There is a conscience creative decision here to tap into a raging socio-political commentary, even as the drama shifts timelines to the past. There, you are introduced to the character of Elphaba (who later on was known as the Wicked Witch Of The West), who is often sidelined owing to the colour of her skin. The passive racial abuse that she undergoes cannot be denied, while cleverly tying up with the modern day issue of surmountable proportions. It is often a tendency of human beings to be instantly repelled from something that isn’t normal, almost as a defence mechanism of sorts, only to later on be on a rampage laced with ridicule, distance and disgust. The same was true dor Elphaba, who otherwise had a roaring talent of wizardry that definitely grabs her eyeballs while finding herself at a distance from most folks of her town. Glinda, on the other hand is a popular damsel, often regarded as the talk of her university while also having a searing character trait of suppressed pride that she uses to her advantage. And so, the opening act largely spends time in establishing their initial rocky phase of their friendship against the backdrop of a musical, that plays out like a stage play (in fact, this is an adaptation of the same as well).

One of the reasons why Wicked would end up being a niche is the creative decision to make this a musical, a genre that remains largely under appreciated by many. But, the writing does enough to strike a chord with the viewers, particularly when you begin to observe and invest in the character of Elphaba, who is unlike the image painted by the character in the current timeline. She comes across as a practical personality filled with empathy, and intelligent enough to question the beliefs of the university, that further annoys folks around her. This is contrary to Glinda who is self centered to the point that she only corrects her teacher who mispronouncing her name. In a way, the two personalities lead to drastically varied character arcs with a warm intersection that transpires between the two. With time, you see them bonding after Glinda helps Elphaba transform ‘to fit the bill'<span;>(after the latter takes a stand for the former to participate in a seminar) <span;>, a clear indication of their growing friendship that has come a long way since Glinda disapproving of Elphaba to be her roommate.

In the midst of the glitz and glam, the writers cautiously integrate a political commentary in a rather clever manner. In a lead up to a particular scene, you see the ‘talking’ animals soon lose their voices – a modern day representation of how people are oppressed, and silenced while the authorities wish to maintain a ‘clean’ public image, while offering to provide voices to folks who are in sync with theirs, even as most others are silenced in fear. In fact, the scene involving experimentation on a little cub who is perceived to be a threat is far too close for comfort in the real world, with governments from across the globe initiating several measures towards the poor and the powerless. And this is when you also witness the trait of righteousness, selflessness and integrity for Elphaba, who has the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, unlike most others at her university.

Given that this is an origin story of Elphaba, the final act mostly is dedicated towards the manner in which she earns her infamous mantle. And so, the political commentary is further induced leading up to a startling revelation of sorts. But amidst this, the silver lining in the drama is the rock solid dynamics that Elphaba now shares with Glinda, in the wake of facism that the former has to deal with. One minor criticism during this period is that the drama is slightly lagged here, given that most equations have bern established already. A good 10 minutes could have been snipped off at the edit table for a tighter watch, more so because this is just the first part of the two-part film that would ultimately lead to the completion of the origin story, along with the fate of the characters in the film. Having said that, the game of perceptions that largely remains the core of this musical fantasy is well established in his finale as well, with a stark commentary on politics, power and illusion. The screenplay is well written indeed.