Over the years, Bollywood has produced many films on issues like rape and molestation. More than a decade later (Remember 'Jaago' and 'Daman') Raveena returns with her latest film ‘Maatr’, which is a story of a middle aged mother who, along with her teenage daughter are ganged raped in our very own, rape-capital Delhi. (Sorry not Sorry).
Genre :- Drama.
Run-time :- 1 hr 54 mins.
Cast :- Raveena Tandon, Madhur Mittal, Divya Jagdale, Anurag Arora.
Director :- Ashtar Sayyed.
Plot – How badly can a wrong turn jeopardize your life? Maatr is a film that explains just that. After being raped and forced to watch her daughter’s soul getting shattered by a group of 7 men breathing drugs and living on alcohol, with no support from husband and the police bowing down to political pressure and eventually dismissing her case, the last resort left with our Maatr (Raveena Tandon as Vidya) is to take matters into her own hands and go on a revenge spree.
Direction and Screenplay :-
Director Ashtar Syed has captured the sinister and eerie locations of Delhi and built suspense and horror effectively by his fine camerawork. He gets striking performances out of even those actors who stumble with shallow parts. Raveena Tandon has been directed so perfectly, focusing on her youthful face and giving her minimal dialogue and no emotional outbursts to ruin the effect. Also the excitement towards the climax is enhanced by the anxious but effective background score that blends well in the narrative.
Screenplay by Michael Pellico (with additions from Mishkka Shekhawat) is extremely vivid, far-fetched and full of overwrought melodrama. But with well-defining characters delivering gripping performances and the right amount of action and drama, Director Ashtar Sayed succeeds in making the tale engrossing.
Editing and Cinematography:-
At 114 minutes, the editing by Manoj Magarr is sleek without any hindrances in the uncanny atmosphere.
Cinematography lensed by Hari Vendantam is beyond amazing. The entire visual palette and the vintage narrative style borrowed from the revenge/action Korean films are enough to maintain the balance and thrill. You witness blood gushing out, heads being bashed in, rage outshining the law and order system, all within a glossy and gleaming world with realism to some extent.
Music:
Music by Utkarsh Umesh Dhotekar is good enough to make you feel the agony of the matriarch who has a volcano of emotions erupting in her heart. The songs, 'Zindagi Ae Zindagi' sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and 'Aisi Hoti Hai Maa' sung by Kavita Seth are appropriately used to propel the emotional quotient of the narrative. The background score and the production design add to the viewing experience.
The Highs -
▶ Talking about realistic characterization,
the only truly authentic character in the film is a guard who appears for 5 Min's and reminds you of all your real encounters with these Men In Blue.
▶ Performance and the framework of the antagonist Madhur Mittal is flawless.
▶ The intent and the subjugation of the wrongdoers is depicted in a way that will make you feel content.
The Lows -
▶ All through the film, Vidya seemed to have stepped out of a parlour, all groomed up, ready to kill. It forces one to wonder -
When does a woman, who is so damaged and so busy plotting seven deaths, find the time to blow dry her hair?
▶ Some lines are downright dim-witted. For example - A cop at the crime scene says: ‘PM desh ko shape karne ki baat kar rahe hain, aur yeh rape ki baat ho rahi hai’. Okay, whaat? Maatr isn't devoid of plot loopholes - After nailing one down, killing people becomes as easy as quashing bugs.
Armed vigilantes cross heavy police bandobast as easily as getting past a circle of dandiya dancers and the only disguise they use are SUNGLASSES! Seriously?
▶Raveena Tandon's performance is surreal, your heart screams when she screams. There are few scenes where her pain becomes real, but then it cuts to illogical gym sequences trivialising her sufferings.
Performances:-
▶"Paani ka toh pata nahi, celluloid mein zarurr aag laga di." Termed as Raveena's 'comeback,' she doesn't let us down. With the same energy, charisma and finesse, she is cogent as a wounded mother. She exercises restraint, exudes an eerie calmness and yet injects fresh blood to her persona.
This is clearly a performance no other actor in her age bracket from her era could have pulled off with such ease. Even though her character is wounded, her spirited performance, though flaunted with faulty and excessive make-up, emerges as a compelling element in the film.💕
▶ Divya Jagdale, as Vidya's best friend Ritu who is the warmer flesh-and-blood one, doesn't fail to stand out despite being the bearer of a somewhat underdeveloped character.
▶Rushad Rana plays Vidya's spineless and inconsiderate husband Ravi, who asks for ketchup and separation in the same breath and is a proud member of the Victim Blaming Society. 😒Rushad is aptly cast and gives a performance expected of his character.
▶Madhur Mittal (Remember "Titto" from 'Shakalaka Boom Boom?' Yes. This is him all grown up) as Apoorva Malik is stubborn, self-willed, menacing and abhorrent guy he is meant to be. He essays his character with ease and makes sure we end up hating him from the word go. Such performance, much admiration. 😍
▶Anurag Arora as Inspector Shroff does fine as the officer of the law bent by the weight of politically influential people, so much that he forgets he is a human first.
Watch o Not ? Maybe. The plot of the film is nothing extraordinary but it is the great performances, gripping subject line and apt execution that makes ‘Maatr’ a decent watch.
Verdict :
Maatr is a raw and powerful with its share of flaws. Despite an uneven plot, watch the film for its compelling, hard-hitting performances and the fact that it creates a world where justice is served someway or the other.
Ratings - 2.6/5
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