Barfi!(2012)
Barfi! is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Anurag Basu. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Murphy 'Barfi', a deaf-mute young man, alongside Priyanka Chopra as Jhilmil, an autistic girl, and Ileana D'Cruz as Shruti, his first love. Set in Darjeeling and Kolkata during the 1970s, the story follows Barfi's relationships with two women and his journey of unconditional love. The film was produced by Ronnie Screwvala under UTV Motion Pictures and features music by Pritam. It received widespread critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and positive portrayal of disabled individuals. Barfi! was a major commercial success, grossing ₹175 crore worldwide, and was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards. It won seven Filmfare Awards including Best Film and Best Actor. The film released on 14 September 2012.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 14 September 2012
- Director
- Anurag Basu
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 31m
- Rating
- 8.0/10
Storyline
Barfi is a deaf-mute young man living in Darjeeling. He falls in love with Shruti, but she marries someone else. Years later, he kidnaps his autistic childhood friend Jhilmil to save his dying father. Jhilmil refuses to leave him, and they build a life together. But when Shruti returns, old feelings and a dark family secret threaten their happiness.
“Love is a beautiful madness.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Trivia
- The film was shot in real locations across Darjeeling, Kolkata, and Purulia, with no sets built for the main scenes.
- Ranbir Kapoor learned sign language and miming from a deaf and mute teacher to prepare for his role.
- The character Barfi was partly inspired by Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean, blending silent comedy with emotion.
- Priyanka Chopra watched videos of autistic individuals and spent time with special needs children for her role.
- The film's title refers to the nickname of the lead character, which is also a popular Indian sweet.
- It was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 85th Academy Awards.
- Composer Pritam reused a melody from his earlier Bengali song 'Bhalobasha' for the track 'Phir Le Aya Dil'.