First time i watched the movie it lacked subtitles so i depended on my poor Hindi and emotional body and facial expression. The movie lacked depth to me in its first parts. Till it reached the climax the quality of emotions got some depth. Second time i viewed it my impression got better. The first part was classic Priyadrashan movie which i don't like AT ALL. Most of his films don't leave any mark on me and they slip out of my mind. I was surprised that SRK chose him for such a story that depicts a moral and values we are in desperate need in these days. However, the shooting and photography is brilliant and eye catching. I am a fan of Irrfan and Shahrukh so i got my fill of both. But the last part of the movie meant much more with adequate understanding. I actually cried a lot, especially parts where Sahir recites similar stories of his youth that overlap with shahrukh's himself. I still feel more Irrfan was required, more passionate and sorrowful but i guess its a priyadrashan movie anyway. watch it for the scenery, watch it for Irrfan and SHahrukh.. Lara dutta does a good job too. for once two hours are not enough for the story.
61 Reviews
In nutshell, "BILLU"- Simple, Honest, Sweet, Descent and Feel good.
Upadhyay-maulik14 February 2009
Wel..l. Let me clarify one thing i will not comment anything about Storyline as it is already known to most moviegoers; being a remake of Malayalam film. So why should u go for this Hindi remake? There are several strong reasons: 1). Superb acting by all cast- Irfan khan, SRK, Lara Dutta especially Ompuri and Rajapal yadav. 2) eye catching visuals, stunning cinematography. 3) superb Art direction (just look at the entry of "Sahil khan" ). 4) Dialogues are very well written. 5) good music and item songs. 6) a treat for the whole family. 7) Nice moral concept. Over and all, this is nice attempt 2 revive the old concept of friendship by Priyadarshan. Srk has delivered great performance although the character of Sahir Khan was very much similar to him. But it is the Irfan khan who, at the end, grabs most eyeballs. In nutshell "Billu"- Simple, sweet, Honest, Descent and feel good movie....
Irrfan rocks
silvan-desouza6 October 2009
Priyadarshan off recent keeps giving nonsensical stuff After the last flop Akshaye-Paresh Starrer MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP he tries to remake a flop Rajnikant film
The film has a nice plot about friendship but the treatment is good in parts only
The comedy is now getting boring of Priyadarshan films as it's mostly the same actors(Rajpal, Om) or similar characters
The plight of Irrfan's lifestyle is well brought out but the entire Sahir thing is overdone, why does the entire gaon go crazy after him and imitate Srk as if they is no one else?
This looks like SRK glorification afterall he being the producer of the film
The item songs and other insider jokes.etc on SRK take a long time then required
The film also gets unrealistic when the entire village goes berserk after Irrfan This could've been handled better
However the climax is well handled and the emotions are well brought out
Direction by Priyadarshan is good in parts but overall not his best yet better then his last films except BHOOL BHULAIYAA Music is good, Marjaani, YOU GET ME ROCKING AND REELING are nice songs and well picturised but forced
Amongst actors Irrfan Khan is the life of the film, he excels in his part and lives up to the role Nice to see him do diverse kinda roles but he could've better read the script again SRK is his usual self and again he plays himself after OSO and the novelty factor is missing, yet he does his best towards the end but his wrinkles could've gone Lara dutta doesn't look a village belle but acts very well Om Puri is as usual Rajpal is wasted again Asrani, Manoj Joshi are as usual again populating Priyan's films
The film has a nice plot about friendship but the treatment is good in parts only
The comedy is now getting boring of Priyadarshan films as it's mostly the same actors(Rajpal, Om) or similar characters
The plight of Irrfan's lifestyle is well brought out but the entire Sahir thing is overdone, why does the entire gaon go crazy after him and imitate Srk as if they is no one else?
This looks like SRK glorification afterall he being the producer of the film
The item songs and other insider jokes.etc on SRK take a long time then required
The film also gets unrealistic when the entire village goes berserk after Irrfan This could've been handled better
However the climax is well handled and the emotions are well brought out
Direction by Priyadarshan is good in parts but overall not his best yet better then his last films except BHOOL BHULAIYAA Music is good, Marjaani, YOU GET ME ROCKING AND REELING are nice songs and well picturised but forced
Amongst actors Irrfan Khan is the life of the film, he excels in his part and lives up to the role Nice to see him do diverse kinda roles but he could've better read the script again SRK is his usual self and again he plays himself after OSO and the novelty factor is missing, yet he does his best towards the end but his wrinkles could've gone Lara dutta doesn't look a village belle but acts very well Om Puri is as usual Rajpal is wasted again Asrani, Manoj Joshi are as usual again populating Priyan's films
Irrfan Khan Rises Above A Poor Film That Could Have Been An Interesting Satire
Chrysanthepop24 February 2009
What could have been an excellent satire is brought down by poor writing and Priyadarshan's lousy direction. 'Billu' required some heavy editing. All the sequences with Shahrukh Khan in the first half (including those horrible item numbers) could have easily been left out as they provide nothing. His appearance in the second half was enough. The so-called comic scenes are typical Priyadarshan, which is irritatingly loud and seriously needs toning down. The mob sequences and Billu's attempts to meet Sahir are overdone and repetitive. The ending is melodramatic, which is typical of Priyadarshan films. All the songs are poorly executed and, with the exception of the last three songs ('Marjane' being the best), they are horrible to listen to. Shahrukh Khan plays himself. Nothing new there. Lara Dutta is decent and she looks the part. But, it is Irrfan who manages to rise above the poorness of this movie. He is quite exceptional as the down to earth almost out of work barber and is the reason to watch 'Billu'. Asrani and Om Puri are good in their roles. Rasika Joshi is cast against type and she too turns in a decent performance. The rest of the cast (including Rajpal Yadav) are terrible (which is usually the case in Priyadarshan's films). To sum it up, the best thing about 'Billu' is Irrfan Khan who makes what would be an otherwise bad film to mediocrity.
