Staying Alive – Movie Review

Staying Alive, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is a dark comedy and without doubt makes an attempt to say something new. Though Staying Alive boasts of an original and authentic plot, it would have best suited for a good novel reading. The limitations in the plot bring in a sort of monotony in the narrative. Most part of the film is shot inside the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICU). Only flashbacks here and there, which take the audience away from the room.

Certain sequences have been handled by Ananth extremely well. However, the film gets monotonous as it keeps moving from the past and the present. The second part in particular is particularly slow.

Story

Staying Alive is a story about two men from two different walk of life who share the same hospital room (ICU). Aditya (Ananth Mahadevan) is a newspaper editor, who has already survived two strokes in the past and has learnt to overcome the crisis. Saurabh Shuka plays the role of Shaukat Ali, who is an underworld don. He has been witness to many deaths and is quite paranoid about his first heart attack. The narrative progresses at a snails pace as it reveals their interactions and exchange of ideas in the ICU room. The camaraderie between the two helps change the perception of Shaukat Ali.

Both wives of the two characters are shown crying and trying to console each other outside the ICU.

Performances

Saurabh Shukla is fantastic and so is Amanth Mahadevan. All actors have no doubt given a natural performance. Saurabh brings in the fun element in the otherwise very serious film.

Staying Alive is unlikely to do great at the box office. Overall, an average film!

Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

Cast: Saurabh Shukla, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan