User reviews

Thought provoking films have always been an important feature of our Regional Cinema since the beginning and Hindi film-makers have also delivered many worth watching gems in this particular genre in the past (especially before the 90s). But even then, very rarely we have seen a film which comes up with a fine blend of both entertaining as well as enlightening moments in its beautifully executed narration, reaching out to the audience individually in more than one unique manner.

Writer-Actor-Director Rajat Kapoor's ANKHON DEKHIis a perfect example of such rare, not to be missed precious cinema. And as suggested by its name, the film simply needs to be seen, felt and enjoyed at the earliest instead of just being read about, discussed or pre-judged by its various appreciative reviews written by different critics.

Actually films like ANKHON DEKHI should not be ideally reviewed in the usual manner since they are certainly going to have many distinctive meanings or interpretations for different viewers (as per their own viewpoints), which in fact can easily be stated as the film's real beauty too required to be kept intact. For instance where a few might enjoy it just as a light, feel-good comedy revolving around a lower middle class family, there for others it may turn out to be a highly transforming experience, giving them a new bright insight into their own struggling life, demanding many major changes.

So with many thanks to Rajat Kapoor (writer-actor-director), Manish Mundra (producer), Seema Mishra (Bauji's wife), the entire supporting cast, music, background score & art department along with the emotionally touching & exceptionally terrific Sanjay Mishra as Bauji, I would like to strongly recommend ANKHON DEKHI to one and all as a rare meaningful achievement not to be missed.

With a sincere wish that every reader of this honest write-up watches ANKHON DEKHI and many more movies like these like a true seeker, I would like to end here hoping that may you also find your own precious SATORI in those two meditative hours in the dark spent with Bauji. And may we all live a more contended, loving and thankful life in the future, forgetting this silly mad race for money, luxuries and power (to the extent they certainly deserve to be forgotten).

'Ankhon Dekhi' is Sheer Brilliance! A powerful, symbolic, heart-breaking film, that is also blessed with incredible performances!

'Ankhon Dekhi' centers around Bauji, played by Sanjay Mishra, who, after a dramatic incident, decides that he will only believe what he sees with his eyes.

'Ankhon Dekhi' narrates Bauji's "see it to believe it" story, with strong emotion & poetic pacing. Writer/Director Rajat Kapoor delivers a human-story, that in many ways, narrates life. His Screenplay deals with faith, family bond, sadness & reality. Its blunt, but also beautiful. His Direction, on the other-hand, is simplistic. A Special Mention for the wonderful music.

Performance-Wise: Sanjay Mishra is mesmerizing as Bauji. The immensely talented actor delivers a knock-out performance, that in my opinion, deserves a National-Award! He's the life of the show. Seema Pahwa is outstanding. She compliments Mishra, marvelously. Rajat Kapoor, himself, pitches in a restrained performance. Maya Sarao is a talent to watch out for. She's superb. Brijendra Kala, Manu Rishi & Namit Das, are impressive, as well.

On the whole, 'Ankhon Dekhi' left me overwhelmed.

Rajat Kapoor has always fascinated me: with his acting, directing & even writing. His Raghu Romeo was a good project. His roles in Dil Chahta Hai & Monsoon Wedding upped the ante. Ankhon Dekhi could just be his magnum opus.

Sanjay Mishra's character is the protagonist; troubled with life's ways, troubled with the monotony, he starts introspecting as his daughter's love affair is known about. He realizes that nothing can be believed to be right until you see it with your eyes, ankhon dekhi. What follows is a myriad number of references about a man's life: his birth, his family, his kids, his work & his thought. What the plot tries to suggest is the idiosyncrasy we all possess and that it is all different for different people. It may force people to ape others, but that is not the right way.

With beautiful vocals & music by Kailash Kher, brilliant cinematography & marvelous direction, Ankhon Dekhi is perhaps Bollywood's best film this year, so far. The performances is the best thing about it; each & every cast member is so involved with their characters, that I was taken aback when a supporting actor playing the mother of a boy who is diagnosed with a disorder, enacts the relief when he ails out of it. Her expression & conduct all were absolutely mesmerizing. Plus, the brotherly relationship is talked about, with respect to joint families. It showcases the Indian which we had thought is lost; perfectly captured Delhi streets & chawls; fantastic photography.