OK Movie Worth Watching
mine_only_mine222219 May 2009
The story is simple, but performances of Shahrukh Khan and Irrfan Khan are what makes the movie worth watching. The songs, even though not related to the story, are very entertaining and make the movie more fun to watch. The ending was predictable, but the performances saved the movie.
Billu's wife looked way too beautiful to pass off as an average village girl. I'm no Bollywood fan so I did not know who the actress was. Throughout the whole movie, I kept thinking "how on earth did this super hot girl end up with this average looking man?" In the ending credits, I saw Lara Dutta. Miss Universe Lara Dutta!
If you have some extra spare time, this movie is good enough not to waste it.
Billu's wife looked way too beautiful to pass off as an average village girl. I'm no Bollywood fan so I did not know who the actress was. Throughout the whole movie, I kept thinking "how on earth did this super hot girl end up with this average looking man?" In the ending credits, I saw Lara Dutta. Miss Universe Lara Dutta!
If you have some extra spare time, this movie is good enough not to waste it.
Billu Barber : Could've been a lot better!!!
raghavramaiah-113 February 2009
Billu Barber, this year's most expected release from the Red Chillies Banner simply turns out to be an ordinary watch. Directed by Priyadarshan, who's known for his Malayalam remakes in Hindi yet again fails to mark the everlasting impression on the audience. Billu Barber definitely looks like a sincere effort to make everyone like the movie. The movie starts off with low pace and just when you feel the movie is catching pace,the curtains are down.
Billu Barber's protagonist Billu(Irfan Khan) is a petty barber from the village called Budbuda who struggles to earn every penny but still somehow manages to make a living supporting his family. He's simple, humble and a character that everyone in Budbuda loves. His destiny changes when, the film-star Sahir Khan(Shahrukh Khan) lands in Budbuda for the shooting of his film. Billu is then pestered by his children to go meet him,to whom he had once said Sahir Khan was his childhood friend. Things go out of hand when the news of Billu being the childhood friend of Sahir reaches every corner of Budbuda. Billu then refuses to accept the fact that he once knew Sahir, assuming that he wouldn't recognize their childhood friendship now. He's then mocked up by villagers for making such a fool of himself. The things leading up to him meeting Sahir Khan is for you to watch for yourself.
Billu Barber's heart and soul is Irfan Khan. He's quite stupendous in the very first commercial movie that claims to put him as the main lead. His funny, serious and emotional shades are quite perfectly done. He's bang on with his performance as always. The highlight of the movie is the acting of Lara Dutta who plays Billu's wife. This is when you actually come to know, how important the script and the character are in making an actor give his-or-her best. Lara Dutta is extremely good giving her career best in BB. As always,Screenplay and dialogues of Billu Barber are something that's a little carelessly done as compared to the previous release of Red Chillies OSO that scored almost in every department. Shahrukh Khan does his bit of acting convincingly. The actors like Rajpal Yadav and Om Puri are let down with ordinary dialogues, who still try creating humor that goes totally unnoticed. The movie lacks the energy that a typical Shahrukh Khan movie usually tends to generate. The special appearances by Deepika, Kareena and Priyanka is good but lets you forget as continue watching the movie. Though the money is spent lavishly on the sets, the film fails to deliver the expectations of the audience. The Music of the movie is not appealing either. Billu Barber scores an mediocre rating in every department.
I will go with 6 out of 10 for Priyadarshan's Billu Barber.
Not a must watch. But go with no expectations and you might not be disappointed.
Billu Barber's protagonist Billu(Irfan Khan) is a petty barber from the village called Budbuda who struggles to earn every penny but still somehow manages to make a living supporting his family. He's simple, humble and a character that everyone in Budbuda loves. His destiny changes when, the film-star Sahir Khan(Shahrukh Khan) lands in Budbuda for the shooting of his film. Billu is then pestered by his children to go meet him,to whom he had once said Sahir Khan was his childhood friend. Things go out of hand when the news of Billu being the childhood friend of Sahir reaches every corner of Budbuda. Billu then refuses to accept the fact that he once knew Sahir, assuming that he wouldn't recognize their childhood friendship now. He's then mocked up by villagers for making such a fool of himself. The things leading up to him meeting Sahir Khan is for you to watch for yourself.
