A well-meaning scam
Adapted from a book of the same name, Serious Men is a noticeable addition to Netflix's recent wave of solid, Hindi language content. Directed by Sudhir Mishra, Nawaz's stellar presence in the lead role and an interesting subject matter definitely piqued my interest. Though the film does stumble its way through certain aspects, the end result is undeniably good. Keep on reading, as I go over the major aspects of the film, and tell you whether it is worth the time or not.
Synopsis:
Ayyan Mani (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a brilliant man from a humble background. He works at the prestigious National Institute of Fundamental Research – as a personal assistant to Dr Acharya (Nassar), a celebrated Tamilian scientist. Thanks to his social status, his abilities have always been undermined and he has been told what he can or can not do, his whole life. Ayyan’s dream is to ensure the best possible future for his son and indirectly himself. Being shunned from achieving all that the privileged or serious people of society have achieved, he projects his aspirations towards his son, Adi (Akshath Das). And thankfully, Adi turns out to be a child prodigy, excellent in almost all fields of study. He quickly becomes a local hero, thanks to his intellect. The world is completely enamoured and in awe of him. However, things aren’t as simple as they may seem.
How's The Stroy?
Serious men is a fantastic tale and satire on pretty much everything that affects contemporary India. It is also a light-hearted reflection of the trials and tribulations an urban lower-caste goes through. Ayyan is deceptively smart. Despite being socially oppressed, he is not portrayed as victims. In fact, he probably is the smartest in the room. The problem is, that everyone around him is too arrogant about their own knowledge and heritage; that someone from a lower caste actually being on the same level as them is unfathomable. He hasn’t been portrayed as helpless, just desperate. Desperate to claw his way out of the current situation and to ensure that his future generations don’t have to go through the same predicament.
As Ayyan eloquently illustrates while sitting poolside of an expensive hotel with his wife: They are 2G – second generation. Educated but unable to enjoy themselves. Their son Adi will be one step ahead with a corporate job and eventually Adi’s children – the fourth generation – will have everything they desire. Basically, it takes 4 generations to afford the luxury of joblessness.
Everyone else, irrespective of status and wealth, is also hustling. That is just the law of the land. A wily politician and his US-returned daughter use Ayyan and Adi to push through their massive redevelopment project. Prof. Acharya wants to solidify his name in the field of science, by discovering alien microorganisms on Mars. Even the principal of Adi’s school, a nun, tries to hard-sell Christianity to the family. Everything is for sale – including suffering.
Through the eyes of a child, the film makes it a point to touch on the pressures of being a celebrity, and most of all, a child celebrity. The immense pressure some parents unknowingly put on these young lives is downright brutal. For fulfilling their unfulfilled desires, parents look to their kids and start them off from an early age. However, this practice puts an immense amount of pressure on these kids. They grow up to be more insecure and the fear of underperforming always looms over their heads.
The film also sheds a small light upon the subject of the caste system. The protagonist being a poverty-stricken Dalit male, we get to see how something reprehensible for us is a normal reality for him. Even though the film doesn't veer too strongly in the direction of caste politics, there is just the right amount here for us to get a good taste for it.
How Are The Performances?
Ayyan is played by the Incomparable Nawazuddin Siddiqui who gives this con-man character, true depth and likeability. He is cunning, deceiving but extremely charming regardless. It isn’t innately difficult to gain empathy for a character like Ayyan - a true template of an underdog, however, morally crippled his actions might be. He and his son, Adi, played brilliantly by Akhsath Das really carry this film to the level that it is at. He doesn’t overplay his emotions, which makes his performance that much more heartbreaking. The father-son relationship and the chemistry between the two are inflammable and their scenes are just pitch-perfect.
Cinematography And Editing
The cinematography and editing have a unique flair to it. Filled with slick camera movements and crisp editing, the film flows seamlessly between its scenes. Special praise should be given to the sound editing team as well for creating a fully immersive experience.
The BDD Chawl is a concrete embodiment of all that traps Ayyan, his family and everyone who lives there – caste, education, money, opportunities. The DOP perfectly captures the claustrophobia the characters feel, living in such a constricted space while also conserving the dream-like quality it has.
The film is not perfect, however. There are several loose ends which were so blatantly left out. Plot points you think will have some significance over the story but end up amounting to nothing. And even though I appreciate the ending, it did feel that the makers just wanted to wrap all of the plot progression, tie a neat little bow, pack up and go home.
Conclusion:
In a recent interview of his, Nawazzuddin Siddiqui stated that despite being a well known and respected name all across the nation, he still faces discrimination on the grounds of caste, back in his home village. Not only is this shocking but also troubling to hear, that such practices and false notions of superiority still exist in several parts of the country. Identifying a person’s worth on the basis of a criteria he has no control over, is not only regressive, but it's also downright inhumane.
Serious Men to me is not a groundbreaking film by any means, but it is an important film to watch at least once. Films allow us to gain a fresh perspective on life, whether you have already been initiated to the particular chapter. I can say without a doubt that despite its flaws this a film that people should watch and talk about.
Check out my review of another Netflix and Nawaz project; Raat Akeli Hai, by clicking here.
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