Hotel Salvation

Hotel Salvation (known in India as Mukti Bhawan)[2][3] is a 2016 Indian film written and directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani[4][5][6] and produced by Sanjay Bhutiani.[7][8] The film is a comedy-drama about a son who is forced to set his job aside to accompany his elderly father to the holy city of Varanasi. It stars Adil Hussain[9] and Lalit Behl in the lead roles.[10] The film received four nominations at the 63rd Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics).

Hotel Salvation
Mukti Bhawan
Directed byShubhashish Bhutiani
Produced bySanjay Bhutiani
Sajida Sharma
Shubhashish Bhutiani
Screenplay byShubhashish Bhutiani
Asad Hussain
Starring
Music byTajdar Junaid[1]
CinematographyMichael McSweeney
David Huwiler
Edited byManas Mittal
Production
company
Red Carpet Moving Pictures
Release date
Running time
102 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Plot

Mukti Bhawan follows the story of a reluctant son who must take his father to the holy city of Varanasi, where his father believes he will breathe his last and attain salvation. When a 77-year-old man, Daya, wakes up from a strange nightmare, he knows his time is up and he must get to Varanasi immediately in hope of dying there to attain salvation. His dutiful son, Rajiv, is left with no choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father, leaving behind his wife and daughter. The two of them check into MuktiBhawan, a hotel devoted to people hoping to spend their last days there. Rajiv finds himself having to live and take care of his father for the first time in his life. While Rajiv struggles to juggle his responsibilities back home, Daya starts to bloom as he finds a sense of community in the hotel, and a companion in the 75-year old Vimla. As the days go by and Daya shows no sign of letting up, Rajiv is faced with the dilemma of whether to remain there with his father or fulfill his duty back home. Rajiv gives his father a shot at salvation but as family bonds are tested, he finds himself torn, not knowing what he must do to keep his life together.

Faced with his father's untimely and bizarre demand to go and die in the holy city of Varanasi and attain Salvation, a son is left with no choice but to embark on this journey.

Cast

Release

Mukti Bhawan had its world premiere on September 2, 2016 at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival while in India its release date was April 7, 2017.[13]

Reception

Box office

The film was initially a box office failure in India, where it only grossed ₹7.4 million ($113,634) domestically.[14] However, the film has been a box office success overseas, particularly in Japan,[15] where it ran in theaters for 100 days[16] and then 150 days.[17] The film also grossed $80,862 in other overseas territories, including South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates.[18]

Critical response

The film received universal critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 100% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 7.53/10. The site's consensus reads: "Tender, perceptive, and beautifully filmed, Hotel Salvation tells a father-son story whose universal themes are further enriched by its picturesque setting".[19] On Metacritic, another review aggregator, the film has a score of 80 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20] Leslie Felperin of The Guardian gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and said that, "Shubhashish Bhutiani’s dreamy comedy-drama about a businessman embarking on a final journey with his father is smart, spellbinding and achingly relatable".[21] David Parkinson of Empire gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and said that, "Filmed on a modest budget with a subtle sense of place and pace, this highly impressive debut considers mortality with a wry compassion that's rare for such a young director".[22]

Rajeev Masand gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 saying that, "Mukti Bhawan is as much a celebration of life – complete with all its complexities and paradoxes – as it is a meditation on the harsh realities of getting old and dying. It is both poignant and uplifting. Beautifully shot and although languidly paced, Bhutiani delivers an evocative drama that has surely got to be one of the best films you’ll see this year."[23] Raja Sen of NDTV gave the film a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 and concluded his review by saying that, "In the way companionship and clarity can be found without looking. In the way an accountant works at learning to cook. In the way soap operas provide succour. Somewhere in the middle of this beautiful, meditative film comes the greatest lesson of all: that a perfect, poetic goodbye doesn't have to wait for the end.".[24] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that, "There’s much to like about Mukti Bhawan. It brings to us themes which are either ignored or dealt with in our cinema with mawkishness and heavy sentimentality. Bhutiani removes the cloyingness and replaces it with a moving matter-of-fact acceptance of the final destination: this is a director to watch out for."[25]

Nihit Bhave of The Times of India gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that, "Bhutiani has assembled a stellar cast of theatre greats and indie-film favourites. Behl and Hussain are endearing as the father-son duo, frustrated by and fond of each other simultaneously. The plot is too skimpy and with its languid pacing, the movie eventually seems a bit indulgent. The filmmaker’s exposure to slow, contemplative festival films becomes apparent. But the unassuming characters and the humour make it a delightful watch."[26] Sukanya Verma of Rediff gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and concluded her review by saying that, "Mukti Bhawan is a work of staggering depth and sublime vision".[27]

