Entertainment

Main Atal Hoon review – Pankaj Tripathi delivers a top-notch performance in this master-piece!

Whether it is a biopic of a historical figure or a personality of contemporary relevance, the Mumbai film industry seldom, if ever, does them justice. That widely held belief is not much altered by Main Atal Hoon, which is directed and co-written by National Award-winning filmmaker Ravi Jadhav (Natarang, Balgandharva, Balak Palak).

Movie Details:

Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Piyush Mishra, Ekta Kaul

Director: Ravi Jadhav

Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Star rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Where to watch? At the theatres!

Main Atal Hoon review:

‘Main Atal Hoon’ is if not a disastrous attempt devoid of any redeeming qualities, then at least a hurried production with creases that could have been avoided. It is obvious that the rush to finish it on time has affected both the writing and the creation. Jadhav is renowned for being a meticulous director. The notable lack of that attribute in ‘Main Atal Hoon’ is apparent.

‘Main Atal Hoon’, which tells the life story of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the tenth Prime Minister of India and a luminary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is more hagiography than homage. It takes the reader from birth to death. That being said, the film’s uneven quality does not cover the entirety of the right-wing leader’s formative years and turbulent political career.

Pankaj Tripathi’s pivotal performance saves ‘Main Atal Hoon‘, a monochromatic biography, just a tad. The actor doesn’t hold back when it comes to channelling Vajpayee’s body language and speech pattern.

Tripathi’s efforts do not yield the desired results because the performance is hampered by a screenplay that lacks genuine insight and inventiveness. Combining political savvy, communication skills, and humanity would have paid off much more if Jadhav and co-writer Rishi Virmani had concentrated more on the questions Vajpayee had to answer than on the solutions he came up with.

It is impossible to be enthusiastic about Main Atal Hoon from a purely cinematic standpoint. However, given the film’s obvious purpose, it might not be a complete washout. It may find admirers outside the circles of those who expect more nuance and diversity from Bollywood biopics, only to repeatedly disappoint them.