Although newer ideas have been explored in Bollywood, one can’t deny that we can still do better in terms of novel content. Arati Kadav takes up the challenge and for her debut feature film Cargo, she scores a sixer!
The story of the movie: It’s a time when humans and rakshasas have made an alliance. Prahastha (Vikrant Massey) is a rakshasa who works for ‘Post Death Transition Services’ and runs a spaceship called Pushpak 634 A. As part of his job, he receives a ‘cargo’, that is, people who have died. It’s his responsibility to prepare them for next life and then extract them. Prahastha works under Nitigya sir (Nandu Madhav) who communicates with him through video call. He often tells Prahastha to be more social and like other astronauts, make himself available to his fans on social media. Prahastha however is a recluse who prefers to work alone without making any noise for his followers. When Nitigya sir announces that Prahastha will be given an assistant, Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi), he protests as he doesn’t feel the need. But his request is not adhered to. Yuvishka is sent to Pushpak 634 A and unlike Prahastha, Yuvishka likes to document her each day on social media. Prahastha is irritated and misses his old life, when all was under his control. But now there’s no looking back and he has to settle with Yuvishka as his colleague.
Cargo becomes a winner just through its concept. The taut execution and performances are like icing on the cake. The way the whole world has been created by Arati is seen to be believed. Even the introduction of the characters and the whole process of transitioning after death is well handled. There are no complaints in the beginning as the film is highly engaging. But in the middle, it stagnates. The film is 119 minutes long and could have been 10-15 minutes shorter for a better impact. A few scenes are bewildering. Also, while the world shown in the film is spectacular, it’s also a bit confusing especially the rakshasa bit. Thankfully the film picks up in the last 15-20 minutes and the movie ends on a fine note.
Talking of performances, both Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi give their hundred per cent. Vikrant is an absolute natural and despite his young and boyish looks, he manages to be convincing as someone who has a vast experience in his work. Shweta is adorable and delivers yet another bravura performance. There are several layers to her character and she brings it out very well. Nandu Madhav has a crucial part and nails it. Biswapati Sarkar is funny at first but his character has a deeper meaning. Konkona Sen Sharma is lovely in the cameo. Anjum Rajabali is decent. Others also do well.
Shezan Shaikh‘s music is futuristic and has the space feel. Kaushal Shah‘s cinematography is praiseworthy. 90% of the film is set on the spaceship but it doesn’t make viewers feel trapped. Lovedeep Gulyani‘s costumes are in sync with the film’s theme. VFX is superb, especially considering the limited budget of the film. Anish John‘s sound design elevates impact. Paramita Ghosh‘s editing is neat but one wishes a few sequences were further shortened.
Arati Kadav‘s story is one of the strenghts of the film. Arati Kadav‘s screenplay makes the plot even more worthy and even entertaining. She mentioned that due to budget constraints, she had to make some compromises but in a way, it works as the film focuses solely on the two characters and their predicaments. Arati Kadav‘s dialogues are simple.
Arati Kadav‘s direction is commendable, also because it’s her directorial debut. She does a good job even with how she adds layers. A few aspects of her direction are really impressive. For example, she doesn’t show people dying in most cases and the manner in which the scenes cuts from people on earth before their death to them on Pushpak 634 A is nicely done. Also, the marriage party scene is a masterstroke. If only the concept was a bit more simplistic, Cargo would have been a classic. Yet, no complaints because even what she has managed will be loved!
On the whole, Cargo has a mind-blowing and a unique concept, which we don’t get to see in Hindi cinema. The exemplary performances by Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi also contribute to the impact. Here’s hoping this hatke film gets a timely release in cinemas!
My rating – **** out of 5
