Madaari: Irrfan all the way
Madaari, the tale of a distraught father taking on the system, deals with a jaded theme with some fine acting
 "Madaari: Irrfan all the way")
The common man -oppressed, unheard and desolate - turns into a vigilante seeking retribution. This is a theme that has been explored in both Hollywood and Bollywood in films such as The Equalizer, Four Brothers and A Wednesday. Nishikant Kamat's Madaari is one of those.
Madaari brings to fore the indirect oppression a commoner goes through. It underlines the journey from desolation to reprisal and highlights how negligence comes with a cost. The opening credits are played out with newspaper clippings of several calamities and scams in the background.
The film, starring Irrfan Khan, Jimmy Shergill and Vishesh Bansal in lead roles, revolves around Nirmal (Khan), a grieving father who loses his son in a bridge collapse and is pushed into the world of crime to avenge his death. Nirmal decides to kidnap the home minister's son, Rohan (Bansal), and Nachiket (Shergill) is tasked with saving the boy. The way Nirmal plans his revenge is akin to Naseeruddin Shah's character in Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday. He kidnaps the boy by drugging him and is constantly on the move so as to not get caught.
With the kidnapping, Nirmal wants the government, and others involved in the bridge collapse, to own up to their negligence. The bridge collapse brings to mind the recent flyover collapse in Kolkata and how the negligence of a construction company led to several people losing their lives and/or loved ones. The motive behind Nirmal's actions is, of course, revenge, but it also portrays how a helpless ordinary citizen is shoved into the world of crime. It beautifully underlines how corruption and passiveness leave him with no other choice than retribution. This is the reason why Nirmal, despite being the 'bad guy' in the film, garners sympathy.
Khan plays the part brilliantly, with impeccable dialogue delivery and nuanced acting. He portrays the desolate father, pushed to the edge, to the letter. Shergill is grim and determined as Nachiket and his performance showcases his acting prowess. Bansal as Rohan too is effortless. His screentime with Khan is fluid and doesn't seem out of place.
Some of the dialogues are hard hitting. There is a scene where Khan talks to another father whose son was also killed in the bridge collapse. The man says he lost his son just days before he was to leave for Boston. He then wryly adds that the only solace is that his money was saved. The cynicism in this exchange doesn't signify a father being a cheapskate. Rather it portrays how the father has been reduced to nothing but a powerless entity and masks it with dark humour.
Another memorable exchange is when the home minister tells Khan that the system isn't corrupt; it is designed in such a way that democratic tools - such as elections, judiciary and Constitutional laws - distract the populace from the corruption that is kept under wraps.
That said, the 133-minute film does have its drawbacks. It feels stretched at points and could have easily been shorter by over 30 minutes. Though Shailja Kejriwal's story is hard-hitting, it starts losing its sheen in the second half. Even the climax is a bit disappointing, especially after the exhilarating build-up to it. However, Khan, who completely steals the show, and Shergill manage to salvage the film.
Madaari doesn't explore a novel idea; it has all been done before, but it underlines how the fate of the common man hasn't improved. It shows how governments might change, but the citizen continues to remain at the bottom of the food chain.
Madaari brings to fore the indirect oppression a commoner goes through. It underlines the journey from desolation to reprisal and highlights how negligence comes with a cost. The opening credits are played out with newspaper clippings of several calamities and scams in the background.
The film, starring Irrfan Khan, Jimmy Shergill and Vishesh Bansal in lead roles, revolves around Nirmal (Khan), a grieving father who loses his son in a bridge collapse and is pushed into the world of crime to avenge his death. Nirmal decides to kidnap the home minister's son, Rohan (Bansal), and Nachiket (Shergill) is tasked with saving the boy. The way Nirmal plans his revenge is akin to Naseeruddin Shah's character in Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday. He kidnaps the boy by drugging him and is constantly on the move so as to not get caught.
With the kidnapping, Nirmal wants the government, and others involved in the bridge collapse, to own up to their negligence. The bridge collapse brings to mind the recent flyover collapse in Kolkata and how the negligence of a construction company led to several people losing their lives and/or loved ones. The motive behind Nirmal's actions is, of course, revenge, but it also portrays how a helpless ordinary citizen is shoved into the world of crime. It beautifully underlines how corruption and passiveness leave him with no other choice than retribution. This is the reason why Nirmal, despite being the 'bad guy' in the film, garners sympathy.
Khan plays the part brilliantly, with impeccable dialogue delivery and nuanced acting. He portrays the desolate father, pushed to the edge, to the letter. Shergill is grim and determined as Nachiket and his performance showcases his acting prowess. Bansal as Rohan too is effortless. His screentime with Khan is fluid and doesn't seem out of place.
Some of the dialogues are hard hitting. There is a scene where Khan talks to another father whose son was also killed in the bridge collapse. The man says he lost his son just days before he was to leave for Boston. He then wryly adds that the only solace is that his money was saved. The cynicism in this exchange doesn't signify a father being a cheapskate. Rather it portrays how the father has been reduced to nothing but a powerless entity and masks it with dark humour.
Another memorable exchange is when the home minister tells Khan that the system isn't corrupt; it is designed in such a way that democratic tools - such as elections, judiciary and Constitutional laws - distract the populace from the corruption that is kept under wraps.
That said, the 133-minute film does have its drawbacks. It feels stretched at points and could have easily been shorter by over 30 minutes. Though Shailja Kejriwal's story is hard-hitting, it starts losing its sheen in the second half. Even the climax is a bit disappointing, especially after the exhilarating build-up to it. However, Khan, who completely steals the show, and Shergill manage to salvage the film.
Madaari doesn't explore a novel idea; it has all been done before, but it underlines how the fate of the common man hasn't improved. It shows how governments might change, but the citizen continues to remain at the bottom of the food chain.