Billu Barber's heart and soul is Irfan Khan. He's quite stupendous in the very first commercial movie that claims to put him as the main lead. His funny, serious and emotional shades are quite perfectly done. He's bang on with his performance as always. The highlight of the movie is the acting of Lara Dutta who plays Billu's wife. This is when you actually come to know, how important the script and the character are in making an actor give his-or-her best. Lara Dutta is extremely good giving her career best in BB. As always,Screenplay and dialogues of Billu Barber are something that's a little carelessly done as compared to the previous release of Red Chillies OSO that scored almost in every department. Shahrukh Khan does his bit of acting convincingly. The actors like Rajpal Yadav and Om Puri are let down with ordinary dialogues, who still try creating humor that goes totally unnoticed. The movie lacks the energy that a typical Shahrukh Khan movie usually tends to generate. The special appearances by Deepika, Kareena and Priyanka is good but lets you forget as continue watching the movie. Though the money is spent lavishly on the sets, the film fails to deliver the expectations of the audience. The Music of the movie is not appealing either. Billu Barber scores an mediocre rating in every department.
I will go with 6 out of 10 for Priyadarshan's Billu Barber.
Not a must watch. But go with no expectations and you might not be disappointed.
Billu - a strange but entertaining experience.
MuviFan7318 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Billu is a movie about a barber residing in a village who is friends with a well known actor. The thing is Billu is poor and thinks his childhood friend has forgotten him and thus stays away from making any move. When the news of shooting a film at the location where Billu stays comes up, the family of Billu lightens up... but will that stay?
For me the story of Billu was different... I don't know why but... before mentioning this I have full sympathy with character of Billu. I don't know why Billu seemed a liar to me. I mean I thought that he was lying throughout the movie. That's where the speech of Sahir brought comfort to me and bang in that moment I was wronged where I wanted to be wrong. Irrfan has acted superb. Songs are superb. My most favorite track is Billu bhayankar followed by Khudaya khair.
FYI saying barber is fine... at least in my opinion.
Rating: 8.0/10
For me the story of Billu was different... I don't know why but... before mentioning this I have full sympathy with character of Billu. I don't know why Billu seemed a liar to me. I mean I thought that he was lying throughout the movie. That's where the speech of Sahir brought comfort to me and bang in that moment I was wronged where I wanted to be wrong. Irrfan has acted superb. Songs are superb. My most favorite track is Billu bhayankar followed by Khudaya khair.
FYI saying barber is fine... at least in my opinion.
Rating: 8.0/10
Billu Bhyankar.... is really Bhaynkar!!!
lifedeath-logout13 February 2009
The movie starts of pretty well but like the landing of a plane the movie also goes down and down and down and finale in the climax there is some push.. I don't understand why were the songs added when there were no need and the jokes are not at all making you laugh. I mean if you want to show Shahrukh shooting you can also show him acting why only dancing??..... Priyadrshan is loosing day by day... And Shahrukh should now get mature toward film-making and should produce an sensible script like Aamir Khan does.. His OSO was seriously an dumb script and now Billu has added the flavor!! except the climax and some emotional scenes. there is nothing in the film...Totally disappointing....
Insightful Commentary
rahel-kidane25 May 2009
Billu Barber, 2009, 138 min, Red Chillies Entertainment An Excerpt
Priyadarshan's film produced by Gauri Khan, Billu is the story of a small-town humble barber, from a sleepy Indian village who is having a tough time making ends meet with overdue electricity bills and unpaid school tuition when a film star enters his life with an arrival of Sahir Khan, mega star to town for a shoot. Interestingly, a famous larger-than-life star arrives in town for a shoot sending the village into frenzy as they try to catch the glimpse of the mega-star Sahir Khan, played by non-other than Shahrukh Khan. Billu's poverty-stricken life is contrasted beautifully against the mega star until the face off of the two characters when they finally meet. This is a movie about unconditional childhood friendship, cutting through age, status or fame. At the end, childhood love and friendship heals any wound and bonds broken relationships.
What really makes the movie is the character Billu himself, played by Irrfan Khan, surely one of the most talented but underrated actor in Bollywood today. Some of you may remember him from Mira Nair's film Namesake which he gave superb performances as Gogol's father as well as the mean police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire. He is the emotional core of this movie. The film starts with his desperate and innocent attempt to bribe a government officer in order to get a business loan for his barber shop. While listening to his plea, you can't help it but feel for him. Apparently, it is believed that this role was first offered to Ashkay Kumar. I can't imagine him playing this role. Irrfan brings a certain human dignity and respect not only to the character Billu and his profession but also to the life of poverty, convening so much by saying very little. He manages to make his character extremely believable and likable with ease.
A surprising and refreshing character is Bindiya, Billu's wife played by Lara Dutt. She should be commended for delivering a captivating and believable performance s; you would not know she is former Miss Universe. This is a different role for her; she usually plays the sophisticated beauty and I might add it is refreshing to see her in this role. The stage presence of both Lara and Irrfan is impressive as husband and wife. She gives the character strength with moments of depth, love and respect which I find very inspiring given their poverty level.
What makes this movie great its realism and depiction of rural life in India, unlike other Bollywood movies, with no pretension or smug. The cinematography of this movie is amazing, showcasing the lush of rural India. The simplicity of the film, portrayal of poverty without overwhelming the audience makes this film a delight to watch. I liked the clever way the director unfolds the story. It invites you in, but leaves you to your own considerations as the story progresses. This film lets certain details out when the moments are right, but not before the audience is fully involved in the somber life of small town man. You get the feeling that Billu is lying until the heartwarming climax. Billu is deeply touching not only in details of an ordinary man's life, but also our shortcomings and our insecurities.
This film also states that what seems trivial at any given moment in life could be important later on. Besides all this, great acting, thoughtfulness, genuine sincerity, and total emotional honesty are what one can expect from Billu without the loss of a typical grandiose of Bollywood musicals. If you want to see a movie that affirms the meaning of friendship, this is your movie. Billu is extraordinary film in an ordinary town.
More commentary on Isisbollywood.wordpress.com
RHK, Isisbollywood
Priyadarshan's film produced by Gauri Khan, Billu is the story of a small-town humble barber, from a sleepy Indian village who is having a tough time making ends meet with overdue electricity bills and unpaid school tuition when a film star enters his life with an arrival of Sahir Khan, mega star to town for a shoot. Interestingly, a famous larger-than-life star arrives in town for a shoot sending the village into frenzy as they try to catch the glimpse of the mega-star Sahir Khan, played by non-other than Shahrukh Khan. Billu's poverty-stricken life is contrasted beautifully against the mega star until the face off of the two characters when they finally meet. This is a movie about unconditional childhood friendship, cutting through age, status or fame. At the end, childhood love and friendship heals any wound and bonds broken relationships.
What really makes the movie is the character Billu himself, played by Irrfan Khan, surely one of the most talented but underrated actor in Bollywood today. Some of you may remember him from Mira Nair's film Namesake which he gave superb performances as Gogol's father as well as the mean police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire. He is the emotional core of this movie. The film starts with his desperate and innocent attempt to bribe a government officer in order to get a business loan for his barber shop. While listening to his plea, you can't help it but feel for him. Apparently, it is believed that this role was first offered to Ashkay Kumar. I can't imagine him playing this role. Irrfan brings a certain human dignity and respect not only to the character Billu and his profession but also to the life of poverty, convening so much by saying very little. He manages to make his character extremely believable and likable with ease.
A surprising and refreshing character is Bindiya, Billu's wife played by Lara Dutt. She should be commended for delivering a captivating and believable performance s; you would not know she is former Miss Universe. This is a different role for her; she usually plays the sophisticated beauty and I might add it is refreshing to see her in this role. The stage presence of both Lara and Irrfan is impressive as husband and wife. She gives the character strength with moments of depth, love and respect which I find very inspiring given their poverty level.
What makes this movie great its realism and depiction of rural life in India, unlike other Bollywood movies, with no pretension or smug. The cinematography of this movie is amazing, showcasing the lush of rural India. The simplicity of the film, portrayal of poverty without overwhelming the audience makes this film a delight to watch. I liked the clever way the director unfolds the story. It invites you in, but leaves you to your own considerations as the story progresses. This film lets certain details out when the moments are right, but not before the audience is fully involved in the somber life of small town man. You get the feeling that Billu is lying until the heartwarming climax. Billu is deeply touching not only in details of an ordinary man's life, but also our shortcomings and our insecurities.
This film also states that what seems trivial at any given moment in life could be important later on. Besides all this, great acting, thoughtfulness, genuine sincerity, and total emotional honesty are what one can expect from Billu without the loss of a typical grandiose of Bollywood musicals. If you want to see a movie that affirms the meaning of friendship, this is your movie. Billu is extraordinary film in an ordinary town.
More commentary on Isisbollywood.wordpress.com
RHK, Isisbollywood
Billu Barber makes a decent "cut"
bwboi113 February 2009
I went to the first show of 'Billu' at my local theater, and the movie started out with a Billu (Irrfan Khan) struggling to make a living by his run-down barber shop. Irrfan Khan acted well in the lead role for his character. However, the character of Bindiya (Lara Dutta) was not really that convincing. Rajpal Yadav and Om Puri play small comic roles throughout the movie. Shahrukh Khan had an extended guest appearance and did majority of the songs. In my opinion, the songs were different in regards to usual Bollywood songs. The main three songs performed Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor respectively were a really good modern approach to Bollywood music. All three actresses performed their own full song with Shahrukh Khan, however Priyanka Chopra's part was cut down and shared with Lara Dutta.
The story has a slow developing plot and does not really get interesting until the second half of the movie. It is still a good movie about 'friendship' that you can watch with your whole family!
