Tag: Movies

GDN – A review

‘GDN’ is a movie about the legendary Indian inventor and industrialist, Gopalaswapmy Doraiswamy Naidu, widely known as the Edison of India. The film narrates GDN’s journey from that of a humble hotel waitor in Coimbatore, to building India’s first electric motor, to running the successful United Motor Services, and pioneering many other successful ventures.

The story of GDN is one of vision, ambition, and innovation coming together. It offers viewers a slice of forgotten Indian history, one that always deserved to be told but never got the chance. While it can be argued that the GDN museum in Comibatore does pay tribute to the man’s memory, nothing communicates the scale of his contribution quite like a commercial potboiler that brings his life to the screen.

What comes through strongly in the movie is GDN’s never-say-die spirit in the face of adversity. Whether it is saving money for a motorbike while working as a waitor, establishing the United Motor Services with barely any resouces, or beating reputed companies to bagging the BMW contract, GDN’s grit is on full display.

Madhavan, who plays GDN, does full justice to his role. Without fumbling or flinching, he portrays the many shades of the man, both at the professional and personal level. Through Madhavan, we see how GDN contributed not only to science and technology but also to those around him. If his BMW dream had materialised, Tamil Nadu would have witnessed an economic transformation.

But when you reach the top, you either stay there or come crashing down. With GDN, it was the latter. Yet, as Madhavan shows with impeccable conviction, a determined and gritty man can never be defeated. Failures are but stepping stones to more success, and that true success comes to those who refuse to give up.

GDN’s rise coincided with that of the nationalist movement. While the Mahatma and other freedom fighters fought the British politically, GDN fought his through industrial vision and enterprise. He may have ultimately lost to the machinery of British rule, but he never surrendered his dignity or stature.

And that, perhaps, is the film’s most enduring meesage: success is not always about winning the battle. Sometimes, it is about refusing to let defeat diminish who you are.

‘Dhadak 2’ Review: A Bold, Unflinching Look at Caste 

Dhadak 2 is Shazia Iqbal’s Hindi adaptation of Mari Selvaraj’s Tamil film ‘Pariyerum Perumal’. It portrays an inter-caste couple’s fight against caste prejudice. 

Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi), a Dalit student of law, has a simple and straightforward goal: to study hard, become a lawyer, and lift his family out of poverty. He avoids political activism, lest it derail his long term plans. He finds an empathetic friend in Vidhi (Tripti Dimri), who helps him understand the subject. And, like what happenes in most college friendships, theirs deepens into love.

Neelesh’s subservience and timidity get him nowhere: he is constantly reminded of his place in the caste hierarchy, whether in college or at social gatherings. Neither can he claim his right as a student, nor can he escape casteist taunts. 

His struggle is reminiscent of real-life Dalit students who paid the price for speaking out. The case of Senthil, the Dalit student in the University of Hyderabad who took his own life, comes to mind instantly. And when Shekhar (Priyank Tiwari), Neelesh’s contemporary in college and a fellow Dalit, resorts to the extreme step after being suspended for protesting, one cannot miss the resemblance with Rohit Vemula.

When his face is disfigured by upper caste students in college, the lion in Neelesh awakens. Siddhanth Chaturvedi plays Neelesh’s transformation into a confident and assertive individual, who will not take injustice lying down, convincingly.

Like Siddhant Chaturvedi, Tripti Dimri does full justice to her role. She is not the hero’s usual sidekick and carves out an identity and place of her own. Bold and outspoken, she doesn’t hesitate to ask uncomfortable questions, even if that means challenging her family’s honour. 

Full marks to Shazia Iqbal for boldly engaging with a sensitive theme like caste. She highlights the humiliation Dalit students face in our universities, capturing the stigma in all its rawness. She also addresses the problematic issue of upper caste family honour with the same brutal honesty.

Dhadak 2 is powerful in its treatment of caste. The crisp narrative, sharp dialogues, and engaging story enhance its appeal. It is a must-watch that doesn’t just entertain but compels reflection. The quote at the beginning of the movie sums it up best:

“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty”

Review of The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case

‘The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case’, is an OTT series about the probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperambdur in 1991. As the country comes to terms with the brutal murder, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), set up to nab the culprits, swings into action.

