SATELLITE SHANKAR movie review is here. Written and directed by Irfan Kamal, the movie stars Sooraj Pancholi and Megha Akash. Does it wins over the audience?, let’s find out in the movie review of SATELLITE SHANKAR.
Immediate reaction when the end credits rolls
Whether its reel or real, when it comes to winning the audience, deshbhakti – the passion for India is the safest bet.
The Story of SATELLITE SHANKAR
Sweet, innocent and cheerful Shankar (Sooraj Pancholi) has a special ability; Shankar can spark a light of happiness in others and offer a beam of hope. Nicknamed ‘satellite’ for this uncommon ability, Shankar one day gets injured in an Indo – Pak crossfire. Advised rest for eight days, Shankar pleads to his superior asking permission for a short holiday to meet his mother (Sohaila Kapur) in Tamil Nadu. Since his special ability has made him the favorite in his unit. Shankar is granted the permission with a condition that he will report back to the camp on the set date.
Shankar’s journey to his home in Pollachi turns out to be an adventurous journey of self-discovery for him. The kind-hearted good-natured soldier helps people to board their train, gives Gyan to a cunning con taxi driver in the ‘mitron’ dialect, rescues people from fatal accidents and keeps on missing his train. But in one such act of great humanity and valor, Shankar turns into a viral sensation courtesy video blogger Meera (Palomi Ghosh). Rest is how Shankar meets his mother and how people from mother India help Shankar in reaching his destination.
SATELLITE SHANKAR movie review
Yes, the screenplay by writer-director Irfan Kamal and his co-writer Vishal Vijay Kumar is heavily inspired by the 1959 Russian classic BALLAD OF A SOLDIER but it bleeds with a heartbeat that cares for humanity and loves the nation. Its manipulation to the core and it is completely dipped in the overly syrupy feel-good sentiments.
Irfan Kamal after the sensitive THANKS MAA (2009) gets more ambitious and succeeds in making a crowd-pleasing ode to an Indian that results in a salute to the Indian army.
Sooraj Pancholi improves from his previous movie and shows a flair for comedy as well. He is endearing.
Megha Akash is a breeze of fresh air. Palomi Ghosh makes an impact. The side actors contribute in a big way.
Flaws
Heavily inspired from the 1959 Russian classic BALLAD OF A SOLDIER, Irfan Kamal’s SATELLITE SHANKAR chooses to remain sweet throughout in its ode to Humanity and Indian army. The contrast, the conflict of the effects and after-effects of war on the nation and its people which was so masterly done in the Russian classic is completely missing.
SATELLITE SHANKAR has the heart in its right place, it makes us smile but it fails to make us fall in love. Glaring loopholes like Sooraj Pancholi Hindi accent as half Tamilian and half Punjabi as compared to Megha Akash’s accent. Post interval it stretches and the climax and the pre-climax are completely out of sync and seem forced.
Final words
SATELLITE SHANKAR is a feel-good and syrupy adaptation of the 1959 Russian classic BALLAD OF A SOLDIER, having less brain and more heart but the important thing is, it brings an Indian to smile and feel proud for India and the Indian army.