The story has a slow developing plot and does not really get interesting until the second half of the movie. It is still a good movie about 'friendship' that you can watch with your whole family!
Disappointing
loverfellow19 February 2009
The movie starts with a very good theme describing billu, the village the entry of srk and all. But the things gets worse when the general expectation of the viewer for a such a big release go wrong.
I was expecting that srk will meet billu pretty soon and then the story will take an astonishing turn and show after abouts of the friendship or something else. But the director took it unnecessarily long and shown excessive and predictable incidents of billu not being able to meet srk.
You ask me guys, this in no way looks like a feature film, but a cheap and unnecessarily long drama serial. Srk acting was not good at all.
I will give it 4 stars just because of the acting of Irfan Khan and a comedy scene acted by hotel manager.
It really disappointed me.
I was expecting that srk will meet billu pretty soon and then the story will take an astonishing turn and show after abouts of the friendship or something else. But the director took it unnecessarily long and shown excessive and predictable incidents of billu not being able to meet srk.
You ask me guys, this in no way looks like a feature film, but a cheap and unnecessarily long drama serial. Srk acting was not good at all.
I will give it 4 stars just because of the acting of Irfan Khan and a comedy scene acted by hotel manager.
It really disappointed me.
Shah Rukh Khan and the late Irrfan Khan really show what fine acting is all about in "Billu".
planktonrules11 October 2021
To appreciate "Billu" you need to understand the magnitude of the adoration the Indian public has for their movie stars, particularly Shah Rukh Khan. I knew some of this but it really helped that just before I watched this film, I also watched "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman: Shah Rukh Khan" on Netflix....and it showed the almost rabid adoration of the thousands of fans camped outside of Khan's home...hoping to get a glimpse of this Indian mega-star!
"Billu" is a most unusual film in that Shah Rukh Khan plays a slightly fictionalized version of himself, called Sahir Khan. It seems that he and his production company have chosen the village of Budbuda to film their next movie and this causes problems for a very poor barber, Billu (Irrfan Khan). It seems Billu told his kids that he grew up with the famous actor and knew him...and the kids now expect their father to arrange a meeting with Sahir. To make things worse, the kids tell their friends and soon everyone in the village thinks Sahir and Billu are buddies....and they all suddenly become very loving and kind towards Billu in the hope that he'll introduce them to the actor. Where does it go next? See the film.
The best thing about this film is the acting by the two Khans. Both have some marvelous moments at the end of the film...moments where you might want to have some Kleenex handy. The story itself is also quite charming and clever....and never disappoints. And, I really loved the first musical number...it was a showstopper!
"Billu" is a most unusual film in that Shah Rukh Khan plays a slightly fictionalized version of himself, called Sahir Khan. It seems that he and his production company have chosen the village of Budbuda to film their next movie and this causes problems for a very poor barber, Billu (Irrfan Khan). It seems Billu told his kids that he grew up with the famous actor and knew him...and the kids now expect their father to arrange a meeting with Sahir. To make things worse, the kids tell their friends and soon everyone in the village thinks Sahir and Billu are buddies....and they all suddenly become very loving and kind towards Billu in the hope that he'll introduce them to the actor. Where does it go next? See the film.
The best thing about this film is the acting by the two Khans. Both have some marvelous moments at the end of the film...moments where you might want to have some Kleenex handy. The story itself is also quite charming and clever....and never disappoints. And, I really loved the first musical number...it was a showstopper!
Its Nice
staindoutside13 February 2009
well i just saw this movie and its not one of priyadarshan's best work but it is in the list of good ones and this movie is a well made, well acted,well crafted product and the man of the hour is irfan khan who has taken it away from SRK, SRK in small role is vital yet somewhere i felt if he was not even in the movie it would have been the same with any other actor performing, but he has done his part pretty well, cast is good, movie has got some good humor as priyadarshan's favorite village locale. its a good time pass movie. Couple of good songs. Good performances. Good Direction. Well Designed. Well Executed. Simple story Simple people thats what make it more interesting. 7/10
A Mediocre Mess
Herag28 March 2009
This could have been a good rural movie with some good actors like Irfan Khan but for the item numbers which are so out of place, out of context that it is beyond the point of being ridiculous-pathetic. Why are the Indian producers spending enormous money on these item numbers? Om Puri who has proved himself to be a versatile actor is more a jester with his accident prone character. The part of the guest house manager acting as an inspector is so overdone it becomes more annoying than funny.The only redeeming scene is the last few scenes. The movie has no soul with erratic editing and dialog. Irfan Khan is the one actor who brings some serenity to an otherwise circus-like atmosphere that seems to prevail for the most part. This is typical SRK production with not much substance but hype. Lara Dutta has acquired new acting skills that come handy for a rural housewife-like making roti's bathing under waterfalls and making ransom demands to see an over-the-hill film actor. The scene where she falls out of the bed-day dreaming is plainly funny-"My god I had problems in the day-now at night too!"
