Star
Cast:
Rana
Daggubati,
Shriya
Pilgaonkar,
Zoya
Hussain,
Pulkit
Samrat
Director:
Prabhu
Soloman
The
concept
of
wildlife
and
forest
conservation
is
a
subject
that
has
not
gone
untouched
by
Bollywood.
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
aka
Kaadan
in
Tamil
and
Aranya
in
Telugu
attempts
to
play
on
similar
lines.
While
the
plot
and
the
characters
try
to
bring
out
the
emotion
of
empathy
towards
the
elephants
and
the
jungle,
it's
the
shabby
execution
of
this
one
that
acts
as
a
bummer.
What's
Yay:
The
cinematography
by
AR
Ashok
Kumar
and
the
action
sequences
What's
Nay:
Shoddy
screenplay,
chaotic
subplots
and
non-convincing
character
development
Story
The
plot
of
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
revolves
around
Bandev
(Rana
Daggubati)'s
quest
to
protect
and
restore
the
rights
of
the
elephants
in
the
forest
wherein
a
crucial
part
of
their
land
is
usurped
by
a
government
minister
for
a
housing
project.
On
the
other
hand,
a
gang
of
alleged
Maoists
led
by
Arvi
(Zoya
Hussain)
are
fighting
for
their
rights
from
the
government.
A
Mahaut
(Pulkit
Samrat)
is
initially
hired
by
the
housing
project
officials
to
drive
the
protesting
elephants
away
from
the
site
but
a
personal
mishap
gives
him
a
much-needed
introspection.
Then
there
is
a
journalist
Arundhati
(Shriya
Pilgaonkar)
who's
dedicated
to
only
cater
to
the
truth
and
stay
true
to
her
work.
Direction
Director
Prabhu
Soloman
has
tried
to
weave
out
a
compelling
message
on
the
lines
of
elephant
and
wildlife
conservation
but
the
direction
and
screenplay
of
this
one
become
one
huge
convoluted
mess.
There
are
several
sub-plots
like
the
plotting
of
the
Maoists
to
infiltrate
the
wall
made
by
the
housing
project
officials
or
the
love
story
between
Pulkit
and
Zoya's
character
that
does
not
have
a
significant
build-up
or
does
not
take
the
plot
convincingly
ahead.
Rather
than
focusing
on
Bandev's
fight
for
the
justice
of
the
elephants,
the
plot
deviates
from
the
main
story
and
threatens
to
become
a
snooze
fest.
Be
it
a
corrupt
police
officer's
fake
encounter
of
innocent
villagers
or
the
bizarre
chain
of
events
that
include
Pulkit's
character
randomly
falling
in
love
with
a
stranger,
one
finds
it
difficult
to
connect
with
the
plotline
or
the
underdeveloped
characters.
One
struggles
to
also
understand
the
God-like
features
of
Rana
Daggubati's
Bandev.
It
should've
been
established
how
he
developed
a
superhuman
animal-like
strength
or
characteristics
as
the
entire
thing
looks
caricaturish
in
some
scenes.
These
irrelevant
factors
increase
the
pace
of
the
movie
laboriously.
Rana
Daggubati
is
the
main
guiding
anchor
of
this
one.
He
is
at
his
fiery
best
and
is
simply
a
visual
delight
as
Bandev.
The
actor
never
fails
to
break
the
sync
of
his
character's
raw
and
rough
persona
be
it
through
his
walk
or
his
mannerisms.
Even
though
his
character
possesses
some
caricaturish
traits
on
some
occasions
but
his
convincing
act
makes
up
for
it.
Pulkit
Samrat
tries
to
do
justice
to
his
character
but
some
of
his
scenes
appear
overly
melodramatic
and
loud.
One
of
his
high
points
in
the
movie
is
when
he
grieves
the
loss
of
his
elephant
Chotu.
Zoya
Hussain
and
Shriya
Pilgaonkar
are
convincing
in
their
acts
but
do
not
have
much
room
to
perform.
Anant
Mahadevan
as
the
main
antagonist
could
have
been
utilised
more.
A
shoutout
to
the
best
cast
members
of
the
film-
the
elephants.
Technical
Aspects
The
highlight
of
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
has
to
be
the
captivating
cinematography
by
A
R
Ashok
Kumar.
The
dense,
riveting
and
blissful
aura
of
the
forests
of
Chhatisgarh
and
their
wildlife
is
beautifully
showcased.
The
action
sequences
of
the
film
have
been
well
choreographed.
However,
the
movie
lacks
polished
editing
that
adds
to
the
weary
pace.
Music
The
music
by
Shantanu
Moitra
acts
as
a
catchy
background
score.
However,
the
soundtracks
could
have
created
a
greater
impact.
The
song
'Ae
Hawa' by
Javed
Ali
stands
out.
Verdict
Watch
this
one
for
the
honest
message
of
wildlife
and
environment
conservation.
Another
reason
is
inevitably
Rana
Daggubati's
larger
than
life
act.
We
give
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
2.5
out
of
5
stars.