Movie Review: AXONE by FENIL SETA

The various communities of North Eastern people are rarely shown in Bollywood. Films like Chak De India, Pink etc have tackled the problems faced by them but it was one of the sub plots. Director Nicholas Kharkongor, who earlier made Mantra, comes up with a Hindi movie with 80% of the characters being North Eastern. Titled Axone (pronounced as A-khu-ni), this flick emerges as one of the greatest films from Bollywood in recent times!

The story of the movie: Minam (Asenla Jamir) is from Delhi who is getting married the day she has to go for an important interview. Her friends in the capital city want to celebrate her important day and hit upon a plan. Minam’s bestie Chanbi (Lin Laishram) with the help of her friend Upasana (Sayani Gupta) decide to cook smoked pork and Axone. Upasana and Chanbi are helped in this plan by Zorem (Tenzin Dalha), Upasana’s boyfriend. Things are a bit complicated here as Zorem is also Minam’s ex-boyfriend. On the other hand, the day doesn’t start off well for Chanbi as her boyfriend Bendang (Lanuakum Ao), who has a tragic past, goes incommunicado, after a tiff. However the biggest conflict faced by Chanbi and her pals is that the dish they are about to cook at Upasana’s place is going to emit a very foul odour which is pleasant to those who savour the dish. But for those not used to it, it can compel them to throw up. Upasana’s landlady (Dolly Ahluwalia) is a grumpy old woman who dislikes Upasana and her North Eastern friends and also her son in law Gajendra (Vinay Pathak). However her grandson Shiv (Rohan Joshi) is on the side of the North Easterners and he decides to help them in their mission.

Axone starts off on a high with the exhilarating theme music. The visuals don’t really compliment this music but no complaints! It takes a while to discover the main characters and how they bond with each other. However in the process, there’s a lot happening which keeps the viewers engaged. Also there are many laugh out loud moments. But don’t expect Axone to be a mindless caper. Nicholas takes up various issues that North Easteners have to go though everytime, especially racial discrimination. But instead of being preachy, he makes it a part of the script.

Any blemishes? Unfortunately, yes. The portion of the doctor, though funny, seems unnecessary. Also the solution that the friends hit upon in the end seems too simplistic.

Nicholas Kharkongor’s story is very relatable and also quite creative. You don’t get to see a film often where the biggest conflict is a group of people simply wanting to make a meal! Nicholas Kharkongor’s screenplay is very creative and thankfully, entertaining. It rarely gets heavy and even when it does, one is constantly hooked. Nicholas Kharkongor’s dialogues are smart and very well worded. The film is not just in Hindi but also in English and various North Eastern languages and it adds a lot to the authenticity.

Nicholas Kharkongor’s direction is supreme and he does total justice to the fantastic plot in hand. In this 97 minute long film, he not only establishes various sub plots and fleshes out characters beautifully but also brings them together at various junctures to take the story forward. In the process, he also enlightens audiences to some interesting customs of certain North Eastern groups and their way of lives and it is quite fascinating!

Sayani Gupta is outstanding as the Nepali woman and the way she worked on the accent is praiseworthy. Lin Laishram is like the second female lead and is an actor to watch out for. Tenzin Dalha is very dashing and gives a subtle performance. Lanuakam Ao is the most touching character of the film. Merenla Imsong (Balamon) makes an impact in a small role. A particular dialogue of her got the maximum applause! Dolly Ahluwalia is great as the grumpy old woman. Rohan Joshi is the surprise dhamaka of the film! Vinay Pathak contributes to the madness well. Milo Sunka (Hayna) is decent. Adil Hussain has no dialogue and it’s very sweet of him to do this small role!

Tajdar Junaid‘s music also deserves special mention. The score of the film encompasses music styles of different communities of North East and is so refreshing! Parasher Baruah‘s cinematography is spectacular. The film is set in just locality of Delhi and it’s very well captured. Yasmin Sethi‘s production design is realistic and so are the costumes. Suresh Pai’s editing is slick.

On the whole, there’s no way you can miss Axone once it’s out in cinemas or on OTT! The storyline is unique, the performances are great and the film scores highly on laughter and emotional quotient. Also, it’s a rare Hindi film dominated by North Eastern actors. Highly recommended!

My rating – **** ½ out of 5!