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Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy

Farhad Dalal
By-
Farhad Dalal
Rating
3.5 Star popcorn reviewss

Introduction

It is still a Tuesday and almost an eternity till the weekend arrives. And with all the major releases out of the way, this week did give me a little time to scout for content. While researching, I did stumble upon an Indie film which did release of Youtube, titled Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy. I did watch its trailer and it did seem quite interesting. And given that it is an Indie film, Popcorn Reviewss would always give it a voice. We know how difficult it is to reach the target audience(having had to struggle ourselves). And this is our way of giving back to the fraternity by providing the makers a voice(and a little encouragement) regarding their products. Please note that none of the makers or the cast has reached out to us to review this film and all opinions are strictly my own(and with that of Popcorn Reviewss). So then does Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy manage to impress, lets find out.

Story & Screenplay

Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy follows the story of a constantly brewing distance between a couple after the death of their pet. The stories tackling the complexities of a modern day relationship are often exciting given how layered and entangled they already are. And here, the story is quite heartfelt and immersed in convoluted mesh which is a byproduct of a modern day relationship. The screenplay standing at a shade under 100 minutes does make for a pleasant but a subtly intense watch in a drama which is deeply rooted to reality.

First things first! I am a Bombay boy and I often have a fascination for films that represent the vibe of the city well. And here, I was totally sold by the shots of the Powai lake, a spot that does carry a touch of loneliness and calmness in a city which is hustling and bustling at any given point of time. I could relate to that spot given that I have spent a large chunk of my recent years in Powai(and I did wish that this theme could continue throughout the running length of the film). So you are introduced to the protagonist who does work as a Regional Manager in a Pharma company. You are given a glimpse of his household wherein he does stay with his wife and his daughter(with another kid on the way). A few exchanges between them do impact a clearer picture on their equation with one another and their respective families.

The proceedings are quite interesting in a drama which is designed to be slice of life in nature. And so the conversations become equally important while fuelling the narrative, something which is done quite neatly here. The complexities in the drama can be noted from the fact that there are subtle undercurrents of a brewing distance between the couple who seemed to be in love at one point of time(given their inter-religion marriage against the wishes of their parents). That is further escalated when first of the many conflicts is introduced in the film following the death of their pet.

The writing here is deeply rooted to reality. So unlike most films, you won’t find the principal characters fighting with each other and screaming at the top of their voices. The point of a relationship being that you may have gotten so used to each other’s company and you would often start taking each other for granted. And the subtlety of this theme is nicely explored here. So there are stray instances of a disagreement of naming their newborn, to dealing with the pressures of their workplace or even changing professions, all of which do contribute to the ever-growing distance between the couple. The lack of communication or not quite being honest to each other is another byproduct of being lonely in a relationship which is well tapped into here.

I did have smaller bouts of criticism in a drama which surprisingly was also sprinkled with humour at various junctures. One criticism did involve a subplot wherein the character of the wife was almost falling for an unknown voice. I did feel that that subplot was slightly half-baked and could have been explored better. Also, a subplot involving the protagonist being diagnosed with a disease didn’t quite add up to the eventual outcome of the film. Having said that, the conflict in the second half may have been trivial if seen through a casual lens but for a couple on the verge of a separation, it did seem to be a big deal and something which was well showcased too. I did feel that the resolution was a tad too simplistic but overall, the screenplay was just nuanced, textured and layered in its storytelling.

Dialogues, Music & Direction

The dialogues are conversational and the lines stay true to the drama which is immersed in reality. The music is good and it does blend well with the drama. The BGM is decent, perhaps it could have been marginally better. The cinematography does well in capturing different spots of the city of Mumbai effectively and that aspect of it could have been better explored, almost as a parallel to the ongoing drama. The editing could have been sharper too. Director Sandeep Mohan does a pretty good job here in handling a delicate subject with a brush of sensitivity. The conversations are indulgent and they make for a good watch.

Performances

The performances are very impressive. Ashwin Mushran, Micky Makhija, Avinash Kuri and Naina Sareen are such good actors that they make a stunning impact despite a limited screen time. Vipin Heero has his moments to shine too as does Salmin Sheriff as Kamal. Khushboo Upadhyay as Khushboo is wonderful to watch in a character dealing with her own vulnerabilities. She does an incredible job here. Gillian Pinto as Sarah has such a wonderful screen presence and is such a natural onscreen that her performance is probably the best in the film here. There was such nuance that she did bring to her character that did help the viewers to connect with her insecurities in an overall job done brilliantly well. Karanveer Khullar as Nirmal Anand has a stoic presence wherein his character has to internalize a lot of his emotions. He is terrific to witness given the amount of subtlety he brings to his character and the emotions that he does possess.

Conclusion

Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy is a heartfelt take on complex modern day relationships that makes for a good watch. Available on Youtube, for free!

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