''Bharat'' () is a 2019 Indian
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
written and directed by
Ali Abbas Zafar
Ali Abbas Zafar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing ''Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'' (2011), ''Gunday'' (2014), ''Sultan'' (2016), '' Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) and '' Bharat'' (2019).
Personal life
Zafa ...
. It is jointly produced by
Atul Agnihotri
Atul Agnihotri (born 8 July 1970) is an Indian actor, producer and director. He started his Bollywood career as an actor, went on to direct two films, and found success as a film producer. He is best known for his debut film '' Sir'' (1993), whi ...
,
Alvira Khan Agnihotri,
Bhushan Kumar
Bhushan Kumar Dua (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian film producer and music producer. He is the chairman and managing director of Super Cassettes Industries Limited, also known as T-Series. He is known for his work in Bollywood.
Career
K ...
,
Krishan Kumar, Nikhil Namit and
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
under the banners Reel Life Productions,
Salman Khan Films
Salman Khan Films (SKF) is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Bollywood actor Salman Khan in 2011. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films.
Films produced and distributed by Salman Khan F ...
and
T-Series. The film stars
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
,
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif (; born Katrina Turquotte; 16 July 1983) is a British actress who works in Hindi-language films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she has received accolades, including four Screen Awards and four Zee Cine Awards, in a ...
,
Sunil Grover
Sunil Grover (born 3 August 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian from Mumbai. He came into limelight for his portrayal as Gutthi on television show ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' but gained popularity for playing the role of Dr Mashoor Gulati an ...
, and
Jackie Shroff.
Disha Patani
Disha Patani (; born 13 June 1992) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Hindi films. She began her acting career with the Telugu film '' Loafer'' (2015). She had her first Hindi film release with the biopic '' M.S. Dhoni: The Unto ...
makes a special appearance.
Tabu
Tabu may refer to:
Cultural and legal concepts
*Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society
*Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...
makes a friendly appearance. A remake of the South Korean film ''
Ode to My Father
''Ode to My Father'' (; "Gukje (International) Market") is a 2014 South Korean drama film directed by Yoon Je-kyoon. Starring Hwang Jung-min and Yunjin Kim, it depicts South Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of a ...
'' (2014), it traces India's
post-independence history from the perspective of a common man, and follows his life from the age of 8 to 70.
''Bharat'' was theatrically released in India on 5 June 2019, on the occasion of
Eid al-Fitr. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated the performances of the cast, story and screenplay, criticizing the second half.
The film earned 42.30 crores on its first day.
It was one of the highest grossing films of 2019.
It grossed 325.58 crore in its lifetime theatrical run, becoming a commercial success and the
37th highest grossing Indian film of all time.
Plot
In 2010, Bharat Kumar, a shopkeeper in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
refuses to part with his store despite lucrative offers. On his 70th birthday, he tells his past to his grandniece, and the film goes into flashback.
Partition, 1947
When Bharat was just 7, his parents and siblings board a train to India with many refugees for safety from Pakistan's terrible riots. Bharat loses his baby sister "Gudia" in the chaos. Their father, Gautam, stays there to search for Gudia, after Bharat promises to care for the family. He moves to the imported goods store of Gautam's sister Jamuna and her husband Keemat Rai Kapoor, and meets a roadside circus worker, Radha. They two fall in love, and join
The Great Russian Circus.
17 years later (1964)
Bharat has attained a lot of fame in the years he spent at circus. His brother Chote suffers an accident while trying to emulate him. Bharat bids a tearful goodbye to Radha. He and his friend, Vilayti, look for jobs when the country is shocked due to
Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
's death.
11 years later (1975)
Bharat joins
Indian migrants prompted by oil discovery in
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
to earn money for his sister Mehek's marriage. There he falls in love with his chief engineer Kumud, who asks him for marriage. Bharat refuses, thinking it would come in his way of fulfilling Gautam's promise. Back in India, Kumud announces her love for him. They begin a
live-in relationship
Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...
.
8 years later (1983)
Jamuna dies; Bharat starts working as a stationmaster. During
1983 Cricket World Cup, Keemat plans to sell the store in need of money, but later offers Bharat to buy it, as the latter refuses to sell it to anyone and still hopes Gautam will come back. With Vilayti, Bharat leaves India as a sailor for 8 months and earns money to buy the store.
