IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
The film deals with the story of an Indian army officer guarding a picket alone in Kashmir, and his friendship with a Pakistani soldier.The film deals with the story of an Indian army officer guarding a picket alone in Kashmir, and his friendship with a Pakistani soldier.The film deals with the story of an Indian army officer guarding a picket alone in Kashmir, and his friendship with a Pakistani soldier.
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Did you know
- TriviaThe dog who played the army dog 'Bacardi' in the movie is indeed an army dog. Headquartered in Shopian, he had served 7 years in Indian army. He went by the name 'Hakka' in real life.It was his first onscreen appearance. He passed away on 15th August 2014.
- GoofsRenji Panicker's army uniform has his character name etched in it with a wrong spelling. It spells "Chadran" with an "n" missing.
Featured review
Reeks Of Patriotism. ♦ 33%
If I ever want to hatch an example of bad directing, I'd recommend Major Ravi's second feature film Mission 90 Days (2007). So much for its plot about the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, the film has zero emotion or substance. More than half a decade since that debacle, he has continued to advocate his undying love for the country. But, at the receiving end are we, the hapless audience who turn in our beds having nightmares about his movies. Picket-43, although qualifies in a category above that, it is still a boring drama.
Hari (Prithviraj) is a cowardly soldier who is assigned to guard one of the most dangerous posts at the India-Pakistan border. He finds comfort in a dog, who is his only companion at the post. As the plot drags forward, he shares comfort with a Pakistani soldier (Jaffrey). And eventually, Hari's heart aches for this soldier, obviously sympathized by his family who is waiting for him. The biggest problem with the storyline is that it only has a single perspective: that of the protagonist's. The writer's intention of conveying the message about the two rival countries and their deep, ancient friendship can be lauded, not because it is strong, but because it is the only thing that makes sense.
While the whole setup reminds of two recent Bollywood films: Filmistan (2014) & Kya Dilli Kya Lahore (2014), Picket-43 is nowhere near these competent films, even though they were directed by newbies. The practice/rehearsal that went behind the making of this film is also below satisfactory. Prithviraj clearly cannot handle a rifle, nor can he capture the pain of solidarity, which surprises me for I considered him a good actor, with lots of inheritance from his parentage. A little firing here, a little firing there is all that happens when people are not talking. As a result, success in wearying its audience comes easy. There are no major action sequences, either.
Major Ravi should keep to majoring, if he still can. A bad screenplay and an overly- patriotic plot to evince the plight of soldiers (in general) doesn't do much when it comes to entertainment. Yes, had it been a documentary about some real life hero, then Picket-43 would have been lauded. But do you think it would have made so much money then?
Roping in Mohanlal to narrate the message is the most pretentious thing I have seen this year. Only the non-linear narrative works for the film, but even that falters in the middle, as drama turns to melodrama turns to fiction.
BOTTOM LINE: If you are way too patriotic and consider the Wagah border closing as your single-best source of joy and entertainment, then Picket-43 will mesmerize you. Avoid if you are a regular cinephile who digs real drama. 3/10.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Hari (Prithviraj) is a cowardly soldier who is assigned to guard one of the most dangerous posts at the India-Pakistan border. He finds comfort in a dog, who is his only companion at the post. As the plot drags forward, he shares comfort with a Pakistani soldier (Jaffrey). And eventually, Hari's heart aches for this soldier, obviously sympathized by his family who is waiting for him. The biggest problem with the storyline is that it only has a single perspective: that of the protagonist's. The writer's intention of conveying the message about the two rival countries and their deep, ancient friendship can be lauded, not because it is strong, but because it is the only thing that makes sense.
While the whole setup reminds of two recent Bollywood films: Filmistan (2014) & Kya Dilli Kya Lahore (2014), Picket-43 is nowhere near these competent films, even though they were directed by newbies. The practice/rehearsal that went behind the making of this film is also below satisfactory. Prithviraj clearly cannot handle a rifle, nor can he capture the pain of solidarity, which surprises me for I considered him a good actor, with lots of inheritance from his parentage. A little firing here, a little firing there is all that happens when people are not talking. As a result, success in wearying its audience comes easy. There are no major action sequences, either.
Major Ravi should keep to majoring, if he still can. A bad screenplay and an overly- patriotic plot to evince the plight of soldiers (in general) doesn't do much when it comes to entertainment. Yes, had it been a documentary about some real life hero, then Picket-43 would have been lauded. But do you think it would have made so much money then?
Roping in Mohanlal to narrate the message is the most pretentious thing I have seen this year. Only the non-linear narrative works for the film, but even that falters in the middle, as drama turns to melodrama turns to fiction.
BOTTOM LINE: If you are way too patriotic and consider the Wagah border closing as your single-best source of joy and entertainment, then Picket-43 will mesmerize you. Avoid if you are a regular cinephile who digs real drama. 3/10.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
helpful•315
- nairtejas
- Apr 4, 2015
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- 43-я застава
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- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
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