of the current prime minister of India but to that of Late Rajiv Gandhi who had accidentally become the Indian premier at the relatively young age of 40 years on 31.10.1984 after the brutal murder of his mother and the then prime minister of India - Mrs. Indira Gandhi. I watched Youngistaan quite late (after the general elections and the change of rule at the centre) but this movie impressed me so much that I decided to write its review.Abhimanyu Kaul (Jacky Bhagnaani) is the son of the prime minister of India - Mr. Dashrath Kaul (Boman Irani) but having no interest in politics, has always stayed away from it and is pursuing his career as a computer game developer in Japan when he has to rush to India due to his father's being on his death-bed. In order to fulfill the last wish of his father, he has to enter Indian politics quite reluctantly and wear the thorny crown of Indian premiership. His girlfriend Anwita (Neha Sharma) who never wanted him to join politics, is quite unhappy at it but she has to yield before his decision. How Abhimanyu is able to don this role and checkmate his opponents with his deceased father's secretary Akbar Uncle (Farooq Sheikh) being the only trustworthy person for him in this cobweb, forms the remaining part of the movie.After watching I am surprised that most of the professional reviewers have trashed this movie like anything as if it's a very bad product. This is one more illustration of the various biases maintained and nurtured by the Indian film reviewers. Youngistaan may not be a great movie but it's by all means a good, well-made and admirable movie. The movie clearly conveys what it purports to convey without any confusion, ambiguity or digression. The heart of the movie is in the right place and despite being an imaginary and improbable story, the things happening in the corridors of Indian politics have been depicted with a highly realistic approach. In my humble opinion, Youngistaan is a completely no-nonsense movie and the efforts of the team behind its making deserve to be appreciated.Due to the realistic approach only, the movie appears to be monotonous and boring at places. The climax is, therefore, dull and unappealing. However the filmmaker has shown better sense by not inserting too many regular Bollywood formulae and undue melodrama in the narrative and kept the things shown on the screen as straightforward and reliable as possible. Entertainment does not appear to be the motive of the filmmaker though such movies are usually made for entertaining the audience and thereby hauling box office collections. Hence this paradoxical approach of the filmmaker is strange but laudable.The whole milieu of the movie mainly that linked to the corridors of power in India, appears to be out and out real. The body language of the different characters is quite apt according to the assigned roles and the mood of the movie. Sets are impressive. Ditto for cinematography. Dialogs are not theatrical but quite appropriate according to different situations and the characters uttering them. Background score is in order.Music director Jeet Ganguly hasn't composed any super hit numbers for this movie but his musical score alongwith the lyrics of Arijit Singh is certainly good.I have been an admirer of Jacky Bhagnaani since his debut movie Kal Kissne Dekha (2009). He is a handsome as well as talented actor who deserves the right break to give a boost to his career. He has rendered a controlled performance in the lead role of Abhimanyu whose years are tender but personality is mature. Another highly admirable performance has come from Late Farooque Sheikh in the role of the PM's secretary. All others have also fitted the bill.The word Youngistaan represents the youthful part of the Indian population who is open-minded, progress-oriented, free from bigotry and does not believe in any undesirable discrimination among people. This Youngistaan badly needs a youthful, dynamic and open-minded leader at the helm of affairs. The hero of Youngistaan is an imaginary character but we, the right-thinking Indians, wish that it were real.

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Suman Shakya

"Youngistaan," stands for a country driven by a young prime-minister who is really a novice in politics. In a way, the film hints into Rahul Gandhi who recently fought for a political election in India. Subject wise the film is pretty good and shows a glimpse of Indian politics and gives you a chance to delve into different shades of politics. But the focus isn't very deep and wraps the issues superficially making the film pretty forgettable. Besides, the film lacks the rawness or other commercial angles that would pull crowds. Though the hero makes a good performance, the things could have been different if Ranbir Kapoor had played the role. Anyway, for me, the film was OK till it lasted but not remarkable.Rating: 2 stars out of 4

