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Mardaani Movie Review by Amit Baliga

Posted By : Mukesh    At 9/2/2014 12:24:35 AM

Tags : Mardaani Movie Review    

Shivani Shivaji Roy, married to Bikram Roy: When a woman after marriage retains her father’s name as her middle name & adopts her husband’s surname as hers, you have come across a very, very strong woman. Here, she is, the Gladiator of Mardaani, the word invented for Rani Lakshmi Bai’s prowess.

Every 8 minutes a child is kidnapped in India. Yes, by the time you finished reading this review, atleast one would have been L Globally, millions more are forced into prostitution. India or US, the situation is the same. And this is THAT ONE MOVIE which makes you realize it again, that all is not well around us, yet – acche din abhi aaye nahi hai!

If ever in your life you had felt bad for the wrong things happening around you, be it as small as seeing a child knocking your car-window at the traffic light, this movie would interest you. No concern for the world around you? No issues. Don’t read further.

Okay. So I had two options this weekend. Guardians of the Galaxy or Expendables 3. Superheroes come and go but movies which inspire you to invoke the superhero stagnant inside you, is rare. Somehow the trailer of one movie I had seen few weeks back had stuck in my head. Mardaani. Was keen to watch it. Once sure that it was playing at MM, the option became just one- go, watch it!

The movie revolves around issues which are crucial to the society. To you. To me. To all of us. YRF has taken the pain, and the risk, of showcasing a burning issue without the guarantee of a commercial success. Take it as a CSR mission or experimenting in parallel cinema – applause for the effort. After Kahaani, I fail to remember any movie which has stood its ground, only basis the solid performance of a female actor. Yeah, I hear you, Mary Kom is yet to be released.

We are a very humbug society. We see wrong things around us, feel it, may be at time encourage it but go on living our lives. Yes, we are selfish. And we have the ‘chalta hai’ attitude and we don’t seem to mind it. Because, the ‘it’ has not affected us yet. But at times, when the water flows over our head, as in the Nirbhaya case, we are also quick to organize candle light marches and show our empathy. But when anything involves the ones we love, we are on red-alert. Otherwise, the issues bothering the society are just occupying a column in our daily newspaper. And we turn the page…

The above backdrop is not gyaan but necessary to know when you see a movie like Mardaani. It could have been very well named Sherni too. Or Kali or Durga for that matter. The name, in this case, is a personification of the movie you see. The burning issues in our society which are just a number for Human Rights Commission or UN or elsewhere are showcased here. The movie is not something which you or I don’t know. We all know it. But we choose to turn a blind eye, because it doesn’t involve our loved ones. (Patience… you are half-way… read on…)

The first half of the movie boils your blood. Makes you feel that you should go out and kill those parasites. Makes you feel why Batman justifies his vigilante role. The system, the government has failed. We should take up arms, stand up and fight. There are scenes which would stab your heart, wet your handkerchiefs, make you sob. The pain which the victims portray transfers to your soul, even if you are 1% receptive. More like a documentary. The bitter, harsh reality which you try to hide from your children. But its necessary for us to know the truth that exists in the world which we try not to see, which we want to believe doesn’t exist. And hence the A certificate, not because of slang but more because of showing you the real world!

The second half is the revenge half. When the balance of justice tilts in the favor of truth. Where justice is being delivered. Where you feel satisfied and consoled. Where the Rakshashas have been killed. The mention of Lokpal and public fury underlines the emotion. Eventually makes you feel all is well. Though at the end!

Human Trafficking. Sex Rackets. Child Prostitution. Drugs. We hate such words. We show our concern by just ‘liking’ such posts on Facebook. That’s it. May be donate a bit. Surely not more than that. This movie makes sure you see every such crucial thing with your eyes wide open. And make you realize that, yes, it is happening next to me too. And you can try to help it.

Rani Mukerji is back with a bang, with the entire movie focusing on her only. Her role as the Senior Inspector who considers herself as a Police waali first and then the division she belongs to (Crime Branch) is played perfectly. No one else could have executed it so well. The one-liners she mouths, including the abuses, gel well with her character and her mission. The way she balances her personal and professional life, when completely in turmoil, is reminiscent of an ideal woman you would all want to marry. She IS the tigress of the movie. Guess she has already taken the punch off Piggy Chops’ Mary Kom. Being a boxer of crime!

The only other characters worth mentioning are Tahir Bhasin and the child actor playing the role of Pyaari. Tahir, as the druglord, impresses you with his smooth talking and his chilled out attitude, even in dire situations. Pyaari is the sweet, innocent kid who is entrepreneurial and ever thankful to Rani for having rescued her.

Rani loses her once-rescued daughter-kinda teenaged girl to a racket of child prostitution. A strong, well organized mafia. With centers in Mumbai and Delhi, the racket has druglords and politicians. When the search for the girl, Pyaari, hits her hard in her personal life, she pulls up her sleeves – and boy, she hunts & kills like the hungry tigress who has been injured and restless.

Her performance speaks. No, sorry, shouts. There are many epic scenes worth a blinkless time: the Bollywooded dialog which she delivers emulating Bryan from Taken (I don’t know who you are but I will find you and kill you), the chase sequence in which she overpowers a speedy biker and the climax of her fight with the politician who comes to assault her – are all worth a rewind. The last one is especially an epic, I-wanna-see-10-times scene – draws parallel to the climax of Kahaani, where Vidya fights on the street.

The icing on the cake is the Mardaani anthem. Will give you goosebumps. Like the victory parade after winning the 2011 WC. Such is the effect it leaves on the audience!

Why to see: Rani in an extremely fantastic role, awesome portrayal of crucial social issues, the world without the goody-goody filter, good story

Why not to see: You still have the ‘chalta hai’ attitude, let the world go the dogs mindset

4/5 Brilliant package!!!