Umrika rests on a very nice and promising premise. People from remote villages often aspire to travel to foreign lands for a better life. What happens after that, especially when things don’t go as per planned is the crux of the movie. The film is based in the mid-70s and early 80s and the era gone by has been nicely brought alive despite the limitations in budget. The use of songs like ‘Tere Jaisa Pyaara Koi Nahin’ and‘Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena’ give a nice touch to the film. However, the film should have been crisper as after a point, the impact begins to wane, despite the twist in the tale in the pre-climax. The film ends on a justified note. Life Of Pi’s Suraj Sharma gives a restrained but impactful performance. Tony Revolori, who won lot of recognition with The Grand Budapest Hotel, gives a fine performance. Prateik leaves a mark in a small role. Pramod Pathak (as the father) is an actor to watch out for. Sauraseni Maitra (Radhika) is promising. Adil Hussain (Patel), Rajesh Tailang (postman) and Amit Sial (Rajan) are good in their small roles. It will be interesting to see how audience reacts to this film once it’s out!
My rating - *** out of 5!