Film: Ulajh
Director: Sudhanshu Saria
Star Cast:
Jhanvi Kapoor as Suhana Bhatia
Gulshan Devaiah as Nakul Sharma,
Meiyang Chang as Jacob Tamang,
Adil Hussain as Jhanvi’s father, Dhanraj bhatia
Roshan Mathew as Sebin Kutty and
Rajesh Tailang as Jhanvi’s official chauffeur, Salem Sayeed
Streaming on: Netflix
A spy thriller Ulajh recently premiered on Netflix. Originally considered a Box office dud, this Jhanvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah, Meiyang Chang, Roshan Mathew, Adil Hussain and Rajesh Tailang starrer, could barely hold it’s own in the Hindi belt.
The film reminds us of Alia Bhatt starer ‘Razi’, though in a much more modern avatar. But is it that good? Let’s find out.
Jhanvi is Suhana Bhatia, who is promoted to become the youngest Deputy High Commissioner, is also the daughter and granddaughter of respected career diplomats and has a great deal to live up to.
It is this promotion that takes her to London. Not only does she become the sole woman in the Indian high commission in London, she is also the Number 2 in hierarchy and the men in her office quickly dub her a nepotism hire who could’ve probably slept her way to the position.
One mis-step triggers a chain of disconcerting events. She has to dig deep into her reserves of resilience and enlist the help of others to tide over the crisis that she faces. This convolutes matters even further and soon she is embroiled in a situation that is fast spinning out of control…the question is what will Suhana do?
Ulajh has been directed by Sudhanshu Saria and is written by Parveez Shaikh and Sudhanshu while Atika Chauhan has penned the dialogues.
The casting is really quite superb and each actor gets into the skin of the characters to deliver powerful performances; Jhanvi definitely stands out, she is a an actress with a keen understanding of characterisation, and this role has been etched out well for her.
Meiyang Chang as Jacob Tamang, the guy whose promotion she apparently snatched also has a short yet powerful role.
Ullajh is an absolutely riveting and well-paced film. The scripting is spot of and the story telling is exceptional. The dialogues seamlessly complement the narrative.
The cinematography is crisp, and the production design is equally impressive. The music, background score, and sound design all enhance the viewing experience.
The story grabs you from the opening scene and maintains its momentum throughout. But the last part of the film and the climax should have been done better; it looks rushed, a little contrived and even a bit illogical.
Also, the film aims to initiate a marvel type franchise, and I for one would not mind another, though with a sharper storyline and on an OTT platform rather than the BO.
All in all, this is one film that you should not miss, especially, now that it is streaming on your TV.