Its not about Sahir Khan but Shahrukh Khan
AvinashPatalay27 March 2009
I was sceptical about SRK teaming with Priyan leading to another Paheli. Priyan ensures that he is at the helm of the affairs and does not let his vision undergo dilution. Billu is about Billu and thereby Billu gets maximum mileage. SRK's is confined to the parts where he is required and yes, of course the item songs.
Irfan does his part to the utmost satisfaction. The only grumbling is his sarcasm in the state of poverty which doesn't go quite well.
Lara Dutta is the surprise package and she carries herself as the villager-wife to the "T".
The usual Priyan's regulars are present (except Paresh Rawal, thankfully not a force-fit) and they are as usual dependable.
SRK uses the tailor-made opportunity for being a spokesperson for himself, so it is "Me, Me and only Me" in Sahir Khan's part and yet another inner/outer world. Only in the last scene, SRK drops his mask and attempts to give a glimpse into his inner world.
Humour is present in adequate doses, so don't expect an out-and-out regular Priyan comedy.
The opening credit deserve a special mention, very creative.
Finally, the modern version of Krishna-Sudama was not appropriately justified.
Irfan does his part to the utmost satisfaction. The only grumbling is his sarcasm in the state of poverty which doesn't go quite well.
Lara Dutta is the surprise package and she carries herself as the villager-wife to the "T".
The usual Priyan's regulars are present (except Paresh Rawal, thankfully not a force-fit) and they are as usual dependable.
SRK uses the tailor-made opportunity for being a spokesperson for himself, so it is "Me, Me and only Me" in Sahir Khan's part and yet another inner/outer world. Only in the last scene, SRK drops his mask and attempts to give a glimpse into his inner world.
Humour is present in adequate doses, so don't expect an out-and-out regular Priyan comedy.
The opening credit deserve a special mention, very creative.
Finally, the modern version of Krishna-Sudama was not appropriately justified.
Never can go wrong with SRK
AishFan28 February 2009
In today's times, SRK is one of the few names in the Hindi film industry who one can depend on to produce clean, quality entertainment.
With that being said, the first half, or even a majority, of this Red Chilies production seems to be a bit ridiculous where an entire village goes nuts over a film shooting in their town. While the chaos may not be unrealistic, it could be a bit insulting to SRK's stupendous, passionate fans, who in the film are shown as illiterate fools who have no productive work to do or anything half-intelligent to say. One also notices that with Gauri Khan being the producer, SRK uses this opportunity to dispel any rumors alleged against him in the format of a 30 sec. TV spot.
Before you think that I'm bashing this film left and right, the film's final few scenes have the classic SRK personal touch that bring out genuine emotions and bring a smile to your face. The audience is able to connect with SRK's words in his monologue and begin to recollect their childhood days as he does in the film. He acts flawlessly and leaves one wondering if he was acting or actually telling his true life story. Based on the epic tale of Krishna and Sudama, Billu Barber brings out the human, down-to-earth qualities of film stars. The last couple of scenes are what make watching this film worth it.
Except for "Billu Bhayankar", songs were excellent. (Wonder where Pritam stole them from this time? ;-) ) Irfan and Lara did full justice to their roles, though they may not be too demanding. The special appearances were a delightful surprise!
With that being said, the first half, or even a majority, of this Red Chilies production seems to be a bit ridiculous where an entire village goes nuts over a film shooting in their town. While the chaos may not be unrealistic, it could be a bit insulting to SRK's stupendous, passionate fans, who in the film are shown as illiterate fools who have no productive work to do or anything half-intelligent to say. One also notices that with Gauri Khan being the producer, SRK uses this opportunity to dispel any rumors alleged against him in the format of a 30 sec. TV spot.
Before you think that I'm bashing this film left and right, the film's final few scenes have the classic SRK personal touch that bring out genuine emotions and bring a smile to your face. The audience is able to connect with SRK's words in his monologue and begin to recollect their childhood days as he does in the film. He acts flawlessly and leaves one wondering if he was acting or actually telling his true life story. Based on the epic tale of Krishna and Sudama, Billu Barber brings out the human, down-to-earth qualities of film stars. The last couple of scenes are what make watching this film worth it.
Except for "Billu Bhayankar", songs were excellent. (Wonder where Pritam stole them from this time? ;-) ) Irfan and Lara did full justice to their roles, though they may not be too demanding. The special appearances were a delightful surprise!
Barber, Barber... chomp off some reels
vshah78615 February 2009
Seriously, what was all the fuss about.
Agreed, its from Red Chillies Entertainment, but really, what cinema have they given.
Billu Barber...oops...Billu is as mundane as it could get.
The story is based on the Indian mythological story of Krishna-Sudama. rich friend-poor friend. Something that could have been just a 90 minute film has been stretched to 180 long minutes. 3 item numbers, all added for the front benchers and to add glam quotient makes the movie just doesn't work for the movie.
On the acting front, Shahrukh Khan hams (his usual style - man, he is getting on my nerves), Lara Dutta is so misfit for the role of a village bumpkins wife (see her in the bit when Billu gives her the sarees - where did she learn to dance like that), the kids attitude is over the top and the rest of the cast is well - just about it.
