# Banjo (2016 film)
**Banjo** (बैंजो) is a 2016 Hindi-language musical drama film directed by Ravi Jadhav in his first Hindi film, starring [Riteish Deshmukh](https://www.edgepedia.org/riteish-deshmukh) as the Mumbai street musician Taraat and [Nargis Fakhri](https://www.edgepedia.org/nargis-fakhri) as an American DJ who comes to India in search of a banjo-playing band[1](https://scroll.in/reel/817233/film-review-banjo-plays-an-overly-familiar-tune) • [2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/banjo/). Produced by Krishika Lulla for Eros International, it was released on 23 September 2016 and performed poorly with critics and at the box office[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/banjo/) • [3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 23 September 2016 (India), Hindi language, 137-minute runtime[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/banjo/) • [3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385) |
| Director | Ravi Jadhav, an established Marathi filmmaker (Natarang, Balak Palak, Timepass) making his Hindi debut[1](https://scroll.in/reel/817233/film-review-banjo-plays-an-overly-familiar-tune) |
| Leads | Riteish Deshmukh as Taraat, Nargis Fakhri as Chris/Christina, with Dharmesh Yelande, Aditya Kumar, and Ram Menon as band members[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/banjo-movie-review-riteish-deshmukh-nargis-fakhri-musician-ravi-jadhav-342795-2016-09-23) |
| Music | Vishal–Shekhar, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya; songs include "Bappa", "Udan Choo", and "Om Ganapataye Namaha Deva"[5](https://assets.moviebuff.com/banjo) |
| Box office | ₹80.2 million (₹8.02 crore) net in India, ₹121.1 million (₹12.11 crore) worldwide; rated a "Disaster" by Box Office India[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385) |
| Critical standing | 33% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 6 reviews[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771450452) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Taraat (Riteish Deshmukh) is a small-time extortionist who plays banjo with a part-time band of three friends, Paper (Aditya Kumar), Grease (Dharmesh Yelande), and Vaaja (Ram Menon), mainly performing during the Ganpati festival in Mumbai[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/banjo-movie-review-riteish-deshmukh-nargis-fakhri-musician-ravi-jadhav-342795-2016-09-23) • [7](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/banjo-16128). Although the band makes good music together, its members are ashamed to admit they play in a banjo band, since banjo players are mostly street musicians and are not respected[7](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/banjo-16128) • [5](https://assets.moviebuff.com/banjo).
Chris (Nargis Fakhri) is a New York-based DJ who wants to make her own album for an international music festival. Her friend Mikey ([Luke Kenny](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-kenny)), based in India, sends her a banjo track, and she flies to Mumbai to find the band and collaborate with them[7](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/banjo-16128) • [8](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/abu-road/banjo/ET00041067). Taraat works as her guide in the city but conceals his own membership in the band; he falls in love with her before she discovers he is the banjo player she has been looking for[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/banjo/) • [9](https://www.zee5.com/id/movies/details/banjo/0-0-2424). The story follows the slum-based band's pursuit of fame, money, and respect[7](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/banjo-16128).
## Production
Ravi Jadhav, a National Award-winning Marathi director, had wanted to make Banjo since 2010, after completing his first film Natrang[10](https://scroll.in/article/816964/after-wooing-marathi-audiences-ravi-jadhav-plays-a-new-tune-with-banjo). In a 2018 interview he said the film was originally written and conceptualized as a Marathi film and turned into a Hindi film during the production process[11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/filmmaker-ravi-jadhav-i-am-making-sure-that-my-second-hindi-film-has-a-pan-india-appeal/story-WjLMFv3aIOFKp38A5q8q2H.html).
Deshmukh was Jadhav's first choice; the director said he wrote the story with him in mind[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/marathi-director-ravi-jadhav-talks-about-his-hindi-directorial-debut-banjo-3044604/). Before shooting, Jadhav researched the street-music scene: he shot and interviewed banjo players, prompted by seeing children performing at a wedding while spectators threw money at them[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/marathi-director-ravi-jadhav-talks-about-his-hindi-directorial-debut-banjo-3044604/) • [13](https://epaper.navhindtimes.in/PageImages/PDF/2016/09/09/09092016-md-ga-24.pdf). The score and songs were composed by [Vishal Dadlani](https://www.edgepedia.org/vishal-dadlani) and [Shekhar Ravjiani](https://www.edgepedia.org/shekhar-ravjiani) ([Vishal–Shekhar](https://www.edgepedia.org/vishal-shekhar)), with cinematography by Manoj Lobo[5](https://assets.moviebuff.com/banjo) • [14](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/18493/bollywood.hindi/banjo/cast-and-crew/).
