Angrezi Medium

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (?)

quick review:

Guilt-tripping masked under the garb of a parent-daughter relationship. If the masking is intentional, it’s a shame. If it isn’t, then the writing is all over the place.

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Director: Homi Adajania
Running time: 145 minutes
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Angrezi Medium - Preview

A father tries to organise finances to get his daughter educated in a school abroad. That sounds familiar from real-life. Not so much in reel-life. For that reason alone, Angrezi Medium seems like a welcome addition to the “not same old” films that we have seen in the last few weeks.

And then it has good actors which might help overlook some of the slapstick-iness that we see a glimpse of in the trailer. Let’s hope the rest of the comedy is actually funny.

Also, I haven’t seen Hindi Medium yet. Not sure if it is an important pre-watch, but will try to catch it before I see Angrezi Medium.

Angrezi Medium releases on 13 March 2020.

- meeta, a part of the audience

A father is reluctant to send his daughter abroad for further education. Once he sees her work hard though, he wants to do all in his might to get her what she wants. And then it takes you by surprise—not in a good way. This seemingly sweet premise takes a Baghbaan-esque turn. It exaggerates characteristics of all characters to highlight the contrast between an ungrateful younger generation and an all-giving, ever-forgiving older generation. Yes, the ones in which eyes could roll and roll and not stop until the movie does.

it has a “pass the story” feel to it

Sure, the performances are ace class. Radhika Madan, Irrfan, Deepak Dobriyal are all as believable as they could possibly be, once you have accepted the story for what it is. Ranveer Shorey, Pankaj Tripathi, Kareena Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia—all entertain and engage as they do. However, all their characters seem rather superficial in the larger scheme of things. Especially, the ladies.

This is owing to a plot that gets more and more convoluted. Sure, they wanted to make us laugh, and some of the bits do bring a smile. However, it is all too silly to be considered situational. A lot of it is also slapsticky, adding no spunk or class to the comedy.

What you are left with then is this whole lead-up to the points that the film wants to make—parents are always right, the younger generation is ungrateful, education abroad is over-rated, and living abroad leads to a demeaning life for Indians. Interestingly, Angrezi Medium does have Indians who are successful in the UK, but they are assimilated in “their” system and need some schooling. Such a lopsided take on life abroad is not only cringe-worthy, but it is also boring.

In addition, some scenes, especially the drunken scenes between the Bansal brothers, are stretched out way too long. In general, the writing has a ‘let’s see where this goes’ vibe to it. The premise is set, the start and end points are known. How we get from one end to the other though, is completely irrelevant. Therefore, it has a “pass the story” feel to it. As if some friends got together and decided to write one line each in the story picking off where the previous person left the story.

Basically not the kind of place you want to see the likes of Irrfan. Even if he is making snide observations about politics and patriarchy. And some of it is made interesting with the percussion in the background. Anyway, the hoops Irrfan jumps through might have sounded funny when a parent was running pillar to post to organise some money for his daughter’s education. Notwithstanding that he seemed to have bail money for the person who duped him, could buy his daughter a MacBook. But it stopped being funny when he began guilt-tripping his daughter when she wanted to live her life. She, in turn, is exaggeratedly rude, even if you consider that she is hardly in the know of what is going on with her father.

Yeah, all very convoluted. The kind of convoluted that could have been avoided. But since that is done, you could still avoid watching it all.

- meeta, a part of the audience

34 reviewers(?) - 8 yays 22 so-so 4 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...But still, Angrezi Medium is a thing of a beauty and a joy for two and a half hours.One extra star in the rating only for Irrfan’s comeback.... full review

Thumbs up, by Shubha Shetty Saha, Free Press Journal : ...Watch this one for Irrfan for sure. He’s back after a long time and watching his performance will only make you realise how much you missed him and his talent.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vishal Verma, Glamsham.com : ...Still with its glaring flaws, ANGREZI MEDIUM is watchable thanks to the charming magic of Irrfan Khan throughout, the sweet father daughter bond and the banter with Deepak Dobriyal. Going with an extra one star for the incredible Irrfan Khan who is 10/10 in this movie.... full review

Thumbs up, by Divyanshi Sharma, india today : ...Watch this one for the incredible performances and raw emotions that it evokes. One thing that we guarantee after you step out of the theatre is that you will want to give your parents a tight hug and thank them for everything they have done.... full review

