Meel Patthar(Milestone)
RATING
Introduction
We at popcornreviewss are on a roll this weekend, producing reviews in full swing. And with that we are quickly onto our next release. I have just finished watching Meel Patthar also titled Milestone on Netflix. I may not have watched this movie right away but this one was directed by the director of Soni. Soni was one of the best Hindi films of 2019 and if you haven’t yet watched it, do take my word and watch it immediately. It is outstanding. Now the question arises, is Meel Patthar as thought provoking as Soni, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Meel Patthar aka Milestone follows the story of a bereaved truck driver who has completed over 500,000 kms in his vehicle. But the story is cerebral and delves deeper into his life and nothing is what it seems. Here is another thought provoking subject with a silent yet powerful undertone. The screenplay is probably even more cerebral. There are no easy answers to certain questions pertaining to the personal life of the protagonist. A lot of things need to be assumed or your reading of the situation. Things like he having a love marriage to him not frequently visiting his own house(owing to dust on the table) need to be assumed. This could possibly draw long drawing room conversations about the life of our protagonist. What we do know is the situation he is in and his vulnerabilities and insecurities of his job not to mention exploitation – a subject that relies a lot of the silence and reading between the lines. The screenplay is niche and may not cater to everyone, it is a slow burn that offers little answers even at the end. But, if you enjoy offbeat films and their structure(like it was in Soni), then you will love the writing here!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are mostly conversational that leave a lasting impact. You need to pay attention to them or otherwise the smallest of detail will be missed out. What amazed me more was that there was little to no BGM that was used. It was a feeling that probably resonated the mood of the protagonist. Here, the colour tone of many frames are rather dull in a good way as they depict the mindset of gloom of the protagonist. Director Ivan Ayr clearly does not like to spoonfeed the audience. In fact he likes to keep the drama as close to reality as possible and here again he manages to pull it off brilliantly. His direction is outstanding.
Performances
The performances are excellent. Pavitra who plays the Kashmiri neighbour is superb and probably deserves a movie of her own. Likewise with Lakshya Saran as Pash who is wonderfully understated. These are characters that could so easily have their own stories weaved into a movie. Suvinder Vicky who plays Ghalib lives every beat of his character. He is stoic even when he is bereaved and maintains that gloomy body language throughout. Perhaps there was a burden of regret that he was carrying all along. A mysteriously brilliant portrayal of a man battling depression.
Conclusion
Meel Patthar aka Milestone is a powerfully silent yet pitiful portrayal of a profession that is highly exploited. Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Recommended!
