Shweta Basu Prasad’s brilliant solo effort is not enough to shield the viewer from a virulent script.
Rating: 1 / 5
By Mayur Lookhar
Like any country, India has endured a tough battle with Covid-19. Near three years later, the country is back to normal, with a vast majority of its population having being vaccinated. While the threat of Covid-19 returning looms large, especially as rival state China faces a huge surge in cases [40k a day], a lockdown would be the last thing on Indian minds. In such a ‘free’ environment who would want to experience those dreaded days or relive those memories again? No one.
Director Madhur Bhandarkar’s film India Lockdown perhaps comes at the most inopportune time. We say that not because of the plot, but haven’t Indian viewers seen a documentary and a series or plain news bulletins covering the impact of lockdown in the country. Nevertheless, only a cold heart or an escapist would shut his/her eyes to human suffering.
Bhandarkar’s film is largely based in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. It harps on the lockdown impact on people from different strata of the society.
There’s Mehru [Shweta Basu Prasad], a jovial commercial sex worker from South Mumbai’s Red Light Area. Poor hawker Madhav [Prateik Babbar] and his wife Phoolmati [played by Sai Tamhankar] who are forced to walk barefoot to their village in Bihar. There’s Nageshwar Rao [Prakash Belawadi], a senior citizen living alone who is desperate to reach Hyderabad for the birth of his grandchild. We have teens Dev [Satvik Bhatia] and Palak [Zarin Shihab] who are dying to lose their virginity but confined to their apartments because of the lockdown. And we have Moon Alves [Aahana Kumra], a commercial pilot, who is just longing for some company to beat her loneliness. Dev’s been deputised by his travelling uncle to look after the fishes at his residence. Moon happens to be the neighbour.
Each of these characters reveal the impact of the lockdown on their respective life. It would be easy to dismiss the teen lovers and Moon’s predicament as some first world trouble. But youth or professionals like Moon have their own set of frustrations.
In times where couples were scared to have intercourse in their bedroom, not many would be interested in knowing what happened to the city’s Red Light Areas during the lockdown. Bhandarkar’s films often travel down such streets.
Perhaps the large populi would only be moved by the stories of Nageshwar Rao, Madhav and Phoolmati. Writer duo of Amit Joshi and Aradhna Sah have a fine story idea, but the writing, screenplay and the average performances make India Lockdown tough to endure, even for its 118 minutes length.
The tacky writing perhaps left its actors dispirited who clearly put up an average show. Prateik is sincere but looks misfit for the role. Sai Tamhankar is apt for her role. But you do question, given the economic crisis, why do the poor couple still sport gold earrings? The ornaments disappear in the latter part of their dire journey.
Young Satvik and Zarin are really annoying in their lust, and pedestrian in their acting. Hey, lusty boy it’s fine to have ‘break the rules’ printed on your T-shirt, but in times when people are unsure of life, two lusty teens are nothing but a nuisance.
The agonizingly painful screenplay, poor direction really tests your patience. The lone saving grace here is Shweta Basu Prasad, who carries the film on her shoulders. It is very brave of the underrated actor to enact a profession for which she was once accused of in real life. Prasad though aces the look and tone of Mehru, charming us with her sexuality but also her feisty spirit. She exposes the powerful lusty lot who would even abuse guidelines – social or medical. Prasad’s solo effort though can’t shield India Lockdown from its virulent script.
Aahana Kumra has to go through the agony of playing another dull character. Imagine a pilot who is creating the high life experience at home by dressing up in her uniform and enacting the flying. Someone call Mayday please!
Bhandarkar’s self-destructive characters and the combustible script threaten to blow on your face. A deep sense of fear creeps in but luckily, sanity prevails in the final part of this India Lockdown chapter. That though isn’t enough to atone for the shabby screenplay, performance earlier.
As it turns out, Bhandarkar’s film is more suffocating than the actual lockdown.
India Lockdown [2022] is set to stream on Zee5 from 2 December
