India’s official entry for the Oscars, Newton has been one of the most critically acclaimed Bollywood films in 2017. Commenting on the electoral process in a Naxal-controlled town in the conflict-ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh, India, Newton doesn’t just entertain us with the most raw and realistic form of wit and comedy but also makes us aware of the dark reality of our society.
Newton Kumar, originally named as Nutan Kumar, is a government clerk given the responsibility of the Residing Officer in one of the most dangerous villages in Chhattisgarh for its upcoming elections. One of the most hardworking and honest workman, Newton takes up this duty willingly. Realising in due course that the real danger to fair voting are not the Naxals, but an even dark and complex system. The film revolves around his strong determination to keep the system working using only fair means, and alongside making a very subtle commentary on the Indian society. From the power packed monologue by the veteran actor, Sanjay Mishra, till the ending monologue by Rajkumar Rao. This film is full of impactful performances by the former two, along with Pankaj Tripathi and Anjali Patil in what could be the most realistic setting that one has seen in any of the Bollywood movies up until now.
Apart from the amazing script and loud-yet-subtle screenplay, this film uses the sound scoring to its full advantage and most appropriately as well. The silence is played with and the visuals are just about perfect to depict the magnitude of the seriousness and attention required to the scenes. The cinematography is not fancy, but that's the USP of the film. It’s not your regular popcorn flick, rather everything a film should be - entertaining, informative and relevant.
The parallel drawn between Isaac Newton’s beliefs and that of the film is beautiful:
“Mere se pehle bahut pehle bhi ek Newton tha ... padhai karte waqt kabhi uski baat samajh nahi aayi ... par ab kaam karte waqt aa rahi hai ... ke jab tak kuch nahi badloge na dost, kuch nahi badlega”, translated as, ‘Long before me there was another Newton ... I never understood what he meant while I was studying ... but now while working I've understood it ... that until you yourself don't change, nothing is going to change.’ This dialogue from the film clearly draws the parallel between both these Newtons, throwing light on what the film is all about. I also feel that the film relates to Isaac Newton on a different level. It clearly states how the laws written in our constitution are the same for everybody, just like the laws of nature states by Isaac Newton. Same for everybody.
Apart from all the praises I have for the film, I thought that the film had a few issues that most films in India have. The cinematography was way too basic, which might have worked in this case but it could be used more appropriately in some instances and could be a little more stylized. The sound scoring is always done for scenes and not taken ask a task for the whole film. One can clearly make the distinction between scenes because of the lack of continuity in the sound scoring in a linear platform. All in all I feel that even though the direction in this film was amazing, it is high time that the directors in India expand their horizon and not just put stress on the script and actors but also on the technical aspects of the film to create magic- cinematography style and scoring.
Director: Amit Masurkar
Writers: Amit Masurkar (screenplay)MayankTewari (screenplay)
IMDb : 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes : 4.2/5