MOVIE REVIEW - LION

What is ultimate depression?

     Is to have a glance at your wallet at the month’s end. I’d say no.

                

        Is to chase your dream knowing you’d never be able to accomplish     it. Yeemmm! Uhhh! No!

Ultimate depression will be to come to know at 26 yr age that you have been pronouncing/spelling your name wrong, all the time. And It actually have a meaning! Well if it is not depressing for you, then frankly it would be quite depressing for me.

Lion – Directed by Garth Davis. Well you can tell it is his Hollywood debut. In the launching he has made it to Oscars. An universal story of love, story of every mother who have adopted a child or raised a child of her own.

A little kid named Saroo (later Saroo Brierley) from a place in India got lost while his brother, Guddu went in search for money, keeping Saroo at a desolate rail station. They belonged to a below poverty level family. Their mother was a stone cutter of a barren stone field and that was not a good support to the family. Sister - Shakila was a child as Saroo. Having a full meal even once a day was not quite possible for the family. What happens when this child Saroo gets lost?

Well not going to tell you. But gonna hint you some spoilers.

Our very own actors – Koushik Sen and his son Riddhi Sen played a very important role. May be for a little moment but important. 

Now Tannishtha Chatterjee, do we have to describe her? NOOOO!

Nawazuddin Siddiqui? His entry in the film is all you need to be astonished.

And My City! Gosh! Kolkata.  My city played an important role too. 

Hey! Directors in our city or the state can not make my city look good or they do not feel any good for this city, but no need to worry because people who are not from the city and not from the country are there who thinks our city is beautiful.

But one complaint I have to make, Do you guys really need to show sufferings and poverty and slams of India in order to get Oscar nominations! I wonder if your country does not have any sufferings or lost children or beggar or below poverty level families.

Anyway moving toward the child actor Sunny Power who played Saroo in the film. How resembled the casting proven to be is amazing. That little child has stolen all the attention. His expression more over his innocent smile words dialogue thronging is outstanding. From  “brother I want to eat jalebi” (jalebi – Particular delicious Sweet in India) to “One day we will buy a whole shop of Jalebi” in Sunny Power’s acting is the treat of gold to the audience.

I don’t feel the need to mention how and where Nicole Kidman’s acting as a mother went well. Cause there will be hardly any words in the dictionary that can be resembled with her magnificent acting.

Dev Patel - really it is very good and satisfying to see him grow with every movie he is appearing.

People accustomed with 300 and 300-the rise of an emperor and Lord of the Rings  knows David Wenham very well. The father and the perfect husband portrait by David will always catch your eyes.

 Rooney Mara was simple and gently awesome in the movie.

One character that had hold the movie from the root is Played by Priyanka Bose, mother of Saroo, Guddu and Shakila. No words to describe her, just watch the film. I guarantee you her motherly feeble caring expressions will touch your heart.

Divian Ladwa is indifferently awesome in the movie. 

In a nutshell, the casting directors have done a hell of a great job. Thumbs up to them for this accurate casting for the film. 

I was wrong, ultimate depression will be - the reflection or the presence you see of a person close to your heart core may be your brother, whom  you have lost for a long time. Now after 20yrs haunted by your memories you search for him, your mother and  lost home. But you see them right in front of your eyes that your brother is walking away or eating in a food court from the left foods of other. At the moment all you need is to find your way home. But you don’t even know where your home belongs.

Last but not the least, the first half of the movie never felt like watching a Hollywood film. It seemed to be a well organized highly dynamic Bengali movie with some hindi conversation. It feels amazing when you get to listen “দাদা দুটো ব্যারাকপুর ” or the most of the onscreen background conversation in Bengali. That is a proud moment for Bengalis all over the world. Thanks to Garth Davis for giving us this moment to cherish, thanks to him for film too.

Well, you need to watch the movie. A put at the top your watch list.