The story is gripping and intriguing. The start of the film hooks you right away but fails to sustain the effect for long. The film has its high points but very few to mention.
Pankh is about a boy, Jerry Dacunha (Maradona Rebello) who is made to dress and act as a girl in films due to money constraints. And an over aspirational mother, Mary (Lillete Dubey) who could not fulfill her dreams of becoming a superstar, hence makes her son enter films without the permission of her husband.
While the ways of the filmdom are no secret, Jerry who was posed as Baby Kusum in his childhood was also forced to go through it. At an age where school, friends, and games are often a child’s prerogative Baby Kusum was surrounded by cameras, horny men who thought she was girl, and a compulsive mother.
But National Award winner as Baby Kusum, things changed as he started growing up, he could no longer be posed as a girl. But that alone was not the problem; he had taken to drugs, drinking and smoking. Disturbed that he was, he had fashioned himself an alter ego or in simpler terms had begun imagining a companion for himself. Nandini (Bipasha Basu) was the conflict in his head. He imagined her everywhere he went, argued, fought and romanced her.
Now that Jerry was big and Mary thought it would be the perfect time to cast him as a hero. She fashions him a name, Jai with the help of her friend-lover-makeup man played by Kiran Karmarkar.
But this time Jerry fights back, haunted by his past and afraid he might lose it all he begs his mother to let him be. On the big day of the audition, he is back in the studio, he meets an old friend who only knew him as Baby Kusum and hence refuses to recognise him. The story unveils to a very disturbing end.
For a debutant director, Sudipto Bhattacharya took a bold decision by making this film. In spite of having a very interesting story the script was not gripping enough. The film doesn’t convince or rather make you feel for the character. The using of tones for the film looked interesting and intriguing. The editing of the film looks like a fabulous job done. The make-up had a lot of glitches.
Especially, the sequences just before Maradona’s final audition.
Newcomer Maradona seemed to have made a daring start with this film. However, his diction needs more polishing. Had the film been made entirely in English, he’d have looked more comfortable doing the role. It’s an honest effort which requires a lot more churning and moulding.
Amit Purohit seemed like he was trying too hard to fit the role of a ‘tapori’ stunt man. His stunts were cool but could not say so much about the acting.
Lilette Dubey was hysterical way too often, but manages to pull off the role of a failed actress and mother. Was it really necessary to have Bipasha in these various avatars, if they were meant to convey something I did not understand. Bipasha seemed like she was narrating with an imaginary script in her hand but choosing her as Jerry’s fantasy woman seems agreeable. Ronit Roy was wasted, Mahesh Manjerakar’s dialogues were great, Kiran Karmarkar did a decent job, and Sanjeeda Sheik looked and played seventeen convincingly. Asha Sachdev was good.
The song ‘Ji Jala’ sounded great. The lyrics of the song’ Mama let me be’ was also beautiful and conveyed more that some of the scenes put together.
All in all, the film has an intriguing story but leaves you confused. Based on a real life situation on Ahsaas Chanana the film could have been made a lot easier to watch and comprehend. At no point do you feel sorry for the character until maybe the climax.
Verdict: The film makes for a decent onetime watch but read the synopsis before you venture to it.
Rating: Average
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