Establishing the LTTE’s role in the assassination is not difficult. The real challenge lies in nabbing Shivarasan, the mastermind of the plot. Amit Sial plays D.R. Karthikeyan, the lead investigator. In the words of his superior, Karthikeyan’s is the toughest job in the world. He faces pressure from all quarters – politicians, pro-LTTE Tamils, and a restless team. Yet, with a restrained demeanour, Sial impresses as the stoic Karthikeyan who rises to the challenge and keeps his team united & focussed on the ultimate aim. He is the fire that keeps the team’s spirit burning and the officer who leads by example. 

While showcasing the brilliance of the SIT, The Hunt says a lot about the support that the LTTE enjoys in Tamil Nadu. According to Inspector Ragothaman, the only Tamil officer in the SIT, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” A small sentence that speaks volumes.

Director Nagesh Kukunoor manages to evoke drama, intrigue, and suspense. Every scene captures the tension of the investigation, making you want more. The sharp editing and concise script also do their bit to engage you. I also laud Kukunoor for ending the series on an unresolved note. Yes, the SIT nabs Shivarasan and his team of LTTE operatives, but, as officer Amit Verma puts it, with Shivarasan’s death, the truth is also buried. The audience grapples with more questions than answers, a lot like life…..

Conclave Movie Review

Directed by Edward Berger and based on a novel by Robert Harris, Conclave is a movie about the Papal election. As the cardinals congregate at the Vatican to select a successor to the late Pope, a drama unfolds.

Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the Dean of the College of Cardinals and in charge of the election process, plays the central role. Although not a serious contender for Pope, his speech at the outset of the election is revealing. In that speech, he urges his peers to select someone who may be flawed but has the humility to ask for forgiveness and move on. According to him, absolute certainty is the enemy of faith – even Jesus Christ was uncertain till the very end of his life.

As the election process begins, a trail of deep secrets emerge. These revelations showing the Cardinals in poor light can shake the foundations of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, despite the sensational nature of the revelations, Cardinal Lawrence deals with these crises in a mature and wise manner. Justice is done and God’s will prevails.

The Conclave boldly links the Roman Catholic Church with political divisions of the kind we read about in newspapers. Reacting to a suicide bombing, Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) lashes out at Islamic Fundamentalists without naming them. In a speech laced with hate and sarcasm, he calls upon Christianity to fight the real enemy, and ridicules the liberals for their pusillanimity. The Right-Left divide at the Catholic Church couldn’t be more stark.

While the movie shines a torch on the political divide within the Church, it could have gone a step further by fleshing it out. Unfortunately, it resorts to a linear narrative by showcasing the liberals as sophisticated and painting the conservatives as brutish. This one-sided representation ignores many nuanced complexities.

Given that every character in ‘Conclave’ is associated with the Church, the movie is understandably bereft of drama. Yet, stellar individual performances aided by a sharp script compensate for this gap, gripping you from the word go.

A Fantastic Woman – A Review

A Fantastic Woman – A Review

While it is difficult to ascertain whether, historically, transgenders enjoyed a unique place in Indian society, the common belief is that Kings used them as henchmen and were sought after by newly-wed couples for blessings. Whatever their role, it is a fact that with the entry of the British into India, life for the community took a turn for the worse. The British were uneasy with the idea of a third gender and accused the community of perpetuating crime. While newly independent India relaxed laws against transgender people, the media became guilty of stereotyping them. Mocked for their effeminate personalities, they were, and still are, portrayed as beggars and criminals.

Indeed, community stereotyping is a universal phenomenon. Although India has a long way to go before accepting transgenders for who they are, Chile is showing the way in furthering their cause. Director Sebastian Lelio’s ‘A Fantastic Woman’, a movie about a transgender female Marina (played by Daniela Vega) and her struggle against prejudice, is a step in that direction. 

Working as a waitress and club singer in Santiago, Chile’s capital, Marina is in a relationship with an older cis man, Orlando (played by Francisco Reyes). Love is in the air as the couple celebrates Marina’s birthday over a candle-light dinner. As the two embrace and dance, the audience cannot help but soak in the romance. The two seem made for each other and are heading towards a happy future. 

A tragic twist shatters Marina’s happiness when, on the night following the birthday, Orlando dies of an aneurysm. As the grieving Marina tries to come to terms with her loss, she faces the wrath of Orlando’s family. His ex-wife wants Orlando’s car back, his nasty son asks her to vacate the house, and the family forbids her from attending Orlando’s funeral. To make matters worse, the bruises on Orlando’s body make the police suspicious. Was Marina being paid by Orlando for sex work? Maybe the two had got into a fight that ultimately killed Orlando.

