Wordiezett So much average

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

thrashneon I've only just recently discovered "Bollywood" movies.. (through Independent Film Channel). I am enjoying the weekly films shown on IFC, but I'm not sure that this film fits into what most people think of as a "Bollywood" movie-- love stories or gangsters with out-of-place song and dance numbers tacked on. Although I *do* enjoy those types of movies once in a while...Instead, I think that "The Blue Umbrella" is simply an extraordinary example of Hindi film-making.The cinematography is STUNNING. I was struck by the rural setting- which I've never seen in a typical Bollywood movie (mountains and snow?!?)- and since I live in an area in the US that looks very much like the location in the film, it made it seem much more "real" to me. I got a real feel for the village and for the people who live there. At times, I thought I was watching a beautiful documentary about village life.The story is captivating. Amazing performances by all. Pankaj Kapur = amazing.I truly hope that more films such as this receive a much larger audience. Some of the comments here describe this as a "children's film", but I would call it just a great film.A joy to watch from start to finish.

Magic Lamp Blue Umbrella is beautiful. The umbrella, the concept of the story, the background of the movie, the people, the symbolic values – they're all beautifully presented. Pankaj Kapoor says in the movie that one shouldn't measure the profit loss behind watching a sunrise. In the same way, there's really no evaluation of this movie because of its intangible beauty. It also showcases the culture of mountain people, how they deal with crime and punishment. It gets quite intense and still doesn't let go of its simplicity. Its joy to watch the kids dance along the streets and also the adults in a marriage ceremony. Pankaj Kapoor and the director have both done a great job!

parttimegod I must say after seeing omkara(vishals earlier movie), i knew that he had skill in the field of direction, but blue umbrella is a milestone in his career personifying his art. based on the Ruskin bond novel, this movie is a work of art, all packed with children singing "tesu" songs, depicting the rural India. The story although seems timid, but bhardwaj shows how small problems go big in the rural world. I would Have to go so far to say that the Indian audiences may not be as ready for the movie as bhardwaj thought they were.hence declaring it a flop for the masses. but in the true art sense it is a work of guts. and to top it all we receive a mind numbling performance by theatre actor Pankaj Kapur. who literally plays with your mind throughout the film. On an over all basis this movie marks the change of Indian cinema, or you can say the return of the parallel cinema once started by men like satyajit ray...

Raj Doctor Vishal Bharadwaj has evolved in such a wonderful Director with poetic sensibilities and characteristics of becoming world's great directors.Blue Umbrella is a screen version of Ruskin Bond's short story Blue Umbrella. It is about a young girl Binya (Shriya) who trades her superstitious lucky charm of bear nails in return of a Japanese Blue Umbrella with tourists. Instantly she becomes a center of attraction of the villagers. A small trader Nandakishore (Pankaj Kapoor) eyes of the Blue Umbrella and tries all ways of get the umbrella. When Binya's umbrella is stolen – the police raid Nandakishore's shop. Facing this humiliation and to show that he too can afford or buy an umbrella, Nandakishore orders a similar Japanese Red Umbrella. Once the Red Umbrella comes, he gains back popularity and respect from everyone in the village. During a wrestling bout where he is the chief guest, it rains and the Red Umbrella starts loosing out color and shows that it was the Blue Umbrella. The villagers decide to boycott Nandakishore and outcast him from the village. Nobody talks with him, nobody buys anything from his shop. He faces poverty and humiliation again. But this time it teaches him a lesson of life. Once when Binya forgets her umbrella at his shop, he understand the miseries that the Blue Umbrella caused him and honestly goes back to return the umbrella to Binya. But Binya shows grace and generosity by saying that the Blue Umbrella does not belong to her. The movie ends there… I applaud this movie onlybecause of the intention of good directors to make pure and beautiful cinema. Can you ever think and imagine Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese or Frank Miller making a children's movie? And that makes them less mortals. The versatility of great directors is the variety they handle. Tarantino, Scorsese and Millers are one dimensional in that sense and can not go beyond gory, blood and violence and that is were their creativity is so cornered and restrictive. That is why hats off to Vishal to have guts to venture into new medium and showcase that irrespective of whatever themes; he remains a good director.Vishal selects one of the most evolved and brilliant actors in recent times – Pankaj Kapoor who pours such a life in the character of Nandakishore that it is hard to believe this is a role depicted by an actor. He is too brilliant! Third time great – Maqbool, Dharm and Blue Umbrella. The girl Binya is good – but only to the director's lessons; and does not leave a lasting impression as the Makdee girl Swehta Prasad.The music is good, cinematography brilliant, locale of North Indian Himalayan ranges superb. All in all a great children's movie. It has the purity of cinema and showcases the goodness of human spirit. Teaches small but important lessons of life.(Stars 7.75 out of 10)