Mahabharat Movie Review: Stars Voice Makes Film Watchable

The story of Mahabharata is well known and has been oft told. The difference with the current film is that it features top Bollywood star voices, in particular Amitabh Bachchan (Bheeshma), Ajay Devgn (Arjun), Vidya Balan (Draupadi), Shatrughan Sinha (Krishna), Manoj Bajpayee (Yudhishtir), Anil Kapoor ( Karna) and Anupam Kher (Shakuni Mama).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

It's quite an achievement to enlist such a host of actors to lend their talent to an animated film.

This is the biggest achievement of director Amaan Khan's Mahabharata, which is clearly aimed at a young audience that might appreciate an introduction to the epic.

This biggest letdown, however, is the animation itself. Considering the strides Hollywood and even Indian animation films have made (such as Delhi Safari), the art, rendering and technical finesse of Mahabharata falls way short.

While the faces of the characters are designed to match those of their star voices, the movements are staccato and facial expressions limited. The effects in the final battle of Kurukshetra - as arrows fly through the sky - are reminiscent of the popular TV show about the battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. That was fine in the 80s but surely our technicians can do better in the 2010s.

This all-too simplistic retelling of a legendary tale is saved from collapsing only thanks to the voicing talents mentioned above.

Watch: Mahabharat Official Trailer

Amit Mehra: Pran Was Looking Forward To See 'Zanjeer' Remake!

Legendary actor Pran was keen to see the remake version of 'Zanjeer', the film in which he left a mark with his impressive performance, producer Amit Mehra said today.

Pran played the iconic role of 'Sher Khan' in the 1973 blockbuster, directed and produced by Prakash Mehra, Amit's father. That role has been essayed by Sanjay Dutt in the remake version, directed by Apoorva Lakhia.

'Zanjeer' marked the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan as the 'angry young man'. It also epitomised the coming of age of a new trend where ageing villains like Pran went versatile and took up strong character roles to hold on to their territory.

The new version, produced by Amit, will see Telugu filmstar Ram Charan, son of actor-politician Chiranjeevi, stepping into Big B's shoes, while Priyanka Chopra will reprise the role of Jaya Bachchan.

"I had spoken to Pranji about 'Zanjeer' remake...He was happy about it. He gave us his blessings. He was happy that Sanjay Dutt was playing his part in the film. He was looking forward to see the film," Amit said.

The producer said he was in constant touch with Pran's family and kept him updated about the film and also checked upon his health.

The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee passed away at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra last night after a prolonged illness.

Expressing grief over the demise of the 93-year-old actor, Amit said, "It is a sad day for all of us. It is shocking. He was one of the finest actors we had in the industry.