Soni Movie Review: Netflix's Latest Offering is a Brilliantly Acted, Incredible Tale Of Friendship Set in a Grim Reality

Netflix ruled the headlines in India last year when they gave us Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane's Sacred Games, that revolutionised Indian web-series. This year, the streaming service, in a bid to garner more Indian viewership with classier content, offers us their first original film of 2019, Soni, that may not have the starry airs of Sacred Games, but is bNetfliy far the best Hindi film to come out this month. Away from the chest-thumping shenanigans that has been ruling theatres these days, Soni shakes up your convictions and makes you realise that cinema shouldn't be about 'showing', but more of 'experiencing'. Sacred Games 2 Goes International! Pankaj Tripathi Starts Shooting For Netflix's Show in South Africa.

The short-tempered Soni (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan) serves as a sub-inspector in the Delhi police headquarters, under a far more temperamental Kalpana (Saloni Batra). Used as a 'bait' in the decoy operations to catch eve-teasers and molesters, Soni's anger issues often get the better of her, when it comes to catching the criminals. Kalpana's husband Sandeep (Mohit Chauhan), also a senior cop in the department, wants her to be more strict with Soni. However, Kalpana, knowing Soni's domestic problems, takes it upon her to be a mentor of sorts to her deputy, as they slowly realise they share a lot in common than just their profession.

While I tried to desist the idea a lot while watching the film, Soni often made me go back to one of last year's biggest hits, Simmba, that had been hailed by many critics too for being 'conscientious'. A plot element of the film was sexual assault of a girl and how it finally came down to one man, a cop himself, to serve justice to the whole womankind, with even the female characters expecting him to be their saviour. Though there is no real comparison here, Soni felt more of a realistic antithesis of Simmba, that builds a window for us to peek into our law enforcement department, and shows that even if women occupy top positions there, they aren't exactly ridden of the years-old patriarchal trappings.

Soni's slow-burn narrative is not everyone's cup of taste. David Bolen (cinematography) shoots most of the scenes in long takes, allowing us to be a silent, unflinching spectator to the proceedings. Some scenes doesn't even have dialogues, like a sequence just has Soni working in the kitchen while listening to the news on the radio. And yet there is a lot more to intake in that one scene. A news bit talks about how the Prime Minister talks about making India among the top three developed nations. And just a scene back, Soni has been transferred to another department because of the way she handled two unruly and drunk Navy officers. Twitterati Is In Love With Netflix New Web Series Sex Education So Much So That They're Already Awaiting Season 2!

Another scene at a dining table has two men talks about how Soni is manhandling the unruly men because she craves for attention, and the women in the scene are placed behind them and they are out of focus. It is like they hardly matter any more when men talk, even if that's rubbish.

It isn't a one-sided affair of making 'all men are bad', though. A scene near the start, set in the police station, reveals a brawl that shows how allegations of sexual harassment can be used a tool to make things work in your favour. While Soni smells out the truth with ease, a rule-following Kalpana admonishes her for doling out her own verdict and makes them registers an FIR. Only to realise later, that her deputy was right all along.

Unlike some of the mainstream movie, director Ivan Ayr doesn't spell things out for you. It wants you to figure things on your own, like what the problem is with Soni and her partner Naveen (Vikas Shukla). The patriarchal mindset in many of our public systems is subtly called out without overstating things, more through the conversations between Kalpana and her husband, who often puts her down. Even the one cheery moment near the finale, is also not something the movie lingers upon much. Netflix Releases 'Stranger Things' Season 3 Teaser and We Can't Keep Calm!

I also love the way how Ayr uses parallels to establish that the leads themselves aren't also bereft of the patriarchal values. A friendly neighbour aunty advises Soni to put sindoor on her forehead because miscreants won't trouble a 'married ' woman. We are not sure then that Soni took the advice seriously, but later in another scene, she advises a young girl to wear manly clothes to avoid trouble from moral policing. After all, women have to change, but not the nature of men, right? In another sequence, a 'woke' Kalpana tries to blame Soni for not handling a rich brat who tried to assault the latter, properly, even though even she knows Soni isn't the one at fault.

Watch The Trailer of Soni Here -

The editing, handled by the director himself, is also done in a way to establish the status quo of these characters. The scenes between Soni and her partner Naveen (Vikas Shukla) are cut in a way that has her have the final word 'cos she is the more dominant personality. In contrast, the scenes between Kalpana and Sandeep end with the husband often having the last word.

That said, it is fascinating in the way the bonding between the lead characters is established which makes Soni so appealing. The movie creates an absorbing dynamic between a fiery Soni and a composed Kalpana, empowered by a mutual respect for each other. Kalpana may think of herself as Soni's mentor, but it is Soni who has a better control over own life than her senior. Kalpana's life, meanwhile, is dominated by the whims of her family who expects her to respect her ticking biological clock.

Soni also packs in powerful performances from both Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra, Why just them, the whole supporting cast, even the bit players, are filled with some naturally talented actors, many of whom you might never have seen before.

Final Thoughts

Soni is a fantastic piece of work with some masterful storytelling and excellent performances. The slow narrative, that even borders on stillness, may not make for a wholesome watch. Yet, the languorous manner in things are so deftly presented is what makes Soni an unexpected, heartfelt tale of friendship set in a grim reality. Absolutely recommended!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2019 09:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).