The climax is equally haunting and is free for interpretation to viewers; ends with a bang & so sharply expresses a man's views. It mixes wonder with reality & does it right.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended because this is no ordinary cinema. This is a masterwork.

(Probably) Simplicity can never be a passé. A whole generation still connects to the "Ta Na Na Ta Na Na" of Malgudi Days. R.K Narayan Ki duniya talked about the real India, some simple people, their life & its ordeal.

Rajat Kapoor's refreshingly eccentric yet gimmick-less (even hype-less) "Ankho Dekhi" is kind of a dejavu of Malgudi Days. The film revolves around Bauji who lives in his own ideological world & believes in inherent goodness of people. But he isn't gullible person & believes only in "Ankho Dekhi". And in a moment of realization he literary sets on to a journey whereby he decides that he will only believe what he can see for himself. From religion to education to even science - Bauji seeks for his own truth, an experienced one. He will come across as a visionary to someone while others might outright reject him as a nitwit. Kapoor webs an authentic image of a regular middle-class household in the surrounding areas of urban India, the still-prevailing joint family & the ego dynamics. His execution is gentle traversing at its own pace much like the ways of Bauji.

Kapoor's narrative talks about many issues in subtle way & he webs in some brilliant situations to express his points. Like the scene where the priest gives "Prasad" (Godly offering) to Bauji, he takes it, have it & then says that the sweet is good totally unaware of the anger of the priest who kept on insisting that it's not a mere sweet, it is godly offering. Then in another accomplished sequence bauji kept on saying that he won't believe in gods until one of them comes & have tea with him which angers the religious fanatic ones. Going away from religion, he even pokes on the education system whereby he establishes the importance of knowledge beyond books. The debate with the maths teacher on how could one assume that two parallel lines would meet at infinity deserves mention. Then the sequence of visiting a zoo to check whether a tiger roars or meows was superlative.

Kapoor got able support from cinematography, editing & music department bringing out the essence of the narrative deftly. And as the masterstroke climax happened I almost jumped from my seat to applaud & that's when the end credit began with the following note – "Thanking my teachers Mani Kaul & Kumar Shahani" (two of the finest film makers of Indian parallel cinema); what a way to give back to his masters! This is indeed one of the finest films from Rajat Kapoor.

Otherwise typecast & wasted in loud comical characters Sanjay Mishra didn't let slip this opportunity & gave his career best performance as bauji. Hopefully his acting potential will be frequently utilized from now on. The supporting cast were tremendous comprising of Rajat Kapoor himself, Manu Rishi, Pahwa, Miya Sarao (who made a striking debut as the daughter of Bauji), Namit das, even stalwart Saurabh Shukla in a cameo.

Without being preachy the premise makes you (makes us) introspect – all of us, lost in the jungle of consumerism are losing our own thought prowess; the power of self experience. As bauji would have said which goes in English somewhat this - Whatever I am saying is my truth, my experience. Don't go by it only as your's experience & truth can be different.(For some reason IMDb is not allowing me to out the Hindi sentence thus have to give the translated version). In this way the film hits the consumerist (And media dominated) culture whereby people are losing their self identity.

Give this movie a try, you will probably come with a thoughtful grin & might set for your very own 'flight of fancy" (as Masand said).

(Sadly this witty original film got overpowered by ghostly baby dolls & their gang of marketing terrorists..)

It is an excellent flick that is on my favorite list, like Sadma, Simon Brich, Hachiko, Lawrence of Arabia, Gangoobai, Iqbal, etc. Its is kind of flick I prefer to watch. It is a logical drama masterpiece of Rajat Sir, I am big fan of your film, long ago. There are very reality based scenes in film that I can only imagine, like when the younger brother moving out the transfer of luggage from roof top to the new house is amazing, the body languages of all characters in whole movie was marvelous, the Shadi scene when all sitting in pooja and the son of pujari came back and forth telling the current events in tents happened at that real time was outstanding, even pujari's son character has a real existence in our society. It took a long and intense kind of observation and create a plot on these kind of happenings is a great achievement. Finally, hats off. Also, in the end, its an excellent recommendations from IMDb to let me know what should I deserve to watch. Thanks for this wonderful art work.

