"Barfi" Review – inspires and rekindles hope!

Rating:  4.0/5 : 

Barfi, directed by Anurag Basu is undoubtedly one of the best and intelligent films to be churned out in a long time. Accepting oneself with all shortcomings, loving each other and smiling your way all the way upto the finish line - this is how one can describe Barfi!
Barfi inspires, moves and delves into the inner strength of individuals. Once the curtains are drawn, you are left behind with a feeling of joy and peace.
Barfi, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz in the lead is full of life and you end up loving each and every character. Anurag Basu has done something that very few filmmakers would like to
experiment. When you are dealing with characters that are disabled in some way or the other, it's difficult not to get into a stereotype mode of making the audience sympathise with the protagonists and portraying a 'sorry' picture. But Basu balances it extremely well without making you feel heavy or depressed.
Filled with positivity, Barfi hails the 'never-say-die' spirit of human beings and show us the ray of hope through the dark clouds. Music by Pritam is brilliant and so is the cinematography by Ravi Varman. The scenic beauty of Darjeeling is captured beautifully and you become part of their world.
Story
Barfi is set in the beautiful locales of Darjeeling and Kolkata, and is told in flashbacks. Barfi tells the story of Murphy (Ranbir Kapoor) who is dumb and deaf. Murphy is lovingly called 'Barfi'. The story is narrated mainly by Shruti and others who make up Murphy's world.
Barfi is an extremely optimistic and a jovial person who loves to live life kingsize, no matter what the problem surrounding him is. He gets attracted to Shruti (Ileana), who first comes to Darjeeling with her parents. She is engaged to be married to her college sweetheart.
Then there is the story of Barfi meeting Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), who is suffering from autism. Jhilmil is hidden away from society by her parents in a special home for a long time until she is brought back to Darjeeling when her parents demand a share of the grandfather's heritage. Though Jhilmil's parents fight it difficult to tackle her, Barfi knows exactly how to handle her. The two become very close and their affection slowly becomes very deep.
Performances
Barfi boasts of some excellent performances by all the actors. Ranbir Kapoor has proved once again that he is truly a versatile actor. His facial expressions and body language is outstanding, and everytime he appears onscreen, you are convinced that Ranbir will definitely live upto his grandfather Raj Kapoor's name.
Priyanka Chopra as Jhilmil needs a standing ovation too! In a short span, Priyanka has proved her mettle as an actress. She moves one step further this time and will easily emerge as the top contender to bag all main awards this year.

Ileana D'Cruz has already proved her acting abilities in the South. In Barfi, Ilena looks beautiful, confident and comfortable in her own space. She enacts her part with utmost conviction.
Saurabh Shukla, Akash Khurana, Ashish Vidyarthi, Rupa Ganguly and Jishu Sengupta are very good.
Shortcomings
Barfi has its own share of 'minuses' as well. The first half could have been trimmed a little. At times, the audience is left confused and wonder where the film is heading towards. As the central two characters do not have any dialogues, you tend to get a little bored at times.
Verdict
Barfi is a film you can watch and enjoy with family and friends. You can see a bit of you, and a bit of everyone close to you! It might not do great at the box office, but nevertheless....we suggest that you don't miss it as Barfi celebrates life!
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz, Saurabh Shukla, Bhola Raj Sapkota, Akash Khurana