Despite the weight of her problems, Marina stays dignified and graceful. She battles her ghosts like a lonely but brave warrior, swimming against the tide of societal prejudice. The scene where she tries to walk straight, resisting the heavy wind blowing against her, accurately captures her courage, dignity, and stoicism in the face of adversity.

Director Sebastian Lelio portrays a never-seen-before aspect of transgender people, which is that of grace. He succeeds in demystifying the community and subverting its association with sordidness. In Marina, the audience discovers a caring, sensitive, and strong transwoman who defies stereotypes. 

I would have liked Sebastian Lelio to explore some more dimensions of Marina’s life. What were her struggles as a child growing up in Chile? While there is a brief mention of her sister and brother-in-law, the movie is silent about her parents. Unfortunately, the movie is too linear in portraying Marina’s life. A multi-dimensional portrayal of a transgender woman that goes beyond platitudes or prejudices would have been ideal. 

Despite its lack of depth, Director Sebastian Lelio’s ‘A Fantastic Woman’ has contributed immensely to the transgender community’s struggle for identity and place in society, becoming the first Chilean movie to win an Oscar. More importantly, the movie helped drive conversations on the transgender question, resulting in the fast-tracking of a gender-identity law allowing transgender individuals older than 14 years to legally change their name and gender, with no requirement for surgery or change in physical appearance. That this took place in a country as traditionally conservative as Chile is an achievement worth celebrating.

‘The Unknown Saint’ Review

‘The Unknown Saint’, a movie by Alaa Eddine Aljem, is about a thief (played by Younes Bouab) who buries a bag of money before going to jail. When he returns to the burial spot after serving his term, he finds the place converted to a mausoleum dedicated to an unknown saint.

As the thief waits for his catch, a series of subplots and character sketches roll themselves out. 

The shrine of the Unknown Saint is set in a parched, rocky and deserted Moroccan village, miles from any human habitation. The village owes its existence to the unknown saint’s shrine and its economy sustains itself by the trickle of tourists who come to pay their respects. The movie drags as it tries to portray the stillness of the place. The director is economical with the number of characters he introduces. Yet, whenever one is introduced, the screen comes alive. 

The most entertaining of the characters is the doctor-nurse duo. The former is young and sincere but is frustrated by his patients, all women, who report symptoms that don’t seem to conform to any scientifically established disease. His experienced nurse (played by Hassan Ben Badida) clears the mystery by saying that women visit the clinic to huddle together and escape the monotony of their daily lives. He also advises the doctor to prescribe a harmless pill (most probably paracetamol) that comforts and assuages their fears, a practice the nurse has been following all along. The doctor tries hard to hide his disappointment over wasting his skills.

Other characters include the security guard who manages to prevent the thief from entering the shrine. A widower, he prefers his German Shepard to his son. This is not the only tenuous father-son relationship that the movie showcases. The neighbouring village has a young man who wants to migrate to greener pastures, free from the lacklustre life in his village. He meets with opposition from his father who believes that praying to the ‘Unknown Saint’ is enough to bring luck. 

The village barber (played by Ahmed Yarziz) doubles up as a dentist. Lively and full of energy, his shop is the chosen haunt of the men who are not in a hurry to get their beards or hair trimmed.

The long wait for things to change seems to pay off as each character embraces a new beginning. For example, the doctor’s blank look turns into a half-inch smile when he realises that his skills come in handy for the treatment of animals. Such twists are also seen in the lives of the security guard, the barber and others. The thief deserves credit for triggering this happy chain of events but, at a personal level, he is left high and dry.

Time stands still in the village. While the movie ought to merely imply the sluggishness associated with life in the village, Alaa Eddine Aljem allows this sluggishness to slow the movie down.

An unusual feature in ‘The Unknown Saint’ is its emphasis on male characters. It is puzzling that not even one female character assumes importance and that all female characters are painted in the same brush.

If you are looking for drama, The Unknown Saint is not for you. But if you are a patient watcher like me, the smile will not leave your face. 

SUPER 30 REVIEW

Super 30              s2

Vikas Bahl’s Super 30 is based on the life of brilliant mathematician Anand Kumar who helps thirty smart but underprivileged children prepare for entrance exams to the IITs. The film showcases how poor students with meager resources struggle but eventually triumph with guidance from Kumar.