Thumbs up, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, you’ll love Angrezi Medium for a whole lot of things it says with the safeguard of comedy. The actors do their best to keep you well-connected with the story.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vaibhavi V Risbood, Pinkvilla : ...However, the star cast's gift of the gab, acting skills, and some witty one-liners take the shortest route to the audience's hearts. It is a hilarious and heart-warming account of a father-daughter relationship. It is a tale of friends, of coming of age, of small-town dreams obsessed with an illusion of studying in a foreign university, and of teenage rebellion to attain freedom from parents.... full review

Thumbs up, by ANISH MOHANTY, Planet Bollywood : ...‘Angrezi Medium’ does not turn out to be as memorable as ‘Hindi Medium’ but is a film that is consistently engaging, despite several moments of implausibility, and manages to deliver an important message quite effectively.... full review

Thumbs up, by Pallabi Dey Purkayastha, Times of India : ...'Angrezi Medium' does lose its grip on several occasions, what it does not lose is its hold on the emotion that it is trying to bring out, and the message it leaves you with.... full review

So-So, by Anna MM Vertticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Irrfan is returning to acting after a long break due to a health scare. He seems to have grown as an artiste in this time away from the public eye. He is so consumed by his character that the strain of doing an accent never once shows, nor does he, unlike many lesser actors in other films, allow that accent to overpower his sensitive performance. After The Lunchbox, Champak in Angrezi Medium must rank as among his best work. A fine performance for a fun film.... full review

So-So, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, ANGREZI MEDIUM works only because of Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal's chemistry and also due to some touching moments. At the box office, HINDI MEDIUM’s goodwill and Irrfan's comeback will ensure decent footfalls for the movie over the weekend.... full review

So-So, by Pankaj Sabnani, Bollywood Life : ...Angrezi Medium has some great ideas but they don’t translate on screen. Even superlative performances by Irrfan, Radhika Madan and Deepak Dobriyal don’t prove enough. I’m going with 2.5 stars.... full review

So-So, by Deepa Gahlot, Deepa Gahlot : ...When given a half-way decent scene, Irrfan and Dobriyal lift it with their unbridled energy, but saving this film from its constant slides into absurdity is beyond their combined talents.... full review

So-So, by Aishwarya Vasudevan, DNA : ...The film has several laughter moments for its stupendous dialogues and expressions matched to it by the actors. But even the climax of the film didn't help and we wished there was a better ending to the story.... full review

So-So, by Anupama Chopra, Film Companion : ...I found myself teary at the end of Angrezi Medium. I was moved by Champak’s emotions. I was also moved by Irrfan, his strength and his resilience against the deadly disease he is currently battling – in an audio clip promoting the film, he called it an “unwanted mehman.”... full review

So-So, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Irrfan Khan, as we know, was undergoing treatment for a near-fatal disease and was in much pain throughout the shooting of the film. So kudos to him for overcoming the odds and giving us another masterful performance. We only wish the script should have matched his heroic effort...... full review

So-So, by Madhuri V, Filmi Beat : ...Sachin-Jigar's music impresses in parts and pieces. 'Ek Zindagi' is a fast-paced track which motivates you to give wings to your dreams. 'Laadki' gets you sentimental with its heartfelt composition.... full review

So-So, by Kritika Deval, fullhyd.com : ...The music is upbeat but unexceptional, as is the cinematography.... full review

So-So, by Monika Rawal Kukreja, Hindustan Times : ...All said and done, Angrezi Medium, a potentially good film, falls prey to poor execution and a weak screenplay. And in the end, it is power packed performance from Irrfan and Deepak that saves this sinking ship and lets it sail through.... full review

So-So, by Ankur Pathak, Huffington Post : ...Anil Mehta has an eye of a magician. The celebrated cinematographer illuminates Udaipur magnificently, making the city of lakes appear like one of the gorgeous Mediterranean coastal towns. It’s a clever storytelling device, which ties up with the eventual ‘message’ of the film that India is no less than ‘foreign.’... full review

So-So, India TV : ...The urge to squeeze in too many sub plots and characters takes its toll as the film, after an engaging build-up in the first hour, meanders in the post-interval portion before reaching a rather insipid ending. What rescues the film from sinking are the three performances that matter. Irrfan, Deepak Dobriyal and Radhika Madan are first-rate.... full review

So-So, by R.M. Vijayakar, India West : ...Technically alright, the film has an excellent background score by Sachin-Jigar, though the songs sound nice only while on.... full review