This is Irfans movie all the way. His dialogue delivery is spot on. His portrayal of the character is so very endearing. Not at a single moment do you pity the guy - you just be with him.
The other saving grace of the movie is the ending. Its very predictable but handled with amazing restraint for a Hindi mainstream commercial cinema.
Its only for this ending, that this movie gets 6 stars. And oh yeah, my kid liked this movie. After a long time, there is some clean entertainment without the deep clevages, smooches and the slap stick comedy.
Watch it on a multiplex.
Agreed, its from Red Chillies Entertainment, but really, what cinema have they given.
Billu Barber...oops...Billu is as mundane as it could get.
The story is based on the Indian mythological story of Krishna-Sudama. rich friend-poor friend. Something that could have been just a 90 minute film has been stretched to 180 long minutes. 3 item numbers, all added for the front benchers and to add glam quotient makes the movie just doesn't work for the movie.
On the acting front, Shahrukh Khan hams (his usual style - man, he is getting on my nerves), Lara Dutta is so misfit for the role of a village bumpkins wife (see her in the bit when Billu gives her the sarees - where did she learn to dance like that), the kids attitude is over the top and the rest of the cast is well - just about it.
This is Irfans movie all the way. His dialogue delivery is spot on. His portrayal of the character is so very endearing. Not at a single moment do you pity the guy - you just be with him.
The other saving grace of the movie is the ending. Its very predictable but handled with amazing restraint for a Hindi mainstream commercial cinema.
Its only for this ending, that this movie gets 6 stars. And oh yeah, my kid liked this movie. After a long time, there is some clean entertainment without the deep clevages, smooches and the slap stick comedy.
Watch it on a multiplex.
Amazing and beautiful
raggzycj11 June 2013
I love this movie! It is so beautiful and amazing. The character development is believable and it allows the audience to go through all the stages of the protagonist's life. It creates a strong bond between the viewer and the characters, so whenever the protagonist goes through something difficult or wonderful you can really feel it. The acting is really good, and the plus is there is a lot of singing and dancing (as this is a bollywood movie) and it just makes you in a good mood. The whole struggle of two best friends drifting apart is very relatable, and I think most people have found themselves in that situation at some point in time. The point however is to never give up on someone you love, no matter what. This movie has comedy, romance, singing and dancing, what more can you ask for? I recommend this movie to everyone who like bollywood movies, or who would like to start watching them. It is one of my all-time favourite movies!
Poor direction this time from Priyadarshan
rajandey5 June 2009
Priyadarshan who is known for movies like Hera Pheri (Excellent) , Garam Masal (Entertaining) , Kyon Ki (touching). Works with SRK for the first time. Promos looked promising etc, but i guess the movie lacked a soul.
Billu was just boring from starting to ending, SRK was busy promoting himself as a big star in the movie, although that is what the role demanded.. I was just getting tired of the filmposters and scenes from all his other movies, they should have come up with something innovative here. SRK had a superstar attitude throughout the whole movie except the last 10 minutes. Irfan Khan shines again, the amazing actor manages to perform really well in this bad written flick too, that is what an actors job is after all, very good Irfan! Lara doesn't have much scope, 10 minutes all together? or 20 maybe! SRK proves that he is a very commercial producer, and uses his celebrity friends for item songs so that the promos look cool. Kareena Kapoor sure looked good in Marjaani, Deepika looked OK, and Priyanka did a good job. Though the songs were horribly misplaced in the movie.
Irfans kids in the movie do a great job, they were natural. Songs by pritam are of course a very big hit. They are all great, Marjaani, Love Mera Hit Hit, Khudaiya Khair/You get me rocking and reeling. Superb.
+ Irfans performance + Songs - SRK Self promotion - Too damn commercial - B-oooooooring
Billu was just boring from starting to ending, SRK was busy promoting himself as a big star in the movie, although that is what the role demanded.. I was just getting tired of the filmposters and scenes from all his other movies, they should have come up with something innovative here. SRK had a superstar attitude throughout the whole movie except the last 10 minutes. Irfan Khan shines again, the amazing actor manages to perform really well in this bad written flick too, that is what an actors job is after all, very good Irfan! Lara doesn't have much scope, 10 minutes all together? or 20 maybe! SRK proves that he is a very commercial producer, and uses his celebrity friends for item songs so that the promos look cool. Kareena Kapoor sure looked good in Marjaani, Deepika looked OK, and Priyanka did a good job. Though the songs were horribly misplaced in the movie.
Irfans kids in the movie do a great job, they were natural. Songs by pritam are of course a very big hit. They are all great, Marjaani, Love Mera Hit Hit, Khudaiya Khair/You get me rocking and reeling. Superb.
+ Irfans performance + Songs - SRK Self promotion - Too damn commercial - B-oooooooring
are you a good friend and real down to earth person? go watch compare and check yourself !!
class_mass19 February 2009
Nowadays most films are made to give important message for life so that everyone can connect with it. This film touches one's heart by giving great example of true friendship between two childhood friends.
