Director
Hansal
Mehta's
Aligarh
is
a
human
rights
story
that
reveals
the
plight
of
homosexuals
in
conservative
Indian
society.
It
is
a
tapestry
of
a
compelling
drama,
enveloped
between
the
two
historical
verdicts,
the
Delhi
High
Court
first
decriminalising
and
thenthe
Supreme
Court
restoring
criminalising
Section
377
of
the
Indian
Penal
Code.
It
is
the
true
story
of
Dr.
S.R.
Siras,
a
professor
of
Marathi
and
the
head
of
the
Classical
Modern
Indian
Languages
Faculty
at
the
famed
Aligarh
University,
who
was
suspended
on
grounds
of
morality.
Director:
Hansal
Mehta
Cast:
Manoj
Bajpayee,
Rajkumar
Rao,
Ashish
Vidyarthi
and
Delnaaz
Irani
ALIGARH
PLOT:
The
film
starts
with
the
inciting
moment
when
the
professor's
privacy
is
invaded
by
some
miscreants
who
forcibly
enter
his
house
and
film
him
sharing
intimate
moments
with
a
rickshaw-puller.
What
keeps
you
glued
to
the
screen
is
the
focused
narrative
and
the
natural
performances,
that
give
you
a
glimpse
into
the
life
of
the
protagonist.
Writers
Ishani
Banerjee
and
Apurva
Israni
have
ensured
that
there
is
nothing
unwarranted
and
no
unnecessary
titillation,
given
the
sensitive
subject.
They
have
cleverly
incorporated
the
track
of
Deepu
Sebastian,
a
journalist
from
Delhi
working
for
the
Indian
Post,
to
propel
the
narrative.
Manoj
Bajpayee
essays
the
role
of
the
victimised,
shy
and
unassuming
professor
to
perfection,
who
is
forced
to
fight
his
battle,
singlehandedly.
With
his
gait,
speech
and
underplayed
histrionics,
Manoj
is
the
character,
you
would
believe
in.
The
silences
in
his
performance
and
vulnerability
in
his
eyes,
are
used
by
him
effectively
to
convey
his
anguish
and
loneliness.
The
two
Lata
Mangeshkar
songs,
"Aap
ki
nazaron
ne
samjha
pyaar
ke
kabil
mujhe" and
"Betaab
dil
ki
tamanna
yahi
hai",
woven
dexterously
into
the
script,
encapsulate
Dr.
Siras'
solitude
and
his
desire
to
be
loved.
The
way
he
passionately
hums
the
song
makes
you
reach
out
to
him.
Rajkummar
Rao
as
Deepu
Sebastian,
is
lithe
and
natural.
He
plays
the
effervescent
and
enthusiastic
Malayali
journalist
settled
in
Delhi
with
ease
and
the
bond
he
forges
with
the
professor
seems
genuine.
Unfortunately,
his
character
does
not
delve
into
why
he
gets
attracted
to
the
case
and
hence
the
track
seems
forced
when
he
insists,
"you
have
to
fight
it
out,
Mr.
Siras".
The
lip-lock
between
Deepu
and
Namita,
his
reporting
head
played
by
Delnaaz
Irani,
reveals
the
progressive
India,
thus,
bringing
out
the
sharp
contrast
of
the
orthodox
Indian
society,
otherwise
portrayed
in
the
film.
Ashish
Vidyarthi,
as
the
lawyer
fighting
Siras's
case,
unfortunately
lacks
the
punch.
Mounted
with
moderate
production
values,
Satya
Rai
Nagpaul's
camera
work
is
steady
and
remarkable.
His
frames
are
realistic.
With
his
wide
angle
lenses
and
tight
close-ups,
he
artistically
captures
the
claustrophobic
space
and
the
fine
nuances
of
Manoj's
haunting
performance.
Karan
Kulkarni's
soulful
background
score
is
well-layered
in
the
narration.
There
are
a
few
edit
jerks
in
Apurva
Asrani's
editing
but
this
could
probably
be
due
to
censor
issues.
Overall,
Hansal
Mehta's
direction
touches
a
raw
nerve
and
makes
you
embrace
the
film
wholeheartedly.
Verdict:
Aligarh
is
based
on
real
life
incidents
that
makes
it
a
compelling
watch.
The
actors
have
given
their
career
best
performances
and
the
story
is
so
touching
and
inspiring!
All
in
all,
Aligarh
is
a
must
watch!