India Lockdown, a film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, depicts the suffering that the populace goes through as a result of the devastating global pandemic. 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 chores 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 laborers is the main theme. The last storyline is about a middle-aged independent woman (Aahana Kumra), who kills her loneliness with her cute, young neighbour, while Shweta Basu Prasad as sex worker Mehrunissa brings forth the stillness that the brothels had to face.
India Lockdown’s greatest asset is that Madhur Bhandarkar was able to present four significant viewpoints in less than two hours. In a few sequences, the story also emphasizes the imbalance in society 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.
The film by Madhur Bhandarkar lacks conviction. Making a movie about the pandemic era was a difficult task that Bhandarkar accepted since it was a terrible time that no one ever wanted 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.
In India Lockdown, Prakash Belawade plays an elderly guy who is well-behaved and commands attention. Shweta Basu Prasad performs her job as a sexual worker admirably. With his Bihari accent, Prateik Babbar has greater room to experiment. Full points for Sai Tamhankar’s effort to portray a Bihari. The acting prowess of Aahana Kumra has never been in doubt.