So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Angrezi Medium could just as well have been called Irrfan Returns. Watching this terrific actor lighting up the screen, of knowing about his medical struggles, and the fact that he did this film while still in treatment, gives it a special bittersweet flavour. Hindi or Angrezi, whatever the medium, Irrfan is truly the message, transmitting directly from the heart. Dil se.... full review

So-So, by Ambika Sachin, Khaleej Times : ...Watch Angrezi Medium if you enjoy desi movies and don't mind a slow-paced first half. Thankfully the laughs are in plenty and the acting topnotch so what if the drama veers into an unbelievable comedy in the second half?... full review

So-So, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Can you watch an entire, two hours' thirty minutes' film for an actor alone? Didn't think would ever say that: But frankly, in this case — with so much else also playing between my head and the big screen — yes, you can. Or how can you not? Welcome back, Irrfan. Hope to see more of you. Better movies will inevitably follow.... full review

So-So, by Shalini Sur, Movie Talkies : ...I will give this film a three out of five stars and recommend to watch it once, just to experience the grace of a seasoned actor like Irrfan Khan. Also because of its highly relatable story of children wanting to pursue higher education in a foreign land and seeking independence with age, and how parents continuously second doubt their child's wishes, yet does every possible thing to ensure that their dreams are achieved.... full review

So-So, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Angrezi Medium doesn’t trust the audience to deduce much from the proceedings and opens with the ‘definition’ of a parent: someone who “loves selflessly”. If only director Homi Adajania would have trusted his material and not underlined and spelt out everything, this could’ve been a sharper and perhaps, more introspective watch.... full review

So-So, by Rajeev Masand, News18.com : ...In the end I feel like Angrezi Medium is one part clunky, and one part enjoyable. It’s not a perfect film – far from it – but I will admit I came out with a smile. I’m going with a generous three out of five.... full review

So-So, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Despite a superb set of actors at its disposal, Angrezi Medium squanders away their charisma to play undistinguished, unremarkable characters.... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Angrezi Medium really belongs to Deepak Dobriyal, who is in sync with the unrelenting wackiness. Dobriyal has turned playing to the gallery into an art, and he is completely credible even in the most incredulous scenes. Champak and Gopi make a hilarious odd couple.... full review

So-So, by Priyanka Roy, The Telegraph : ...It’s left to Irrfan and Deepak Dobriyal to do much of the heavy lifting to keep Angrezi Medium afloat. The two play off each other well, with Irrfan ensuring that you do walk out with a smile — despite the film’s overbearing sexist worldview — once the lights come on. Welcome back, Irrfan!... full review

Thumbs down, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...A film about a free and loving father-daughter relationship becomes a closed circuit. It’s that old cliché about setting someone free if you love them and seeing if they come back. But does Champak ever really set Tarika free?... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...That, in a nutshell, is Angrezi Medium. It is Irrfan and Dobriyal all the way. To put it in not-so-plain Angrezi, the rest is just laboured artifice.... full review

Thumbs down, by Joginder Tuteja, Planet Bollywood : ...All in all, this is what the film as a whole is as well, a film which goes ahead in motions but without any emotions... full review

Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...The lesser characters get in to the film and out of it without any notice. Tillotama Shome was gone before I could take two sips of coffee. Strangely the only moments that worked for me were the ones involving a confrontation between the mother-daughter duo that Champak and his brother bump into in London. Dimple Kapadia and Kareena Kapoor, the lengths of their appearance notwithstanding are the actors who light up the screen for a brief time. It’s criminal to have not etched them and their relationship, well.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

6 readers - 3 yays 2 so-so 1 nays

Yay! Thumbs Up, by umair

Yay! Thumbs Up, by ume

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Utkarsh Singh Raghuvanshi : Osm movie

So-So, by Abhinav Awasthi : Not much fascinating

So-So, by akshay : Born and raised in Udaipur (Rajasthan), Champak’s world pretty much revolves around his daily bicker

Nay! Thumbs Down, by Abhinav

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: None
  • Language: A few abusive words beeped out.
  • Nudity & Sexual content: None
  • Concept: A father doing what he can to fulfill his daughter’s dream
  • General Look and Feel: Nothing out of the ordinary

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

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Angrezi Medium - Cast, crew, links

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Running time:
145 minutes
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Comments (2)

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Wish I had read your comments before watching this one. Fully agree with your review. Highly unrealistic story with caricatures for all characters. What a let down after Hindi Medium.

Oh well, @Abhinav. Sorry to hear that. Next time, check review first ;)

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