Hrithik Roshan, who plays Anand Kumar does justice to his character. Having got used to seeing him in romantic or superhero roles, it must have been challenging to play a mathematics teacher. The audience would naturally find it difficult to relate to him. However, one can spot the effort that he has put into fleshing out Anand Kumar’s role. Take for instance the way he magnanimously responds to the humiliation meted out to him by the librarian of a reputed college. Another instance is when Kumar manages to get into Cambridge but is short of money to realize that aspiration. He sees his father die trying to raise money for the purpose. This scene is a sad commentary on how intelligent youth from poor backgrounds lose opportunities merely because of their economic status.

Super 30 successfully engages with the question of privilege and class bias in other ways too. For example, Kumar is seen motivating his students who are weak in English to stand up to their counterparts from English-medium schools. The scene where they do a skit in English with privileged kids as an audience is praiseworthy. The skit, an idea conceived by Kumar teaches his students to believe in themselves and never give up. In many other scenes too Kumar is seen emphasizing the importance of education to his students.

Anand Kumar is regarded as a precious teacher by his students, and he is in great demand from the rich and poor alike. But while batting for the rights of the poor, Vikas Bahl’s Super 30 does not succumb to the temptation of painting privileged children as villains. For example, there is a scene where a rich former student of Kumar asks him why he is depriving them of his teaching. Is it because he is privileged? The irony of the situation is stark.

Another notable scene in Super 30 is when the local MLA Shriram Singh (played by Pankaj Tripathi) breaks his promise of helping Anand Kumar. Hrithik portrays Kumar’s disappointment with ease and confidence. Full marks to Pankaj Tripathi for making us cringe at his crookedness and pettiness, either in the pipe dreams he sells to Anand Kumar and the rural folk or in his involvement with the coaching mafia. He truly makes you want to hate him.

Super 30 has its share of comedy too, such as when Hrithik enlightens his first love Supriya (played by Mrunal Thakur) on the mathematical ratio used to measure beauty. I never knew that such a ratio existed and was pleasantly surprised to learn of the same. The movie thus weds Anand Kumar’s obsession with mathematics with his love for Supriya.

Mrunal Thakur depicts Supriya, a girl from an elite background who doesn’t carry that status on her sleeve. After all, she is the daughter of a rich businessman but is dating the son of a postman. She is neither too brash nor too simple but subtly gels into her character. One loves her in the second half when she steals an important document to rescue Anand Kumar’s dream. She is a delight to watch when she tells her IAS officer husband (who is aware of her past with Kumar) that her choice of men has always been sound! For a newcomer it is a great start.

Personally, I sympathized with Lallan Singh’s character (played by Aditya Srivastav) for being let down by Anand Kumar. His position is unenviable and hence credit is due to Srivastava for portraying the money hungry head of a successful coaching centre who is eventually defeated by Anand Kumar.

Anand Kumar’s innovative teaching techniques are at the fore in Super 30. The maths, physics and chemistry concepts are explained well and used intelligently in the fight sequences which are worth watching purely for this reason. They mask any kind of boredom that might arise owing to their length.

Anand Kumar’s fight against a corrupt system and his obsessive need to help needy students reminds one of Robin Hood. He is willing to risk his life for the sake of educating his students. The second half is replete with scenes of violence when Anand Kumar’s rivals gun for his blood.

The larger point that Super 30 makes, which is that students from poor backgrounds have it in them to be successful, provided they are smart and determined, is not lost on the audience. This forms the heart and soul of the movie and is as precise as one of Anand Kumar’s maths lectures. The movie’s heart literally beats to the tune of justice for the underprivileged.

Super 30 is a bold take on India’s education system that is corrupted by nepotism and privilege. Considering that it is based on a true story makes it all the more relevant.

 

