Lost Review : Yami Gautam Is Brilliant in Thought-Provoking Social Thriller About Investigative Journalism
Yami Gautam’s latest film on Zee5, Lost, is a well-layered story with a hammy execution but with a rather consequential issue to address. The thriller is corked with an intriguing story, as unique as the characters themselves and the cinematic world they interact with. It serves dollops of fascinating moments but not without leaving the viewers in a ruminative state of mind.
The Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s directorial had received a standing ovation at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival and very rightly so because it harbours a pertinent exposition about the shady pool of politics in India that still largely relies on the propensity of ignominious caste dichotomies. The world that presents itself in Lost has a theme that might have been experimented with before but not in a way the makers have delivered in this realistic thriller.
The story is set in Kolkata amid the backdrop of a revolutionary theatre artist Ishan Bharti (played by Tushar Pandey) who goes missing. And his mysterious disappearance becomes a matter of grave political tussle as it ensues a narrative that Ishan has become an extremist militant. With the authorities harassing Ishan’s mother and sister, a fierce and bold investigative crime journalist enters into picture who is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
But while she is at it, she has to endure the hurdles put forth by her family, the insidious system of politician Varman consisting of louts and criminals, her own publication as well as finding herself in an ideological discourse about right and wrong. As she scrapes through the surface, Vidhi Sahani (played by Yami Gautam) comes to know about Ishan’s relationship with Ankita Chauhan (played by Pia Bajpayee) that only deepens the plot. But will Vidhi ever find out the actual truth or her investigation will make things even worse?
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury is an engaging filmmaker as ascertained by his previously helmed film Pink. Without mincing any words or trying to balance his footsteps on the plank of political-correctness, Chowdhury’s Lost, like his previous film, has got hard-hitting themes intertwined within the complex folds of the story. Most of the dialogues of the film are thought-provoking and impactful.
But how the movie is paced severely dilutes the virtuosity of the narrative. It’s slow and staccato at a number of places and fails to achieve the reverberations that the makers had in mind. For some viewers, certain scenes might make them recall Vidya Balan’s Kahani to an extent that you’ll expect someone to push Yami Gautam onto the coming metro from behind. At the cost of addressing a slew of social issues like gender-inequality, caste discrimination, feminism in a one single broth and not doing justice to any one track is the film’s biggest flaw.
What Shyamal Sengupta and Ritesh Shah’s story does get right is the realism of issues at the grassroots level. The level playing field that powerful people manipulate and exploit to their wit’s end and how the less-privileged folks become a victim of it is brilliantly depicted through Aniruddha Roy’s lenses. The endearing bond between Vidhi and her naanu (played by Pankaj Kapoor) is another takeaway as her naanu stands by her granddaughter like an anchor and helps her in her pursuit for truth with his wisdom-laden insights. And the organic nature and thrill of investigative journalism and the risks it entails has been deftly portrayed through the course of two hours. Technically, the film looks impressive with immersive cinematography by Avik Mukhopadhyay and soulful music by Shantanu Moitra.
Coming to the performances, Yami Gautam in the skin of an idealistic crime journalist plays her part earnestly. She gives ample gravitas to her character and infuses life into the script. She is complimented by Pankaj Kapoor who poignantly takes charge with his effectual screen presence and naturally brings warmth, empathy, compassion and righteousness to the film. Rahul Khanna as the opportunistic politician Ranjan Varman adapted to his role seamlessly with his eloquence and unsettling scheming mind. Neil Bhoopalam as Jeet and Vidhi’s long-distance boyfriend is yet another good addition to the roster followed by great performances delivered through Pia Bajpiee and Tushar Pandey.
To sum it up, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Lost might look like a shot in the dark but even with its flaws, the film addresses some pertinent and glaring anomalies of the system in the larger scheme of things. It is not ideologically banal or frugal with its treatment. It presents an intuitive story with honesty and is meticulously packaged with some great performances by the actors. At the end of the day, it will compel you to think about certain social aspects that we usually tend to overlook due to our privileges. If taken with that stride, then Yami Gautam’s Lost surely makes for an engaging watch.
Source : news18
