Ravi Jadhav's Underrated 'Banjo' is a decently made film, that has a good heart. Despite some flaws, the film works well & its refreshing to see a film that's not bogged by the run-of-the-mill stories we see in Hindi Cinema. Its far from perfect, but its not without its merits!
'Banjo' Synopsis: A local Musical band, led by a Banjo Player/Thug (Riteish Deshmukh), get the opportunity of a lifetime when a New-York based Musician (Nargis Fakhri) offers them to make music.
'Banjo' nicely conveys a story on street musicians, whose genuine talent, unfortunately has gone unnoticed. And that's sad! 'Banjo' is about them & how their talent deserves our attention & recognition.
Jadhav begins the story very well & the initial sequences between its leading man & women, are cute. And 'Banjo' works best, when it sticks to being about the underdogs. Its the sub-plots & Jadhav's over-stuffing approach that play a spoilsport. The angle of a rival Banjo gang seems forced & also the undercurrent of slum domination by the villains, doesn't add much to the narrative. Also, the film is a bit too long at 136-minutes. Some trimming was needed, for sure.
Nonetheless, Jadhav deserves credit for delivering a story with genuineness & some of it, definitely works. Jadhav, Kapil Sawant & Nikhil Mehrotra's Screenplay has its heart at the right place, but due to some over-stuffing, its impact lessens. The Writers should've tried a crisper approach to its rather weak sub-plots & focused primarily on its main-plot. Jadhav's Direction is well-done. Cinematography is very good. Editing needed to be sharper. Vishal–Shekhar's Score is superb & acts as a major plus-point.
Performance-Wise: Riteish is earnest & likable in the lead role. The always dependable actor remains in character & his Tapori attitude, never comes across as overdone. Nargis looks hot as always, but stumbles acting wise. Of the supporting cast, Dharmesh Yelande, Aditya Kumar & Ram Menon support wonderfully. The actor who portrays Riteish's boss, is fantastic.
On the whole, 'Banjo' is pleasant, but its not without its minuses. But for a one-time viewing, it'll sail through just finely.