12 years later (1995)
After
economic liberalization in India
The economic liberalisation in India refers to the opening of the country's economy to the world with the goal of making the economy more market and service-oriented, thus expanding the role of private and foreign investment. Indian economi ...
and globalization, Kumud becomes the creative director of newly formed
Zee TV and runs a program to unite the relatives separated during the partition. Due to this Bharat converses with Meher, a
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
citizen adopted by a British family during the partition, and realizes she is Gudia, who returns to India. An emotional reunion ensues. Janki dies; Bharat hopes to find Gautam also.
Present day (2010)
Bharat decides to sell the store, which he stubbornly refused to do despite losses. Before reaching the train, Gautam promised he will unite with him at store, explaining why Bharat held on to the store for so long. He realizes Gautam is probably too old to survive still. He sees a vision of him, assuring Bharat kept his promise and asking him to move on. Tearful, he finally marries Kumud and moving on.
Cast
*
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
as Bharat Gautam Kumar
** Kabir Sajid Sheikh as Young Bharat Gautam Kumar
*
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif (; born Katrina Turquotte; 16 July 1983) is a British actress who works in Hindi-language films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she has received accolades, including four Screen Awards and four Zee Cine Awards, in a ...
as Kumud Raina / Kumud Bharat Kumar
*
Sunil Grover
Sunil Grover (born 3 August 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian from Mumbai. He came into limelight for his portrayal as Gutthi on television show ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' but gained popularity for playing the role of Dr Mashoor Gulati an ...
as Vilayti Khan
**
Aryan Prajapati
Aryan Prajapati (born 12 February 2008) is an Indian child actor. He has had roles in television serials and Bollywood feature films.Times Of IndiDooooor Se Aaye Hai : Autograph dilemma for little Aryan" 27 Aug 2014. In 2020, he is playing the ...
as Young Vilayti Khan
*
Jackie Shroff as Gautam Darshan Kumar
*
Disha Patani
Disha Patani (; born 13 June 1992) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Hindi films. She began her acting career with the Telugu film '' Loafer'' (2015). She had her first Hindi film release with the biopic '' M.S. Dhoni: The Unto ...
as Radha Mathur
** Riva Arora as Young Radha Mathur
*
Tabu
Tabu may refer to:
Cultural and legal concepts
*Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society
*Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...
as Meher Gautam Kumar a.k.a Gudiya
*
Satish Kaushik
Satish Chandra Kaushik (born 13 April 1956) is an Indian actor, director, producer, comedian and screenwriter.
Early life
Satish was born on 13 April 1956 in Mahendragarh, Haryana. He graduated from Kirori Mal College, Delhi in 1972. He is a ...
as
Naval officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...
Jayram Shirodkar
*
Sonali Kulkarni
Sonali Kulkarni (born 3 November 1974) is an Indian actress, producer, and writer who primarily appears in Marathi and Hindi films. She has also appeared in Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati and English films. She has worked in over 70 films, both ...
as Janki Devi / Janki Gautam Kumar
*
Asif Sheikh as Hariwant Mehra
* Nivin Ramani as Kayaag Zaveri
*
Nora Fatehi
Nora Fatehi (born 6 February 1992) is a Canadian actress, model, dancer, singer, and producer who is predominantly known for her work in the Indian film industry. She has appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.
She made her debut ...
as Suzan Vilayti Khan
*
Shashank Arora
Shashank Arora (born 21 February 1991) is an Indian actor and musician. He is known for his roles in '' Titli'' (2014), ''Brahman Naman'' (2016), Moothon (2019) and ''Made in Heaven'' (2019). He is the only Indian actor to have two films compe ...
as Chaman "Chote" Gautam Kumar
*
Kashmira Irani
Kashmira Irani is an Indian film, television and theatre actress known for playing Amber in ''Amber Dhara'', Draupadi in ''Dharmakshetra'' and Samaira Khanna in '' Dosti... Yaariyan... Manmarziyan ,Princess Sonali in the musical Zangoora-The Gy ...
as Mehek Gautam Kumar / Mehek Hariwant Mehra
*
Kumud Mishra
Kumud Mishra is an Indian actor in Hindi cinema. He mainly plays supporting roles in movies, television series, and web series but has also played lead roles in some of them.
