Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Starring: Salman Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Harshaali Malhotra
Three stars
Bajrangi Bhaijaan marks the much-awaited reunion of the successful actor-director duo Salman Khan and Kabir Khan after their 2012 mega hit Ek Tha Tiger. And with high expectations surrounding the film's release, it manages to deliver on most counts.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is the story of the golden-hearted, honest and endearing Pawan Kumar Chautrvedi (Salman Khan), also known as Bajrangi. A chance encounter with a six-year-old mute Pakistani girl, Munni (Harshaali Malhotra) who gets lost in India, leads to Bajrangi becoming her guardian angel and resolving to help find her family.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, Salman’s love interest in the movie, has a small role, playing the school teacher, Rasika. However, the pair lack the chemistry and their romance seems pretty forced. Thankfully, the film does not dwell much on this and moves along swiftly to the Bajrangi and Munni angle.
Thus begins Bajrangi’s journey to Pakistan in search of Munni’s family and the many misfortunes he encounters along the way – least of which being the absence of a passport and visa for both. However, what drives the plot forward is the innocence and purity of Bajrangi’s and Munni’s relationship. Bajrangi’s care for Munni transcends all religious and national boundaries. This also provides the backdrop for many memorable sequences in the film. Most heart-touching are the scenes where Bajrangi, a vegetarian and devout Hindu, takes Munni to a non-vegetarian restaurant and enters a mosque looking for her, much against his religious sentiments.
What really works for the movie is the superb acting of Malhotra and her endearing relationship with Khan. Despite being mute in the film, she captivates the audience through her expressions. She makes the audience laugh and cry with her – they feel her pain.
The film has a simple plot served deliciously by Kabir Khan's direction. Ties between India and Pakistan have been the bedrock of all his previous films (Kabul Express, New York, Ek Tha Tiger), and is no different in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. However, while the previous ventures focused on terrorism, this one extols the virtues of love and humanity in tackling the issue.
An expert at drawing out the humane elements of his characters, the director has yet again stitched together an impressive set of players that keep the movie ticking, at the heart of which is Khan delivering an undertoned yet powerful performance. This is quite unlike a usual Salman Khan movie. Devoid of his customary bare-chested action sequences and double-meaning one liners, the film keeps true to its simple plot without pandering into unnecessary gimmicks. Full marks here to the director for bringing out the rare shades of the actor.
The antics of the on-screen Bajrangi will no doubt rub-off positively on the off-screen persona of Salman Khan and further boost his kind-hearted, bad-boy-turned-good image, especially at a time when the star needs this the most – he faces a possible detention.
The other highlight of the film is the second-half entry of Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing the small time Pakistani TV journalist, Chand Nawab. Siddiqui impresses, like he has in most of his recent works. He acts as an accomplice to the Bajrangi-Munni duo as they evade the Pakistani police in their search for Munni’s home.
Towards the end, it is Chand Nawab who ultimately delivers Munni to her parents, as Bajrangi is hounded by the Pakistan police. And it’s here that the screenplay leaves many gaps – how Bajrangi manages to cross borders, survive in Pakistan without any local currency, and the highly ludicrous climax that sees Bajrangi walking across the Indo-Pak border back into India. But these plot-blotches can be ignored in the face of what otherwise makes for an entertaining viewing.
The music of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, composed by Pritam, blends well with the plot. In fact, some of the songs have already become popular such as Selfie Le Le Re (sung by Vishal Dadlani and others) and the Eid song Aaj Ki Party (sung by Mika).
Coming as it is after the money spinner Kick, Khan has delivered another sure-shot box office winner.
artslife@thenational.ae
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Company%C2%A0profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
PRISCILLA
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