There are lot of Indian movies that make large money, and offer no content , famously called as Masala movies in India, Ankhon Dekhi is totally an opposite of that, Its filled with high quality content that is so true to its nature, that it holds your attention from beginning till the end. Its an Amazing cocktail of Comedy, Drama, Philosophy. Rajat Kapoor has proved his brilliance again, by bringing out such an amazing idea, Sanjay Mishra has always been one of the most underrated actor in Indian Cinema, Ankhon Dekhi proves to be the platform where he shows his might in Acting skills, Rajat Kapoor Smartly plays second fiddle to him,

Ankhon Dekhi is in itself a refreshing experience, a mesmerizing one, Shouldn't be missed by anyone who enjoys true cinema, Every Character is so well placed , A lot set of hidden talents are show caused in this movie,

And every moment is so beautiful, Movies such as this bring glory to Indian Cinema, and display the power of Cinema, An Easy 10/10 for a totally refreshing, out of the box movie, One that no one can afford to miss

This is one of the most interesting movie i have seen in a very long time and trust me, i watch a lot of movies. I have always been a big fan of 'Sanjay Mishra' and he has proved it once again that he is one of the finest artists in Indian film industry.

Based on 'Life' as an experience, brilliantly portrayed, a fitting cast and amazing performances by the whole team. One can argue on the objective of the movie, perhaps there isn't any and this is the objective.

This is not a typical run of the mill Bollywood movie. Please watch it and decide for yourself. This may be a 'either you love or you hate it' type of movie. This has set a new standard in my book. A complete gem.

This is one of the best movies in the year 2014. This movie proves that a good movie doesn't require hot item numbers or overpriced so called actors or overdone physics violating action scenes. The actors in this movie are simple yet each one has given an awesome performance. You can relate the characters with the people in your locality or someone you see in day to day life. In the beginning movie would seem a little slow but soon it becomes quiet interesting. It shows what happens when a person rejects the common rules and starts believing in only what he has seen. The climax is totally surprising and unforeseen. Sanjay Mishra has given an example of his diverse talent and played a very difficult role of being funny and serious at the same time. No wonders it won the award of Best Critic's Movie. The story is really good and it will leave you thinking and imagining for a few hours or may be days. Another different movie like this is Queen. You should watch that too.

Truth can make you happy, miserable and also make your pants wet before it sets you free. Rajat Kapoor's Ankhon Dekhi is an excellent film with a slice of life. It's a brilliant portrayal of an ordinary man's journey to find his own existence. Sanjay Mishra, the lead protagonist is in a network of relationships as a father, brother, husband, neighbour and travel agent. A small family incident triggers a thought in Bauji's (Sanjay Mishra) mind that he would not take things at face value and would only believe what he experiences- discovering his own truth. He questions anything and everything that comes his way which creates situations for humour, satire and moments of profundity. He lives in a congested house in old Delhi lane. The excellent camera work gives you a worm's view of life, relationships and reality. You almost smell the air, taste the food and see the damp, well-lived walls.

Bauji's first discovery is that truth is beautiful. He says to his office boy 'You are beautiful. His name is Satya. Things in life around him begin to appear in different hues and flavors. In one scene, Bauji is checking his specs and is surprised at his own short-sited view. The story travels from ordinary to divine to absurdity as Bauji deconstruct his own life. It is his personal journey. He even rebukes his lazy followers to embark upon their own path of discovery.

The cast is predictable as Rajat Kapoor's regular ensemble but that they each have lived up to their calibre and reputation. Performances are brilliant and real. Kapoor doesn't preach; he just lays bare the challenges of one's journey of self-discovery. The cost of finding the truth is high and sometimes appears as selfish as Buddha leaving his wife. Bauji's startling questions stop you to ask yourself, who are you? What have you become? What is your personal truth? What you are looking for is right around you. All you need is to discover it employing your own sense and sensibility. The lazy and the lost ones give up easily and rely on other people's perspective. But the search could be dangerous and disturbing as well. Watch the end of the film.

