Afwaah Movie Review: Mark Twain was famously quoted as saying - Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't. Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra explains and exploits that thin line where untruth twisted as truth where it meets fiction with his film Afwaah starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles. Mishra keeps his tale engaging and immersive to expose the fault-lines of the terrain where rumour (afwaah) sells like hot cakes and spreads dangerously like wildfires to damage lives permanently. The scars are unimaginably ugly to witness and the intent behind causing the harm goes much beyond the perceived personal and professional gain. Jogira Sa Ra Ra: Is This Dialogue of Nawazuddin Siddiqui Tribute To Mithun Chakraborty? Here's Why We Feel So

In what can be started as a gesture of kindness is twisted maliciously is placed as a centerpiece in this gripping narrative where Rahab (Nawaz) and Nivi (Bhumi) see themselves getting entangled with a solid backdrop of a power hungry politician and his aid (Sumeet Vyas and Sharib Hashmi) are inadvertently pulling the strings. The sheer orchestration of power play and the insane dynamics come to the fore only to unmask the ugly side of the individuals and the collectives involved.

Watch the Trailer of Afwaah:

Mishra expertly keeps the affair beautifully tidy, only to construct loops within loops to keep the drama tense. The urgency of the crisis, the starkly opposed individuals, and the telling sociopolitical consequence are all woven thrillingly as Afwaah begins to demonstrate its influence and the final conclusion is brilliantly mounted. Mishra has sharp writing, insightful language, and controlled performances at his disposal, but the key here is in the execution as well as the work that goes into generating the momentum that this story so well deserves.

While the first half of Afwaah is brisk, the second half looks a bit stretched, but what compensates for the uncomfortable thehrav is the landscape of Rajasthan that comes into play tactfully, as if the backdrop becomes a solid character of the tale, the one so pivotal that it shapes the proceedings in a controlled manner. The cinematography is as immersive as the background score that heightens the tension as the rumour unleashes its might to wreck lives of those involved. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan Actress Shehnaaz Gill To Share Screen Space With Anil Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar in Her Next Film – Reports

While the writing on the wall is obvious, it is the nuances and undercurrent that represent patriarchy, political might, and the place where the demand for news is twisted that the makers have used in a very striking way. The main characters wriggle their way out of a sticky and complex situation while the entire town is eager to track them down, adding urgency and even desperation to the narrative—Mishra then uses the medium to show the problematic space we are in without hinting at possible solutions, but cleverly suggests where all these precursors manifest from.

As far as the performances go, Nawaz captures every micro subtext and the sincere emotional triggers with flourish. Bhumi stands right alongside strongly to deliver an impressive performance too. Sumeet Vyas has his moments to showcase his craft too. But the true hero here are the makers who don't hesitate from exposing the faultiness and the simmering tension right beneath the terrain we all walk on.

Final Thoughts

Sudhir Mishra's Afwaah is daring and engaging with some remarkable performances thrown in by Nawaz and Bhumi that makes it a must-watch!

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2023 03:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).