Revision as of 09:32, 1 August 2015

In Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan, film actor, plays Bajrangi, a devotee of Hanuman ji, who would rather die than tell a lie.
‘A film called Bajrangi Bhaijaan releasing on Eid. A Muslim superstar playing the role of a Hanuman-bhakt. As far as bringing Hindus and Muslims together is concerned, Kabir Khan is doing his bit to make sure the secular flavour of Bajrangi Bhaijaan is un-meddled with’ Ananya Bhattacharya wrote in India Today

In Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan, film actor with his little vaanar sena.
‘Pawan Kumar Chautrvedi (Salman) enjoys the burden of carrying the legacy of his R S S member father in Pratapgarh, UP. This is not exactly a load as Pawan grows up to be an extremely religious guy who likes to bow down to every monkey he meets. Turns out, he is least interested in studies and wrestling, two streams his father wants him to excel in. Pawan's life is turned upside down when his father sends him away to Delhi for, what else, a job.’ Rohit Vats wrote in Hindustan Times

Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor in Bajrangi Bhaijaan
‘Once in the city, he meets Rasika (Kareena) and her tough-nut father Digambar (Sharat Saxena), a devout Brahmin.’ (From Rohit Vats wrote in Hindustan Times)

Kareena Kapoor , Salman Khan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan
‘Purani Dilli, the director's choice for unfolding the basic premise, serves him well. The crowded bylanes of the walled city demonstrate the extent to which the religious lives of the Hindus and the Muslims are entangled in this part of the world,’ (Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times)

‘Pawan, alias Bajrangi, stays true to his religion in the big city, never missing a chance to attend anything that has Lord Hanuman's name next to it. His pursuits lead him to Kurukshetra where he finds an abandoned child (Harshaali Malhotra) after dancing his shoes off to Selfie le le re.’ Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times
The little Pakistani girl who has strayed into India cannot speak, and that adds to the problems (and gives the film a reason to exist; had she been able to speak she would have been deported rightaway).
Harshaali Malhotra and Salman Khan, film actor, in Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
‘While struggling to find Munni's religion, Pawan declares: "Ye Brahmin hogi, dekhte nahi kitni gori hai." In another scene, when he finds Munni eating chicken, he mutters, "Kshatriya hogi, wo maas khate hain aur gore bhi hote hain."’ (From Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times

‘Pawan takes it upon himself to reunite the child with her parents. Just that he has a set of problems that threaten to throw his mission off balance right from the word go: he has no passport, he never lies, and he is a vegetarian,’ Rohit Vats wrote in Hindustan Times
Chand Nawab, a Pakistani reporter (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) joins their efforts.
Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Bajrangi Bhaijaan .

’How will you find her ammi-abbu (parents, in Pakistan)?’ Chand Nawab, the Pakistani reporter (extreme right) asks.
‘Bajrang Bali will help us, no?’ Bajrangi replies.
‘Even in Pakistan?’ Chand Nawab asks, incredulously...
Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Bajrangi Bhaijaan .

...but He does, yes, even in Pakistan.
Om Puri (his cameo has come in for praise), Salman Khan etc in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Burqey kay peechhay kya hai?
Harshaali Malhotra and Salman Khan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Harshaali Malhotra, Salman Khan cross the Thar Desert in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, in order to take the child back to her home in Pakistan

They cross the LOC in Kashmir, too, in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, in order to take the child back to her home in Pakistan

Salman Khan is, instead, arrested as a spy in Pakistan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Pakistani policemen chase Salman Khan for an autograph.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra outside the office of the ‘SDPO, Sindh’ in Bajrangi Bhaijaan (But SDPOs are for tiny sub-districts; all of Sindh has an Inspector-General/ IGP)

Inside the SDPO’s office, Bajrangi Salman Khan, film actor shows the Pakistani cops what one determined Indian can do. Maybe it was just as well for the IGP that the ‘SDPO, Sindh’ agreed to bear the brunt for him.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Salman Khan in a wrestling match in Pakistan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Harshaali Malhotra, Salman Khan at the Indo-Pak border in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

And, of course, there is Kareena Kapoor with Salman Khan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
With the story being focussed on how Bajrangi (Salman) gets to know a mute Pakistani girl (Harshaali Malhotra) and then travels illegally through Pakistan to reunite her with her parents, Rasika (Kareena Kapoor ) pops up only in the film’s initial stages and when the film is about to end—for less than 30 minutes in all.

Rasika (Kareena Kapoor) is a supportive girl friend.
With Salman Khan and Harshaali Malhotra in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

What’s a Salman film without extreme fisticuffs?
Salman Khan, film actor, in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Or street dances?
Salman Khan, film actor, in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Rules are rules.
Salman Khan, film actor, on the sets of Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Bajrangi Bhaijaan: first look, as tweeted by ‘Brother’ Shah Rukh Khan.
India Today's report was headlined, ‘Shah Rukh, Aamir together for Salman,’ because a while later even Aamir Khan tweeted the first look

Kareena Kapoor in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Salman Khan, film actor, shooting in Kashmir in 2015 for Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Salman Khan, film actor, shooting in Kashmir in 2015 for Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Salman Khan, film actor, shooting in Kashmir in 2015 for Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Crew

Directed by

Kabir Khan

Written by

Vijayendra Prasad

Produced by

Salman Khan

Kabir Khan

Music

Pritam Chakraborty

Background Score

Julius Packiam

Cinematography

Aseem Mishra

Cast

Salman Khan, film actor, as Bajrangi

Kareena Kapoor as Rasika

Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the Pakistani reporter

Emraan Hashmi

Ali Quli Mirza

Najeem Khan

Mir Sarwar

…and Harshaali Malhotra

Indpaedia has a special page about the little doll who has already taken India and Pakistan by storm, Harshaali Malhotra

Locations

Bajrangi Bhaijaan was shot in:

New Delhi: November 2014

Mandawa, near Shekhawati in Rajasthan: January 2015, including at the Fort

Jhunjhunu district: January 2015

Kashmir, mainly Pahalgam: April,May 2015

Reviews

‘As expected, Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" has opened to rave reviews from film critics,’ IBTimes wrote a few hours after the film’s first reviews started coming in.

