Tubelight (2017 Hindi film)

Tubelight is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language war drama film[8] written and directed by Kabir Khan. Produced by Salman Khan and Kabir Khan, it is set in the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[9] It stars Salman Khan and Sohail Khan in the main roles, with Zhu Zhu (in her Bollywood film debut), Matin Rey Tangu, Om Puri and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in supporting roles.[10] Shah Rukh Khan appears in a cameo in the film.[11] Julius Packiam and Pritam scored the music of the film, with the former composing the film score and latter composing the songs.[12] It is an adaptation of the 2015 American film Little Boy.[1]

Tubelight
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKabir Khan
Written byScreenplay:
Kabir Khan
Alejandro Monteverde
Pepe Portillo
Parveez Sheikh
Dialogues:
Manu Rishi Chadha
Story byKabir Khan
Alejandro Monteverde
Pepe Portillo
Based onLittle Boy
by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde[1][2][3]
Produced bySalman Khan
Kabir Khan
Salma Khan
StarringSalman Khan
Sohail Khan
Om Puri
Matin Rey Tangu
Zhu Zhu
CinematographyAseem Mishra
Edited byRameshwar S. Bhagat
Music byScore:
Julius Packiam
Songs:
Pritam
Production
companies
Distributed byNH Studioz (India)
Yash Raj Films (International)
Release date
  • 23 June 2017 (2017-06-23)[4]
Running time
136 minutes[5]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget100 crore[6]
Box officeest. 211.14 crore[7]

The film released on 23 June 2017.[4] The film grossed an estimated 211.14 crore against a budget of 100 crore and received mostly negative reviews from critics.[13]

Plot

In pre-independence India, Laxman Singh Bisht is a mentally-challenged child, who, although defended by his younger brother Bharat is bullied by his friends, who call him "Tubelight". A montage shows them grow up, showing the time when Gandhi visits their school, India's independence in 1947, Gandhi's assassination and the death of their parents, which brings them closer as they grow up.

In October 1962, the Chinese invade India, following which the Indian Army begins to set-up recruitment camps. From their village, only Bharat is selected and allotted the Kumaon Regiment. As they reach their post, war is declared and they come under heavy attack. Laxman anxiously waits for his brother to come back, running from post to post to find out about him.

He meets a magician, Gogo Pasha, who shows him a magic trick by making him move a bottle without touching. Pasha tells Laxman that the secret is 'faith', and that faith can do anything. Oblivious to it, he tries to repeat the trick to his villagers but fails. A village elder, Banne says "Faith moves a mountain" and explains how Laxman will find his faith.

Meanwhile, Bharat, while being evacuated after an injury, is ambushed and taken prisoner. He makes a plan with other prisoners to escape.

Laxman observes a woman Le Leing and a boy Gu Won, take a home nearby. Judging them by their appearance, he considers them to be Chinese and tries to report them to the authorities. Banne gets angry, and advises him to follow the wisdom of Gandhi, and befriend the woman and boy. After some attempts, he succeeds in befriending them and learns that are Assamese and not Chinese.

Meanwhile, Bharat's escape plan fails and his fellows are killed. He too is shot and finds himself unable to move. Having no hope of survival, he exchanges his shoes with another soldier who has torn his, to give him a chance to escape. The other guy however gets killed as well.

Laxman learns of his brother's capture and becomes heartbroken, but Leing consoles him and encourages his faith. Laxman's friend, Narayan tries to attack Won, considering him to be Chinese, but is stopped by Laxman. He attempts to convince Laxman to not befriend Chinese people or he will lose Bharat forever; Leing tearfully tells them that they are Indians too. As Laxman tries to explain his belief in 'faith', Narayan challenges him to move a mountain; Laxman apparently succeeds as an earthquake is felt.

With ceasefire declared, the Army begin bringing back corpses. They find a dead body, with Bharat's shoe-tag and declare him dead. Laxman is grief-stricken and believes that people were right about him now that Bharat has been killed. As the friends celebrate the end of the war, Leing's lost father returns. Leing and Gu comforts Laxman as they bid farewell to return to Calcutta.

Laxman, still having little faith in him, learns of the mistake in identifying corpses due to the interchanged shoes. They receive the news that Bharat is still alive but has lost his memory. At the medical camp, Laxman is reunited with his brother who is able to recognise Laxman, possibly restoring his memory.

Cast

Production

Kabir Khan obtained a no objection certificate from the makers of the Kannada film Tubelight.[16] The first schedule of filming started on 30 December 2012 in Ladakh.[17] Chinese actress Zhu Zhu was finalised for the role,[18][19] and she commenced shooting from 15 October 2013.[20] The first schedule lasted for a month and was completed in April 2014.[21]

Sequences were shot in Ladakh, Kashmir and Manali, Himachal Pradesh. film Is Previously Scheduled to release on 11 April 2015 and 3 September 2016.

