Genre : Drama
Year : 2005
Running time : About 2 hours
Director : Onir
Cast : Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli, Lillette Dubey, Victor Banerjee, Gautam Kapoor, Shweta Kawaatra, Peeya Rai Chaudhary, Dipannita Sharma, Sujoy Ghosh
MY BROTHER NIKHIL : Sensitive film about AIDS
This well-directed film about a man with HIV and its impact on his family, friends and world, is an interesting foray into a so-called taboo topic. The film depicts happenings of the 1987-1994 timeframe, when AIDS was a lesser known disease, and ignorance about it widespread. The film, slow-paced and bereft of the usual commercial hoopla, is engrossing and well-told.
Anamika (Juhi) and her brother Nikhil (Suri) live with their parents Anita (Dubey) and Navin Kapoor (Banerjee) in Goa. Anamika and Nikhil have a very close bond. Handsome, good-natured Nikhil is the State swimming champion, which makes his family, especially his father, who’s living out his dreams through Nikhil, very proud. Life is rosy, and happiness and good-times abound.
All is shattered however, when Nikhil is diagnosed with HIV. He’s ostracised by his teammates, thrown out of the team, his bank job, and finally even out of his home by his parents. Treated like a pariah by society in general, he moves in with his friend/lover Nigel (Purab Kohli), but is picked up by the police and forcibly quarantined in a dilapidated building by ignorant government authorities. Unable to face the ostracization, his parents move to Bombay, but Anamika stays in Goa, trying to rescue her brother …
All actors have done a fine job, especially lesser known actor Purab Kohli, who emotes exquisitely. Sanjay Suri as Nikhil, is very good, and fits into the nice guy mould well. Juhi as Nikhil’s good-humored, loving and supportive elder sister oozes (in a good way) sisterly love and compassion. Gautam Kapoor, as Sam, Anamika’s supportive husband is adequate. Lillette Dubey brings out the many facets of motherhood, as Nikhil’s overwrought mom, while Banerjee plays the doting father to the hilt. The rest like Kawaatra (better known as TV VJ, and actress), Peeya Rai C. (also seen in Bride and Prejudice), and Sunjoy Ghosh render their roles well.
The film is told a lot through flashbacks, with some dialogues in English. Cinematography is dark and earthy, with the play of light and shadow, used to emphasize certain moments. There is only one song, a catchy number, the refrains of which ring out through the movie. A good film, recommended.
