India Lockdown

India Lockdown review :

We are probably the first (and hopefully last) generation to have experienced a disease induced country wide lockdown- something which taught us to work from/at home and made online communication a part of our everyday lives. Only this lockdown which started on the fateful evening of 24th March and extended till mid June 2020 wasn't as kind for the lower middle and labour class who lost their bread and butter...and some their lives!!

Madhur Bhandarkar, acclaimed for his realistic cinema, chooses this grim chapter which will invariably find a place in Indian history. " Bomb blasts, 26/11 aur floods mein bhi Mumbai chalta raha...yeh Corona naam ki kya musibat hai!!" goes the lament which accurately reflects the mood of that time. Indeed, the Covid lockdown was something unprecedented, harsh but highly essential as a precautionary measure.

Bhandarkar chooses to showcase all classes of the society to reflect how the covid lockdown impacted every Indian. There is a senior citizen (Prakash Belawadi) stuck in locked up Mumbai when he was about to travel to Hyderabad for his daughter's delivery. A migrant couple (Prateik Babbar- Sai Tamhankar) lose their jobs in Mumbai and have no option but to walk all the way to their hometown in Bihar. A lady pilot (Aahana Kumra) befriends her new "virgin" neighbour and they get close in this lockdown state. Lastly, a Kamathipura prostitute (Shweta Basu Prasad) runs out of business and devises a new trick to earn some grub - phone sex.

The screenplay is fast paced as well as relatable to a significant extent. The hardships faced by every strata is accurately explored by Bhandarkar without making the movie appear like a mundane documentary. His trademark flair for mixing commercial elements in to realism is evident once again. The climax where all the sub plots merge together seamlessly is also commendable.

Bhandarkar has the knack of extracting the best from his ladies and he doesn't disappoint here as well. Shweta Basu Prasad is simply outstanding, Sai Tamhankar is utterly convincing as the hapless poor migrant coping with blatant passes made at her and lastly, Aahana Kumra springs a pleasant surprise with her superlative act reminding you of the seductive Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967). I wish the film was bold enough to consumate her love...but alas!!

Prateik Babbar is another well etched character and the way he rummages through garbage for a piece of food is gut wrenching. Certain scenes create a shock value like an ambulance used by a vile corporator for sex and a well to do dude casually dismissing covid as a sham dying of the same in no time.

All in all, India Lockdown is certainly worth a one time watch. It is a near accurate account of all the breaking news we saw and read in those turbulent times when survival was more important than personal progress. Fortunately, we all lived to see a film made on it today. Cheers for that!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

The director of this movie Madhur Bhandarkar has chosen a tough topic India lockdown. The movie is good and anyone can feel and relate with this movie. What we faced and how we faced and what happened during lockdown will become fresh after watching it. I think it was one of the scariest and depressing time we all went through during Corona times. The topic is vast and it's not possible to show everything in one single movie yet the director tried his best to show about the fear among the people and the conditions of the people to arrange the necessary items for them. The daily wage workers were badly affected by the effect of Corona and lockdown. Since the topic was vast so after watching it gives you a feeling of something missing or the movie was incomplete. Yes it's a one time watch movie and I think our next generation would love this movie more than us. Because we have experienced it but they will know it not only by the stories told by us but also by watching it.

However, the film is also marred with noticeable flaws - the most conspicuous of which is the disappointingly terrible and distracting background score by Prateik, specially in the first half. Even his quirky music in the first half is harsh on the ears and often too loud when it's in juxtaposition with dialogues for us to be able to hear what the actors are speaking. The comedy writing in the first half tries too hard and the punchline setups are often either too predictable or just don't land. Madhur Bhandarkar is in far more control of the screenplay in the second half and that includes the subtle and unobvious jokes which work really well in it. Watch out for the Zalima moment - easily the funniest sequence of the film.

Talking about the performances, Ayushmann is evergreen and moves the character arc as beautifully as ever. His efforts on the body language deserve a special mention as he retains an easy-to-miss "nerd posture" throughout the film and his comic timing during confrontational scenes is just phenomenal. Shweta basu is a gem of an actor who deserves every superlative in the dictionary. More than her acting, it's her screen presence which is so bright that sometimes it even manages to almost eclipse a fantastic actor like Prateik. Aahana is fantastic in her liberal mother role but she isn't given enough to chew in the first half. Aahana does well as the self-possessed but still figuring herself out character. Special mentions for the supporting actors who plays the teen girl and the nurse.

The movie was covering the story of different sections of people from different stratas of Indian society during the lockdown phase. The story is really close to the very reality. Lives of those sections are also shown by the makers who are generally ignored. Madhav's scene is deeply emotional and generates a lot of sympathy for the couple. Immediate shift of emotions happens from one scene to the next. Its a good story which has shown many things in shorter span of time. The end was also very happy.

Talking about the characters, outstanding acting by all the actors and Mehrunisa has truly stolen the show with her acting skills. Want India Lockdown 2.0 as well.