Release and reception

Tubelight was released on 23 June 2017 and was distributed by NH Studioz in India and Yash Raj Films internationally. The film was banned by the Pakistan Central Board of Film Censors to promote the domestic film industry of the country.[22]

The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and audience. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film is rated is 27% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 5.02 out of 10.[13]

Anupama Chopra gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and said "Basically, Tubelight is cinema as a sermon. Which makes the film flat and emotionally unconvincing. The good intentions and lectures on yakeen [faith] don’t translate into a gripping narrative."[23] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated it 1.5/5, saying "The message is perfect, but when the main act isn't convincing, the film becomes just like the title: mostly flicker with a little late glow."[24] Raja Sen of NDTV rated it 1/5, commenting "Poor little superstar who doesn't know better, the film is rendered unwatchable because of the leading man."[25]

Taran Adarsh wrote "Solid star power Salman Khan. Stunning visuals. But Tubelight is body beautiful, minus soul."[26] Rajeev Masand of News 18 gave the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and said, "Tubelight is well intentioned but overtly manipulative and doesn't so much tug at your heartstrings as it punches you in the face demanding that you care. It's also over-long at nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, and excruciatingly slow and boring in parts."[27]

Subhash K. Jha rated the film 3.5/5, describing the film as "a film with a deep insight into a corrupted soul."[28] DNA India rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote "Tubelight is about love, trust, magic and belief. It's like a tonic for weary souls. You will find yourself interacting with the film and characters."[29]

India.com rated the film 3.5/5 and stated "Watch it if you are a Salman Khan fan. Watch it if you aren't but want to see Salman Khan do some serious acting."[30] Tushar Joshi from Bollywood Life also rated it 3.5/5, writing "Tubelight has a beautiful message of having faith and believing in the good. Salman Khan's sincere and heartfelt performance in the film will definitely move you."[31] Meena Iyer of The Times of India rated the film 3/5 on grounds of values of family and strong bonding between brothers.[32]

Box office

The film grossed 20.55 crore (US$2.5 million) on day 1 and became the 16th biggest domestic opener.[33] Overall the film performed well at the box office, although it had grossed 200 crore (US$24 million) worldwide at the end of 10 days with 152 crore (US$18 million) coming from India itself.[34]

The film's final gross stands at 211.14 crore (US$25 million) worldwide, including 165.64 crore (US$20 million) in India and 45.5 crore (US$5.5 million) overseas.[7][35]

Soundtrack

Tubelight
Soundtrack album by
Released25 June 2017
Recorded2013–15
StudioYRF Studios
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length48:10
LanguageHindi
LabelSony Music India
ProducerSalman Khan
Pritam chronology
Raabta
(2017)
Tubelight
(2017)
Jagga Jasoos
(2017)

The music of the film is composed by Pritam while the lyrics have been penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Kausar Munir. Its first song "Radio" sung by Kamaal Khan and Amit Mishra was released on 21 May 2017. The second song "Naach Meri Jaan" sung by Kamaal Khan, Dev Negi, Nakash Aziz and Tushar Joshi was released on 31 May 2017. The song titled "Tinka Tinka Dil Mera" voiced by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was released on 9 June 2017. The fourth single to be released was "Main Agar" sung by Atif Aslam on 14 June 2017. The soundtrack consists of 10 tracks and was released by Sony Music India on 21 June 2017.[12][36][37]

All music is composed by Pritam

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Radio"Amitabh BhattacharyaKamaal Khan, Amit Mishra4:40
2."Naach Meri Jaan"Amitabh BhattacharyaKamaal Khan, Nakash Aziz, Dev Negi, Tushar Joshi4:47
3."Tinka Tinka Dil Mera"Kausar MunirRahat Fateh Ali Khan5:03
4."Main Agar"Amitabh BhattacharyaAtif Aslam4:39
5."Kuch Nahi"Kausar MunirJaved Ali3:41
6."Tinka Tinka Dil Mera" (ft. Jubin Nautiyal)Kausar MunirJubin Nautiyal5:06
7."Kuch Nahi" (Reprise)Kausar MunirShafqat Amanat Ali3:41
8."Main Agar" (Reprise)Amitabh BhattacharyaKK3:28
9."Kuch Nahi" (Encore)Kausar MunirPapon3:33
10."Radio" (Film Version)Amitabh BhattacharyaKamaal Khan, Amit Mishra, Iulia Vantur, (Additional Vocal: Akashdeep Sengupta)4:40
11."Radio" (Arabic Version)Amitabh BhattacharyaDouzi4:50
Total length:48:10

