Aided by Rajkummar Rao’s masterful performance, this is no ordinary Bollywood biopic
Aided by Rajkummar Rao’s masterful performance – despite the fact that the actor had to limit himself to acting as a teenager and a twenty-something – Srikanth Not your average Bollywood biopic. It rarely resorts to subverting melodrama to demonstrate the enormity of the visually impaired hero’s achievements.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, who has two biographical works behind him (sports drama Saand Ki Aankh and web series Scam 2003), Srikanth Narrates the incredible true story of entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla, who worked his way out of poverty, went to MIT and returned to India to set up a corporate entity unlike any other.
Srikanth It’s a classic rags-to-riches saga enriched immensely by the director’s refusal to use standard tropes of the genre. Not only does he keep the storytelling simple and ship-shape, he also ensures that the craft that has gone into the project – cinematographer Pratham Mehta and editors Devasmita Mitra and Sanjay Sankala do their jobs perfectly – does not overwhelm the essence of the narrative. .
The born-blind protagonist battles seemingly insurmountable odds, including rampant discrimination, depressing bullying, and a myopic education system in which differently-abled people are denied the opportunity to pursue higher studies in the sciences even if they achieve the required grades.
Apart from the situation of a blind boy being born in a village in Machilipatnam in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh and some sharp opening sequences that over-dramatize the immediate response, Jagdeep Sidhu and Sumit Purohit’s screenplay steers clear of overly maudlin methods.
Even in the pivotal court scene where Srikanth, with teacher Devika (Jathika) steadfastly by his side, has to convince a judge, a college principal and a skeptical lawyer that he deserves a fair shot, the film manages not to weaken its middle ground. The tonal quality even makes it a strong case for equal opportunities for people with physical abnormalities Admittedly, on a few occasions – one of them centers on a poignant moment where Srikanth’s father digs a hole early in the film, an act he repeats much later in a completely changed context – when you expect it to be the audience’s imagination and The film clearly describes when it will leave something to the interpretive faculty.
Srikanth Tells the extraordinary story of a young man endowed with extraordinary vision and tenacity but Srikanth does not shy away from pointing to the delicate junctures in Bolla’s life when he comes precariously close to turning his confidence into arrogance and success. antisociality
These moments of vulnerability cause friction with a handful of important people in his life, including his girlfriend Swathi (Alaya F), a medical student who contacts him on social media before meeting him in person on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Where Srikanth enrolled as a full scholarship student.
While it creates a compelling portrait of a man single-mindedly pursuing his own goals and a plan to help other physically challenged and economically disadvantaged people find a foothold in life, it also acknowledges the chinks in the man’s armor that threaten to knock him down. . His true well-wishers are far from him.
Srikanth by using Doomsday is doomsday song Papa kehte hai bada naam karega beta hamara aisa kam karega As a musical interlude but it focuses not so much on the hero’s father as on a teacher who takes the boy under his wing and teaches him how to fly in the face of adversity.
If teacher Devika is the anchor who gives Srikanth the freedom to dream, investor and friend Ravi (Sharad Kelkar) is the one who believes in Nayak’s desire to own and run a business of his own.
Srikanth Not given to say sorry, but she says thank you in many words. Of course, he delivers a full soliloquy that acknowledges his supporters and his own fierce sense of self-worth. The conflicting emotions in him are perfectly understandable given that nothing was easy for him.
An important passage of the film revolves around the then President of India APJ Abdul Kalam and his “Lead India” campaign, which inspires Srikanth Redouble his efforts to achieve what his heart desires. However, an encounter with a self-interested politician frustrates him and teaches him a lesson or two about the dangers of short-cuts.
The most important element is the ability to ‘see’ without one’s eyes Srikanth The story is what sets him apart. Main sirf Sapna Hi Dekh Sakta Hoon (I see only in my dreams) is a line he delivers more than once. Big dreams, she insists when Ravi tries to rein her in with her reality check.
But Srikanth is also a man of action. He stays Men sab kuch kar sakta hun (I can do everything) from Mai kuch vi kar sakta hun (I can do anything). A claim of prior intent; The latter has a warning ring. The character becomes more relatable due to internal tensions and pressures as he faces internal and external challenges.
Rajkummar Rao plays Srikanth from the age of roughly 14 – when the founder of Bolant Industries first meets President Abdul Kalam – to his mid-20s. It is obviously not easy for an actor to give himself up as a teenager, but he delivers a performance that is so believable and subtle in all other respects – physical restraints, dialogue delivery, body language – that one cannot help but be surprised.
The lead actors get exceptional support from Jyothika and Sharad Kelkar – both epitomize restraint in keeping with the stable balance of the drama.
SrikanthAny film as uplifting as it is deserves a wider audience. It is more than just a story. It’s a heartwarming celebration of ways to see the world in a new light.
