My Brother... Nikhil

Plot synopsis:
This film is set in Goa between 1986 and 1994. Nikhil Kapoor (Sanjay Suri) is the state all round swimming champion. His father Navin Kapoor (Victor Banerjee) has raised his son to be a sports man, a dream that he never achieved for himself. His elder sister Anamika (Juhi Chawla) teaches in a primary school and loves him dearly. His mother Anita Rosario Kapoor (Lillete Dubey) adores him and from her he inherited his artistic side to his personality.
After Nikhil is diagnosed with HIV his life falls apart. He is removed from the swimming team and his parents throw him out of their house. One day he is arrested because he is HIV positive. He is kept in forced isolation by law as the Goa Public Health Act allowed the government to isolate HIV positive people. His parents desert him and his friends move away. The only two people who stand by him are his sister Anamika and his boyfriend Nigel (Purab Kohli). Despite facing threats from the community, Anamika and Nigel are able to secure his release with the help of a lawyer. Nikhil is unable to find a job at first, but then becomes a music teacher. Anamika and Nigel start an AIDS assistance organization called People Positive. As Nikhil develops AIDS he is reconciled with his mother and finally his father. After Nikhil's death, his parents begin to treat Nigel like a son.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
This movie is groundbreaking; this movie has a "realistic" look at a gay couple and handles the subject of Aids with sensitivity  which has never been in any Indian movies.Story is simple, Nikhil is diagnosed with Aids and his parents disown him.
Only support he has is of his beautiful caring sister, Anu (Princess), Nigel (Boyfriend), and Sam (Brother In-law).
Story doesn't focus how or why Nikhil has Aids.
Movie has more of a documentary touch to it (meaning people speak to the camera about Nikhil).
This movies hits home because, we, once in life has had the perfect life but one day everything changes  everyone you loved is gone This is how I related to the movie.
Movie is about LIFE!
Movie shows courage, strength, and weakness in all characters.
This movie is filled with beautiful moments ~ just to mention few: 1- When Nikhil's dad comes to meet him after 2 yrs, Nikhil asks for his dad to tell him, please tell me this is a nightmare and it'll pass.2- When Anu comes with a rakhi to Nikhil and the words "agle rakhi mei tumsei .."  realizing that there might not be another Rakhi for her.
Sanjay Suri as Nikhil, shows his emotions flawlessly.
Sanjay plays the role of a man who is gay and in the closet, a swimming champion, a guy who is so pressured by his dad, an artist, and a weak sad, strong, human being.
Juhi Chawla -She adds the smile in the movie.
Purab Kohli - I personally think, this movie belongs to him completely!
Like, I said about Sanjay suri, Purab is also an excellent actor  I became his fan right after Supari & Bas Yun Hi. I am looking forward to his future projects.
PLEASE GO SUPPORT THIS MOVIE AND IT'S MUSIC!
I, for one, am very very tired of watching "masala" type movies.
They are not only annoying but make you feel like an idiot sitting in the theatre watching people cry over meaningless emotionless scenes.I simply LOVED THIS MOVIE and it's very tough to put my thoughts about this movie in words, so I had a tough time writing a review on it.
So I hope I did my best to promote this wonderful movie.
And for those who are arrogant and don't like gay lifestyle  only this quote can sum it up: "It's astonishing how much energy some people Waste worrying that someone else might be Enjoying life in ways that they don't Approve of"Take care, Bhumi.
'My Brother Nikhil' is that rarest of movies made in India.
'My Brother Nikhil' is that rarest of movies made in India: one that presents a serious story without judgment, describing the different manners in which people react to an unfamiliar crisis; all told simply, as most truths are.A family at peace with itself - barring the usual conflicts that affect all of us - finds solace in distance and agony in nearness when their son contracts a virus.
But then the movie finds its pace, subtly conveying a message through a haunting song and the son's exploration within himself.When lives are depicted, this is how they should be.
After "Black", "My Brother Nikhil" is another movie that can be added to the "Must See list" or a collection at home.
Juhi is a really good actressand must do more movies because she is definitely one of the good ones.Sanjay acted very well as well.
There isn't much I can spoil because the movie is about AIDS and how Juhi helplessly watches her brother die but at the same time but at the same time she is the only one who stands by him.
The movie deals with family conflicts, social issues in a different way.
Her title role (she's the sister of the proud gay man Nikhil about whom the story revolves) no doubt adds mass-market appeal and human warmth to this film.But it's the writing, directing, and pacing of this drama that pulls you in and never lets you go.
When you watch this film, every little nuance of dialog and on-screen action will immediately resonate with some important person or event from your own life.It's exceedingly rare to find a screenplay that can accomplish so much in 120 minutes (a pleasant not-too-long length given some of the 3-hour Bollywood fare out there).
The family values shown in this film should be seen and felt by everyone.When I walked into the screening here in Boston, I expected something a lot lighter.
Be prepared to shed a few tears, not just of sadness but of pure joy at seeing people caring for one another in the way we all want to be loved.A young doctoral student from China wandered into today's screening by accident, and struck up a conversation to ask me what to expect.
He said no, he's seen a lot of cases (of AIDS-related ostracism) like this in his homeland: it must have been hard for him to watch.
But I'll bet he'll remember this story years from now, as I surely will.This is a thinking and caring person's drama.
After Phir Milenge comes another touching film that sheds light on one of India's most misunderstood problems, AIDS.
Throughout the movie, I kept on wondering how the protagonist contracted the disease.
People always assume how an AIDS patient contracted HIV, and they have no right to assume the cause and accuse the person for it.
This movie also sheds some light on the extremely misunderstood gay relationship.
Juhi Chawla does a wonderful job as does Sanjay Suri.
No. Another AIDS awareness movie?
Yes. Sanjay Suri plays a character called Nikhil who is a State swimming champ and has a loving sister played by Juhi Chawla.
Sanjay Suri plays his character, as it should be.
Just the kind of AIDS movie we needed.
And there are some flaws which make you go ''Did they have the knowledge of all this in 1994?" which are again ignorable just like the ones in 'Black' but it has one thing in common with Black that it is one of the best films of the year.
Story of a sports champion, who gets HIV-positive,and his life turns around.
I just came back from a special screening of this movie.As a rule, I try avoid sentimental films- those with an extra doze of emotions, life, et al.So, i was avoiding this one, until today when I was invited for a special show.And I must say, what a movie!
The basic premise of the movie is that Nikhil Kapoor, a National level swimming champion, is tested HIV positive.
The only people who stand by him are his sister and most important person in his life, Anamika (Anu), her fiancé Sam, and Nikhil's partner, Nigel.
The film has an important message: not HOW a person gets AIDS (or HIV virus) ; but how the life of one with AIDS gets affected.
Shot beautifully in the picturesque Goa, the story is told from view points of all people important to Nikhil's life, and his legacy beyond death.
The movie got a standing ovation at the screening .
Very well and differently made, it gets slow and dragging at times, but is so heart warming, one can let go of this minor drawback.Go watch it!.
'My Brother Nikhil' is the best film I ever saw in my life.
I would like to see more such films.
It touched my heart and soul.The way the film dealt with the subject of Homosexuality and HIV is very nice.
That will help GLBT people to have better social life.
Hopefully with more such films HIV +ve people won't get discriminated.
Although an old movie that deals with an era of phobia and ignorance surrounding AIDS, it's been recently picked up by a streaming service and passed off as "new".
We had had films on AIDS before but still MBN stands out.Gay relationships were always a matter of ridicule in Bollywood.
This is perhaps the first Bolly flick the looks upon such palpable emotions with so much respect.This is the story of a man who falls from social grace and ostracized.
This is also the story of a sister's unconditional love for her brother.Purab, the film belongs to you.
He is in complete ease with the camera; he portrayed the character of Nigel perfectly.Sanjay & Juhi were great too.Last but not the least, Onir, just keep up the good work.
The best movie of 2005.
2005 was a very good year for quality movies.
And I can safely say that 'my brother nikhil' is the best movie.
The credit for that goes to a lot of factors-people involved, and not just the main plot line.The movie just flows.
Haunting is the word.Sanjay Suri plays the protoganist.
I think its about time that people/film industry sit up and give him credit for his talent.Likewise, Purab Kohli deserves applause for his performance.
Juhi chawla, Victor Banerjee and Lilette Dubey all come up with wonderful performances, making their characters totally believable and they are perfectly cast.
He has handled the issue of AIDS and homosexuality with utmost maturity.
Cant wait for his next 'bas ek pal'.All in all, it's a sin to let a movie like this pass by.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Indian cinema.No matter where you live in the world, you need to see this film.
It would be easy to dismiss My Brother Nikhil as a "gay film" or an "AIDS Awareness film", but while both of those components are contained in the story, the movie is -- at its core -- a family drama.
The point of the film is the impact of a tragic circumstance on a young man and his family.Onir has managed to portray this drama in an even-handed manner that imposes no judgments on the characters.
Juhi Chawla sparkles as Nikhil's sister Anamika, Victor Bannerjee and Lillete Dubey offer a seamless portrayal of parents whose world has been turned upside down and relative newcomer Purab Kholi shines as Nikhil's young lover.In addition to being an "important" film, My Brother Nikhil is a masterpiece of lighting, photography and music.
Sanjay Suri impressed me in his cameo role in "Dhoop", but he has acted out of his skin in this movie and deserves an award for his acting.
Great movie about a very serious issue.
A very touching emotional movie.
This is again such a touching movie!!!
Juhi plays a very good role as a loving sister.
Especially the scenes towards the ending of the movie are very touching.
A definitely worth watching movie, if you are attached to your family..
MBN was a simple straight forward from the heart film about the love between siblings - told from the POV of Anu (Juhi Chawla) whose state champion swimmer brother Nikhil (Sanjay Suri) becomes HIV positive.
Yes there was the usual over-emotionalism associated with a dying loved one, but still this was a rather restrained film.
I liked Lillette Dubey in the role of the mother who loves her son but also her husband, and the conflict within and without her that causes the parents to abandon Nikhil is well portrayed.
It was brave to show that Nikhil had a boy friend - the logical conclusion would be that the HIV infection came from this association, but then the BF is shown to not be +ve.
