By: Amit kumaR Agarwal
Week after week, film-makers and trade rant about the way Hindi Film Industry is dying a slow-death. Is the audience not interested in cinema anymore.
The writer recently had the misfortune of watching few films on OTT's after their theatrical debacle Dange, Savi, etc. and now Ulajh in cinema.
Audience is very much interested but they want a story that connects and not just a stylish assortment of scenes.
Reason films are failing left, right and center, is the script, the writing - get it in place and you will have the audiences coming in.
Ulajh made by a news and media conglomerate is a testimony to this statement. Is it hard for the writers to come even with a plausible plot, forget the script.
An audience bored with the film even plot-doctored. If the return of a terrorist can open secrets and the minister wants to handle it such that Pakistan is blamed, why this half-baked plot? They can easily kill the terrorist in Pakistan given the contacts of the minister; minister hiding his secret.
There are many such gaping holes in the script that make the film a drag. Direction again is very weak, with no feeling of thrill or suspense fused in the narrative.
The female-protagonist, Suhana, has a very shallow character, as such audiences never really root for her. Also, at the start of the movie she is shown as a very strong woman. Suddenly she becomes all vulnerable and weak; this character shift is unexplained and very glaring. Also, today when there are so many deep-fakes, she could have just said it is a doctored sex-video, instead of being 'willingly' blackmailed.
All these questions, make the plot and the narrative very unconvincing and weak.
Janhvi Kapoor tries hard to add layers to her performance, but with such an ill-etched protagonist devoid of any connect with the audiences, she finds the job tough. Rest of the cast is just about fine.
Seems makers were confident of the film, as they wanted to make it a franchise; but the disaster of the film will curtail their plans, unless they take the OTT route.
Audiences expected a much superior product from the makers of Raazi and Badhaai Ho.