Pink Movie Review: Why Pink is a must watch!
The best thing about Pink is that it isn’t melodramatically over-zealous nor does it solely rely on the emotional appeal of the subject at play. It captures the deeply entrenched male chauvinism of our society subtly and yet packs a powerful punch. The message isn’t just another footnote in the ending but the entire movie itself.
Powerful performances from Tapsi Pannu (who plays the role of Meenal) and the seasoned Amitabh Bachchan who bests his Piku and Wazir performance. Kirti Kulari (plays the role of Falak in Pink), who had previously acted in Shaitan, also adds in a powerful performance.
Related: You can check Amitabh’s Piku and Wazir reviews here
The movie’s story follows an after-concert party-gone-wrong resulting in an assault case filed against the “outgoing” and “independent” girls. Pink is about the struggle of women against law (and society) and how a retired lawyer, who’s battling his own illness, comes to their rescue.
The story isn’t limited to the plight of the girls but is also about the society’s reactions. Reactions, deeply embedded with chauvinism, directed against them. It describes the general perception of our men-centric society and how they measure the ‘character’ of the women by the length of the clothing she chooses to wear. This attitude has seeped too deep in our society and has made even the women become part of it. This, among other things, is what Pink tries to uncover.
The film is a mirror for the society and to every viewer to watch and introspect. How loosely used terms, for e.g., calling every random girl a “slut” (or an equivalent term in their own regional language) just based on what they wear, how they speak or whom they chose to befriend, is bizarre.
Apart from the story, the strong performances, and the message, there are a few issues that did irk me. Is the world around so superficial that no one comes to stand alongside the girls in this fight? Sure we as a society have deeply rooted favoritism for men but does everyone lack even this much of an empathy towards the female gender?
Definitely, the makers might not have wanted to tread down the same path of media activism and public outcry and the strong story doesn’t let you think of any of it. More than anything the way every emotion, frustration and the pain, has been captured and brought out by the characters, is powerful.
This happens to be Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’ first Hindi movie and I’m intrigued to start watching his Bengali movies. Yes, Pink is that good.
Any movie which has Shoojit Sarcar’s name attached naturally adds certain expectations and each time he surpasses those. Credits to Ritesh Shah for a binding story and screenplay. Interestingly, we are only shown as to “what actually happened that night” in the end credits. This keeps us, as viewers, to keep questioning the narrative and be involved.
The movie Pink makes you think of the society, while you’re watching it, but also makes you take away a part of it, long after you’ve left the theater. Pink is a must watch for all men, all women, and even the grown-up kids to realize why “NO means NO”. It strikes hard where it should.
Final Ratings: Pink Movie Review
I’m going with 4/5 for Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary’s Pink. Without a doubt, it’s a must watch. Go catch it in a theater near you. It is hauntingly tensed and wakes you up with a strong message.