Aligarh

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Abraham G Jan 12, 2017 The best of films are always those that inspire discourse on multiple levels. To borrow an analogy from farmyard parlance, it is how one ideally separates cinematic wheat from chaff. The story of Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, a Marathi professor at Aligarh Muslim University who was largely ostracized by society on account of his sexual inclinations is heart-rending and one that has largely tragic undertones. Few laws have provoked as fervent and passionate a debate as that on Section 377 of the IPC and its relevance in contemporary Indian society. Director Hansal Mehta, the brain behind 2013's smashing Shahid, outdoes himself this time. He tackles this controversial subject with great grace and subtlety, making for a wholesome cinematic experience that ever so inconspicuously tugs at your heartstrings. The acting is uniformly excellent across the board - Manoj Bajpai's riveting performance as Siras lends a hauntingly human dimension to a character who remains tragically misunderstood even to this day. As a young, enthusiastic reporter eager to cast the spotlight on what he describes as an eminently "human story", Rajkumar Yadav is yet again first rate, making you root for him to do anything - just anything - to improve our doomed protagonist's state of affairs. The film could have done with a crisper screenplay -there are portions that would have benefited from a greater sense of urgency in narrative terms. Yet Mehta's storytelling is so compassionate, so innately empathetic that I couldn't help but be charmed. Aligarh is a film with a big, beating heart. I strongly recommend you see it. See more

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Aligarh

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