Accolades

Award Ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.(s)
10th Mirchi Music Awards Best Song Producer (Programming & Arranging) Sourav Roy, Prasad Sashte, Dj Phukan & Sunny M.R. – "Radio (Film Version)" Nominated [38]
Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing) Shadab Rayeen, Ashwin Kulkarni, Himanshu Shirlekar & Aaroh Velankar – "Radio (Film Version)"

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Subhash K. Jha (8 May 2017). "Kabir Khan ADMITS 'Tubelight' is adapted from 'Little Boy'". DNA India.
  2. ^ "Salman Khan's Tubelight is remake of Jakob Salvati's Little Boy, director Kabir Khan confirms". Firstpost. 8 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Tubelight Based on Hollywood Film Little Boy; Salman Khan Plays a 'Gifted' Character". News18. 5 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Tubelight (@TubelightKiEid) – Twitter". Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Tubelight". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Tubelight: Has Salman's film earned a profit of Rs 100 crore even before its release?". India Today. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Box Office: Tubelight Vs Jab Harry Met Sejal – Which movie grossed more worldwide?". Bollywood Hungama. 25 August 2017.
  8. ^ "TUBELIGHT – British Board of Film Classification". www.bbfc.co.uk.
  9. ^ Sarkar, Prarthna (1 July 2016). "Revealed: Interesting details about Salman Khan's 'Tubelight'". IB Times India. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  10. ^ "Here's why Salman Khan's character is called 'Tubelight' in Kabir Khan's next". 25 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  11. ^ Tubelight: Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan are Karan-Arjun once more on Kabir Khan's sets, see pic. The Indian Express. Retrieved on 4 April 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Tubelight: Pritam comes on board for the Salman Khan – Kabir Khan film". Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  13. ^ a b "Tubelight (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Om Puri no more: THIS will be the veteran actor's last Bollywood film! Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". Daily News and Analysis. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Salman Khan's Tubelight to be Om Puri's last film, Kabir Khan says will miss his warm hugs The Indian Express". The Indian Express. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Tubelight's entry into B-Town – Bangalore Mirror". Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  17. ^ Kotwani, Hiren (29 July 2016). "Sohail Khan: "I am only doing 'Tubelight' so that I can be around Kabir and Salman bhai"". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Salman Khan's Tubelight heroine is Zhu Zhu. And she is a star". 12 May 2014.
  19. ^ "A Chinese Heroine For Salman in His Upcoming Film 'Tubelight'?". 5 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Salman Khan's Tubelight heroine to begin shooting from August 8- read EXCLUSIVE details!". Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Salman Khan's Tubelight wraps shoot in Ladakh, gives him time to sightsee". Hindustan Times. Mumbai. PTI. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  22. ^ "Makers of Salman Khan's Tubelight release an official statement on its Pakistan ban". Filmfare. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  23. ^ Chopra, Anupama (23 June 2017). "Tubelight Movie Review". Film Companion. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  24. ^ Shubhra Gupta (23 June 2017). "Tubelight movie review: Salman Khan film flickers a lot, offers little glow". The Indian Express. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  25. ^ Raja Sen (23 June 2017). "Tubelight Movie Review: Salman Khan Is The Worst Thing About Tubelight". NDTV. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  26. ^ @taran_adarsh (22 June 2017). "#OneWordReview...#Tubelight: Disappointing. Solid star power [Salman Khan]. Stunning visuals. But #Tubelight is body beautiful, minus soul" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ Masand, Rajeev (1 November 2017). "Tubelight Movie Review: It's Well-intentioned But Overtly Manipulative". News18. Retrieved 16 January 2021.     
  28. ^ Tubelight Movie Review: Tubelight exudes the spirit of a heightened humanism!
  29. ^ "'Tubelight' Review: Salman Khan delivers a sentimental kick straight to the heart". DNA. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  30. ^ Sharma, Smrity (23 June 2017). "Tubelight movie review: Salman Khan as Laxman will make you laugh, cry and fall in love with him". India.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  31. ^ Joshi, Tushar P (23 June 2017). "Tubelight movie review: Salman Khan's innocent charm uplifts this heartwarming sibling drama". Bollywood Life. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  32. ^ Meena Iyer (23 June 2017). "Tubelight Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  33. ^ "Top India First day all time". Box Office India. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  34. ^ "Tubelight At 200 Crore Worldwide After Ten Days". Box Office India. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  35. ^ "Tubelight box office". Box Office India. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  36. ^ "Tubelight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Pritam". 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017 – via iTunes.
  37. ^ "Pritam to recreate 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' magic once again with Salman Khan's 'Tubelight' -". 4 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  38. ^ "Nominations – Mirchi Music Awards 2017". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 13 March 2018.