#365DaysOfWriting – Day Fifteen
Sairat.
I’ve just watched this movie, and I’m feeling numb. My senses have stopped working.
And that’s thanks to the director, Nagraj Manjule.
He must’ve been a python in his previous birth. He lulls you into a false sense of familiarity, of having seen the same story before, and then when you least expect it, tightens his grip around your throat and yanks it off your body. Throughout the film, he handles the camera as if it’s from the POV of a spectator. And when the situation demands it most, he shoves this camera in your face. It’s no longer a spectator – it’s a banshee, screaming at the top of its voice, imploring you to look upon the fickleness of life.
He was helped in no small way by the film’s lead actors – especially Archana Patil, aka ‘Archie’, played by Rinku Rajguru.
There is Akash Thosar as Parshya, yes, who comes into his own in the second half, but Rinku. Oh Rinku – we’ve waited for a while to see an actress of her raw intensity and caliber. And guess what, she’s barely 14 years old. She’s got a long, successful career ahead of her. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she carried the film on her strong shoulders. She has an acting range you would see mostly only in veteran actresses. Parshya starts off as normally as you can imagine, but picks up his intensity in the 2nd half.
Ajay-Atul have scored a perfect 10 with regards to the music.
Which other movie can you remember where you can say that the music is a character on its own? Forget the fact that the songs were recorded with the Symphony Orchestra – even if you do, you’ll be hard pressed to find a single note out of place. It’s pitch perfect.
Personally, I enjoyed the first half, and felt the second half meandered along until…
