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Bol Movie Review
Ratings:3/5 Reviewer:Rajeev Masand Site:IBNLive
There’s an inherent sincerity in Khuda Ke Liye director Shoaib Mansoor’s new film Bol, that compels you to look beyond its shortcomings. This film raises important questions about the terrifyingly regressive attitude towards women in Pakistan’s patriarchal society, and casts a critical eye on various prejudices perpetuated in the name of religion.Bol has its heart in right place.I’m going with a generous three out of five for Pakistani director Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol. Look beyond its kitchen-sink drama treatment, and you’ll notice it’s a brave film with an urgent message at its heart.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Taran Adarsh Site:BollywoodHungama
BOL makes you peep into the lives of a family living in Pakistan, making us aware of the predicament, the anguish, their determination to survive against all odds. The family decides to solve their problems, but get into deeper troubles gradually. The struggle for life and death is what catches your eye. BOL shocks and stuns also because of the sub-plots in the plotline and the twists and turns in the story. I'd like to add that one has rarely witnessed such themes on the big screen. It serves as a wake-up call for the orthodox types on both the sides of the border. On the whole, BOL is a courageous film that has the guts to expose issues plaguing the society. It raises questions, challenges the age-old customs and mirrors a reality most convincingly. A brilliant film embellished with bravura performances. Not to be missed!Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Nikhat Kazmi Site:TimesOfIndia
The film is a tour de force, both in terms of the performances by the two main protagonists, daughter Humaima and father Manzar and in the narrative which spills over with umpteen twists and turns, geared to shock and shake you up, with their horrific tenor. It goes to the director's credit that he doesn't create heroes and villains and blames old-fashioned social mind-sets and blinding orthodoxy for the malaise. And the fact that the problem of gender discrimination is highlighted through the story of a single close-knit family adds to the emotional quotient of the film. Topical and thought-provoking, Bol is a film you must not missVisit Site for more
Ratings:3/5 Reviewer:Saibal Chatterjee Site:NDTV
In Bol, he pours his indignation out in no uncertain terms.It is strident, melodramatic and unmistakably out for the jugular. But in the end, it drives home its point in a manner that is compelling enough for all the effort not to be dismissed as much ado about nothing.The roots of Bol lie firmly in Pakistan’s contemporary reality, but its heart seems to be more in consonance with the traditions of commercial Mumbai movies than with the cinema of protest that it aspires to be. But that isn’t necessarily undesirable especially because the message that the film delivers is urgent, heartfelt and of considerable import.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Shaikh Ayaz Site:Rediff
Measured against Khuda Kay Liye, Bol is an equally superlative piece of work but finds itself susceptible to didacticism at some places..Well-meaning as it, Bol complements its radical audacity with an optimistic ending, after having compressed in its narrative themes of women's emancipation, poverty, homosexuality, music (especially as means to connect people), conflict between sects and somewhere an unspoken hope for laicism. To fully appreciate Bol is to firstly be familiar with somewhat basic understanding of Islam, Urdu and Pakistan's history but to understand its larger message you don't need to know any of the above.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Martin D Souza Site:Glamsham
BOL is thought-provoking, compelling and forthright. It brings the subject to light, but never once does Mansoor force his view on the audience. Nor do his characters. Within the ambit of their circumstance, each actor stretches his or her arm, never once trying to go beyond. That's the brilliance of this film. BOL explores the helplessness of the girl child. Though the length of the film does play a major hindrance, once the credits roll, you don't really mind it. Shoaib Mansoor has once again made you think. Once again he has taken on a subject everyone should be talking about.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3/5 Reviewer:Aniruddha Guha Site:DNA
But while the good intentions and a thought-provoking story go a long way in making Bol a remarkable film, the lengthy run time and a narrative that lags intermittently comes in the way of the film being truly enjoyable. It’s a good film, no doubt, but also slightly underwhelming in totality.Overall, Bol makes an impact, but fails to live up to potential. Watch it without expecting to be blown away and you might enjoy it. But watch it, surely.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Daily Bhaskar Site:Dainik Bhaskar
Bol is a roller coaster ride of emotions, an inspiring bold movie that takes you through sensitive gender issues and troubles, regarding family planning in the society. The first half is inspiring, though the screenplay in the second half is not that gripping with unnecessary insertion of music. But overall the film is refreshing and tells you about the virtues of small family without being preachy.Bol is surely recommended, as it is one of the finest movies Pakistan has ever produced. It will take you through a roller coaster ride of emotions with awe-inspiring performances. It’s quite conceptual and realistic and director Shoaib Mansoor deserves all accolades for presenting such a challenging subject without making it ‘un-IslamicVisit Site for more
