Some of the biggest setbacks in life often happen very suddenly. At times, it becomes difficult to cope with the pressure and sometimes, time takes a bit longer to heal. Waiting tells a story of two people who have suffered a major tragedy in their lives and how they help each other come to terms with it. This is a sensitive film but is ably handled by Anu Menon. Definitely a film to watch out for!
The story of the movie: Shiv’s (Naseeruddin Shah) wife Padmaja (Suhasini Maniratnam) suffered a stroke 8 months ago and is admitted in a super specialty hospital in Cochin. Rajat (Arjun Mathur) is from Mumbai who is in Cochin for project work. He meets with an accident and slips into coma. His newly wedded wife Tara (Kalki Koechlin) rushes to be by his side. She bumps into Shiv and both form a lovely bond. With each other’s support, they are able to better cope with the tragedy in their lives.
Waiting deals with a grim topic but is extremely light and even funny. The advantage of this topic is that it is very relatable – after all, we all have gone through the experience of having a loved one being admitted in a hospital and doctors using terms that go over our heads while trying to explain the patient’s situation. Waiting shows all these aspects and much more, beautifully. The bond that Shiv and Tara form is shown very organically and hence it looks very convincing. The film is just 97 minutes and packs in a lot in such a short duration. And the best part is that it might look like a niche film but it’s not. It is extremely simple to comprehend. Yes, there are layers to the plot and the characters but one can easily understand what the makers are trying to convey. On the flipside, the film falls a bit in the second half. The finale scene is a good idea but seems slightly forced and hence the impact is slightly dented.
Speaking of performances, Naseeruddin Shah is yet again in top form. It is surprising how he ensures that not a single nuance or expression or body movement will remind one of any of his past performance! Everytime you see a new Naseeruddin Shah and Waiting is no different! Kalki Koechlin looks stunning and highly impresses with her performance. The character she plays is arguably an extension of her Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani character. But she puts in enough effort to make it stand out and in the process, also does justice to her character. Suhasini Maniratnam and Arjun Mathur are good in their small parts. Ratnabali Bhattacharjee (Ishita) leaves a huge mark and so does Rajat Kapoor (Dr Nirupam). Rajiv Rajendranath who played the villainous student scene in the famous ‘mutravisarjan’ scene in 3 Idiots, plays a very endearing character. Others are good.
Mikey McCleary’s music is soothing but not memorable enough. Background score is much better, though minimally used. Neha Parti Matiyani’s cinematography is simple and works very well. The locations are very nice and the film looks like a rich product (Production design: Prajakta Ghag). Story is unconventional and very relatable. Dialogues are one of the highpoints. Initially, Kalki’s abuses seem forced for effect but in the later scenes, it’s very well incorporated. In fact, abuses have a part to play in the film as well! Anu Menon and James Ruzicka’s screenplay is fine but gets a bit shaky and off track at few places in second half. Anu Menon’s direction is simple and engaging. The film moves ahead at a fine pace consistently. Her previous film London Paris New York was also a worth watching film and she maintains her credibility with Waiting!
On the whole, Waiting is a nice emotional drama that never goes over the top or turns depressing. It deals with a grim topic but has enough light moments. Moreover, the essence of the film is that is very easy to understand. Sadly, this film has already been slotted as a ‘niche film’. Here’s hoping the film reaches to many viewers as possible through a positive word of mouth. Lastly, the film has loads of abuses but there are hardly any cuts which is a feat in today’s times. So don’t WAIT…go for it!
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!