Kedarnath Movie Review: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan’s Tryst with Love and Disaster
Kedarnath gives the Hindi film industry another star-kid in Sara Ali Khan. Here's our movie review of the film.
Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in a still from Kedarnath.
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Kedarnath
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
A pilgrimage to Kedarnath in June, 2013, turned out to be the last trip for thousands. One of the most devastating disasters of this decade left the world stunned and buried in immeasurable grief. Director Abhishek Kapoor (Rock On, Kai Po Che) chooses this historic catastrophe as the background of his latest film titled Kedarnath, and immediately faces the most obvious challenge—How to recreate the natural calamity in its entirety?
He decides to tackle it late in the movie, and in the process, becomes heavily dependent on the performances. Everybody knows the reason behind the build-up and where it would culminate.
In Kedarnath, Mansoor Khan (Sushant Singh Rajput) is a porter (piththoo in Hindi). Well aware of the local geography and religious customs, he doesn’t refrain from shouting Lord Shiva’s name on top of his lungs. He believes his work is a way of serving the almighty, however, he doesn’t hide his identity while at it.
Kullu (Nishant Dahiya) is the representative of the local priests. The hot-headed youngster understands the social dynamics tilted in favour of the Hindus and wants to exploit it for more fruitful business opportunities. He gets heartbroken and vengeful after finding his fiancée Mukku’s (Sara Ali Khan) affair with Mansoor. Little does he know that the nature has an entirely different plan to indulge the whole of Kedarnath.
Tushar Kanti Ray’s breathtaking shots welcome the audience into Mansoor and Mukku’s world that’s all about sparkling rivers and shining mountain tops. While the contrast of green and silver soothes your eyes, Sara’s rebellious attitude catches your fancy. She is fierce, sharp tongued and in control of her surroundings. She appears confident for a debutante.
On the other hand, Sushant eases us into noticing the societal layers and how he represents the generation that doesn’t put religious beliefs over everything else in life. He is natural, charming and nuanced. He isn’t your typical ‘hero’ who would flex muscles at the slightest provocation. He sometimes downplays the emotions and that surprisingly serves the film.
Pooja Gor, who plays Sara’s elder sister, confronts Mansoor for courting her sister but fails to get any reply. He is well aware of his social conditions. Later, he breaks into tears while cleaning his horse. It’s a remarkable shift for small town leads whose prime trait has been nonchalant masculinity.
Read: 2.0 Movie Review
Read: Thugs of Hindostan Movie Review
Actually, more than anything else, Sushant brings out Abhishek Kapoor’s vision in Kedarnath. A lower middle class Muslim boy in love with a Hindu priest’s daughter in one of the most revered pilgrimage points. I wonder how he doesn’t look under-pressure! His softness adds dimension to this predictable tale of brat girl-humble boy love story.
Though Sushant and Sara do their job, Abhishek Kapoor couldn’t add enough intensity to this lovestory. Kedarnath should have brought out a more distinct tonality. The writing could have been more nuanced. Though the duration of the film is only 120-minutes, it feels longer. Amit Trivedi’s music couldn’t help much either. The soulfulness of Fitoor is missing here.
Kedarnath totally banks upon its leads and they deliver. While Sushant brings calmness, Sara adds freshness to it. They supplement what the average VFX couldn’t—A purpose.
Kedarnath is watchable and strikes a chord when needed.
Rating: 3/5
Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
A pilgrimage to Kedarnath in June, 2013, turned out to be the last trip for thousands. One of the most devastating disasters of this decade left the world stunned and buried in immeasurable grief. Director Abhishek Kapoor (Rock On, Kai Po Che) chooses this historic catastrophe as the background of his latest film titled Kedarnath, and immediately faces the most obvious challenge—How to recreate the natural calamity in its entirety?
He decides to tackle it late in the movie, and in the process, becomes heavily dependent on the performances. Everybody knows the reason behind the build-up and where it would culminate.
In Kedarnath, Mansoor Khan (Sushant Singh Rajput) is a porter (piththoo in Hindi). Well aware of the local geography and religious customs, he doesn’t refrain from shouting Lord Shiva’s name on top of his lungs. He believes his work is a way of serving the almighty, however, he doesn’t hide his identity while at it.
Kullu (Nishant Dahiya) is the representative of the local priests. The hot-headed youngster understands the social dynamics tilted in favour of the Hindus and wants to exploit it for more fruitful business opportunities. He gets heartbroken and vengeful after finding his fiancée Mukku’s (Sara Ali Khan) affair with Mansoor. Little does he know that the nature has an entirely different plan to indulge the whole of Kedarnath.
Tushar Kanti Ray’s breathtaking shots welcome the audience into Mansoor and Mukku’s world that’s all about sparkling rivers and shining mountain tops. While the contrast of green and silver soothes your eyes, Sara’s rebellious attitude catches your fancy. She is fierce, sharp tongued and in control of her surroundings. She appears confident for a debutante.
On the other hand, Sushant eases us into noticing the societal layers and how he represents the generation that doesn’t put religious beliefs over everything else in life. He is natural, charming and nuanced. He isn’t your typical ‘hero’ who would flex muscles at the slightest provocation. He sometimes downplays the emotions and that surprisingly serves the film.
Pooja Gor, who plays Sara’s elder sister, confronts Mansoor for courting her sister but fails to get any reply. He is well aware of his social conditions. Later, he breaks into tears while cleaning his horse. It’s a remarkable shift for small town leads whose prime trait has been nonchalant masculinity.
Read: 2.0 Movie Review
Read: Thugs of Hindostan Movie Review
Actually, more than anything else, Sushant brings out Abhishek Kapoor’s vision in Kedarnath. A lower middle class Muslim boy in love with a Hindu priest’s daughter in one of the most revered pilgrimage points. I wonder how he doesn’t look under-pressure! His softness adds dimension to this predictable tale of brat girl-humble boy love story.
Though Sushant and Sara do their job, Abhishek Kapoor couldn’t add enough intensity to this lovestory. Kedarnath should have brought out a more distinct tonality. The writing could have been more nuanced. Though the duration of the film is only 120-minutes, it feels longer. Amit Trivedi’s music couldn’t help much either. The soulfulness of Fitoor is missing here.
Kedarnath totally banks upon its leads and they deliver. While Sushant brings calmness, Sara adds freshness to it. They supplement what the average VFX couldn’t—A purpose.
Kedarnath is watchable and strikes a chord when needed.
Rating: 3/5
Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha