Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Running time : 1 hour 55 minutes
Director : Umesh Bist
Cast : Sanya Malhotra, Ashutosh Rana, Sheeba Chadha, Raghubir Yadav, Sayani Gupta, Aasif Khan, Rajesh Tailang
Kidwise : G
Pagglait (meaning crazy) is such an unusual offbeat film. It starts with a tragedy and has no hero. The film pretty much revolves around out heroine Sandhya, played by Sanya Malhotra (you might remember her from Badhaai Ho) who really carries the film beautifully. This lovely, poignant movie is a must-see.
Sandhya is suddenly widowed after 5 months of marriage. While the whole family is grief-stricken, Sandhya remains unmoved; not a tear rolls down her face. Sandhya’s parents and other relatives start pouring into her in-laws large ancestral home (this is a joint family setup), to help with last rites, while Sandhya remains secluded in her room. During the 13 days of religious rites, Sandhya stumbles upon some of her dead husband Astik’s secrets and they have a profound impact on her life.
The film’s story is situated in Lucknow. It’s got that mofussil aura – the sprawling ancestral home called “Shanti Kunj”, with an entrance way through a narrow lane, populated by cycle rickshaws. The people of the home are like it – old-fashioned and traditional, although they think themselves “open-minded”.
The relatives when they arrive bring their quirks and petty politicking with them, even in the midst of a tragedy. And there are flashes of humor here, along with grief, hypocrisy and subtle religious discrimination. The magnificent duo of Sheeba Chadha and Ashutosh Rana play the bereft parents of the dead man, who seem to be decent people but get swayed by the morally questionable family-members around them. Sandhya herself is highly educated, but appears to be traditional having had no say in her marriage or the life of domesticity chosen for her.
There is of course the elephant in the room: the patriarchy.
I liked that the film touches upon many topics, quite naturally. There is the sly satirical look at the “progressiveness” of the “open-minded”, the questioning of the mindless following of Hindu rituals, the undercurrent of religious animosity at having a Muslim person living in a Hindu household. There is of course the elephant in the room – the patriarchy – and this manifests in different ways – Sandhya’s quick anger at having her desires quashed so she can be suitably and respectably married, the discomfort among the male elders when they realize that their widowed daughter-in-law might hold all the cards, or the unspoken sentiment that for a woman to be “settled” she must be married.
It is not that Sandhya’s in-laws are evil or wicked or treat her badly. It is not that Sandhya is openly rebellious or even disrespectful. She is just an ordinary young women finding her voice and widening her horizons, even as she flounders. Pagglait’s triumph lies in that lovely, heartfelt depiction.
The superb acting – and really, with this cast, you could not go wrong – and well-fleshed out characters also helps. Sanya Malhotra proves with this spectacular performance that she needs no hero and can carry a movie single-handedly. Director Umer Bisht makes a name for hmself with Pagglait – I look forward to more of his work!
Pagglait is quite, quite lovely! Do watch!
Kidwise: Clean. Some adult situations hinted upon in dialog only.