Career
He played Eknath, a trade union leader in the 1995 Doorda ...
as Keemat Rai Kapoor
*
Ayesha Raza Mishra
Ayesha Raza Mishra (born 26 September 1977) is an Indian actress.
Career
Ayesha Raza Mishra began her career working in theatre, advertisements, and television shows. She went on to portray motherly roles in several films including Madaari, ...
as Jamuna Darshan Kumar / Jamuna Keemat Rai Kapoor
*
Shehzaad Khan as National Employment Exchange Officer
*
Ivan Sylvester Rodrigues
Ivan Rodrigues, whose native place is Karnataka, India, is a polyglot film and theatre actor based in Mumbai, India.
Early life and education
Ivan was born on 23 November 1968 in Mumbai to Robert and Nancy Rodrigues. His parents though were ...
as Shurlabh Gupta
* Edwin De La Renta as Pirate Gang Leader Michael Mascarenhas
*
Brijendra Kala
Brijendra Kala is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films. He is known for his subtle portrayals of characters rooted in reality. He gained attention for his small roles in mainstream cinema.
Early life
Kala spent his childhood in Mathu ...
as Ranjeet Chacha
*
Yash Abbad as officer
*
Gurvinder Singh Malhotra as Zalzala Singh
Production
''Bharat'' is a remake of the South Korean film ''
Ode to My Father
''Ode to My Father'' (; "Gukje (International) Market") is a 2014 South Korean drama film directed by Yoon Je-kyoon. Starring Hwang Jung-min and Yunjin Kim, it depicts South Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of a ...
'' (2014), which traces the history of
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
parallel to a man's life, spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s.
''Bharat'' began
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
in mid-April 2018, and was shot in
Abu Dhabi,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and elsewhere.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
, who was cast as one of the leading ladies, opted out of the film days before filming her scenes. Nikhil Namit, CEO of Reel Life Productions, said that Priyanka quit due to her engagement to
Nick Jonas
Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
. She was replaced by Katrina Kaif.
Kaif shared the news on her Instagram account that filming was wrapped up on 5 March 2019. The climax was shot in
Film City Film City may refer to
* Film City, Mumbai
* Noida Film City
* Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad
* Prayag Film City
The Prayag Film City, also known as the Midnapore Film City or Chandrakona Film City or Bengal film city is an i ...
.
Soundtrack
The songs featured in the film were composed by
Vishal–Shekhar
Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...
, lyrics written by
Irshad Kamil
Irshad Kamil (born 5 September 1971) is an Indian poet and lyricist. His songs appear in Bollywood films including ''Jab We Met'', '' Chameli'', '' Love Aaj Kal'', '' Rockstar'', ''Aashiqui 2, Raanjhanaa, Highway, Tamasha,'' and ''Jab Harry Me ...
, with music arranger & producer
Meghdeep Bose
Meghdeep Bose is an Indian Record producer, music producer, composer, arranger and singer.
His works include songs Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, What Jhumka?, Tiger Zinda Hai, Swag Se Swagat, Pathaan (film), Jhoome Jo Pathaan, Chhichhore, K ...
. Zafar wrote and composed the song "Zinda" with
Julius Packiam
Julius Packiam is an Indian film score composer. His has composed for Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, Baaghi (2016 film), Baaghi, Baaghi 2, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan (2016 film), Sultan and Bharat (film), Bharat.
Filmography
References
Exte ...
. It is released under the banner T-Series.
Devarsi Ghosh of ''Scroll.in'' positively summarised the soundtrack review as 'near-perfect.' Firstpost praised the song ''Chashni'' as "soul-stirringly beautiful." "Chashni" song was originally sung by
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique.
Aslam predominantly sings in Urdu, but has also sung in Hindi, ...
but was replaced.
Release
![Katrina Kaif promoting Bharat in 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Katrina_Kaif_promoting_Bharat_in_2019.jpg)
''Bharat'' was released on 5 June 2019 on the occasion of
Eid al-Fitr,
worldwide on 6000 screens including 4700 screens in India. The film was made available for
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...
on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
in August 2019.
