Main Atal Hoon Movie Review: Pankaj Tripathi brings Atal Bihari Vajpayee to life PERFECTLY

• Movie Name:Main Atal Hoon
• Critics Rating: 3.5 / 5
• Release Date: January 19, 2024
• Director: Ravi Jadhav
• Genre: Biographical

Pankaj Tripathi-starrer 'Main Atal Hoon' is finally released in theatres wherein the actor plays the titular role of former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The story of Ravi Jadhav's directorial underlines every small and big aspect of the late politician's life. If you are planning to watch the biographical film in theatres this weekend, give this review a read where you will find a detailed analysis of the film's story, direction, acting and the final verdict. 

The Story

'Main Atal Hoon' attempts to cover all the aspects of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's life in a two-hour film. The story of the film begins with Vajpayee's soft-warm attitude towards Pakistan before bringing you back in time through a series of flashbacks. As the storyline progresses, you will see how Atal Bihari Vajpayee's father contributed to his life so that he becomes a good speaker and a great politician. The film chronicles Atal Bihari Vajpayee's journey from childhood to adulthood, from his fearless work as a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to his position as the Prime Minister. The transformation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's love tale into patriotism is also vividly portrayed. It is shown how Vajpayee, who considered Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as his ideal while contributing to independence, met Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and became close to Syama Prasad Mukherjee. The film not only gives the audience a glimpse of his political career but also emphasises his achievements such as nuclear testing in 1998 to victory in the Kargil war the next year. In the film, one will also see Atal Bihari Vajpayee's powerful speeches inside the Indian Parliament and also in the UN. 

'Main Atal Hoon' also showcases the incident when the Opposition moved the no-confidence motion against his government in the Parliament. The film will also show how he won the elections and formed the government along with other victories and defeats in the elections. In totality, the film will include all the difficult and successful phases of his life. If you are a fan of his poems, you will enjoy the film for sure as they are used appropriately in the film.

Acting

In the movie, versatile actor Pankaj Tripathi did a fantastic job portraying Atal Bihari Vajpayee, down to his hand gestures, facial expressions, and postures. In the film, Vajpayee's poems and speech style make up for a lot for the actor wherever there were shortcomings. Overall, Pankaj Tripathi has been successful in conveying Vajpayee's ideas to the people and you will surely get connected to the time when the late politician was active in politics.

However, Ekta Kaul has performed admirably as Rajkumari Kaul, Vajpayee's love interest. In the movie, Piyush Mishra serves as both the narrator and Vajpayee's father. Daya Shankar Pandey has also given life to the crucial character of Deendayal Upadhyay. In the television world, he is also well known for playing Chalu Pandey in 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'.

Direction

Ravi Jadhav has directed 'Main Atal Hoon', which certainly deserves applause for showcasing the journey of the late politician from start to end in a limited time frame. The director has given equal importance to every life stage of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, be it from his childhood days to becoming one of the most celebrated politicians in Indian politics.

Cinematography and editing

The director made good use of wide, long, and close-up shots in the film's editing and cinematography. For instance, the filmmaker skillfully employed wide shots to depict the crowd at a political rally and close-ups to highlight the characters' emotions. Additionally, you'll notice that the filmmaker skillfully employed lighting while keeping shadows in mind, as seen in scenes from Parliament where Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Pankaj Tripathi) receives direct sunlight, drawing attention to his persona and making him seem regal. Additionally, the film's editing is superb. 

Music

Main Atal Hoon's music is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and impactful factors. Even when the plot seems to be falling apart at certain times, the movie maintains your interest with the perfect background score placed at the appropriate moments. The film also makes excellent use of songs.

Verdict

Biographical films on Indian politicians have generally failed to impress the audience in the past but when it comes to a film on Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one must watch the Pankaj Tripathi-starrer in theatres. If you think you know Atal Bihari Vajpayee completely then watch the film 'Main Atal Hoon' as it will also feature those aspects of him which people are not aware of. In terms of rating, we are giving it 3.5 stars out of 5 for Pankaj Tripathi's acting, Ravi Jadhav's direction and the background score by Monty Sharma.