Main Atal Hoon Review: Pankaj Tripathi Is Compelling In His Portrayal of Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Biopics of late have become dime a dozen, with most final products overplaying ir hand when it comes to dramatising a life once lived. Director Ravi Jhav's Main Atal Hoon, however, is a breath of fresh air, bringing forth an honest and moving cinematic journey of one of India's foremost Prime Ministers - Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Pankaj Tripathi takes le in and as level-heed yet emotionally driven Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart, carrying film on his able shoulders.

Hot Take

tussle between factual accuracy and dramatisation is a tricky scale to balance with filmmakers often evidently prioritising one over or. task at hand is tougher when viewed against polarising context of a political trailblazer's life and work. Team Main Atal Hoon however, gets it just right. Rishi Virmanu's strong writing and Ravi Jhav's sturdy direction armed with an overtly-committed Pankaj Tripathi, toger mount an honest film about a very significant period in India's political history.

Does Main Atal Hoon live up to hype?

In a recent interview with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Pankaj Tripathi reflected on his concerns regarding his portrayal of Vajpayee and how he did not want it to be caricaturish. Director Jhav and producer Vinod Bhanushali, however, right from very beginning h been sure of Tripathi being correct and only pick to essay role.

Bang on in ir foresight, it is safe to say that Main Atal Hoon is Tripathi's moment to shine as 'hero'.

India's pivotal historical moments are Main Atal Hoon's backbone

Pankaj Tripathi stepping into skin of Atal, and Atal becoming Atal Bihari Vajpayee - almost feels like a parallel journey as Tripathi's evidently conscious gait descends into an easeful posture through course of film. Timid steps tre big miles as Tripathi traverses Atal's biggest moments of becoming. Be it un-hoisting British flag in rebellion, withstanding Rashtra Dharma Patrika office being burnt down, rejoicing in creation of Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, weeping at deaths of his political forefars or assuming charge as one of country's most concerned voices of reason - audience gets an auntic and often raw glimpse of journey. 

Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Balarampur - list goes on - Jhav effectively manages to portray Vajpayee's honest journey through grassroots to eventually le nation. seeds of Ram Mandir on Ram Janmabhoomi being ideologically laid down also makes for a goosebump-inducing montage in film, especially considering fact that actual Pran Pratishtha ceremony itself is a mere few days away from being realised.

Pankaj Tripathi's homage to former PM is almost meditative

Pankaj Tripathi shines in Main Atal Hoon. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's softness, his silence and his genuity  - facets that are usually deterrents in tricky terrain of politics - make for his strongest weapons. Tripathi effectively captures essence of this with an animated restraint that reigns supreme on screen.

Key moments to watch out for is Atal walking into Lok Sabha for first time as elected representative for Balarampur, his cinematised stint as Minister of External Affairs under Janata Party government and him delivering an allegory of lotuses blooming in mud leing into unveiling of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Main Atal Hoon has technical finesse

Despite being a statesman and eventually Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a talented poet. Excerpts from his work have been extensively used by Jhav, almost as a background score to set tone for film's crescendo moments, most of which are peppered with original archival footage. Virmanu's writing for film is highlight. However, politically charged monologues intertwined with a heavy poetic aestic can at times feel overwrought. political montages may feel too packed and hurried but are seminal in giving true context to journey of Atal becoming Atal.

Watch it or skip it?

Politics is pulse of Main Atal Hoon. beautiful thing about this, however, is that film is a fit for both political enthusiasts as well those self-mittedly out of touch with same. If you identify with former, Main Atal Hoon will make for an invigorating recap of India's glorious political history through lens of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

If you identify with latter, film will still make for a heartening history lesson - one you need.

Bottomline

Main Atal Hoon is a story that needed to be told. Pankaj Tripathi takes charge front and centre in one of his first big-banner titular roles. film is an effective recapitulation of India's tumultuous yet formidable political history wrapped in soft and sturdy aura of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Rating: 3.5/5