This film had me intrigued from the day it was announced simply because A. R. Rahman was not only the composer but also the story writer as well as the producer of the film. After making us wait for a painfully long period of more than seven years, when the movie finally came out, it failed to meet the expectations I had from it. Of course, it's completely normal for your first film to not be a masterpiece, but with A. R. Rahman we generally set the bar of expectations rather high.
Dialogues and lyrics of this film are not of the highest standard, and it almost feels like they were translated into Hindi. Interestingly the movie delivers beautifully through its silent moments, making you believe that there was definitely a good vision but it couldn't translate properly on screen. The movie takes a rather convoluted turn mid-way with a sub-plot about drugs just to send the lead character at a certain place, but that entire story felt like a completely different movie, because it came out of nowhere. It would have been better if that subplot was integrated in a much more organic way or some other subplot was used instead.
The story of the film is not new as such apart from the final thirty minutes but you don't feel bored initially because you are invested in the characters. The casting team did a good job in finalizing Ehan Bhat and Edilsy Vargas, for the roles of Jai and Sophia. Both Ehan Bhat and Edilsy Vargas have an amazing screen presence and have given a pretty good performance considering it was their debut film. I could not understand as to why Sophia played by Edilsy Vargas was turned mute in the movie, she could have added so much to her character if she had a voice. Although, Edilsy looked extremely gorgeous throughout the film, she wasn't just a pretty face strolling around in the movie; her facial expressions and body language gave a clear indication that she understands the art. Foreign actresses are selected in Indian movies purely on the basis of their looks and dancing skills, example being Katrina Kaif who has been in the industry for almost two decades but still has no expressions on her face, that should give an idea about how good the selection of Edilsy Vargas was, because not only does she look like a dream but can also act quite well. If offered the right guidance and opportunities, both Ehan Bhat and Edilsy Vargas could really do well in future.
In the supporting cast, Tenzing Dalha needs to be mentioned first because he is such an amazing talent. This actor has been very impressive in every single movie of his, be it
Axone (2019) or
Guilty (2020), but somehow doesn't get talked about much. He was extremely natural and believable as Polo Longjam, and in my humble opinion the best actor of this film. Lisa Ray was extremely sharp and sensuous as Sheela, and it's such a shame that a jaw dropping beauty like her has no real interest in being an actress. Manisha Koirala, Rahul Ram and Ranjit Barot have small roles and they have done a decent job. The surprise package of the film however came in the final thirty minutes, with an incandescent Warina Hussain taking your breath away. Warina had been kept hidden from the promotions of the film and that strategy worked very well for the film. Warina has no dialogues in the film, but you will remember her after watching the film, that's how impactful her cameo is.
The music of the film is good, but it won't be counted among the best works of Rahman. I think one should never hype any particular song, because then it's almost guaranteed to disappoint you, and that's exactly what happens with 'O Aaashiqa'. It's a good song no doubt, but it's not a great song, and the movie hypes it to be a revolutionary song that will bring about a change in people's lives. The song moves you when it hits the high notes in the second stanza and you are spellbound, but the problem with so much buildup is that you keep expecting more from it, which it unfortunately does not deliver. 'Humnawaa' sung by Armaan Malik is a beautiful song and has an equally good picturization; this particular song has a lot of repeat value. 'Jwalamukhi' is hands down the best song of the film and singer Poorvi Koutish deserves as much credit as A. R. Rahman for that. Thankfully 'Jwalamukhi' wasn't wasted in the background and picturized quite thoughtfully. Edilsy Vargas is quite a sight during that song; her gorgeous looks and expressive eyes add a lot of depth to the song. 'Sai Shirdi' sung by Bela Shende is a lovely song, but when it plays out in the film, it leaves you absolutely awestruck.
The background music of the film was very reminiscent of the kind of music Rahman composed in the 90's and after a very long time I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The music used to showcase the magical bond between Jai and his mother was exceptional to say the least. The camerawork of the film was fine but I wish they hadn't opted for so much darkness. I just don't understand this artistic choice, why can't all frames be bright and visually appealing? The special effects were good in the scenes involving Jai and his mother but quite disappointing in the final song, 'Oracle'.
The final thirty minutes of the movie are it's best. As soon as the mysterious character of Rahul Ram meets Jai, the movie just becomes something else. The backstory of Jai's mother was beautifully told and it really uplifted the movie by quite a few notches. I think a powerful story might be able to bring about a change in a person but I just don't see a song being able to do that, regardless of how beautiful it may be. The ending with Ashwath Bhatt was a little difficult to digest and once again had some below par dialogues.
A. R. Rahman the musician is definitely way better than A. R. Rahman the storyteller, and unlike his debut as a composer he's not off to a winning start.
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