Gulmohar
Official release poster
Directed byRahul V. Chittella
Written byRahul V. Chittella
Arpita Mukherjee
Produced byVikesh Bhutani
Rahul Chittella
Shujaat Saudagar
Starring
CinematographyEeshit Narain
Edited byTanupriya Sharma
Music bySiddhartha Khosla
Alan Demoss
Production
companies
Star Studios
Autonomous Works
Chalkboard Entertainment
Distributed byDisney+ Hotstar
Release date
  • 3 March 2023 (2023-03-03)
Running time
132 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Gulmohar (transl. Flame Tree) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Rahul V. Chittella.[1] The film stars Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee, Simran, Suraj Sharma, Amol Palekar, and Kaveri Seth, amongst others.[2][3] It was released on Disney+ Hotstar OTT platform on 3 March 2023.[4] It was featured at the 54th IFFI Indian panorama mainstream section.[5]

Plot

The Batra family has been living in a house named "Gulmohar" for many decades. As their Gulmohar villa is being brought down to give way to a high rise, the family meets up for one last party before the packers and movers take over. However, over the course of ghazal and gossip, the discordant notes in their relationships get exposed and one gets sucked into their tumultuous present and turbulent past. The postcards of memories are riddled with cryptic messages on the destiny.

Cast

Music

Gulmohar
Soundtrack album by
Siddhartha Khosla & Alan Demoss
Released25 February 2023
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length16:12
LabelZee Music Company

The music for the film composed by Siddhartha Khosla & Alan Demoss and lyrics are written by Shellee.

No.TitleMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Dilkash"Siddhartha KhoslaTalat Aziz4:29
2."Sapno Ki Pakhi"Siddhartha Khosla, Alan DemossKavita Seth4:39
3."Woh Ghar"Siddhartha Khosla, Alan DemossUtsavi Jha3:56
4."Hori Mein"Siddhartha Khosla, Alan DemossKavita Seth3:03
Total length:16:12

Reception

Gulmohar generally received positive reviews. Critics praised the performances of Tagore, Bajpayee, and Simran. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film giving 4 out of 5 stars and said that “there is a great deal of beauty in the muted melodrama”, praising the cast’s ensemble performance.[6]

Alaka Sahani of The Indian Express drew a parallel between Gulmohar and Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding and termed it as director Rahul V Chittella's Tribute to his mentor. [7]

Dhaval Roy, writing for the Times of India, gave the movie 3.5 stars and gave particular praise to the acting performance of the cast stating that Tagore “is par excellence” and that “while Manoj is outstanding, so is Simran as his wife, Indu. The duo's individual performances are as noteworthy as their on-screen chemistry as husband and wife”. He highlighted the “commendable performances” of the rest of the cast. [8]

Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times was more critical. While she praised the cast’s performance she also stated that “the film needed much better editing” with certain subplots seeming “half-baked”.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee in Disney+ Hotstar Film 'Gulmohar': Watch First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Gulmohar trailer: Manoj Bajpayee, Sharmila Tagore keep breaking family together". Hindustan Times. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Gulmohar trailer: Manoj Bajpayee, Sharmila Tagore shine in this emotional story of a dysfunctional family". The Times of India. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Gulmohar First Look: सामने आया मनोज बाजपेयी की 'गुलमोहर' का फर्स्ट लुक, जानिए कब रिलीज होगी फिल्म?". ABP News. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Indian Panorama 2023 Announces Official Selection for 54th IFFI, 2023". Press Information Bureau. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023 – via press release.
  6. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (3 March 2023). "Gulmohar Review: With Sharmila Tagore And Manoj Bajpayee, A Treat All The Way". NDTV. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  7. ^ Sahani, Alaka (3 March 2023). "Gulmohar movie review: Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee drive engrossing family drama". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. ^ Roy, Dhaval (3 March 2023). "Gulmohar review: A bittersweet and profound story that will tug at your heart strings". Times of India. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. ^ Kukreja, Monika Rawal (3 March 2023). "Gulmohar movie review: This intriguing family saga is convincing and convoluted at the same time". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 3 March 2023.