Trapped

After udaan and lootera motwane took another brave step in film making. It is a vision of director motwane and perfectly executed by his crew. This gripping story has no space for a popcorn refill and trapped is no regular movie and hence not everyone will enjoy it. Motwane proved that a film has no boundaries.

If there is one thing that still makes intelligent people go to the movies, it is the little bit of realism that today's independent movies adopt. While Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan (2015) is one such film that comes to my mind right now, this emotional thriller here is going to be on my mind when I review a next similar-kinda film.

Shaurya (Rajkummar Rao) is a young working-class man who has finally found his purpose through his lady-love Noorie (Geetanjali Thapa), a coworker who is about to get married to someone else. He succeeds in cajoling her to marry and move in with him, but she only has one condition: get an apartment (rented will do) for himself and then they can start complementing each other. Shaurya agrees, pulls up his socks, and gets on with room hunting, only to be the victim of one hasty, badly-made decision.

Starting from the first scene, Rao keeps you hooked with his nuanced performance, as writers Amit Joshi and Hardik Mehta slowly introduce him as this desolate youngster trying to woo one of his coworkers. The tiny amount of playful romance the film uses to kick-start what quickly becomes an ordeal for the relatable protagonist is what essentially works for the film. With shades of subtle humor and realism in every few scenes as the story slowly inches forward, the film tries to address a handful of issues. The primary one being isolation (from the outside life) and its acknowledgment. It is the central theme of the film, which it then goes to explore and come to the point that fear breeds isolation, which can only be overcome by courage.

Other causes it faintly touches are real estate issues, religion, vegetarianism, and self-reliance. While it may be easy to eschew these delicate samples in the film, what you cannot ignore is the sheer simplicity of the plot-line. The film is inherently about Shaurya and his experience as a guy who gets locked up in a flat in a high-rise without food, water, or electricity, which robs him of more than just few days' life. But, what the film tries to say between the lines is something extremely relevant in this time of a connected world where people are moving away from each other.

Motwane's actors are brilliant in their collective act, and are real pleasure to watch. Rao is phenomenal as the taciturn, unlucky guy whereas National Award-winning Thapa mesmerizes me in this short role that she does with finesse and loveliness. Rao has always done roles that demand a great effort, and in here, his efforts have paid off. Of course, many people could have done this, but I cannot think of anyone else who would have done such a great job. The supporting cast are well directed, and support the film in its quest to convey a message or two without inducing ennui. Of course, there are long sequences where the central character just stares into the moonlit sky, but branding them as boring is like disrespecting the art of realistic cinema. Realism, surprisingly, comes with its fair share of bitterness, and Trapped balances it perfectly.

It's an emotional thriller that should be lauded for its experimental nature, minimalistic storytelling, and brilliant overall filmmaking. It wouldn't have been what it is without the arresting music by Alokananda Dasgupta, crisp editing, and fine photography. The sequences and score are going to play with your mood and your emotions as you try to pointlessly help Shaurya get out of the flat. Furthermore, it is obvious that this is a thinking man's film and not a typical Bollywood thriller.

BOTTOM LINE: Vikramditya Motwane's "Trapped" is a brilliant fun- filled thriller made with so much less yet heavy substance that it drives home a point or two and tugs at your heartstrings once or twice all in a 100 minutes. Go watch it at your nearest theater.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

Trapped is an entertaining thriller/survival drama, and a great critical commentary on life in the big city, how lonely it could be even when it's full of people, how self-centred people can be, totally unaware of their surroundings. This is where our hero is stuck, on the high floor of one of Mumbai's uninhabited apartment skyscrapers. He gets to live there temporarily and jumps on the opportunity to pay minimal rent. But soon enough he gets locked in the apartment, without electricity and ability to contact anyone. The film's premise sounds rather peculiar at first, how would anyone get locked inside an apartment? But once the film is on, everything fits perfectly into the story in what turns out to be a realistic and very grippingly convincing film. The film is not perfect, and it does strain credulity on several occasions, but it's forgivable. It goes without saying that nothing would work if not for Rajkummar Rao's excellent performance. Being a sole player is a great challenge for any actor, and Rao rises to the occasion. Rao is the film, he is the story, he is the script, and he is everything Trapped is. The other star is of course director Vikramaditya Motwane, who directs this feature with heart and soul, and makes it much more than just another survival story. Kudos to him for successfully conveying his important social message and keeping the audience on the edge of their seats through this entertaining and highly captivating film.

Watch it right now or you will be missing one of most heart touching experiences bollywood has to offer.

Trapped is a brilliant piece of art.

I had read about the exceptional reviews the movie had got at MAMI fest and damn,i was not not disappointed. Survival dramas are not really a forte in Bollywood.But every once in a while we get such plot driven,tight scripts that it re instills my faith in Indian cinema.Though it is on the lines of Cast away and 127 hours,what makes this unique is this not a isolated location but right in the rush-hush of Mumbai!The protagonist Shaurya (Rajkummar) gets trapped in a high rise with no food,water,electricity and the movie effectively captures his despair,attempts to break loose and finally,embracing his fears.

Rajkummar is effortless and brilliant.Geetanjali is good in her short but pivotal role.Special shout out to the cinematographer and score by Aloknanda Dasgupta,its haunting! The script is the boss here,kudos to the writers to have guts to attempt something like this. Vikramaditya is top notch as usual making this engaging,nail biting movie.I did wish he captured the psychological side of Shaurya(Rajkummar) throughout his ordeal a bit more eloquently and gave it more screen time.The climax sequence could have been even more better.

Overall its a great movie,must watch :)