Imdb summed up the First Day’s reviews with an average of **** four stars from selected reviews and an 8.3/10 rating from 123 votes.

The Times of India gave the film **** four stars out of five.

Srijana Mitra Das wrote: ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan is Salman Khan's most daring film where Salman presents a beautiful performance - but allows the story to be the real dabangg… With Bajrangi, you meet a whole new Salman - this is not the shirt-ripping, ab-flaunting, dialogue-maro-ing Khan but a simple, innocent and honest man, who fails, gets tricked and beaten up - but never shaken from his purpose.

‘With gentleness and no gimmicks, Salman puts on a polished, luminous performance …Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a pure South Asian jalebi, rounded, warm, simple and sweet. Kabir captures the tension of India-Pakistan without negativity and with soft charm, skillfully using a superstar as an actor, a child artist as a superstar and a border as a muse that opens up the world.’

India Today gave the film 3.5 out of 5.

Ananya Bhattacharya went to the extent of asking ‘Bajrangi Bhaiijaan is a Salman Khan film. Honestly, why does one even need a review!?’ However, Bhattacharya added, Bajrangi Bhaiijaan ‘does have Salman, sure, but he's hardly the driving force of the film; What shines through more than anything else in this film are two people - Nawazuddin Siddiqui and child artiste Harshaali Malhotra.’

Almost all critics agreed on the contributions of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Harshaali Malhotra.

‘In all, Bajrangi Bhaijaan works for both a Salman fan and a non-fan,’ Bhattacharya concluded.

Bhattacharya’s India Today colleague Suhani Singh gave the film 2 ½ stars. Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express also gave 2 ½ stars. So did Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV: another 2 ½ stars. India Today’s average of these 5 leading reviewers was *** 3 stars out of 5.

ndtv.com echoed the mood of the critics. It wrote: ‘Watch Bajrangi Bhaijaan even if you aren't an inveterate Salman Khan fan. Harshaali will steal your heart.’

Indian Express said: ‘An adorable little girl, a superstar named Salman Khan - bhaiyya, and behena presenting 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'.’

KoiMoi.com gave the film 3.5/5 stars, adding, ‘What's Good: Emotion, drama, humour- in short, the Salman Khan package of entertainment.’

Hindustan Times gave the film 2 ½ stars. Rohit Vats wrote:

‘Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan is one film that will bring them to the theatres in droves and you'd do yourself a favour by keeping quiet even if you think this film is over the top. But then, chances are that you may also love it.’

Mid-Day’s Shubha Shetty Saha wrote:

‘If you think you have to leave your brains at home for a Salman Khan film, be surprised. This one will need you to take your heart along with your brains as well. For above everything else, 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' sure has its heart in its right place.

‘This movie portrays secularism in an unpreachy, fun way. No taxing jingoism, no chest beating dialogues, instead you are served self-effacing humour and smart lines

‘The story (by V.Vijayendra Prasad) is about conversion. No, not the archaic one religion to another kind, but of the humane variety; from being conditioned to be rigid about one's own religion to peacefully accepting to co-exist with the unique ways of other religions.

‘Salman Khan pleasantly surprises with his un-hero like …and Nawazuddin, who's trusted to make his characters most believable is perfectly cast. But it is the little Harshaali Malhotra who will steal your heart with her angelic face and evidently natural talent.

‘Be ready to want to wolf whistle, even when you have a tear or two stealthily streaming down your cheek. Watch it.’

Karan Johar tweeted much the same: There wasn't a dry eye at the end of the screening

Box office collections

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The Rs500 crore club?

Films that make viewers’ eyes go wet are those that connect with them. Bajrangi Bhaijaan has obviously done that. which is why in yet another article in India Today Ananya Bhattacharya speculated if the film would collect Rs500 crore—just under one and a half times the previous record—at the international box office.

Bhattacharya proved right. And by a margin.

Worldwide total

(Domestic + overseas)

After 3 days: Rs226.64 crore gross

After 4 days: Rs264.45 crore gross

After 6 days: roughly Rs.304 crore (gross)

After 8 days: Rs197.77 crore (domestic net) + Rs83.29 crore (overseas gross)

After 9 days: Rs.350.27 crore worldwide

After 11 days: Rs 453.11 crore worldwide (Dom Gross Rs337.52 crore; Dom Net Rs250.02 crore; Overseas: Rs115.59 crore gross)

After 12 days: Rs472 crore (worldwide); Domestic net Rs. 259.12 cr; Dom. gross Rs349.81 crore; overseas Rs122 crore.

After 13 days: (Worldwide must be around Rs485 crore) (Rs266.22 crore Dom Net Overseas total $ 20 million i.e Rs128 crore (on 29 July))

After 14 days: Rs.508 crore Worldwide; Dom NetRs272.25 crore Dom gro