Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | August 14, 2020

Rating: 1 / 5

The Essence: The film is listless, so are the performances. I wonder if Gunjan Saxena, the real Kargil Girl will be happy watching this documentary on a father-daughter relationship which is focussed on Jahnvi Kapoor and her acting prowess. Yes, she is good in the acting department, but where the overall character of an IAF Pilot is concerned, she crash-lands. Even the otherwise brilliant Pankaj Tripathi is a pale shadow of the actor that he is.

Wrong casting…

Any Casting Director will know that to cast for the lead in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, athleticism should score high apart from talent in acting. Jogi Mallang, who is credited for the casting, I’m sure, would have this on the top of his mind. But then, this is a Dharma Production and Karan Johar is putting in the money. So I’m guessing he would have a say in the selection of the lead actress.

So they chose Jahnvi Kapoor, good actor, but no finesse in fitness. Her walk and her poise do little to showcase an officer in the Indian Air Force. There is absolutely no spring in her stride.

Here itself, the makers have fired a blank. Then for over an hour, the movie grinds heavily towards a plot where you know the girl will get to be a pilot, inspite of her mother and brother (who is also part of the IAF) thinking otherwise.

The listless plot…

So for 60 plus minutes, you are subjected to a father-daughter relationship which is cute and does touch a chord in your heart. The next 30 minutes are devoted to Gunjan being subjected to ridicule at the air base by her senior and the all-male crew. In one scene she is also asked to play punja. I mean which officer in his right mind will humiliate a fellow female officer in a manner like this. And this is not even 1899. This is 1999!

Only the last 20 minutes gives you that desh bakht feeling, provided you hang in there.

The film is listless, so are the performances. I wonder if Gunjan Saxena, the real Kargil Girl will be happy watching this documentary on a father-daughter relationship which is focussed on Jahnvi Kapoor. Yes she is good in the acting department, but where the overall character of an IAF Pilot is concerned, she crash-lands. Even the otherwise brilliant Pankaj Tripathi is a pale shadow of the actor that he is

On the whole, the film has nothing to offer other than sentiments as a pre-Independence Day Release.

CREDITS
Producer: Dharma Productions
Director: Sharan Sharma
Star Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Pankaj Tripathi

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