The Uri Effect, Post Pulwama

Uri, the movie about India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir resonates with (or maybe even determines) the present mood in India, post Pulwama. The movie somehow demands that everyone participate in experiencing a “Josh” or acting out on it (by beating up Kashmiris, threatening Muslims who are deemed anti-national by default). The protagonist Major Vihan Singh Shergill, played by Vicky Kaushal is an ace military strategist who is forced to return to home to care for his mother, an Alzheimers patient. During this time he loses his brother-in-law, Major Karan Kashyap (played by Mohit Raina) in the Uri attack. Thirsty for revenge, he begs his commander to let him return to the frontlines for the greater good of the motherland.
In the first half of the movie, Major Vihan plays the role of a responsible son, loving uncle and friendly brother, all at once. The camaraderie he shares with Major Karan is typical of the armed forces, but there is nothing more that endears you to him as an actor. His performance is clichéd, lacking depth or nuance. After seeing him in Sanju, one feels he has not done justice to his talent. But the war hysteria and passionate anti-Pakistan slogans are used effectively to mask the otherwise dull performances.
The second half of the movie revolves largely around the planning and execution of the surgical strikes. The discovery by Ajit Doval (played by Paresh Rawal) of a bird-shaped drone invented by a DRDO intern is the only thing that adds a spark to the movie. Unfortunately, it is not developed enough.
The manner in which the scenes are stitched up leaves a lot to be desired. Even the war scenes are just deafening gun fire and as expected, the Pakistanis are shown as no match for the Indians.
By this time Major Vihan’s family – his mother, widowed sister and niece –seem to be erased from the audience’s memory. If the movie aims to prove that the call for revenge supersedes all other responsibilities, it fails to do so again. And it is this attitude that is on display in the India of today. Unfortunately, one (fictitious) man’s call for revenge has become a personal call to the youth of the country. People have taken it upon themselves to teach Kashmiri students a lesson after the terror attack in Pulwama, despite no evidence of their involvement. Innocent Kashmiris across the country face persecution for deeds they are not guilty of.
There are other problems with the movie too. For instance, the euphoria of revenge for the Uri martyrs drowns the audience’s capacity to think critically, leaving no scope for reflection. Doesn’t one wonder why war widows dressed in white (in this case Vicky Kaushal’s sister) are left in the lurch as their husbands are on the frontlines, and only see their partners in coffins? Families of military personnel always struggle with their absence. And when soldiers die, they leave behind widows and orphaned children. Nowhere in the movie are these dilemmas addressed. Instead, war in all its madness is glorified. True, the movie is essentially about war and the sacrifices that our soldiers make. But is it not possible to shine a torch on the senselessness and madness of war too?
According to “Uri-The Surgical Strikes”, the ends justify the means. The audience is encouraged to sympathize with Major Vihan Singh Shergill’s character and some even echo ‘How’s The Josh’ on the other side of the screen. Moreover, this echo also drowns any serious critique about issues that have recently come to light (bad food for our soldiers, no leave, poor treatment of jawans, harsh weather conditions etc).
“Uri-The Surgical Strikes” leaves nothing to one’s imagination. It does little more than glorify the armed forces and whip up war hysteria. Of course, the endless scenes of violence and gore fill the audience with ‘Josh’. However, what is missing is a calm and reflective assessment on the failures of the Indian state that may have alienated Kashmiris and minorities Where is the attempt to win the hearts of young Kashmiris? The Kashmir Question is a very complicated one and needs to be dealt with at various levels, beginning with dialogue, dialogue and dialogue!images

Stree – An ode to women’s empowerment

 

Women, especialy those in rural India are the victims of a medieval mindset. Society suspects their character and hounds those daring to challenge the status quo. And when they marry against the wishes of their parents, they are killed as punishment.

As the name suggests and the movie confirms, ‘Stree’ is an ode to women’s empowerment. However, in trying to be so, it mixes up many issues resulting in a hotch-potch of ideas. It is set in the village of Chanderi, the residents of which believe in a female ghost that appears during the annual 4-day festival. This ghost, named ‘stree’ by the occupants is believed to kidnap men every night of the 4 day festival,leaving only his clothes behind. While this may sound absurd, legend has it that the ghost is actually the restless soul of a newly wed bride, killed before she could consumate her marriage with her lover. Naturally, the innocent village folk, especially the men, are terrified. The only way the village protects its men is by writing “O Stree Kal Aana” in Hindi, which means “Stree, come tomorrow”, on the walls of every home. This, the villagers claim, is bound to shoo the ghost away and protect the men folk.

Vicky (Raj Kumar Rao) is the son of a tailor in the village with modern, rational beliefs. He rubbishes any talk of the ghost ‘Stree’. However, he is forced to change his stance when he loses one of his friends to the dreadful ghost. And as the village comes to terms with the loss of some of its men to ‘Stree’, Shraddha Kapoor(Stree) mysteriously arrives on the scene, fuelling suspicion. As she gets friendly with Vicky, the latter’s friends come to believe that she might indeed be the human incarnation of the dreaded ghost. Their anti-Shraddha comments are also laced with jealousy towards Vicky.