Reception
Critical response
, the film holds approval rating on
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, based on reviews with an average rating of . ''Bharat'' received positive reviews from critics on release.
Renuka Vyavahare of ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' gave the film three and a half stars out of five, calling it "an exhausting, scattered watch despite the entertainment, humour and nobility it propagates". She concluded, "''Bharat'' is well-intentioned, entertaining and doesn’t succumb to the trappings of commercial potboilers". Priyanka Sinha Jha of
News18, praising Khan for his performance rates the film with three stars out of five, and feels that the script is a bit lengthy and required 'sharper' editing. In the end, She says, "For all its virtues, Bharat falls short of becoming a tour de force, but it could turn into a crowd-puller."
Trade analyst and critic
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media.
Career
Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
concurs with Jha on script trimming and gives four stars out of five. Declaring it "smash-hit", he praises Ali for direction, Kaif, and Khan for performance. He feels that the film is an emotional journey that wins the viewers over. Manjusha Radhakrishnan of the ''
Gulf News'', also says that it would have benefited from trimming so finds the film 'dull', that is likely to test the patience of the audience. And, she gives it two stars out of five. Ananya Bhattacharya writing for ''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new o ...
'' praised acting of Kaif and Khan but feels that the main attraction is
Sunil Grover
Sunil Grover (born 3 August 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian from Mumbai. He came into limelight for his portrayal as Gutthi on television show ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' but gained popularity for playing the role of Dr Mashoor Gulati an ...
. She also rates it with three stars out of five and concludes that Salman has given his fans 'an out-and-out entertainer'.
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films released in India in his ...
writing for
News18, finds the film "unmistakably boring" and "excruciatingly long". He rates the film with two stars out of five.
Anna M. M. Vetticad
Anna Mercy Mathews Vetticad, commonly known as Anna M. M. Vetticad, is an Indian film critic and journalist. She has been in the field of journalism since 1994. Vetticad has also hosted her own interview show, ''Star Trek'', on Headlines Today ...
of ''
Firstpost
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Ragh ...
'' finds the film laden with weak 'humor' and 'lackluster' songs. Rating it with two stars out of five, Vetticad concludes, "Far from being a Forrest Gump with Salman Khan, Bharat is mostly a plodding trek through post-1947 to contemporary India." Jyoti Sharma Bawa of the ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'' finds it 'an emotional Eid winner' and rates it with three stars out of five. Shubhra Gupta of ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...
'' gave two and a half stars out of five and opines, "The good thing about the film, despite its eye-roll moments, is its attempt to create an ‘ordinary’ man without any particular skills.".
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
of Film Companion, "Madam Sir, a woman with courage and conviction, is the most memorable character in Bharat. I’d love to see contemporary history told from her perspective. This version has sweep and swagger but not enough soul."
Box office
''Bharat''s opening day domestic collection was 42.30
crore. This is the highest opening day collection for Salman Khan.
On the second day it's screenings dipped in multiplexes, yet remained strong in single-screen theatres and earned 31 crore – raising the total to Rs 78.87 crore.
, with a gross of 251.27 crore in India and 74.31 crore overseas, the film has a worldwide gross collection of 325.58 crore.
''Bharat'' is the
fifth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019.
Based on domestic net collection the film is among top twenty in the
list of Hindi films with highest domestic net collection.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Ali Abbas Zafar
2010s Hindi-language films
2019 action drama films
2019 films
Cultural depictions of Amitabh Bachchan
Cultural depictions of Jawaharlal Nehru
Cultural depictions of Manmohan Singh
Cultural depictions of Rajesh Khanna
Films directed by Ali Abbas Zafar
Films produced by Salman Khan
Films set in the 1960s
Films set in the 1970s
Films set in the 1980s
Films set in the 1990s
Films set in the 2010s
Films set in the partition of India
Films shot in Abu Dhabi
Films shot in Delhi
Films shot in Malta
Films shot in Punjab, India
Films shot in Spain
India–Pakistan relations in popular culture
Indian action drama films
Indian remakes of South Korean films
2019 masala films
T-Series (company) films