Review of Main Atal Hoon Movie | Pankaj Tripathi is Unable
Although Pankaj Tripathi gives an outstanding performance, the movie falls short of fully capturing the man’s complexity and becomes a rah-rah hagiography of the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It should come as no surprise that “Main Atal Hoon” would be a verbatim recounting of the highlights of a distinguished political figure. However, it is a great disappointment that Ravi Jadhav, the director of the wonderful musical “Natrang,” has reduced this biographical picture of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the 10th Prime Minister of India, to such a rah-rah hagiography. Vajpayee was a colorful and charismatic figure who was a devoted supporter of the Hindu Rashtra, a poet turned politician, and an avid member of the RSS.
A portion of today’s audience will be happy simply that the movie exists; it’s not so much a nuanced, multi-layered exploration of Atal Bihari’s life and times as it is a step-by-step manual of how the Hindu Right rose to power. With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner and the Ram Mandir inauguration taking place soon, the timing couldn’t be more ideal for the current government.
However, what we would have preferred is a biography that is far more rigorous and demanding: how did Atal, the youngster who couldn’t speak on stage, develop into such a proficient orator? How could a little speech from his father, Piyush Mishra, accomplish the task? How did young Atal join his “shakha,” absorbing the Sangh’s philosophy and learning how to spin the lathi? When he was a young man, India was still ruled by the British, and there was a strong sense of patriotism. But what else, besides his stunning classmate Rajkumari (Ekta Kaul), stirred his blood?
Playing the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi was destined for success. Even a talented actor like Tripathi is limited by the simplistic storyline, despite his mastery of Hindi and captivating speech patterns that captivate us. A balanced portrayal of a young neta who had a significant role in forming the early Jan Sangh, the short-lived Janata Party, and the present BJP is what we could have gotten instead. Even though he remained steadfast in his early convictions and his “mukhauta” did not change, he was able to bridge political divides and rise to prominence as both the prime minister and foreign minister of India.
Instead, what we get is a biased narrative about those turbulent years when India was forming into a republic. The movie repeatedly reminds us that the ruling Congress, led by Nehru and Indira, was powerless to address the pervasive “gareebi” and “bhukhmari,” and that corruption at the highest levels had destroyed the country’s internal organs (a reference to Sanjay Gandhi’s Maruti project and the nasbandi drive is made). Even though some of that was accurate, it would be unfair to ignore everything else that gained traction and leave it all out.
The movie is so infatuated with its main subject that all other prominent members of the same party who emerged at the same period are reduced to ciphers: The most unfairly treated character is Lal Krishna Advani (Raja Sevak), who becomes “the friend” and introduces the diligent Vajpayee to the wonders of cinema.
Meanwhile, the actors portraying Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, and Pramod Mahajan hardly get a look-in, while Vajpayee’s highlights—the nuclear bomb, the Lahore bus, and the Kargil war—get the most screen time. Even though Kaul is exceedingly attractive and makes a significant impression, Atal’s connection with Rajkumari and her family, as well as the menagerie they established, is so sanitized—becoming more his responsibility than his passion—that it is impossible to take seriously.
Supporting Cast and Performances
Apart from Pankaj Tripathi’s exceptional portrayal of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the supporting cast in “Main Atal Hoon” delivers commendable performances. However, their roles are relatively brief, and the characters fail to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Actors like Deen Dayal, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Pramod Mahajan, and Indira Gandhi are portrayed well, but their limited screen time hampers their ability to make a significant impact. Ekta Kaul shines in the first half of the film as Rajakumari Kaul but is unfortunately underutilized in the latter part.
Direction and Cinematography
Director Ravi Jadhav, known for his National Award-Winning films, brings his unique perspective to “Main Atal Hoon.” The film showcases Jadhav’s skill in capturing visually stunning scenes, particularly through the use of shadow-casting. The play of light and shade adds depth to the storytelling and enhances the overall cinematic experience. However, the screenplay fails to fully utilize the director’s vision, resulting in a slow-paced first half that may test the patience of some viewers.
All that’s left is Tripathi, who flawlessly executes Vajpayee’s signature neck-shake and hands-flinging gestures when giving speeches both inside and outside of Parliament. The sole reason to watch this two and a half hour movie is because of him; he is more of a character than a caricature.