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binducherungath

The Plot: Youngistaan is a romantic movie set up in the backdrop of political scenario. It is a very light movie and indeed different from the usual ones. No melodrama neither when the romance is handled nor when politics is handled.Abhimanyu Kaul (Jackky Bhagnani) is happily settled in Japan Professionally (in a high flying job) and also personally (in a live-in relationship with Anwita Chauhan essayed by Neha Sharma). Everything is going great and that is when he learns about his father Dashrath Kaul's (Boman Irani) ill-health who is the Prime minister of India. On father's demise, Abhimanyu is propelled into the nation's highest political seat i.e. of Prime Minister. Dashrath Kaul before dying leaves him in the trusted care of his PA and Adviser, Akbar (Farooque Sheikh).The movie is the journey of a young man who has strayed into politics as the acting Prime Minister until the next election, which is six months away. He tries to handle the not so popular ruling party (of his father), the Akhil Bharatiya Kranti Party (ABKP) and its seasoned party members, at times tactfully, and at times in a shrewd manner. He does take efforts to balance his professional and personal life.The flip side of the movie is that it neither showcases hardcore politics nor romance. We have a young Prime Minister who is unconventional in his thoughts, who feels, it is absolutely alright not to follow typical neta type dress-code or even to have a live-in girl friend carrying his child.But I feel that, Lok Sabha election being around the corner, the timing was absolutely perfect to launch Youngistaan. But somewhere the effort has fizzled since no current issues are highlighted, no specific change is suggested and no specific message is mentioned. Official Trailer:Direction, Story, Dialogue and Screenplay: The Director, Syed Ahmad Afzal, has taken a different approach to project this film on political drama cum romance. He has tried to convey the message very very lightly without emphasizing on serious things. Probably he did not want to make a hard core political or romantic movie.Story, Dialogue and Screenplay by Syed Ahmad Afzal, Ramiz Ilham Khan, Maitrey Bajpai are simple without much of melodrama. Even the speech at UN assembly by Abhimayu is written at a very ground level.Personally, I liked one dialogue of Abhimayu: When the person whom you love is angry with you, don't question him/ her, just go and hug him / her. That person simply needs you.Cast and their Performance: Jackky Bhagnani as Abhimanyu Kaul comes across a very lovable personality who is very presentable on screen. He is cool, composed even in midst of uncertainties, romours, oppositions, criticisms. His temperance is appreciable.Neha Sharma as Anwita Chauhan doesn't have much role apart from playing a girl-friend of acting Prime-minister, who suddenly finds herself in house arrest due to security issues. One can not deny that she has done justice to her role who is possessive, freedom loving, and at times immature and overbearing.Boman Irani as Dashrath Kaul , father of Abhimanyu, has a guest appearance only, but his presence is felt throughout the movie.Kayoze Irani as Zafar, Abhimayu's friend and Mita Vashishth, Abhimanyu' office personnel are good.But I want to make a special mention of Akbar, Abhimanyu's PA and Adviser, essayed by Farooq Sheikh. I adored every frame in which he was there. Loved his expressions and the way he dealt with Abhimanyu and his relationship with Anwita. Super cool. I am going to miss him on screen since this was his last movie.Music: Music is OK. Arijit crooning Suno na Sangemarmar (music by Jeet Ganguli and lyrics by Kausar Munir) is very good, and it is ranking high in the chartbusters. Youngistaan anthem (sung by Shree D, Ishq Bector) is good with its meaningful lyrics.Moments to watch out for: Farooq Sheikh on screen (unfortunately for the last time). Implementation of e-voting. Youngsters shouldering the responsibility to choose the leaders.Thumbs up: The very thought behind making the movie : Be the change, if you want change. A very light movie without political bloodshed.Thumbs down: The film fails to focus on either of the theme – Romance and Politics. Script and the idea is good, but less clarity as far as the screenplay is concerned. Abhimanyu's victory is not justified : what exactly he achieved during his tenure as Acting Prime Minister, which prompted the country to choose him ? His personal life and its issues were more in focus rather than the Election & winning strategies, Country's issues etc. The story does not develop at all till interval.

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