However, I felt that maybe a stronger message could have come from the homosexual nature of their relationship being responsible.The acting was very good all around, special honors go to Juhi for an excellent performance.
Sanjay Suri was competent throughout, and then excellent in the end moments.
A story of a man whose life changed due to one incident.
Nikhil- State champion of Goa beloved by his father seemed to have a perfect life until he was detected of AIDS.
Then comes the story of his life after that, how he has to battle the fight against society.
A well portrayed story, though a little slow many at times, does touch your heart.
On the whole a good movie, mainly for people who like watching slow and sentimental movies..
The subject of the film is about something many people have gone through: the contamination to HIV, the development of the disease of AIDS and the ultimate death of the patient.
But luckily we are far beyond Reagan's declaration that it was the punishment of god against homosexuals.In the film we are in Goa and we are dealing with a State Champion in swimming.
His family is victimized and ostracized in the city to the point of them having to leave, though this reveals the total lack of courage of the parents, since the daughter supported by her fiancé decides to stay and look for a lawyer and fight.
Nigel as Nikhil's partner is forced to go through a test, which is in a way perfectly sane and he should have decided to do it himself, and he finds out he is healthy.
Nikhil decides not to fight against his boss who does not want to reinstate him in his job and he develops a musical career for a couple of years.
Then the film shows the slow ending of this life.
It will take a lot more time for the father who will finally accept for Nikhil to come back home when he has reached the final phase of the disease and is no longer able to have a normal activity.
My Brother Nikhil is one of the best films made, The film speaks about AIDS and also deals with homosexuality The film narrates a story of a swimming champion Nikhil who gets AIDS The film is set in Goa in late 80s to early 90s and it's well carried out, the problems Nikhil faces are well handled The drama,emotions are brilliantly and Onir also goes ahead and shows the homosexuality angle naturally unlike other films which overdo those portions The film leaves you moist-eyed and also yet tries to open your eyes regarding the misconception that AIDS is caused due to homosexualityDirection by Onir is great Music is good, the usage of Konkani songs suits the theme wellSanjay Suri is one of the brilliant underrated actors, he performs so flawlessly that I still wonder why he doesn't get much films nowdays?
Juhi Chawla is fantastic, Purab Kohli as Sanjay Suri's gay partner is brilliant, he doesn't overdo it Victor Banerjee is flawless, Lillete Dubey is perfect too Dipannita Sharma has a brief role and is okay, Shweta Kawaatra is good rest are okay.
Film for Thought...Superb!.
My Brother...Nikhil -- The movie left me in tears.
I have friends that are homosexuals and they are some of the nicest people I've ever met, and that film making them out to be these insane horrible individuals was a real turn off...and that's another review!
But back to the main topic, My Brother...Nikhil was fabulous from the storyline, to the music (Le Chale - will leave your heart mourning with tears in your eyes - no matter which version you hear -- I like the Shaan version the best ), the acting is fabulous!
It's been a long time since I've seen a Hindi film that I walked away from and said "wow." There is a part of the film where Lillete Dubey who plays Nikhil's mom tells him that he was a weak baby and she wishes that he had died then as a child.
This is after the family finds out Nikhil has contracted HIV...needless to say, the scene will make your jaw drop.
Sanjay and Lillete are beyond amazing in this scene.Kabhi is another song in the film...
She played the role as if it was made for her.One of the things that I found the most interesting and the most refreshing about the film is the element of HOW.
Meaning, the audience never finds out HOW Nikhil contracted the virus, they are just aware of the fact that he has it.
It shows Nikhil has human, like you and I, a person with feelings...a golden boy who has been ousted by his surroundings.
I'm glad we do not know, it leaves the mind to wonder.I saw the making of the film on the DVD of it that I rented (it's on the Elite Films DVD version) and they were talking about how the story is based on a true story of something that did actually happen in Goa. I wasn't sure if it really was, but after wards I thought it was quite admirable to do a film such as this in Hindi cinema.Another element of the film is the fact that it starts in the 1980s in India...which is the same decade that the USA has it own AIDS "scare".Even if the subject matter bothers you, or you do not like Hindi films, go watch it just to Sanjay Suri portray what I would consider the role of his career!
Plot Outline: Nikhil Kapoor (Sanjay Suri) is a happening young man, state swimming champion of Goa, loathed in the love of girlfriends, friends and a family consisting of Father Navin (Victor Banerjee) and mother Anita (Lilette Dubey) and sister Anu (Juhi Chawla); All put together seems 'picture-perfect'.Things take a sudden turn when Nikhil gets knocked off his job and the swimming team while his family is ostracized by local community.
Things get uglier when his parents disown him, gets arrested and confined to a sanitarium; reason: he is HIV positive, a condition about which social awareness was at its nadir in the 80's.Only Anu and friend Nigel (Purab Kohli) support Nikhil through his phase of social disapproval till the inevitable.
The movie is a portrayed from the POV of his family/friends circle on his first death anniversary.Comment: The movie underscores that love can spark hope for people like Nikhil.
But both these movies could have addressed AIDS awareness while doing the love/sympathy theme.