Considering seeing ‘India Lockdown’? Take a look at the reviews of this movie starring Shweta Basu Prasad, Prateek Babbar, Ahana Kumra, Sai Tamankar, and Prakash Belawadi.
Movie: India Lockdown
Who’s the director?: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Prateik Babbar, Sai Tamhankar, Ahana Kumra, and Shweta Basu Prasad
Our Rating: 2 out of 5
Where to watch: Zee5
India Lockdown Trailor
Storyline
India Lockdown, a film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, depicts the suffering that the people went through as a result of the devastating global epidemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic’s effects on Indians are depicted in the film along with the lives of four families. A disciplined elderly man named Mr. Rao (Prakash Belawadi) struggles to manage the household tasks on his own while also looking for ways to move to another state to be with his expecting daughter.
In the other tale, played by Prateik Babbar and Sai Tamhankar, the hardship of the displaced daily labourers is the main theme.
The last story is about a middle-aged independent lady (Aahana Kumra), who eliminates her loneliness with her cute, youthful neighbour. Shweta Basu Prasad portrays sex worker Mehrunissa, who embodies the stillness that the brothels had to bear.
What’s New?
India Lockdown’s greatest asset is that Madhur Bhandarkar was able to provide four significant viewpoints in less than two hours. The story also emphasizes the imbalance in society in a few sequences by showing how wealthy people want to have the upper hand over the most basic necessities of those in the lowest social strata in times of need.
Impactful dialogue written by Amit Joshi, Aradhana Sah, and Madhur Bhandarkar effectively depicts this. The emotional impact of several scenes is increased by Rohit Kulkarni’s background music, while Shefalina’s costume design is flawless and authentic to the style of the movie.
Lacks Conviction
The film by Madhur Bhandarkar lacks conviction. Making a movie on the pandemic era was a difficult task that Bhandarkar accepted since it is a terrible time that no one ever wants to experience again. His interest in reflecting real-life tales via his lens has previously been appropriately praised, but this time it has missed the target since the storyline doesn’t work.
Additionally, the film solely focused on the lives of Mumbai residents, leaving out important issues like the problems faced by the medical community, police persons, the growing costs of many necessary items and a shortage of hospital beds.
Performances
One may relate to these individuals’ plight because most of what they go through are based on actual occurrences. In terms of characterization, the plot is mainly predictable and replete with clichés. A few talented actors, including Sai Tamhankar and Prakash Belawadi, are particularly good in their respective roles. Through his acting, Prakash Belawade commands attention as an old guy who is well-behaved in ‘India Lockdown’.
While Shweta Prasad Basu is loud and exaggerated, Prateik Babbar makes an honest effort but still doesn’t come across as convincingly as he should. In their respective roles, Aahana Kumra, Satvik Bhatia, and Zarin Shihab all do well.
The Verdict
Even if the characters in this Madhur Bhandarkar film lack the complexity and layering that we saw in some of his best films (Page 3, Chandni Bar, and Fashion), it still has poignant moments that will make you feel powerless at the time. In the end, it’s a satisfying feeling to be alive to be able to see this movie, and possibly recognize one of the characters as yourself.
