R E V I E W – M O V I E
Zara Jahan
Directed by Umesh Bisht, Pagglait stars Sanya Malhotra as the central lead. The film tactfully raises questions about social norms and stereotypes in a finely drawn manner.
Pagglait begins with the untimely demise of Sandhya’s husband, Astik (played by Malhotra), to whom she was married to for five months. While her family and in-laws expect her to fit the pigeonhole of a grieving and devastated widow, the death, in reality, has a little to nothing effect on her. The plot progresses forward as Sandhya meets Akanksha (played by Sayani Gupta), Astik’s colleague and ex-girlfriend. Initially, she takes Akanksha to be an adversary, but a sense of attachment and fondness soon replaces this presentiment. She keeps visiting Akanksha as her lifestyle motivates Sandhya to be a person of her own will and individuality. However, along with these realisations comes the tag of being “crazy” and “maniac”.
The movie nimbly thickens its plot around different issues, such as marriage, decorum against women, and religion. The storytelling was highlighted beautifully through well-timed comical innuendos, hard-hitting one-liners, and seamless and fluid transitions between each scene. The film’s music, composed by Arijit Singh, is one of its most important treasures. The songs (specifically “Thode Kam Ajnabi”, “Dil Udd Jaa Re”, and “Lamha”) act as pleasant catalysts to the film and blend effortlessly with Lucknow city’s neighbourly shots.
With the essence of movies like English Vinglish and Fire, the film is a complete family entertainer with comedy and drama at its core. After Ludo, it is needless to say that Sanya Malhotra has once again delivered an astounding performance as a young widow set out on a journey to find herself. Alongside, actors playing the supporting characters also execute their roles impressively throughout the narrative.
Overall, I would give Pagglait a Queen‘s younger sibling out of 10.
As a single parent to three cats, Zara often struggles to balance between being a part-time student and a full-time procrastinator.