Rajat Kapoor has given his best performance as Rishi Chacha. Seema Pahwa is wonderful as Amma. It's sad that she doesn't get roles to showcase her talents. Maya Sarao as Rita is excellent. There are several characters and each one stays with you. Rajat has done a brilliant job as writer director.

The plot loses its path at times but the acting keeps the audience engaged. The pace in the first half is a bit slow but picks up speed post the interval. Excellent camera-work, the tactile background score makes you almost feel the life of a middle class family with your fingers tips.

Ankhon Dekhi is a high tea in your day. The taste and experience stay with you for a long time. A must watch.

Bauji, a man in his fifties decides to only believe the facts which he sees by his own eyes or feels them and then starts a beautiful yet surprising journey to discover the real meaning of life or to discover himself. There are so many scenes where you literally feel the art of cinema. Without showing any unnecessary dance sequences and cheap dialogues, the film quickly dissolves you in its cinematic mood. It's a gem which will attain cult status after so many years. Rajat Kapoor, the man behind this masterpiece should be appreciated for his devotion towards cinema. Every scene has its details and a meaning which is too deep. Every dialogue is witty as well as thought provoking. Music sets the real mood and cinematography is mind-blowing. "Sab Kuch Yahi Hai, Aankhe Khol Kar Dekho"

Never seen such a perfect and accurate cinematography in any Indian film. The humorous instances during the movie give us an open chance to think what we are doing and what we should do. They play with our thoughts and beliefs. Sanjay Mishra has given a performance which can not be explained in words, along with Rajat Kapoor and the rest of the cast.

For me, this film scores in every field of cinema. Direction, art design, music, cinematography, screenplay and performances and i know i can watch it a million times. It will leave you stunned and surprised in the ending. I clapped for about two minutes as the ending credits rolled. A cinematic achievement and should not be missed. Beautiful and intelligent drama.

A brilliant watch.

10 out of 10, UNDOUBTEDLY.

My review here is unique in the sense that I want to criticize the film and hence my review is different from all other reviews. The reviews of the film posted here on IMDb (and elsewhere) are good and some of them are brilliant but I found some pseudo-admiration of the movie which prompted me to write the review.

The movie is good because of its uniqueness, not many movies are made in commercial cinema which take the theme adopted in the movie. So people who love to watch art/parallel cinema would surely be attracted to the concept of the movie. The actors in the movie are mostly theater artists, who are popular for good acting and commonly appear in low-budget films. The basic theme of the movie showing the life experiences of the protagonist from ''his own eyes'' is appealing and philosophical in its essence. The film clearly showed demonstration of philosophical principle of "seeing is believing" through discussions, mass awareness campaigns (standing at metro station with message board in hand), life experiences of the lead character, Sanjay Mishra. When the movie had so many scenes conveying the philosophical ideas, yet I do not understand why most of the reviewers are saying that movie doesn't intend to spread any message. It seems pseudo-admiration at its heights!! The beautiful part of the movie is its emphasis on family roles and responsibilities, and dynamics of attachments and emotions among family members. The movie is set in a joint family context, which is shown in the beginning following strict social norms and conventions. Looking at all the mess going on around the family, and his inability to handle the circumstances, the lead character of Bauji diverts everyone's attention to his sudden shift of philosophical ideas and preoccupation of the principle "seeing is believing". When everyone was following "believing is seeing, he chose to do the opposite. At this point it seemed that the movie would take on deep, mysterious turns and would show depth of the protagonist's character. But the movie is disappointing in this regard.

