A raw chronicle of human enterprise
By Tejas Nair
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
 |
| Ugly (2013) - By Anurag Kashyap |
IMDb Ratings: 8.2
Reviewer Rating: 63 %
Reviewer Rating: 63 %
Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Cast: Ronit Roy, Abir Goswami, Vineet Kumar
Country: India
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 128 min
Color: Color
Summary: A terrible tale of corruption, indifference, and systemic violence starts when 10 year old daughter of an aspiring actor disappears.
Anurag Kashyap has never stopped intriguing me, making films that are not only bold and beautiful but also strong in themes and fables. With Ugly, which he promised to be his most honest work, he succeeds in making a point the same haughty way, but ends up saying nothing more than we already know.
 |
| A Still from Anurag Kashyap's Ugly |
A young child, already in a predicament due to
her parents' (her father, mother, and stepfather) frequent fights, is kidnapped
in broad daylight. What follows is a mixture of the continuation of those
fights and a jumpy attempt at searching for the girl. While the focus should
have been at zeroing in on the kidnapper, if at all she was kidnapped and not
gone naturally missing, the three main characters of this quasi-real-time drama
are busy trying to bury the hatchet between themselves. And what do they
receive at the end of the whole spectacle is a pure consequence of their combined
follies.
 |
| Ronit Roy in Anurag Kashyap's Ugly |
Almost each and every major character in the
film uses the abduction incident to earn few monies and that is the best
element Kashyap conveys in the film. The climax marks the grave reality we live
in, not caring for things that should be actually cared for. Delete the drama
and you will find police custodial torture, adultery, escapism & sociopathy
in the storyline, enacted marvelously by Ronit Roy and rest of the cast.
 |
| A Still from Anurag Kashyap's Ugly |
The plot is said to be inspired from true
events, and while I don't wholly believe the claim, there is no doubt in it
either. Because we read such types of incidents every day. The sheer brilliance
of capturing silent paranoia in the characters, and cussy dialogs is the
essence of Kashyap's Ugly. He also captures the apathy of policemen, which
talks volumes about our justice system. But the effect soon fades after you
leave the hall, with only the moral staying with you, for maybe a couple more
hours.
BOTTOM LINE: While Ugly is a must watch this year, one shouldn't expect gleaming frames of polished drama, but a raw chronicle of human enterprise.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO
BOTTOM LINE: While Ugly is a must watch this year, one shouldn't expect gleaming frames of polished drama, but a raw chronicle of human enterprise.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO
Vulgarity: Strong | Profanity: Infinite | Violence/Gore: Medium | Alcohol/Smoking: Light
(This review was first published at theaterbalcony.com)
About Author -
Tejas Nair is a writer, film critic, and Engineer from Mumbai, India. When he is not watching films and reviewing them on IMDb, he can either be found reading or blogging. Sidney Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” is his favorite film.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your feedback is highly appreciated!
For more information on the title, please click on the following links:
Ugly (2013) Trailer
People who liked this also liked...
The review has piqued my interest...a must watch it looks... :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's indeed a must watch for any serious viewer... thanks for sharing your thoughts!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the role of Ronit Roy in the movie Ugly. He played the role of a policeman which suits his personality. Ronit previously played the policeman in Akshay kumar starrer Indian movie Boss. He is also doing a successful TV show "Adaalat".
ReplyDeleteI like the role of Ronit Roy in the movie Ugly. He played the role of a policeman which suits his personality. Ronit previously played the policeman in Akshay kumar starrer Indian movie Boss. He is also doing a successful TV show "Adaalat".
ReplyDeleteRonit is an exceedingly talented actor... loved him in Udaan and here again he is a sight to behold!!!
ReplyDelete