“Taraat” (Riteish Deshmukh), lead of an iconic Mumbaiyya banjo group led by Riteish Deshmukh, captures the attention of rising American singer Chris (Nargis Fakhri), leading her to travel all the way from NYC to Mumbai to hunt down these musical treasures and take it global.
Ravi Jadhav’s movie is charmingly retro in its worldview; where people from chawl-born backgrounds still admire fair skinned people with ample cleavage, Riteish is exceptional in his role and delivers an outstanding performance.
The Story
Banjo tells the tale of four Mumbai street musicians who use banjo music as their source of livelihood in Mumbai’s chawls. Their distinctive renditions of Mumbaiyya music catch DJ Chris from New York (Nargis Fakhri). His search leads him directly to Taraat (Riteish Deshmukh), Grease, Paper and Vaaja who earn an income singing at Ganpati Visarjans, Navratri celebrations and weddings to support themselves financially – but do not take their passion too seriously as this may put their livelihood on the line.
Chris’s search for this band takes her into Mumbai’s slums where she meets people struggling for water, food and survival. Chris encounters this unlikely group of musicians whose music fills her with hope and wonder as well as their desire for recognition as artists – this quest being the heart of this film.
Though its premise is admirable, the film ultimately fails to excite due to a disinterested screenplay and uninspiring dialogue and situations. Furthermore, this adaptation fails due to not being as original as intended – rather it seems rehashed like other movies have done before it.
Acting is also subpar; although Fakhri has an attractive voice, her acting is subpar. Riteish Deshmukh and his co-stars do their best but do not have much material to work with; additionally, their forced lady-and-the-tramp romance does not work either.
Ravi Jadhav has previously created several excellent films, and this could have been another. Instead, however, it fails to make an impactful statement about class divisions, artistry and music’s transformative power – only it becomes bogged down with complications and meandering plotlines; with banjo band never quite becoming rock stars as planned.
The Cast
Banjo movie stars Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri as its lead actors, marking Ravi Jadhav’s Hindi directorial debut after making memorable Marathi movies such as Natrang, Balak Palak, and Timepass. It follows a group of banjo players hoping to become successful musicians.
The movie opens with an introduction of an underprivileged street band led by Tarrat Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh). Their music catches the attention of DJ Chris (Nargis Fakhri), an upstart DJ from New York who’s eager to help elevate them further – but will these Banjo players live up to her expectations?
Tarrat Bhai and his band members are undoubtedly talented artists who put on some stellar performances live, producing soulful yet upbeat music that inspires people. Additionally, their movie features some hilarious comedic scenes to keep viewers amused while simultaneously keeping audiences entertained; but overall this film falls short in terms of quality.
One major drawback of the film is its overstuffed subplots; for example, the sub-plot with the Banjo gang feels forced and adds nothing new to the plot; similarly, domination by bad guys of slum areas doesn’t convince enough; plus its running time of 136 minutes makes the experience quite tedious.
Riteish Deshmukh excels as Riteish Deshmukh is honest and endearing in his performance, supported by Dharmesh Yelande, Aditya Kumar, Ram Menon, Nargis Fakhri is not as convincing; her looks don’t translate well to her acting skills despite looking stunning in this film; other characters also aren’t as compelling either.
The Music
Banjo is an older cousin to ukulele, and much more versatile instrument. You can play it in many styles ranging from rock to country music; often adding bluesy tones to songs. Singer-songwriters love using banjo for creating melodies and harmonies; so here is our collection of some of our favorite banjo songs to listen to!
An New Yorker named Chris (Nargis Fakhri) visits Mumbai looking for a banjo band to perform at her music festival. While wandering through Mumbai’s slums and dodging vendors selling fake IDs or prostitutes, Chris meets Tarrat (Riteish Deshmukh), an attractive guide who leads an eclectic gang of musicians that make their living by performing Ganpati pandals for money.
Ravi Jadhav, who won national awards for his Marathi films, makes his Hindi debut here but it proves disappointing. While trying to use this film as a platform to comment on class divisions and what it takes to become an artist, his unique voice gets lost among a stale plot and excessive drama.
Though not flawless, the film remains enjoyable viewing. The soundtrack features catchy tunes while Manoj Lobo’s cinematography is stunning; furthermore, Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri both give memorable performances that add another level of enjoyment.
If you love banjo music, this film should not be missed. With an engaging story and stunning performances by its actors – including classic songs such as Dublin”, Madness” and Pee Paa Ke”, its soundtrack offers something for every music enthusiast to appreciate.
This film tells the true tale of an American musician’s journey to India in search of the finest banjo player. Starring Luke Kenny, Nargis Fakhri, Riteish Deshmukh, Vishal and Shekhar as composers while Amitabh Bhattacharya composed lyrics for Amitabh Bhattacharya’s compositions; produced by Krishika Lulla and directed by Ravi Jadhav – it features a great cast.
The Direction
Banjo’s strength lies in the interactions among Tarrat Bhai and his eccentric cohort of taporis – Ritesh Deshmukh, Dharmesh Yelande, Aditya Kumar and Vaaja Menon excel as each character’s quirky humor is full of Mumbai street smarts that only those familiar with Mumbai could understand.
Unfortunately, this is also the film’s major downfall; director Ravi Jadhav attempts too hard to make his point and ends up using all the expected cliches from an urban drama. Nargis Fakhri does a commendable job as Nargis although she does not have many lines to deliver in this one.
Manoj Lobo’s cinematography of this film is outstanding and presents it in an attractive manner. Vishal Shekhar excels in the soundtrack with some memorable tracks like ‘Udan Choo’ being particularly noteworthy.
But as the film progresses, its momentum wanes until eventually becoming repetitive and disinteresting to watch. Multiple subplots and lack of original scenes make the movie an unpleasant viewing experience.
Acting is generally good but there are a few major hiccups along the way. The climax in particular was very disappointing as it stretched the movie too far out of its comfort zone, creating some overdone scenes and unnecessary visuals; Ravi Jadhav should have kept things simpler here; music remains its greatest strength here while other aspects need some work; overall Banjo is an underwhelming movie that fails to live up to its potential; perhaps one might consider passing this one by and watching some more enjoyable genre films instead; 2/10