After Vicky’s friends realise they were wrong, they, along with Shraddha Kapoor & Rajkumar Rao embark on a mission to rid Chanderi of this annual menace. Vicky is entrusted with the job of leading the hunt for Stree. Although initially reluctant, he comes around and goes all guns blazing.
Pankaj Tripathi, who plays the role of a fraud scholar must be lauded for his comic timing. The star cast, led by Raj Kumar Rao & Shraddha Kapoor also elevate the cinematic experience with their funny dialogues. They engage the audience with witty one-liners.For example, when ‘Stree’ goes about abducting men, Vicky and his friends joke that she chooses her victims based on their Aadhar cards!

The film is not just funny but also a commentary on current political issues, within the larger canvas of feminism. For instance, when Vicky is told that he was born to a prostitute, he, although shocked initially comes to accept his parentage. After all, prostitutes are human beings too and are so out of compulsion, not choice. ‘Stree’ also condemns honour killings and how inter-caste marriages cost young couples their lives, merely for defying their elders.Strangely, menare shown as weak and vulnerable, a first of sorts in Bollywood. However sloppy the movie might be, it does succeed in making a powerful statement on women’s rights. Its underlying theme is not so much the Ghost ‘Stree’ as the terrible conditions that women face in India.

My thoughts on Mulk

Mulk, Anubhav Sinha’s directorial debut makes you think of Islamophobia post 9-11. As countries across the world grapple with the menace of terrorism, ordinary Muslims are referred to in the same breath as terrorists. India is no exception.

The movie takes a hard look at religious prejudice in the context of Islamic fundamentalism. Set in Varanasi, it studies a Muslim family that loses a son to a terrorist attack. Shahid (Prateik Babbar) is a misguided youngster who helps organize one. He is shot dead by anti-terror squad officer Danish(Rajat Kapoor). But worse things await the family.

Shahid’s father Bilal (Manoj Pahwa) is accused of aiding his son. The needle of suspicion points to him on the basis of hard evidence. Bilal’s older brother Murad (Rishi Kapoor) and Murad’s daughter-in-law Aarti (Tapsee Pannu), both lawyers, swing into action.

Varanasi is a melting pot of different religious groups. The city represents everything that modern India stands for – secularism, tolerance and democracy. However, Shahid’s death destroys this notion.

The courtroom drama is an extension of the divided neighbourhood. The public prosecutor Santosh (Ashutosh Rana) is convinced that the whole of Bilal’s family has terrorist links. His courtroom arguments betray a disdain for Muslims and their faith. He tries to establish a link between polygamy ( a common practice among Muslims) and Jehad. The screenplay has some moments of rhetorical flourishes. Many scenes, however, are very to-the point.

The movie boldly questions the stigmatization of Muslims, even if it does so without elegance. Anubhav Sinha’s heart is in the right place, although not his head. His enthusiasm for the theme seems to get the better of him. While trying to simplify a complex theme for the sake of creating a thought provoking and entertaining viewing experience, Anubhav Sinha enters tricky territory. In trying to differentiate the Good Muslim from the Bad, the Director dilutes the larger argument that prejudice, in itself, is cringe worthy. Murad falls into the trap of proving his nationalism despite emphatically stating that he does not need to.

Mulk is also on shaky ground when probing the religious roots of terrorism. The larger political context responsible for the marginalization of Muslims is condensed in a single sentence : if you want to understand the roots of religious divide, scan the calendar for the upcoming election schedule, the judge declares.

Despite its simplified understanding of a complex theme, Mulk is praiseworthy for breaking stereotypes. An average terrorism thriller would have shown bearded, gun wielding Muslim men.  However, Mulk manages to avoid that to highlight the real problem of scaremongering that is playing out beyond the screen and in far more monstrous proportions at the national stage.

                          

Full marks for relevance and the sincere performances. Apart from strong turns by Tapsee Pannu, Ashutosh Rana & Rajat Kapoor, the film has a good cameo performance by Kumud Mishra as the judge who keeps combative lawyers in check. Mulk restores the faith in the judiciary to set things right, and Mishra’s nuanced performance allows the fallacy to float.

It is obvious from Mulk that Rishi Kapoor has given his best. He succeeds in reflecting his character’s bewilderment, anger and eventual resolve. He turns in a dignified performance amidst strong ones by the remaining cast. Movie buffs will recall his slimmer self in ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony (1977). That movie stood for communal harmony and peaceful co-existence. 41 years later, Mulk does too!