The movie takes many turns and shifts in actions of Bauji - not believing in anything heard until experienced, leaving job due to his ideas, remaining silent because everyone was getting fed up of his philosophical talks which were incomprehensible by people, gambling to earn money, brother and his family separating to manage their expenses and duties etc.. All these incidents shake the feelings of Bauji to the core and it is seen that with every incident he takes some dramatic step and changes his behaviors. But in all this superficial drama, the emotional and wise character of Bauji is showing its strength and the only merit that this movie deserves. The emotional bonds of the family members are persistent and deep, even when they separate. The responsible character of Bauji to arrange marriage for his daughter, saving his son from a debt of Rs. 28/38,000 (unclear amount) is the most appreciable part of the movie. The minute details of middle class family life of Old Delhi were remarkable. Very fine details were shown in behaviors and verbal expressions of characters, which, to me, is the only plus side of the story and adds energy to the movie. This is the only part of the movie to which anyone can relate.

The most saddening part of the movie was its confusing story-line, abrupt incidents and events, lack of coherence in incidents, loose adherence with any single theme, lack of connections between different scenes/acts and sentiments of the leading character. If all other characters were predictable, the main character was uncertain and unpredictable. His unpredictable characterization made him incomprehensible and confusing. Why suddenly he became fond of philosophical ideas, why he didn't consider many daily responsibilities as important (like leaving job), how come he suddenly tended to become sannyasi-like, and why he held strong emotional bonds. On the surface he seemed to be dramatizing all this philosophical non-sense just to divert everyone else's attention from social norms and restrictions, because he was always an emotional person caring for his family. Was he trying to wind up his life's duties to experience his dream of flying, was he trying to become a good father- a liberator for himself and family? This was not clearly shown. He was trying to conclude his life as an accumulation of experiences and fulfillment of wishes.

If you have seen many such movies, to make it comprehensible and easy to follow, the story-line should be consistent, convey a deep message and lesson, follows a uni-dimensional approach to story and must establish links to different scenes and themes. On the contrary, Ankhon Dekhi lacks consistent story-line (except family sequences), is multi-thematic, shows uncertain actions of the leading character which make no sense in broader picture, except attributing the protagonist as crazy and free-thinker. I do not advocate such pseudo-admiration of incomplete depictions just because these depictions are meant to be shown through the lens of an art movie. Overall, the movie doesn't give a pleasurable feeling, except admiring disconnected scenes and actions of the lead actor. There are many scenes depicting behaviors of Bauji which show strong and compassionate character, an emotional and deeply attached person who cares for family. For example, debating maths teacher of his niece, asking daughter to prepare for her marriage, saving his son from debt of gambling, appreciating classical music, being an intellectual and providing wise lessons to his followers etc.

Overall, the movie is nice, watchable, shows inner turmoil of an old man who is awaiting his death, good family sentiments and strong emotional bonds within a joint family But at the same time it is inconsistent in connecting scenes and shows multiple themes/messages with loose meanings. These meanings become hidden/suppressed and no single message or theme dominates the whole film. Due to overburdening with multiple messages and themes, the movie loses its charm and pleasure. This leaves many viewers confused and disappointed.

This film is all about experiencing different events happened in one's life. All those feelings which one person feels through his life. they are all beautiful. we are all beautiful in way or the other. I am great that's my perspective of viewing my life. i am bad that's others people perspective. but in the end you have to feel what you feel about yourself. This is the message of the film which is beautifully done by the rajat kapoor. Sanjay mishra is no doubt one of the best actor in the industry. he done a great job in the bauji character. from his childhood he always see himself flying and wind touching his ears and face. in the end he lived his dream. he felt what he dream t about. when one starts to live his life happily people starts to follow you cozz everybody is after happiness but nobody knows how to get it. But Bauji Character in the film knows it. i highly recommend this film to someone who wants to fell some warmth in his heart and a smile on face. its truly a milestone for rajat kapoor and sanjay mishra. Hats off brothers

I have enjoyed other ventures by Rajat Kapoor and in past enjoyed the acting of Sanjay Mishra. But this movie is a complete waste of time. Tough to understand what is the message that is being attempted to delivered through the story and the script.

