When he gets angry, you get angry. When he laughs, you laugh. When he cries, you cry. Irrfan Khan is one of the few actors of modern day cinema who carry unique ability to glue their audience with the celluloid moment in which they create their own reality. An Actor, who has achieved a sort of iconic status lately, has reappeared in his latest Bollywood venture "Madaari" directed by Nishikant Kamat who has previously directed films like "Mumbai Meri Jaan" and "Force". With powerful content, nonlinear storytelling with flashbacks and emotionally charged performance by Irrfan Khan, "Madaari" connects its viewers on their subconscious level and alleviates them to such an emotional state where it becomes difficult for them to differentiate between real and reel pain.
A society in which corruption has become daily routine and importance of a human life is always the last thing in the mind of ruling elite, justice seems like a Utopian idea. Under such circumstances a powerless commoner who is also grieving for death of his only son in man-made disaster, can either go for ending his own life or he can take completely different route by seeking answers from individuals who are indirectly accountable for the death of his son. By kidnapping only son of India's Home Minister, equivalent to Interior Minister of Pakistan, he creates such havoc in the heart of powerful ruling elite which eventually make them bow to his demands. Curiosity, anxiety and events leading to penultimate stage of the film are so profound which twitch viewers' sense of seemingly "All OK" perception and create such an impact drama on silver screen which pokes us hard. Nishikant Kamat has skillfully used the talent of Irrfan Khan like an error-free technician who wants nothing but excellence on every frame in which Irrfan Khan appears.
In today's world of Indian cinema where only content-less films crossing 100 Crores are important, "Madaari" is an anomaly which blatantly challenges pseudo-realm of typical Bollywood masala flicks. From the first frame to last 'Madaari' is an Irrfan Khan's film but Jimmy Shergill as Investigating Officer Nachiket Verma impresses with his serious but meticulous performance. On the whole "Madaari" is a kind of film which gives you goose bumps and silent moments when you come out of cinema hall and words from Faiz Ahmed Faiz's famous poem "Bol Kay Lub Azaad Hain Tery" are said during final credits of the film in husky voice of Irrfan Khan.
--I wrote this review in 2016--