Awards and nominations
Date of Ceremony Awards Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
2016 UNESCO Gandhi Medal (Paris) Best Film Hotel Salvation Won [28]
Biennale College Cinema Awards (Venice) Won [29]
New York Indian Film Festival Won
Busan International Film Festival (South Korea) Asia Cinema Fund Won
2017 The Vesoul Film Festival (France) Critics Choice Award Won
Indie Meme Festival (USA) Audience Choice Award Won
Stuttgart Indian Film Festival (Germany) Won
MOOOV Festival (Belgium) Behind the Scenes Won
Festival du Film d’Asie Jury Award Won
DC South Asian Film Festival (USA) Best Actor Adil Hussain Won
Jagran Film Festival Best Actor (Special Mention) Won
Best Debut Director Shubhashish Bhutiani Won
3 March 2017 National Film Awards Special Mention Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani

Producer: Red Carpet Moving Pictures

 Won [30]
Adil Hussain Won
15-18 January 2018 Rajasthan International Film Festival Best Film Mukti Bhawan Won
Best Actor Adil Hussain Won
Best Director Shubhashish Bhutiani Won
20 January 2018 Filmfare Awards Best Screenplay Shubhashish Bhutiani Won [31]
Best Story Nominated [32]
Best Background Score Tajdar Junaid Nominated
Best Film (Critics) Mukti Bhawan Nominated
6 March 2018 Bollywood Film Journalists Awards Best Story (Original) Shubhashish Bhutiani Won [33]
Best Screenplay Won
20 March 2018 News18 Reel Movie Awards Best Screenplay Shubhashish Bhutiani Won [34]
Best Director Nominated [35]
Best Film Mukti Bhawan Won
Best Actor Adil Hussain Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lalit Behl Nominated
Best Cinematography Michael McSweeney, David Huwiler Nominated [34]
Best Editing Manas Mittal Nominated

References
  1. "Meet guitarist-composer Tajdar Junaid, the brain behind 'Mukti Bhawan' music - Life and style". mid-day.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  2. "'Hotel Salvation' Review | Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  3. "What makes 'Mukti Bhawan' the best Hindi film of 2017 so far?". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  4. "Shubhashish Bhutiani on 'Mukti Bhawan' and the funny side of waiting for death - News India Times". newsindiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  5. "Mukti Bhawan director on his debut feature: 'People check-in to die in this Varanasi guesthouse':and produced by Sajida Sharma, Sanjay Bhutiani& Shubhashish Bhutiani. The cast includes Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl, and Anil K Rastogi in lead roles". firstpost.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  6. "Mukti Bhawan Movie Review: One Of The Best Films You'll See This Year - News18". news18.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  7. "Sanjay Bhutiani: Shubhashish Bhutiani has made me proud with Mukti Bhawan | Hindi Movie News - Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  8. "'Mukti Bhawan' brings father and son together". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  9. "Mukti Bhavan: Adil Hussain: My good karma is paying me dividends | Hindi Movie News - Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  10. "Mukti Bhawan movie review: The endgame and unending desires". deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  11. "Adil Hussain on National Award win: It's dangerous to get an award like this | bollywood | Hindustan Times". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  12. Ahana Bhattacharya. "Lalit Behl: I've Learnt A New Meaning Of Life After Working In Mukti Bhawan". koimoi.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  13. "Mukti Bhawan Cast & Crew". Bollywood Hungama.
  14. "Mukti Bhawan - Movie". Box Office India. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  15. Nathan, Archana (8 December 2018). "In Japan, Varanasi-set film 'Mukti Bhawan' starring Adil Hussain, is winning hearts". Scroll.in. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  16. Dev, Nitya (8 February 2019). "'Mukti Bhawan' completes 100 days in Japan!". Pandolin. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  17. "Indian artists get a global platform". Hindustan Times. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  18. "Mukti Bhawan Hotel Salvation (Hindi)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  19. "Hotel Salvation". Rotten Tomatoes.
  20. "Hotel Salvation". Metacritic.
  21. "Hotel Salvation review – life, death and marijuana-laced lassis in trippy Indian arthouse flick". The Guardian.
  22. "Hotel Salvation Review". Empire.
  23. "Death Becomes Them". Rajeev Masand.
  24. "Mukti Bhawan Movie Review: Adil Hussain's Film Is A Beautiful, Meditative Triumph". NDTV.
  25. "Mukti Bhawan movie review: A film to live and die by". The Indian Express.
  26. "Mukti Bhawan Movie Review". The Times of India.
  27. "Review: Mukti Bhawan is a work of staggering depth and sublime vision". Rediff.
  28. "Unesco award for HOTEL SALVATION (Mukti Bhawan)". Pandolin. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  29. "Hotel Salvation". www.hotelsalvationthefilm.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  30. "National Film Awards: Adil Hussain Wins Special Mention, Calls Mukti Bhawan a Masterstroke". News18. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  31. "Filmfare Award 2018 Winners - List of Filmfare Award Winners". filmfare.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  32. "63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018: Official list of nominations - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  33. Bollywood Film Journalists Awards 2017 Winners. pp. http://powerbrands360.com/images/bollywoodawards/FinalVoteCount.pdf.
  34. "'Newton' & 'Mukti Bhawan' Win Big at the REEL Movie Awards". The Quint. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  35. "Reel Movie On Screen Awards 2018 | Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director and More". News18. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
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