Mausam (2011 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Pankaj Kapur |
| Products | Film |
Mausam () is a 2011 Indian Hindi war romantic drama, both penned and helmed by Pankaj Kapur, produced under the Vistaar Religare Film Fund. The movie features Shahid Kapoor alongside Sonam Kapoor. Initially slated for release on 16 September 2011, the premiere was postponed by a week due to delays in securing a No Objection Certificate from the Indian Air Force, ultimately debuting on 23 September 2011.
Plot
Covering the period from 1992 to 2002, Mausam merges a romantic tale with significant historical incidents such as the Babri Masjid demolition, Bombay riots, the 1993 Bombay bombings, the Kargil War, the 9/11 attacks, and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The storyline follows Harinder Singh (Harry), a spirited Punjabi youth, and Aayat, a Kashmiri girl forced to flee her home due to insurgency. After militants kill Aayat’s mother, she moves with her aunt to Mallukot in Punjab. During preparations for his sister Pammo’s wedding, Harry falls for Aayat. Following the demolition of Babri Masjid, Aayat’s family relocates to Mumbai without notifying Harry. Meanwhile, Harry enlists in the Indian Air Force.
In 1999, while stationed in Edinburgh as a squadron leader, Harry reunites with Aayat, who has been living there after losing family members in the Bombay bombings. Their renewed relationship leads to wedding plans, but Harry is called back to India due to the Kargil War and assigned to a Mirage 2000 squadron. After her father passes away, Aayat returns to Mallukot; however, their efforts to reconnect are unsuccessful.
Harry is deployed at Adampur Air Base with No. 7 Squadron ("Battleaxes"), where he commands a successful bombing raid on Tiger Hill but sustains an injury that partially paralyzes his left arm. Meanwhile, Aayat moves to New York accompanied by family friend Akram. Harry later encounters Aayat with Akram’s relatives in Switzerland and mistakenly believes she is married.
Following the anti-Muslim backlash triggered by the September 11 attacks in the US and Europe, Aayat and Akram relocate to Ahmedabad. By coincidence, Harry attends a wedding there. As Aayat prepares to wed Akram, communal riots erupt across the city. Harry rescues her amid the chaos; together they save a horse and an infant from a fire. He urges Aayat to overcome their past adversities.
The conclusion reveals that Harry and Aayat marry, adopt the rescued child, and are expecting their own baby.
Cast
- Shahid Kapoor as Squadron Leader Harinder "Harry" Singh
- Sonam Kapoor as Aayat Rasool/Aayat Harinder Singh
- Anupam Kher as Maharaj Kishan
- Supriya Pathak as Fatima
- Shayan Munshi as Yasin
- Kamal Chopra as Ghulam Rasool, Aayat's father
- Maya Mankotia as Pamela Singh (Pammo), Harry's sister
- Kamal Tiwari as Prof. Sadprakash Singh (Bauji), Harry's father
- Herry Tangri as Katar Mahindar Pral Singh (MP), Pammo's fiancé and husband
- Aditi Sharma as Rajjo
- Surjit Singh Dhami as Darji
- Arvinder Singh Bhatti as Dr. Balvinder Singh
- Manoj Pahwa as Gulzari
- Jass Bhatia as Kartar
- Maninder Velli as Deepa
- Amandeep Singh as Jeeta
- Vaibhav Talwar as Akram
- Lorna Anderson as Maria
- Ankit Mohan as Flt Lt Ashfaq Hussain
- Rahul Vohra as Flt Lt T.N. Ayyar
- Wamiqa Gabbi as Lala Durgadas's daughter
Production
In August 2010, Nawman Malik lodged a legal complaint asserting ownership of the title Mausam and its storyline, demanding Rs 10 million in damages along with a restraining order against producer Sheetal Talwar and director Pankaj Kapur.
The principal photography took place mainly across Edinburgh and locations in India, with the aerial Air Force sequences shot at the Gwalior Air Force Base. The entire filming process spanned two years, facing delays partly due to Sonam Kapoor's health issues.
In September, the film initially failed to secure censorship approval because the Air Force raised objections concerning a 30-second aerial combat scene featuring Shahid Kapoor piloting a Mirage fighter jet. Although the script had been approved beforehand and special permission granted for filming on an actual airbase, the military authorities challenged the depiction of the dogfight after shooting concluded. Producer Sheetal Talwar publicly expressed surprise over this change in stance.
The satellite broadcast rights were acquired by Hindi channel Sahara One for , but reports indicated that Sahara still owed Rs 1 crore to the film’s producer.
Critical reception
Zee News awarded Mausam a 4-star rating, describing it as "an exquisite fusion of unconventional and mainstream cinema brimming with charm, sophistication, and energy." Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India gave it 3 out of 5 stars, recognizing the film’s partial success in merging artistic sensibilities with commercial appeal. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV also rated it 3 stars. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama praised Shahid Kapoor’s portrayal as his finest performance yet, awarding 4 stars and noting significant growth in his craft. On the other hand, Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN assigned 2 stars, criticizing the film’s nostalgic allure as ultimately wearing thin when its narrative logic faltered.
Box office
Made on a budget of Rs. 380 million, Mausam had a strong opening but saw a drop in collections after its first week, earning Rs. 316 million domestically. It grossed Rs. 450 million (US $5.6 million) during its initial week and ended with an approximate global total of Rs. 740 million. Despite early promise, the film was ultimately classified as a box office failure.
Soundtrack
The musical score was composed by Pritam, with lyrics penned by Irshad Kamil. Additionally, two romantic songs featured within the film but were never officially released: "Zara Si Mehndi," performed by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal, and "Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar," sung by Shreya Ghoshal, which is adapted from the classic 1961 Hindi movie Hum Dono.
Accolades
| Award Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Mirchi Music Awards | Male Vocalist of The Year | Hans Raj Hans – "Ik Tu Hi Tu Hi" | Nominee |
| Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year | Shahid Mallya – "Rabba Main Toh Mar Gaya Oye" | ||
| Song representing Sufi tradition | "Rabba Main Toh Mar Gaya Oye" |