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Cast:
Rajat Kapoor, Sachin Nayak |
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Year:
2009 |
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Music:
Sagar Desai |
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Cinematographer: Mrinal Desai |
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Costume
Designer:
Isha Ahluwalia, Jeneva Talwar |
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Presenter:
Vistaar Religare Film Fund |
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Co-Producer:
Pryas Gupta |
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Producer:
Alliance Media, Walkwater Media |
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Director:
Pryas Gupta |
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| The idea
that the director goes forward with, is extremely
interesting. He explores the concept of freedom and
imprisonment, in the literal as well and as in an abstract
sense. The imprisonment that he talks about in the movie is
more on a spiritual level, on how we are all imprisoned by
our desires on the material plane. In that sense, we are all
prisoners. The film begins with Siddharth (quite a
deliberate use of the name), a famous writer, who has just
been released from jail. He has completed his new book and
he hopes to be able to re establish his connection with the
outside world once more with this book. He feels that it
will win him back his freedom as he would be able to re
establish his reputation as a writer and also mend his
relations with his now estranged wife, Maya (again a
deliberate choice of name). |
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But life takes a bizarre turn when Siddharth loses
his briefcase at a cyber cafe. It contains the only
copy of his manuscript, his ticket to freedom. His
briefcase gets exchanged with another similar
looking one, which is full of money. Mohan, the
manager of cafe, is under pressure from his superior
to recover the briefcase with the money. Siddharth
is quite frustrated and in a lot of anguish about
losing his manuscript. Meanwhile, even though he is
reconciled with his son, the new found |
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money fails to bring him any kind of happiness. He
is now desperate to get custody of his son. Mohan loses his
job and is forced to go into hiding from the mob. He is
desperate to find Siddharth and recover the lost briefcase
and the money.
The suitcase
becomes a metaphor for desire which has a corrupting
influence on all who come by it. It exposes the fraility and
weakness of the human spirit in the face of desire, which
imprisons us.
The idea that
the director is working with comes out in the film, but it
is one which requires a lot of patience on part of the
viewer. The director uses as his inspiration or starting
point, the basic Buddhist tenet that true emancipation rises
from a state of desirelessness. It is this tenet that Pryas
explores as he sets his story in contemporary times. All of
this is good, but one feels that the treatment could have
benefited with a lot more clarity of vision on the part of
the director. It is the writing which is also to blame for
some of film's obscurity. The cinematography by Mrinal Desai
is okay. It could have done with some crisp editing. |
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Where the acting is concerned, Rajat Kapoor plays
his part with full seriousness and is able to bring
out the angst of the character very well. He is very
well supported by Sachin Nayak, who plays the cafe
manager. The rest of the cast is just about
competent.
In all, Siddharth The Prisoner, deals with an
interesting concept but suffers in the area for
execution. It does not make for very satisfying
viewing. |
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