Both friends found themselves in different situation after childhood days of friendship as one became rich while the other remained poor but their bond of friendship was intact in their heart. The poor friend has started believing that his friend might have forgotten him after such a long time and after getting fame and money but in reality that was not the case instead he is still reminding his childhood friend and always wanted to meet him. The character of rich friend shows real down to earth personality of a person and example of true friendship that never fades irrespective of money and fame at the same time the character of poor friend and his wife also shows that being poor never restrict you of being good person.
Over all this is very good film and must watch for its heart warming subject of friendship.
Both friends found themselves in different situation after childhood days of friendship as one became rich while the other remained poor but their bond of friendship was intact in their heart. The poor friend has started believing that his friend might have forgotten him after such a long time and after getting fame and money but in reality that was not the case instead he is still reminding his childhood friend and always wanted to meet him. The character of rich friend shows real down to earth personality of a person and example of true friendship that never fades irrespective of money and fame at the same time the character of poor friend and his wife also shows that being poor never restrict you of being good person.
Over all this is very good film and must watch for its heart warming subject of friendship.
SRK plays himself
khalikabdul-6547127 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
All I want to say about this film is that most of it is true. I don't mean that a Superstar goes to a small village to shoot his next film where his childhood school friend is now a poor barber, no non of that is true. What is definitely true is that the way all the villagers obsess and go crazy about a Superstar Actor in the film is exactly the way most people in India behave. In India people are crazy and obsessed about films,actors and actresses, they worship them and spend their hard earned money on them. All they know is films and cricket. Yes I am talking about the country which has the highest population in the world. Sad!
Priyadarshan loosing his edge
ronniesaini21 June 2009
Awfully bad movie with the very poor direction which is never expected from Priyadarshan. I couldn't make out if the movie was about 'billu barber' the character or it was all about Shahrukh Khan, actually it was all about Shahrukh Khan promo and that made it so boring and dull.
The movie is listed in the 'comedy' genre but comedy was no-where to be found.
Irfan Khan as always is an amazing actor but he made a mistake signing for this movie, I would suggest him to take the roles more carefully. Priyadarshan let everybody down. Songs are undoubtedly a major hit and they are really good too, but when you watch the movie, you'll be shocked that none of the songs fit into the movie at all, with a completely different production design and all.
don't waste your time and money on this one.
The movie is listed in the 'comedy' genre but comedy was no-where to be found.
Irfan Khan as always is an amazing actor but he made a mistake signing for this movie, I would suggest him to take the roles more carefully. Priyadarshan let everybody down. Songs are undoubtedly a major hit and they are really good too, but when you watch the movie, you'll be shocked that none of the songs fit into the movie at all, with a completely different production design and all.
don't waste your time and money on this one.
Touching..
rishi_ff27 October 2013
The climax is special.. It made me cry. No words to describe. Watch it.
It's worth watching the development of the main character as it all ends up well. Even those who seem to have nothing, have the biggest thing a human being can have.
Every being is before anything else, human. This comes to show that no one is bigger than anyone else. Even the people in the TOP today were down under once. U don't grow alone without any help!
For the nostalgia in the end 100/10. For the whole movie 8/10.
The songs are nice, gaining fame, although some had no context in the movie.
It's worth watching the development of the main character as it all ends up well. Even those who seem to have nothing, have the biggest thing a human being can have.
Every being is before anything else, human. This comes to show that no one is bigger than anyone else. Even the people in the TOP today were down under once. U don't grow alone without any help!
For the nostalgia in the end 100/10. For the whole movie 8/10.
The songs are nice, gaining fame, although some had no context in the movie.
Simple and one time watch
akshatmahajan1 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Film's story is very simple, a story about a poor barder who is friend of superstar while they were children. The ending was predictable. Performances of Shahrukh Khan and Irrfan Khan were worth watching and they did their part very well. The songs were okay and were really not needed. But I think songs kept the movie on track as movie gets derailed at many points.
I may not recommend this movie as it is not so special but yes, it you want you can watch it.
Completely out of track movie
noblevaibhav18 February 2009
This was the worst movie i have ever seen in the history of Hindi cinema!!! It is not a movie, but just publicity stunt by Shahrukh khan! I respect the actor but this is really a black spot on his career according to me! Even the director of the movie has not taken care of many things like at some place in the movie, some villager was purchasing magazine having SRK written on it, whereas the name of Shahrukh khan in movie is Sahir khan, not Shah Rukh Khan, so apparently not SRK! :) Getting it ? :) There were many such things which were needed to be taken care of, but many shots and dialogs r just put without pondering a little bit on it! Even though some funny moments were there but not such that u really miss the fun and u cant live without it.. U can never afford even 20Rs to watch such movie and waste your time.... Some songs r also put haphazardly in it,completely redundant! Please Mr Shahrukhji, don't ever hammer your fans with any more such boring movies! :(
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