Madam Chief Minister
Introduction
There was a surprise release on Netflix on Sunday and so here I am with its review. Madam Chief Minister had earlier had a theatrical release in January but had tanked at the box office due to very few takers primarily due to the pandemic. This weekend it makes it way to Netflix and I have just finished watching this political drama. Is it worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Madam Chief Minister is the story of a young dalit girl who gets an opportunity to become the CM of her state. The story is pretty routine, I mean it is not bad and is definitely watchable but the bar for political dramas has to be high, something like a House Of Cards. The screenplay has several twists and turns but some of them predictable too. But the drama does not feel taxing at any point which is good. Also some relevant issues are interspersed in the story amid some loopholes(wasn’t she pregnant at the start? Did the writers forget about it?). Also one point to note is the impact of certain twists is mellowed down due to the weak screenplay. So the writing is not too good not too bad.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues definitely leave an impact in parts. The music is weak and the BGM is a bit of a letdown. It requires appropriate BGM to enhance the drama and create a bit of tension, but a memorable score was missing. This is definitely not the best work of Director Subhash Kapoor. He is a prolific director and definitely tries hard here, but a substandard screenplay doesn’t allow him to rise above it.
Performances
It is the performances that are excellent and make this movie worthwhile. Akshay Oberoi impresses in a cameo as Indu though his character was terribly underwritten. So is Boloram Das as Sundar whose character also suffers from a similar fate as Indu. Saurabh Shukla is excellent as Masterji. Manav Kaul as Danish is wonderfully restrained and simply brilliant. Richa Chadha as Tara is also very good. She has to do most of the heavy lifting and she comes out on top.
Conclusion
Madam Chief Minister is a one time watch powered by some good performances. Available on Netflix.