'Uunchai' review: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher and Boman Irani's film is well intended 

Bollywood hyped friendships to no end. For time immemorial, films on friends' friendships and the length one can go for BFFs have been one of the favorite subjects for makers. While filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya's film 'Uunchai' is centered around friendship, what makes it unique is how the protagonists belong to the wrong side of 60s. An age when companionship is sought the most and which is often never mentioned in pop culture.

At the onset 'Uunchai' seems like a film about friendship and the length, the three main protagonists- Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Om (Anupam Kher) and Javed (Boman Irani) - travel to fulfill the one last wish of their late friend Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa). A mountaineer by heart, Bhupen had wished to take his three friends once to the Everest Base Camp, a trek that he had done several times alone. The three friends have, of course, dilly-dallied with the idea for years, giving their lives and careers more importance.

Bhupen's unexpected death shakes them up and after initial hesitation from Om and Javed, the three decide to trek to the Everest Base Camp to sprinkle their late friend's ashes amid the mountains that he so dearly loved. The trek itself is complicated and while the three start prepping two months in advance, there are myriad hurdles that they have to face.

From ailments to possessive wives (Neena Gupta in a stunning role), to mysterious new companions (Sarika) to indignant kids, to old family feuds, the three encounter several problems as they embark on a journey by road from Delhi to Kathmandu where they have to meet the rest of the troupe and their group captain Shraddha( Parineeti Chopra) to start their trek.

Now, for most the thought of trekking in one of the toughest terrains of the world may seem unimaginable but its the love for their old friend that makes Amit, Om and Javed do the unthinkable. But does their willpower alone help them trek to the top? Or does their health pay a hindrance?

Barjatya, best known for making family dramas like 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun', 'Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo', 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' makes a film that talks of eternal optimism and living life to the fullest age notwithstanding. But does it succeed in spreading that message, though? To a great extent yes. It helps that the film has stalwarts like Bachchan, Kher, Irani playing the lead protagonist- there is never a false note in their performance. Each plays their part well. Big B is the leader of the pack, slightly flawed, ambitious author Amit Srivastav who always wants to remain young and so writes for young readers. Irani plays a slightly henpecked husband to Neena Gupta's character who is never too sure of what can anger his wife. Kher resorts to his typical style of buffoonery to play his character Om who seems always complaining about something in life.

While the film focuses on the three men, the women too do justice to their roles. Sarika, Neena Gupta are well cast and Parineeti Chopra as the trek guide delivers a credible act. I wish though, that the women were not well turned out for a film that is set in outdoors mostly. The nails are always done, the hair is beautifully blowdried and not tied while they trek through tricky bits.

The film's initial optimism and upbeat pace though slips drastically in the second half when the trek advances towards its destination. Writer Abhishek Dixit reports to a melodrama which at some portions feel unnecessary. The VFX is patchy with certain shots of Bachchan looking rather synthetic and obvious that it has not been shot in the actual location but with a green screen backdrop inside a studio.

The story also, after a point seem stretched and indulgent in its way. After all it is difficult to imagine three men in their 70s heading to a difficult base camp with an oxygen cylinder in tow. The film's conflicts are also not well-established.

'Uunchai' scores mostly for its overall story. For it celebrates not just friendship but life altogether. It is also an important film for Hindi cinema where leads are mostly in their 20s or 30s and so it is refreshing to see three men in the 70s and 80s play lead roles in a film.