A Radiant Masterpiece

This movie doesn't just have its heart in the right place: it's so beautiful that it has more than one heart

- Tanul Thakur

“WHY don’t you ever find any joy in Jollywood?” “Why don’t you ever like anything?”—as a film critic, I’ve heard these questions so many times that if I got a rupee for every such insult, I’d be sitting atop a mountain of coins on the day of the Note-Bandi Diwas (that beautiful festival where we only use cash), smoking a cigar made from Rs 2,000 bills, blowing out Swastikashaped plumes, and lamenting: “Man, what a tough life I have” (distant second: Elon Musk). Sorry, that was a long sentence. I’m excited, you see. Because earlier in the day, I watched a movie so bright, so beautiful, so brilliant, that I’m struggling to describe it. Bol ke lab azaad hain tere? Bro, I’ve no words.

Staying true to its name, Chamkila Productions has given us a radiant masterpiece that we both need and want, underscoring everything that’s Very Beautiful about our exceptional, extraordinary country: religious tolerance, gender equality, minority rights, boundless employment, unlimited hugs, and, of course, unfettered free speech.