Title: Gandhi Talks
Director: Kishore Pandurang ‘Belekar’
Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddharth Jadhav
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Whenever we utter the term ‘silent film’ in Bollywood, the names that spring up are Pushpak and Raja Harishchandra. Will this week’s release Gandhi Talks top the list of brand recall of silent films is what we will be finding out.
The film starts off with a day in the life of the film’s characters - Mahadeo More (Vijay Sethupathi), Gayatri (Aditi Rao Hydari), Mohan Boseman (Arvind Swamy) and Siddharth Jadhav. The film then veers its way to Mohan Boseman instructing his cop friend to keep plan B ready after he loses his case in the court.
On the other hand, there is Mahadeo More, who is unable to secure a job in BMC as he has no ‘Gandhi’ to pay the concerned official. This results in his application being kept ‘on hold’. The very thought that he has to take care of his ageing mother and to get married to his ladylove Gayatri makes him hatch a plan, which involves a robbery at the palatial house of Mohan Boseman.
But when Gayatri gets to know of Mahadeo’s booty, she instructs him to return it back to the owner. Will Mahadeo have a change of heart and return the loot to Boseman or will he have a change of plans, what happens to his mother and Gayatri in addition to Boseman’s plush bungalow are few questions which get answered as the film progresses.
Actors' performance
The film boasts of a stellar starcast consisting of Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth Jadhav. Take our word for it. The film has every reason to feel boastful about. Vijay Sethupathi nears perfection with his act of a helpless son who tries to check all boxes to keep his mother and ladylove happy. And to do that, he does not even think twice before hatching a robbery. Even though he is not the conventionally good looking hero, he will surely convince you as to why he is better than the existing lot of conventional heroes!
Arvind Swamy delivers a convincingly natural performance. There is hardly any place where he goes off his character’s nuances. As for Aditi, she does a good job (if not best) in her role. There are a few emotional scenes where she can be seen struggling a bit, but… overall, she delivers the goods. As for Siddharth Jadhav, his character takes the right start, but as the film progresses, it tends to move towards becoming caricaturish… which could have been modified.
Music and Aesthetics
In the times of ‘pan India’ films, hats off to Kishore Pandurang ‘Belekar’ for having chosen an extremely
off beat and challenging task of making a silent film and that too with such a superior starcast. Even though the film’s narrative does have its share of loopholes, Kishore does a terrific job.
The film’s cinematography (Karan B. Rawat) serves as a masterclass in itself. Even though the film’s editing (Ashish Mhatre) is crisp, the trio’s scenes inside Arvind Swamy’s house could have been edited for better viewing pleasure. The (unexpected) dance off between Vijay Sethupathi and Siddharth Jadhav is surely a wow factor!
The film’s songs (A R Rahman) are good and easy on the ears, but… none of them have recall value. On the other hand, Rahman hits the ball out of park with the film’s outstandingly seamless and flawless background score.
FPJ Verdict
Even though we live in the OTT era, a film like Gandhi Talks becomes a must watch. It's a film that is bound to appeal to all generations. Despite us strongly recommending it, do not take our ‘word’ for it! Go watch it yourself to experience the magic of silent films.
