Last updated on May 21st, 2024 at 10:29 am
Review of Gujarati Movie “Samandar”
Newzdaddy Review in one line:
“The Gujarati movie “Samandar” is praised as an engaging gangster drama that skillfully explores themes of friendship, power, and betrayal”.
Newzdaddy Ratings: 3.5/ 5
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action and Emotion
Lead Star Cast: Mayur Chauhan, Jagjeetsing Vadher, Chetan Dhanani, Dharmendra Gohil
Written By: Swapnil Mehta and Vishal Vada Vala
Directed By: Vishal Vada Vala
Produced By: Kalpesh Palan and Udayraj Shekhwa
Music & Background Score: Kedar – Bhargav
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Synopsis:
- Good Cost of Production.
- The movie gives weightage to emotional friendship.
- No Romance.
- Excellent song by Bollywood Singer BPraak.
- The Top-notch acting by all lead actors.
- Excellent Story and storytelling.
- Fabulous direction and cinematography.
- The length of the movie is too long nearly 3 hours movie.
- The second half is a bit unnecessarily stretched.
“Samandar” dives into the murky depths of the Fisheries mafia, tracing the journey of two childhood friends, Uday and Salman, who navigate this perilous underworld. Their alliance, initially strong and enduring, is forged under the mentorship of ex-MLA Arjan Parmar. As they establish their empire, their quest for dominance becomes a personal vendetta against Imtiaz Memon, the president of the fisheries association, linked to the tragic demise of Uday’s sister. The film explores the complex interplay of power, politics, and revenge, ultimately leading to the disintegration of their bond and transforming allies into foes.
The Storyline
The storyline of “Samandar” is a gripping tale of friendship, ambition, and betrayal. It paints a vivid picture of the protagonists’ rise in the criminal underworld, driven by a thirst for vengeance. The narrative arc is well-constructed, with each twist and turn adding depth to the characters’ motivations and conflicts. The film masterfully portrays the harsh realities of the mafia world, making for a compelling and intense viewing experience.
The Acting
The performances in “Samandar” are stellar. The lead actors portraying Uday played by Mayur Chauhan AKA Michael and Salman played by Jagjeetsinh Vadher deliver nuanced portrayals of their characters’ evolution from loyal friends to bitter adversaries. Their on-screen chemistry effectively conveys the initial camaraderie and subsequent tension. The supporting cast, including the menacing portrayal of Imtiaz Memon played by Dharmendra Gohil and the authoritative presence of Arjan Parmar, adds further depth to the narrative.
I was very much impressed by the performance of Mayur Chauhan as Uday. In one of the scenes he is drinking the whole bottle of wine, I believe this is a single-shot scene, that was impressive. He has also delivered all his emotional and action scenes impressively and made a strong impact on my mind as a very good actor.
The other impressive performance for me was Chetan Dhanani as Arjan Parmar. I have always seen him in all his movies with an excellent performance and dialogue delivery. I believe in this role he has worked on his voice as it was demanded of a character.
The Direction
Vishal Vada Vala has written and directed the film “Samandar”. Under the deft direction of Vishal Vada Vala, “Samandar” seamlessly blends elements of drama, action, and political intrigue. The writer-director’s vision brings the complex world of the Fisheries mafia to life, with meticulous attention to detail and pacing. The storytelling is gripping, engaging and thought-provoking, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, especially throughout the first half of the movie.
However, the second half movie becomes dull and a bit boring.
The Music:
Kedar – Bhargav has given the music of “Samandar”. In every film, the music and background music play a very important role in the success of the movie. The music of Samandar helps the audience to get engaged as per the scene. The variety of music is contemporary and is really helping the movie to uplift its standard.
I must say the standard of Gujarati movies is definitely now coming to the level of Bollywood.
The Action:
Back to back another action movie I am watching, first it was “S2G2” and now “Samandar.” There is not much of an action scene but it is more than what we are seeing the recent Gujarati movies. The quality of the action and action scenes is excellent. I must congratulate Vikram Dahiya for his stellar action in Samandar
The Cinematography
The cinematography of “Samandar” is one of its standout features. The film captures the gritty and unforgiving landscape of the mafia world with striking visuals. The use of light and shadow effectively enhances the mood, reflecting the characters’ inner turmoil and the ominous atmosphere of their surroundings. The cinematographic choices contribute significantly to the film’s immersive experience.
The Screenplay
The screenplay of “Samandar” is tightly woven, balancing action-packed sequences with moments of emotional depth and the backslash which is shown in the film quite often and that helps the story to move ahead good creativity. The dialogues are sharp and impactful, especially spoken by Chetan Dhanani revealing the characters’ motivations and the high stakes of their decisions. The screenplay adeptly handles the transition from friendship to enmity, building up tension and suspense throughout the film.
The climax of the film was unexpected for me, which has actually impressed me.
Positive Points:
- Stellar performances by all four lead actors, especially Mayur Chauhan, Jagjeetsinh Vadher, Chetan Dhanani and Dharmendra Gohil.
- The story of Samandar is quite unique, gripping, engaging and well-paced which will keep viewers glued to their seats.
- The of “Samandar” Vishal Vada Vala has been able to bring out the full potential of these excellent actors, maintaining the balance between emotion, action and character development.
- The cinematography is of top notched. The scenes in the middle of the “Samandar” are excellently shot, which has given wow moments.
- Once again Kedar – Bhargav has provided that they are creative and fabulous music directors. The BGM of the film is very creative, and gripping and keeps engaged.
- A unique style of screenplay is seen in “Samandar” which is also a creativity with meaningful dialogues.
- I liked 2 songs in the film one is Title Song and one is the Item song.
- Very well-choreographed item song, so happy to see such beautiful dance steps in a Gujarati movie.
- A big courage was shown by the producers Kalpesh and Uday to produce their first-ever film with such a big budget.
Negative Points
- The movie lacks romance, there is but very little. A bit of romance and glamour would have added more flavour to the dish.
- I was expecting some good comedy punches, but I am disappointed, no comedy scenes or sequences.
- The length of the movie is too long dear, nearly 3 hours, seriously it was not necessary.
- The second half of the movie is quite slow and dull. I felt that the story was not moving at all and felt bored.
- The dialogues in the second half are not exciting compared to the first half, which has given me drowsiness.
Conclusion:
“Samandar” is a complete emotional, action, crime drama movie and has stellar performers like Mayur Chauhan, Jagjeetsih, Chetan Dhanani and Dharmendra Gohil. The movie has excellent content and story, a new way of screenplay and top-notch direction.
You will also see a first-time item song in a Gujarati movie, which is performed by Mamta Soni. The title song is sung by Bollywood singer BPraak.
A story of a true friendship, power, and betrayal”.
