‘Mulk’ Movie Review: Rishi Kapoor-Taapsee Pannu starrer raises a concern that has to be heard

Directed By: Anubhav Sinha
Produced By: Deepak Mukut, Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Rajat Kapoor, Prateik Babbar, Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Pahwa
Duration: 2h 20m
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 3.5

As I head to watch a film, ‘Mulk’ by ace filmmaker Anubhav Sinha who has given us hits in the form of ‘Tum Bin'(2001), ‘Dus featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty and ‘Ra.One’ starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, I had one thing at the back of my mind and that is- the director wouldn’t disappoint me and the audiences in the theatre.

On the other hand, we are all aware of the fact that picking up a real story and portraying the same on a 70 mm screen is a daunting task. Then how well our actors do just to the characters is a different story altogether. But when you know that multitalented actors like Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Rajat Kapoor and Ashutosh Rana are a part of the star cast, you do feel that the movie may surpass your expectations.

But as they say, you cannot judge a book by its cover, so, I am here to give you an honest review of this court drama.

Plot

‘Mulk’ narrates the real-life story and struggle of a Muslim joint family from Varanasi in India, who fight to reclaim their honour after a member of their family takes to terrorism.

Exploring the scenic beauty, calm atmosphere and the locales of Varanasi, we are exposed to Murad Ali Mohammed (Rishi Kapoor) and his family which includes his wife (Neena Gupta) son (Indraneil Sengupta), daughter in law (Taapsee Pannu), brother (Manoj Pahwa), sister in law, nephew (Prateik Babbar) and niece.

The Mohammads lead a peaceful life until they come across a major shock of their lives( one of their family member (Prateik Babbar) gets involved into a terrorist act, resulting in the loss of pride of the family.

The first half of this court drama sheds light on the happy side of this family and the turning point in their lives. While it manages to keep us hooked all the time, few scenes fail to keep our attention undivided.

The movie gets intense in the later half as we witness the pain this family goes through, just because they are Muslim. Side by side, a lot of trial and error session with the judicial system takes place, which seems a bit too stretched, but ultimately turns out to be a lesson worth learning.

Performances

Moving to the act put by the star cast, Rishi Kapoor as Murad Ali Mohammed and Taapsee Pannu as Aarti, blew away my mind with their strong screen presence and dialogue delivery. On the other hand, Manoj Pahwa, who essays the role of Rishi’s brother, puts up a great act. Neena Gupta, who is back on the screen after a long time, is equally good, whereas Prateik Babbar, though short-lived in the film makes an impression.

However, Ashutosh Rana and Rajat Kapoor disappoint us in the majority of their scenes. On the whole, the star cast fares well.

Direction and Cinematography

Anubhav Sinha makes a good attempt with ‘Mulk’, though a few shaky shots here and there, spoils the mood of this drama.
Evan Mulligan, the cinematographer, sets the mood right according to the storyline.

Music

‘Thenge Se’ happens to be a good number to which you can show latka-jhatkas, whereas ‘Khudara’ and ‘Piyasa’ make up for a right choice time when you are in a mood to listen to soft music. Overall, the music by Prasad Sashte and Anurag Saikia is average.

What’s Good

Hard Hitting Dialogues

Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu’s act

What’s Bad

Editing

Far stretched

Final Verdict

All in all, ‘Mulk’ is a lesson that we, as the citizens of India, need to learn right away.

Watch the trailer here: