Bhakshak

Pulkit and Jyotsna Nath's story, inspired by a true incident, is superb. It also works because not many are aware of this episode. Pulkit and Jyotsna Nath's screenplay is captivating for most parts although the pace overall could have been quicker. Pulkit and Jyotsna Nath's dialogues pack a punch, especially the monologue of Bhumi Pednekar. Pulkit's direction is exemplary. He approaches a no-nonsense approach, and the focus of this 135-minute-long film is on the principal story. Thankfully, he doesn’t try to titillate and yet, manages to show the horrors happening in the shelter home. The plot also reminds one of the Oscar-winning film SPOTLIGHT [2015] but the dangers faced by the journalists here are grave and hence, the tension levels are quite high.

The focus on Vaishali’s personal life, with an angry husband (Sharma) berating her for staying out late, shows us how hard it is for women to do what their heart desires. But while it does provide some relief from the direness of the tale, it also lengthens the film needlessly. Pednekar is earnest, and works at making her character believable, but is saddled with basic story-telling, and zero nuance. Breaking the fourth wall, and shaking a finger at us for not caring, is not always the best way of making yourself heard.