Pink
Director : Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang
Classification: TBA
Rating : **** (4)
The faith in meaningful cinema has been restored by Aniruddha Chowdury in the form of ‘Pink’. This drama is based on an aged story yet highlights its gender-prejudice issues with absolute grit.
Plot
Three men and three women meet for the first time at a rock concert in Delhi. An incident occurs which changes their lives forever.
One of the male perpetrators in this case, Rajveer (Angad Bedi) uses his political influence to make the womens’ lives a misery in a desperate attempt prevent details of the incident being exposed to the public.
Minal (Taapsee Pannu), Falak (Kirti Kulhari) and Andrea (Andrea Tariang) refuse to accept victimization against their innocence by fighting against the chauvinistic men. They decide to take the matter to court, where they are assisted by Deepak Sehgal (Bachchan), a retired lawyer with bipolar disorder.
Verdict
To say that this is film is riveting is an understatement. The director goes beyond courtroom dramatics to deliver a simple story that’s both easily relatable and engrossing. Compellingly portrayed on screen, the story is written with relevance to today’s society. The feminism which occurs in court has been given a rare dynamic with convincing actors and powerful dialogue. With the message of this film, the makers succeed at reminding us that cinema does have the power to make a difference.
One would particularly notice traces of ‘Damini’, a film which released in the early 1990’s. Pity, ‘Damini’ faded amidst the tidal wave of transformation in Bollywood, making it a forgotten classic. Here, Chowdhury seizes the opportunity with a similar premise to make the narrative unfold with gripping effect. Every aspect from screenplay to cinematography is crisp and breathes a sense of realism to the film.
Amitabh Bachchan is an astute actor who delivers a majestic performance as the lawyer. He triumphs in the court room scenes, displaying antics of a veteran that is nothing short of expectations. A deserved mention of the potential shown by Taapsee, Falak and Andrea. While Bachchan dominates with entrancing presence, his female co-stars hold their own by showing off incredible acting prowess.
Recommendation
An important gender-equality themed film. Must watch for mature audiences!
*Journalist and media personality, Varshan Sookhun, presents the lifestyle show The Midday Spice on Lotus FM, 92.5 to 103.8 FM, Monday to Friday, noon to 3pm. He also presents Bollywood Billboard from 2pm to 5pm on Saturdays.??