Daredevil Musthafa
Introduction
It is still a Tuesday and with all the weekend releases out of the way, the week offers me a chance to dig in and scout for new content. And it did strike me that I haven’t really reviewed a Kannada film in a very long time. And so while researching, I came across the film Daredevil Musthafa which is now streaming on Amazon Prime. The synopsis of the film did boast of a heartwarming lesson on unity in diversity which is so relevant in today’s times. There have been a number of films made that have divided the audience on religion whereas the main USP of our country is unity in diversity. So every time there is a film out exploring this concept, I am all ears! So then does Daredevil Musthafa manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Based on a short story by KP Poornachandra Tejaswi, Daredevil Musthafa follows the story of a bunch of school going youngsters whose world changes after a Muslim boy takes admission in their class. Will they ever be friends? The story here dabbles with the concept of unity in diversity at an impressionable age through the lens of the youngsters. As they say, your mind is like clay in school and anything that is fed to you would be pivitol in shaping your future. And thus, it is important to build a strong foundation as far as the values is concerned early on, so that you can differentiate between right and wrong going forward. And the attempt here is exactly that! The screenplay standing at almost 160 minutes might seem to be daunting but it passes off like a pleasant breeze.
The drama does open with the introduction of a group of protagonists who are brought up in a communal locality with the Hindus and Muslims pitted against each other. The writers do wish to tap into to the minds of the protagonists who are in school wherein no other kid is a Muslim, until one day things take a turn. We often are privy to a fact that anything surprises in life which may not be welcoming are instantly detested. And that is the challenge for the kids who start off on a wrong foot with the new entrant. There is tension in the air leading to a face-off more often than not.
The writers do well to keep things light and frothy so as not to stir up the sentiments of the viewers. This was an important ingredient as you always wished the viewers to distinguish between right and wrong and not have pre-conceived notions for any of the characters. The proceedings are engrossing and entertaining with the one-upmanship which is seen between the two protagonists. The events are thoroughly entertaining and fun to watch! The writers do well in balancing the acts so that viewers cannot side with any one particular character. This while the communal tension almost drives the narrative at various junctures including the halfway mark where a shot involves two ‘Gods’ facing each other. And thus begins, a heartwarming final act revolving around that one sport that has kept the nation united for years – cricket.
The third act is dedicated to a cricket match that is played out between the school boys and a local gang. And as they say, religion divides people but cricket unites them. There are subtle twists and turns which are predictable yet fun to watch and they make for a rather heartwarming drama. A little justification woven in the screenplay did add depth to one of the characters resulting in a jovial final act that was just so heartening to watch. The messaging at the end was beautiful and it did sum up the screenplay which was just so wonderfully written!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but have the ability to take you back to your school days and evoke that sense of nostalgia when life was simple. The music and BGM blend really well with the drama and at times even highlight the underlying sentiments in the narrative. The cinematography also is good with that one shot at the halfway mark standing out. The editing could have been better in the cricket shots which had far too many jump cuts yet I will let that pass as this film was so much more than cricket. Director Shashank Soghal does a fabulous job in addressing a sensitive issue that is so relevant today in the most breezy and frothy manner. I wad thoroughly invested in the drama and for that the director deserves distinction marks!
Performances
The performances are amazing by the ensemble cast. Poornanachandra Mysuru as Sulthankeri has his moments to shine in a rather playful role. Karthik Pattar as Dammanagi is fabulous to watch. Vijay Shobaraj Pavoor as Kusumakar has a good screen presence in a job done really well. Chaithra Shetty as OSK is quietly charming and wonderfully restrained. Niharika as Manjula, Srivatsa as Sheena, Abhay as Shankara and Aashith as Kumara are such excellent actors and they are wonderful to watch.
Prerana Gowda as Ramamani has a sweet little presence and she does a swell job. Aditya Ashree as Ramanuja is tremendous to watch in a character that is quietly aggressive yet confused on the state of affairs related to religion. He combines his goofiness with assertiveness really well in what was an excellent performance overall. Shishira Baikady as Jamal is brilliant as well, fighting his own prejudices yet having that caring aura to him as an undercurrent. Both share amazing chemistry together(even while fighting) in a job well done.
Conclusion
Daredevil Musthafa is a beautiful take on unity in diversity amidst school life and cricket that makes for a heartwarming watch. Available on Amazon Prime and Highly Recommended.