More than a movie, Mulk is a message

First thing first. Mulk is a film which is quite different from the repertoire of the director Anubhav Sinha’s previous films. Never has he taken up a subject so socially and politically relevant. And he has done a good job as for as contemporary social and political unrest in the country is concerned.

If you are expecting a drama-story, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting interesting characters, well, you will again be a little disappointed and if you are expecting plain entertainment then you will be utterly disappointed.

Nevertheless, the film holds you. Because it springs some relevant questions right in your face to deals with them.

Mulk talks about a Muslim family settled in Banaras. Murad Ali is a retired lawyer and the family seems to be quite rational and educated. Murad has a Hindu Bahu too. Their happy coexistence with the Hindu neighbours is thrown completely off gear when it’s revealed that his nephew was part of a terrorist group and was involved in a bomb blast which killed 16 ‘Hindustanis’. This nephew is killed by security personnel and all hell breaks loose on this typical middle class Indian Muslim family.

They are ostracised, humiliated even almost beaten up by an enraged mob. As Murad Ali with his lawyer (and Hindu) Bahu fights it out in the court to reclaim family’s social reputation, the movie aptly makes the difference between mazahab and mulk, jihaad and terrorism clear.

The intensity of the court room drama captivates, the dialogues are moving which tackle the issue of Islamophobia boldly.

Taapsee Pannu impresses as an intense actor and not just a pretty face. (She did that in Pink too, but here it was far more difficult a role and she carried it impressively).

Manoj Pahwa in the role of the younger brother of Murad, Bilal, is at once endearing. It’s amazing to discover that Manoj still has not been explored as an actor. He is the one who genuinely moves with his sensitive performance.

Rishi Kapoor as Murad Ali, the patriarch of the Muslim family, again comes across as a seasoned actor. Though he at once reminds you of Balraj Sahni of Garam Hawa but unfortunately the film in question is not as multi-layered as Garam Hawa.

Arguably, Mulk has a series of dramatic and intense dialogues and is bold enough to talk about the anxieties of minority communities in the current communal atmosphere. But the film fails to create the same impact visually.

Though in the beginning when the camera shows ghats of Banaras, chantings in temples and azaan in mosques, with Kabir’s dohas in the background, the all-inclusive spirit of Banaras is at once established but the city then remains in the background. Whereas the fact is that the city of Banaras itself has a character. Once again one is reminded of Garam Hawa where the city of Agra evolves into a major character of the film.

Mulk despite everything has a strong message—which is quite relevant in these current times of Lynch Raj and anti-Muslim campaigns. And it should be watched for the same reasons.

But as a film, it is just a little above average effort, with all the director’s energies invested in preparing and carrying a balanced discourse about the sentiments of Indian Muslims.

Even otherwise too, treating cinema as a visual, and making the visual a character of their narrative has not been really a major concern for Hindi filmmakers.