Secret Superstar movie review: Take your mother along for this one. A must watch!

Directed By: Advait Chandan
Produced By: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Sujay Kutty, Akash Chawla, B. Shrinivas Rao
Cast: Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan, Meher Vij
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 3.5/5

When was the last time when you asked your mom what sacrifices she has done for you? When was the last time when before taking a decision for her you asked her what she wants? We have seen many films that are based on mothers and the power she has. She can be a woman who gently takes care of her child and if someone hurts you she will be ready to take on the world. ‘Secret Superstar’ is just that emotional dose you needed this Diwali weekend.

The film is about Insia (Zaira Wasim) who is born in a very conservative Muslim family and shares a beautiful relationship with her mother Najma (Meher Vij). Insia wants to be a famous singer and wants to set her mother free from her father who is an abusive husband. As she hails from a conservative family, Insia realises she might have to forget her dream of being a singer. But, then she decides to use the power of the internet and records a video of herself clad in a Burkha and uploads it on Youtube. She names this cryptic video ‘Secret Superstar’. Needless to say, Insia turns a star overnight. Likes, views, and fans follow and Insia becomes a social media star overnight. She also starts interacting with her fans on Twitter, Facebook and through email under the guise of Secret Superstar. But, what next? Will Insia tell her father about this? Will she be able to set her mother free from the abusive marriage? To know the answers of these questions, you need to watch the film.

From the trailer and the songs ‘Secret Superstar’ might just look like a story of a girl who has a dream to become a singer. But, the movie has more to offer than just that. We recommend you watch the film with your mother and give her a tight hug once you are done watching this emotional roller coaster ride. It’s one of those films that gives an important message as well as entertains you at the same time and thankfully doesn’t get all preachy about it. Written by Advait Chandan, the story of the film is very good and has its moments. It also marks Advait’s debut as a director and he definitely gets a thumbs up from us. He has narrated the film in a simple way and has successfully made us search for tissues papers as well as laugh out loud through the film (especially the ones which has Aamir Khan).

However, there are only a few things that could have been better. In the first half the movie takes the momentum up but then after a few sequences, it falls flat. The first half surely required a tighter screenplay. Even the runtime could have been shorter as there are a couple of sequences that were not much required and could have been edited out. While we get emotional at the end of the film, the ‘Sexy Baliye’ track at the end credits spoils the take away feel. We wish the makers could have got away with it.

Well, when a movie with the backdrop of singing is being made, the most important elements are the songs and ‘Secret Superstar’ gets full marks in that. Amit Trivedi’s music is excellent, Kausar Munir’s lyrics are fantastic and Meghna Mishra’s voice is amazing. The three have surely created a great album worth listening to.

A few days ago, Aamir Khan in an interview had stated that Zaira Wasim is the finest actor we have in the industry today and believe us, he was bang on. What a talented actress Zaira is! She has done full justice to the role and we think she should be ready to take awards home once again. Meher Vij known for her small role in ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ (Munni’s mother) is simply outstanding as Najma. She has essayed the role of a helpless mother torn between her daughter’s dreams and her conservative husband to the tee. Raj Arjun is so good as Insia’s father that you will start hating him once you leave the theatres. Special mention to Kabir Sajid (Insia’s brother) and Tirth Sharma (Insia’s friend), they are very good in their respective parts. Now let’s talk about Aamir Khan. He once again proves that he can carry any role given to him. As Shakti Kumaar, Aamir will leave you in splits. Because this film is about Zaira Wasim we are not going to talk much about Aamir and let Zaira get all the spotlight.

Overall, ‘Secret Superstar’ is an emotional yet an entertaining film. A must watch!

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