## Reception
**Critical response.** Reception was largely negative. Of 18 rated reviews aggregated by TheReviewMonk, 11 were negative, 4 positive, and 3 mixed[15](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/banjo/). Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 0.5 out of 5, writing that it had "practically no redeeming features" and was filled with clichéd situations and shouty dialogue[16](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/banjo-movie-review-riteish-deshmukh-nargis-fakhri-star-rating-3045565/). Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it 2 out of 5, blaming a convoluted, over-stuffed storyline, excessive visual razzmatazz, and an uneven soundtrack[17](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/banjo-review-by-anupama-chopra-missing-a-beat/story-lCLFFBBQlEEth3hWdC0P1L.html). The most favorable mainstream notices included a 3.5 out of 5 from Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India, who praised Jadhav's depiction of Mumbai's chawl culture and working-class neighborhoods[18](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/banjo/movie-review/54475285.cms).
Reviewers who found merit generally singled out Deshmukh's screen presence and the film's affectionate portrait of Mumbai's working-class spirit, while criticizing the script; opinions on the Vishal–Shekhar music were divided[15](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/banjo/). Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in noted that Jadhav scored well in creating an authentic seaside slum backdrop and reproducing street slang, but called the film trite[1](https://scroll.in/reel/817233/film-review-banjo-plays-an-overly-familiar-tune).
**Box office.** Banjo opened on about 1,350 screens and earned ₹15.5 million (₹1.55 crore) on its first day in India[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385). Its lifetime net gross in India was ₹80.2 million (₹8.02 crore), with ₹121.1 million (₹12.11 crore) worldwide, and Box Office India classified it as a Disaster[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385). The Numbers records $25,140 at the domestic (North American) box office and $7,528 internationally, for $32,668 worldwide[19](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Banjo).
Jadhav later said the film's failure taught him to make his next Hindi film with a pan-India audience in mind[11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/filmmaker-ravi-jadhav-i-am-making-sure-that-my-second-hindi-film-has-a-pan-india-appeal/story-WjLMFv3aIOFKp38A5q8q2H.html).
## References
1. [Film review: 'Banjo' plays an overly familiar tune, Scroll.in (Nandini Ramnath, 23 September 2016)](https://scroll.in/reel/817233/film-review-banjo-plays-an-overly-familiar-tune)
2. [Banjo Movie: Review, Release Date, Songs, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/banjo/)
3. [Banjo, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3385)
4. [Banjo review: Riteish and Nargis-starrer fails to strike a chord, India Today (Suhani Singh, 23 September 2016)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/banjo-movie-review-riteish-deshmukh-nargis-fakhri-musician-ravi-jadhav-342795-2016-09-23)
5. [Banjo on Moviebuff.com](https://assets.moviebuff.com/banjo)
6. [Banjo, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771450452)
7. [Banjo (2016), BollywoodMDB](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/banjo-16128)
8. [Banjo, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/abu-road/banjo/ET00041067)
9. [Watch Banjo Full HD Movie Online, Zee5](https://www.zee5.com/id/movies/details/banjo/0-0-2424)
10. [After wooing Marathi audiences, Ravi Jadhav plays a new tune with 'Banjo', Scroll.in (20 September 2016)](https://scroll.in/article/816964/after-wooing-marathi-audiences-ravi-jadhav-plays-a-new-tune-with-banjo)
11. [Filmmaker Ravi Jadhav: I am making sure that my second Hindi film has a pan-India appeal, Hindustan Times (24 August 2018)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/filmmaker-ravi-jadhav-i-am-making-sure-that-my-second-hindi-film-has-a-pan-india-appeal/story-WjLMFv3aIOFKp38A5q8q2H.html)
12. [Exclusive: Marathi director Ravi Jadhav talks about his Hindi directorial debut, Banjo, The Indian Express (22 September 2016)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/marathi-director-ravi-jadhav-talks-about-his-hindi-directorial-debut-banjo-3044604/)
13. [The Navhind Times, 9 September 2016](https://epaper.navhindtimes.in/PageImages/PDF/2016/09/09/09092016-md-ga-24.pdf)
14. [Banjo Cast and Crew, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/18493/bollywood.hindi/banjo/cast-and-crew/)
15. [Banjo (2016) Movie Review — 23 Critic Reviews, TheReviewMonk](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/banjo/)
16. [Banjo review: Riteish Deshmukh, Nargis Fakhri film has no redeeming features, The Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta, 23 September 2016)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/banjo-movie-review-riteish-deshmukh-nargis-fakhri-star-rating-3045565/)
17. [Banjo review by Anupama Chopra: Missing a beat, Hindustan Times (23 September 2016)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/banjo-review-by-anupama-chopra-missing-a-beat/story-lCLFFBBQlEEth3hWdC0P1L.html)
18. [Banjo Movie Review {3.5/5}, The Times of India (Renuka Vyavahare)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/banjo/movie-review/54475285.cms)
19. [Banjo (2016), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Banjo)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2010s › Hindi films of 2016*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license