With its release today, Bengali director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s first Hindi film, Pink, has received overwhelming responses from critics. This courtroom drama, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang, is being touted as one of the finest films of Indian cinema with some flawless performances by its actors.
Produced by Shoojit Sircar, this deeply moving film is about male privilege, sexual violence and gender bias that women in India have to undergo. With a powerful ensemble of actors, Pink is definitely a must-watch film for its significant arguments highlighting violence against women and how women are generally perceived in the country.
According to Namrata Joshi of The Hindu, “Pink is a relevant film, in a day and age when there are many such cases in the news, when attempts by women at seeking justice are often equated with vindictive litigation. The first half is like a thriller, taut and tense, with the audience biting its nails out of concern for the girls’ safety as Rajveer (Angad Bedi) and his set of cronies are out to make life hell for them.”
Shubhra Gupta from the The Indian Express talks about how “in its best bits, the film blazes, its call-to-arms radiating outwards and forcing us to acknowledge uncomfortable truths. It has something to say, and says it with courage and conviction. Gather everyone and go; and while you are at it, spread the word.”
“It is hard, therefore, not to be moved by the trauma and humiliation of Minal, Falak and Andrea who have to justify their life choices, their clothing choices and their tiniest moves before the world because one of them defended herself against an influential man who tried to rape her. Its flaws and that title notwithstanding, Pink is a powerful film,” states Firstpost.
According to Nandini Ramnath of Scroll, “Never once is Rajvir portrayed as a victim of female hysteria, and never once is it suggested that single women like Minal, who wear dresses and shorts, drink at social gatherings, and steal the occasional puff, deserve what comes their way. The coherence, intelligence and sensitivity with which Pink approaches tricky material is so rare in popular cinema that it is almost possible to ignore the occasional sermonising, tonal shifts, and reliance on a knight to save the distressed damsels.”
“Every single actor has upped the ante in this 136-minute riveting drama. If Taapsee excels in initial courtroom scenes, Kirti takes it to a whole new level in the finale. The girls have shown a tremendous range and Pink belongs to them. Nobody has overshadowed them, not even Bachchan or a shrewd lawyer Prashant, played by a super intense Piyush Mishra”, according to Hindustan Times.
Mid-day critic Mayank Shekhar feels that “ ‘Pink’ is even more impactful and powerful than Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Damini’. He feels ‘Pink’ does compel one to think.”
So go ahead, book that ticket for some power-packed performances in this gripping courtroom drama.
