This almost does not feel like a movie. Its slowly draws you in, whether or not you have heard about Manjunath Shanmugam the real person before this or not. I started seeing this thinking its a biopic. For the large part it is, but suddenly in the second half, it flips the whole debate open. I at least saw one reviewer here talk about it being a little boring, but i think thats because people are too used to seeing Indian cinema style over-hyped drama. This is so true to life, that it is stark. it raises important questions without being preachy at all. In fact, I found myself in tears at various points, and got up the next morning thinking about what the movie meant to me. It points fingers at us straight, and makes us uncomfortable - which could be one reason it did not fare that well at the box office in India.
Sasho Saarathy is top class as the lead role, but it is Seema Biswas as mother, Kishor Kadam as father and Yashpal Sharma as the killer who take the cake.
I have seen a better script to a Hindi Film to date, and no wonder it swept screenplay awards at many award shows. i thought for a debut director Sandeep Varma displays great story telling abilities and is almost invisible in the film, which is fan static. Top marks from me. I have only cut one vote not because of the movie, but for its lack of promotion.
