brief on Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Umesh Chronicles”
brief on Amitabh Bachchan starrer
“Umesh Chronicles”
“Umesh Chronicles” is much raved about film
featuring the Bollywood Legend Amitabh Bachchan.
The film traces to Radha (Aiza Khan), an adolescent girl in 1980s North India. She loves scatting in the world of movies and books; she’s fairly obedient but has a mind of her own, and shares a warm bond with her parents and grandparents, who live in an old but sprawling house in the countryside in North India.
When her father (Vivek Gomber), an army man, is posted to Uri, Radha moves in with her grandparents (Amitabh Bachchan and Leela Samson) for stability and a good high school education. There, she meets Sundar (Bobby Pal), a young boy who ran away from his village and now lives and works at her grandparents’ house.
What unfolds is a quiet, meditative portrait of Radha navigating a new school, new classmates, and a growing curiosity towards Sundar. The Umesh Chronicles then shifts to her twenties in Mumbai, tracing a longer arc of self-discovery.
Cinematography and Brilliant Performances
The film avoids overt conflict or melodrama, instead leaning into nostalgia. Jakob Ihre’s sublime cinematography captures the characters in steady shots and soft light that elevate the beauty of the mundane—long hours of reading, meals at the dining table, and letting time pass freely.
The atmospheric sound design further builds this sense of intimacy, immersing us in Radha’s world.
The Umesh Chronicles is largely aided by Aiza Khan’s excellent debut, refreshingly free of any theatrics and pretense. Pal is equally compelling as the young Sundar, playing him with unaffected ease as he goes about his domestic duties in the house.
This is also happens to be one of Bachchan’s finest performances in recent years. He looks smart and upright, but plays the old patriarch with a gentleness and warmth that could make anyone miss their grandfather. Some of the most memorable moments come in the quietest details—him patiently waking Radha up to study for an exam, or their tender breakfast-table conversations.
News Edit KV Raman
