Aligarh to me is the best movie of 2016. I was pretty moved and immensely touched by the way the movie was so explicit yet so sensitive in its depiction of a homosexual professor whose private life suddenly becomes public. It's a hard-hitting movie, completely unapologetic in the treatment of the gay angle, yet bafflingly tender and drowning in an uncharacteristic incandescent sweetness.
The movie takes the theme of gay rights and sprinkles it with a tone of vigilance, asking its viewers to introspect and be attentive in how we take care of our world, of each other, of ourselves. Human rights, it suggests, will always demand us to be brave and pay it the regard it deserves. But at the same time, the movie does not masquerade to be an "art" movie. There are plenty of elements which are relatable, raw, visceral. It's a sheer delight to the senses.
The professor dies under mysterious circumstances and in some ways, the mystery is never solved. Spine-chillingly taken from real events, the movie is at once a human interest story and a vociferous stand against injustice.
Manoj Bajpai's nuanced and layered performance is like the icing on the cake. it brought tears to my eyes and a lump to the throat simultaneously. Hansal Mehta pitches the movie with an emotional depth and a critical edge, a lethal combination which showcases his understanding of the medium.
The movie mirrors the times we live in, yet makes a quiet plea for change and tolerance.
My favourite scene is where Manoj Bajpai and Rajkumar Rao are taking a boat ride down the river, and the conversation that ensues between them.
Hindi TV Shows
15