Sarzameen film assessment: Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kajol cant salvage this emotional misfire

Sulking sons, duty-bound fathers, and struggling moms make for partaking Hindi cinema. This week, rising director Kayoze Irani revisits acquainted daddy points with combined outcomes. Sarzameen’s primary premise jogs my memory of Ramesh Sippy’s Shakti, the place circumstances pressure a father in uniform (Prithivraj Sukumaran) to decide on between his son (Ibrahim Ali Khan) and his obligation.

Set within the picturesque political cauldron of Kashmir, the stakes get greater right here when the uncared for son stutters his approach into the enemy camp led by dreaded militant Kabil (Okay.C. Shankar). As anticipated, the mom (Kajol) tries to be the connecting hyperlink, however a previous that must be addressed stays unhealed, leaving wounds unresolved.

After making ready the viewers for a practical terrain, Irani takes mainstream leaps of religion, touchdown in no man’s land. The movie makes an attempt to discover parenthood, patriotism, and militancy, however fails to successfully combine the private inside complicated socio-political dynamics, as an alternative resorting to tropes which have grow to be clichéd resulting from overuse.

It appears the makers got down to map the complexity of militancy within the Kashmir valley by a private story, however ended up making a secure product to populate the OTT shelf. Hence, the drama doesn’t leap at you, the battle doesn’t have interaction you sufficient, the suspension of disbelief doesn’t maintain, and the layers within the story don’t add as much as create an emotional swell.

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Prithiviraj and Kajol kind an fascinating display screen pair. However, regardless of their immense expertise, their chemistry doesn’t click on, and the melodrama falls brief. Shankar isn’t any Amrish Puri to generate the dread of revenge. For a script that calls for a deep emotional dedication, Ibrahim Ali Khan, just like the movie, is undercooked.

Sarzameen is presently streaming on Hotstar