Shiv Shastri Balboa Movie Review: Predictable film is saved by Ultimate Actor Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta

Star Rating: 3/5

Star Cast: Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Sharib Hashmi, Jugal Hansraj

Shiv Shastri (Kher), a middle-aged ex-banker from Bhopal, arrives in the US eager to begin a new chapter. With a wife, two sons, a tidy suburban home, and all the trappings of success, his doctor son (Hansraj) has done well for himself. All Shastriji wants is to be able to race up those stairs in that Pennsylvania building, just like the very famous Rocky Balboa had done in that very famous boxing movie that made Sly Stallone a household name. This is because he is still getting used to living in a foreign land. Shastri, a fanboy, has internalized the notion that an underdog can succeed deeply and views "Rocky" as more than just a movie. He is able to escape the loneliness that the elderly experience thanks to his encounter with Elsa from Hyderabad (Gupta), a cleaner who lives nearby. He quickly discovers that Elsa has a want, too, but it is different from his.

The film explores alienation, racism, culture shock, and what it means for the third generation to grow up in an age of increasing intolerance. But all of this is presented as fact, never detracting from the central theme of Shiv Shastri and Elsa's inadvertent adventure.
The story is a complete family entertainer, though it suffers from one too many subplots and loses steam towards the end as a legal battle is introduced. If you want to see a movie with your family, you should definitely go to the theatre.