Review: You will not recognise Kapil Sharma in 'Zwigato' in the best possible way

Zwigato

There is more to Kapil Sharma than just being a 'funny guy.' This is a point that has been talked about earlier but never really explored apart from a shoddy attempt in the film, Firangi. But here we have, Sharma playing Manas Mahto, a simple, honest and hardworking man who works as a delivery boy for a food app, Zwigato but is struggling to make ends meet.

While the one-liner might seem rather simplistic, Zwigato touches on multiple topics and exhibits them rather differently. Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Not Attempting to Find a Solution

One of the key factors that made Zwigato a special watch in its execution, especially - is how it focuses on the storyline and portrayal not really having a will to find a solution which one usually expects from a film. There is an innate need to have a beginning and an end to every film we see but some films are different.

On showcasing the bundle of factors, the film doesn't shy away from the way it's done. Even towards the end of the film, we see the line 'and life continues' - that sums up what director Nandita Das wants us to feel and leave the theatre with. Because, there can never be a magical solution to the truckload of struggles one face in life but one can still find the mellow and smaller moments of happiness and joy that helps them to tackle yet another day waking up.

Tackling A Lot

When films attempt to go bananas with tackling multiple subjects, the outcome is usually at extremes. Either it becomes a slobbery mess or, if done right, is a breath of fresh air that you makes you marvel at each of those pointers. Zwigato shines in being able to highlight an array of issues so prevalent and ingrained in our society that it leads you to ponder upon it.

The research and execution done by director Nandita Das and her team is top-notch where it ranges from the subtle moments of exploitation of employees in the garb of making them feel important to general unemployment, financial inequality, human behavior, patriarchy and so much more. But the path taken to display all this is subtlety. Everything is nuanced in a way that makes you feel the intended emotion right in your gut.

While the aforementioned issues are shown and how, the other scenes that seem smaller also make a huge impact. Manas' kids making the most of the on-going reel trends while nabbing away their parents' phones as and when, the sheer claustrophobia and frustration of living in a smaller house with two spectrums of age - kids who are difficult to handle and an ailing mother whose duties are taxing; these things aren't blatant but still register.

The Performances

It is amazing to see Kapil Sharma excel as a drama actor as well. As Manas Mahto, Sharma is almost perfect where every emotion - from being a tired and robotic man who is working on and on to the moments of anger and frustration that he has and then his ingrained patriarchy; it is all performed well and how! To the people, he continues to be the funny man with flashy style but owing to the fact how the man in his real life began in the roots, it seems the experience helped Sharma playing Manas.

The cameos in the film are a mixed bag where some of them land while some don't. Sayani Gupta makes a huge impact in her short cameo playing as one of the managers at the food delivery app Manas works for while Swanand Kirkire also does well playing an influential political activist. The cameo of Gul Panag, however, did not land for me where the whole track of the EV bike seemed important but did not make a mark.

The Chameleon - Shahana Goswami

The kind of phenomenal actor that Shahana Goswami is - she deserved a standalone mention. Over the years, we have seen the actor excel in one character after another time and again. As Pratima, she does the same yet again. Not only does she perfectly complement Sharma and their chemistry is fantastic but she lives Pratima from the inside and that translates. You feel for the character more than for Sharma's Manas - because not only does she help her husband trying to make ends meet but she also tackles her husband's patriarchal thoughts with calmness. I wanted her to fly and amazingly, the little moment she feels alive just seemed to be the apt climax for this film. 

The Drab Treatment

It isn't that Zwigato doesn't have its set of flaws. Inspite of running at a forgiving time of 1 hour 45 minutes, there is an array of scenes that feel unwanted and rather disjointed to feed the purpose. As mentioned above, the entire scene of a dream EV bike didn't feel as important. The metaphor that Das was going for with the beginning of the film that is Manas seeing a dream of travelling in a train fetching a government form while not being swooned by his own wife but in a conventionally glamorous avatar - doesn't land as the film goes on. There are long moments of drab treatment to the storyline and might knock you out of the film for a while until a better moment comes on.

The Verdict

Zwigato is a tender look at the systemic problems that majority of our population faces and a deeper dive into the business of food delivery applications who seemingly practice disguised employment while exploiting the workforce. But it is the performances that propel all these and other issues to translate and Das' direction.

Rating - *** (3/5)