Movie Review ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’: These goddesses are not to be messed with!

Director: Pan Nalin

Rating: 3.5 stars

Director Pan Nalin has taken the road less travelled, and attempted to make a film highlighting a very relevant issue in today’s times. The commendable thing about the film is that it lays the cards down on the table without the lecturing or even becoming too preachy. He picks a journey of 6 women, each with their own story and larger problem, very much significant in today’s time.

The movie begins with Freida (Sarah Jane Dias) inviting her close friends to her house for a happy occasion. She doesn’t reveal it to them but the idea of a get together makes everyone happy. So nobody complains. Not from the friend list but Freida’s senior colleague Suranjana (Sandhya Mridul) is also invited, brings her daughter along. She is constantly complaining about no network and is most of the time on the phone solving an office issue.

Freida, Madhureeta (Anushka Manchanda) and Pam (Pavleen Gujral) bond over special college memories. Joanna (Amrit Maghera), Freida’s cousin, is a struggling actress with a dream to make it big in Bollywood.

This big get together of all the characters in a quaint little cottage in Goa, throws light on the excess baggage each of them carry around, that in turn determines how their deal with life and its ups and downs. It is beautiful to watch the bond between the six, strengthen over time and it is also refreshingly easy to watch them emote the various emotions that have been bothering them.

Rajshshi Deshpande (Lakshmi) who plays a maid, is very much a part of everyone’s journey, and in the end, is also able to come to terms with her inner demons.

Everyone’s journey in this film is unique, with each character fighting her own battle; hence it would be unfair to mention their character sketch in few lines. The director has given enough screen time to establish his characters and the struggles they have faced in the past.

The movie is a breeze and the effortless performances really keep you involved with everyone’s imperfect journey. The dialogues are part of daily conversation and hence do not appear ‘scripted’. The cinematographer has shot the visuals really well- the close-ups, the vintage house, the lanes of Goa- all fit in the right place. The background score has only helped a well-performed scene look better.

However, there are times when the movie, despite interesting narration of every character, appears to be running in all directions. But the real essence of the movie is always maintained. When the movies goes get serious towards the end, the visuals and the well-written dialogues will leave a shock value. It is not a predictable Hindi movie with clichés. You grow with the characters and their journey is very much identifiable.

Keeping the spirit in mind, these angry goddesses are not to be messed with; a message the director tells you without forcing anything upon you.