Rajat Kapoor shows sheer brilliance in writing and directing this jewel of Indian cinema. He breaks the shackles of commonplace, mundane and uneventful plots which inundate the box-office every week. He concretes his position in the coterie of those film-makers who do not believe in box office collections as criteria for success. This movie is not a Masala entertainer. In fact, it is just the opposite.Story of a middle class family shot in pedestrian locations of Old Delhi, makes it unconventional. A peculiar yet immaculate plot of the movie makes it whimsical.But its the immaculate screenplay and all time presence of Sanjay Mishra, which makes it unexceptional. Sanjay Mishra, a National School of Drama graduate, proves his true class.However, all the other characters are also perfect and played brilliantly well by the remaining actors,its him and his idiosyncrasies which render the audience spellbound.Apart from him and his wife(typical yet amusing ),his group which supports and follows him in his whims is also the eye catcher. However,some may find second half too peculiar to understand yet they will enjoy the movie and rate it as more than a good movie in the end. But those who remain clung to all the eccentricities throughout, will rate it as a masterpiece.

It is a story of a man who begins to think philosophically and feels within himself the reality of life of seeing and believing in those things which normally an average man wouldn't think of treading into finding realism in several 'minute' issues like hearing the roar of a tiger, flying like a bird… Raje Bauji (Sanjay Mishra} is a man in his late fifties, living out a dreary but eventful life in a small house in old Delhi- where he lives with his extended family. An executive in a travel agency, head of his family lives a typical middle class, happy, content life with his younger brother's family.

A random incident is going to change his life in a dramatic way, though he does not realize at the moment.

Bauji's daughter has been seeing a boy of ill repute. When that fact is revealed to the family, after much deliberation they decide to do the obvious – lock up the girl and go beat the willful boy.

Taking a cop along with them to warn the 'laundiya baaz' (means – a womanizer as labelled by other people), Bauji realizes that the boy isn't that bad as as the terrible reputation formed by the people around him. Ajju is exactly opposite of what he had heard about him. This incident gets him to think that what is being heard and talked about any thing or a person, isn't exactly what is the truth behind it.

Bauji leaves his job and decides to stay at home, rather than 'mislead or cheat the clients' thats what he thought.

It is a funny old journey of this man, this old fool- who is both Lear and the fool.

I feel bad for Rajat Kapoor and actors like him after this movie bcz they know what they r capable of, they know what is art and they do know about talent so they make these movies and act in such movies, to satisfy the artist in them. But as the people and their mass consumption of poor masala sucks, they are forced to choose scripts Gehraiyan to bring bread to table.

About the movie: well I wasn't much happy with the end but yes I saw it coming.

Sanjay Mishra was phenomenal and the lil cameos were great too.

Rajat chose good role for himself Seema was great as well.

Good effort really :)

"Ankhon Dekhi" takes Bollywood to an offbeat stream with a story that will please the class seeking a quality story that's close to your real life. But here the narrative isn't very straight forward. It uses much of imagination and metaphors to depict the apathy of a lower middle class family. Sanjay Mishra plays the head of the family trying to keep up despite the several hurdles. Many sequences of the film just touch you deep for which the film becomes adorable. However, the film also keeps a mood through its light comedy at times. Overall, it's hard to understand some of the logic in the film; but for the wittiness, nuances created through the performances, and a very relevant story, the film becomes a nice leisure.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

The best of the movies that come from Bollywood are the least known ones. This movie continues that trend. Ankhon Dekhi is brilliant, every frame captivating and could have been one of the contenders for India's foreign movie Oscars submission.

Rajat Kapur actually delivers a real a slice of a on old Delhi life, something I thought was out of his depth but boy was I wrong.

Sanjay Mishra is the life of this movie with a towering performance which can described as one of the best character portrayals seen in the recent times. His character is on a mission to live life his own way, yet one sympathises and relates to him at multiple levels.

Rest of the cast is equally awesome. All of them are champion theatre actors and it shows.

If you watch or are interested in watching Hindi movies, go watch this now.

I had never heard of this film until today and after reading in one of the blog article , I watched it. For a pure film lover who loves niche movie with a message this will be treat for you. It is also a fun watching Sanjay Mishra's master acting. Rajat Kapoor is known for making movie s with serious content in a comic script and he has done his job fantabulously...