Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola Review

Matru Ki Bijlle Ka MandolaVery few filmmakers even dare to make the kind of films that Vishal Bhardwaj is known for. Dark, rustic, delectable with hardly any commercial value (his most acclaimed work Omkara, a film that won several awards, was a commercial failure). Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is yet another film that has the multi-talented director’s unmistakable stamp over every frame.

Starring Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Pankaj Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Arya Babbar, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola has Bhardwaj playing five roles – director, producer, music composer, singer and writer!

Story: The movie is set in the rustic surroundings of Mandola, a small village in Haryana. It’s about Harry Mandola (Pankaj Kapoor), a wealthy businessman and an alcohol addict. His driver-cum-friend Matru (Imran Khan), a lawyer who returns to his village to take up his family profession of serving the Mandol a family, is in love with Bijlee (Anushka Sharma), who is engaged to Badal (Arya Babbar), son of a powerful politician Chaudhari Devi (Shabana Azmi). Filled with twists, turns and absolute madness, the film is a tale on the lives of Matru, Bijlee and Mandola.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola Review

Unlike some of Vishal’s previous few films, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is entertaining, well-paced and has a few hilarious sequences. It’s a romantic comedy, political satire, musical, sometimes a documentary on alcohol consumption.. all mixed into one 2 hour 20 min package. Oh and there is a bit of chemical locha too, as Harry Mandola can see a pink buffalo (Gulabi Bhains) as soon as he decides to quit drinking.

While the film is quite ‘hatke’, imaginative and has Bhardwaj’s distinctly different way of story-telling as it’s plus points, the problem with Matru lies in it’s script – the film suffers from being way too predictable, goes absolutely haywire post-interval and the dialogue sometimes spoken in local dialect is a little too difficult to follow.

It’s fascinating how Bhardwaj manages to extract brilliant performances out of his actors. Someone like Imran Khan, who is not known for his on-screen histrionics, delivers his best performance to date. But Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola belongs to Pankaj Kapoor, who proves yet again that he is one of the very best actors in the country. He is simply brilliant as Mandola, a man suffering from alcoholic disorder. Anushka Sharma does well. Arya Babbar is good. Shabana Azmi is effective in a negative role.

The music, composed by Bhardwaj, goes well with the film. The camera work is impressive.

Overall, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mondala is Bhardwaj’s most commercial film to date. It isn’t his best work, far from it. But the film has his moments, the north Indian audience will understand and enjoy it a little more. Pankaj Kapoor’s flawless performance itself is worth the price of your ticket.

Rating: ★★½☆☆

Do post your reviews of Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola in the comments section below. We’d love to know what you think!

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18 Comments

  • Amitabh Bachchan’s short review of Matru Ki Bijli Ka Madola

    MKBKM : Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola – Vishal Bharadwaj’s new film .. A superlative performance by Pankaj Kapur .. and .. a film that has been made intelligently .. covers several topics in an innovative style .

  • Watched matru… couldnt stop laughing throughout the movie. Pankaj kapur was super funny. Couldnt understand the his language when he was drunk.

  • So Mandola (Pankaj Kapoor) yet again rocked the show and made the lead stars Matru (Imran) and Bijlee (Anushka) looked like non actors

  • I’ll watch this today morning show and post my review later. Excited because I have loved some of his movies like Omkara and Maqbool.

  • Indicine, you haven’t mentioned any bad things about the movie. But still you have given only 2 1/2 stars for it. Why?

  • Well, again reported reviews stating overacting by Anushka Sharma. Does she knows any other acting other than happy go lucky bold girl?

    Imran is another overrated actor, who is only in films due to his star uncle Aamir.

  • cnt undrstnd d logic of ur review, u hav praised abt film n didn’t mention any significant defects in it bt still 2 n half stars ?? on wich basis u gav rating ?

  • great news here dabaang 2 has already crossed 160 cr as far as india domestic market is concerned …..3rd highest ever in d history of indian cinema.

    3 idiots – 202 cr
    ek tha tiger – 199 cr
    Dabang 2 – 160.32 till 2day

  • MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA opened to lackluster houses across several stations. The opening numbers were slightly better at select multiplexes of Delhi, but the overall occupancy was way below the mark

    @chennai flop – dabaang 2 has done 157 cr

  • movie is great and so funny. @sareya pankaj kapoor jab drunk hote hen to wo haryanvi bolte hen. I gave it 3 and half star. Must watch movie.

  • Matru ki bijlee ka mandola is a great movie, it was affected by india england match today, really hope it collects more tomorrow, a good movie like this deserves appreciation

  • well, i read few other reviews also. on a whole i think it is an average movie. anyway i am not going to the theater and watching the movie

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