Mogul Mowgli

Recently announced by Marvel as the man put in charge of their Blade reboot, British director Bassam Tariq can attribute his success at being handed a big profile Marvel project to his unique debut collaboration with actor Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli.

Alongside Ahmed's higher profile role in last year's Oscar nominated Sound of Metal, Mowgli gives the talented performer another chance to play an ill musician, with the powerful performer here bringing British/Pakistani rapper Zed to live in a story he helped developed alongside Tariq that allows him to show off his rapping skills in conjunction with his acting smarts.

Filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio and an almost documentary like manner, Mowgli is a down and dirty independent offering, one that appears born out of the blood, sweat and tears of its leading man's upbringing in working class surrounds and Tariq never allows his film to be in any ways a glossy examination of a lost soul trying to reconnect with his culture while battling a debilitating illness that appears destined to derail his music career just as it was set for its big break.

There's nothing overly new about this set-up of a nobody trying to become a somebody in the face of adversity but the Pakistani flavor Tariq and Ahmed bring to the film gives Mowgli its own unique identity in an otherwise crowded marketplace and watching Ahmed go from a rhyme spitting centerpiece to a broken man calling his ex-girlfriend in desperate circumstances is further proof that the actor is one of the very best working today, whether it be in comedy, drama or western, Ahmed has morphed very quickly into a chameleon of talent, elevating films whenever his allowed screen time.

For all the rawness of Tariq's film and Ahmed's noteworthy turn, there are elements to the tale of Zed that don't resonate as strongly as you would've hoped, with the film keeping you at arm's length from truly investing your heart and soul into Zed's journey.

Delivering a large section of dream/nightmare like moments where Zed is experiencing internal and sometimes external crisis, Mowgli is more off-kilter than you may expect when you watch a trailer or read a synopsis and while in ways it helps contribute to the feeling we haven't seen a film exactly like this before, there's a coldness and oddness to Tariq's film that holds it back from becoming the emotional gut punch it may've been.

This unpredictability and vibrancy however is likely what Marvel identified in the film to target Tariq for their Blade films, with it exciting to think about what the upcoming director can bring to the table with all of Marvel's guidance and resources at his disposal.

Final Say -

A rap infused culturally themed drama that marks a noteworthy debut from its director and another feather in the cap of its leading man, Mogul Mowgli doesn't always click but it's an independent film with fresh ideas and execution that make it worth your time.

3 rap battles out of 5.

When your day to day life revolves around doing something that you have a devout passion for there could be nothing worse than that particular lifestyle being put at risk by something so cruel as an illness of some sort.

In Bassam Tariq's Mogul Mowgli, Riz Ahmed plays Zed, a British-Pakistani rapper just about to start his first world tour before being struck down by an autoimmune disease that threatens to derail his big break.

Tariq delivers a rather intimate tale of a talented man's life that comes crashing down around him all while trying to reconnect with his family back in London. Finding a path in life that has led to a career in music is one that Zed's family don't fully approve of so the two colliding when his illness takes holds leads to a real sense of claustrophobia as Zed struggles to come to terms with the impact it will have on his life.

This is realised in some trippy dream sequences littered throughout that haunt Zed and emphasise the panic he's facing internally with some choppy editing and some very decent rapping. Listen out for Pussy Fried Chicken, a dead cert for the Oscar for Best Original Song for sure.

Riz Ahmed leads the film with an exceptional performance that spans from confident musician about to get his big break to a shell of his former self, vulnerable and frail as the illness sets in and leaves him questioning what future he is set for. This is very much a film for Ahmed to showcase his talents and he truly excels on every level.

It's kicked off LFF for me in a great and surprisingly emotional fashion so make sure you seek this one out upon release.

A film about conflicts, traditions, cultures and expectations as a second generation British Pakistani, having forged a career in music as an up and coming rapper, has his dreams shattered through illness and becomes affected by vivid reflections of his childhood, the competing demands of the old and the new, the curtailing of ambition, all consuming his fight for recovery. Riz Ahmed, once again, is outstanding!!!

A very uncomfortable watch. The way it was directed was not exactly up my alley. While the writing and story itself really worked, and it also caught me what the film represents, I really had some issues with several creative decisions to tell that story. The positive thing is Riz Ahmed! When does Hollywood finally recognize his huge talent and uses it more effectively than supporting roles in blockbusters. This guy is phenomenal in the role of a parkistanic DJ who developes a sickness that not only destroys his career but also his view at life. The film has many things to tell, first its the struggle with that new illness and the constant inner struggle of the leading characters believes and traditions. Ahmed is awesome how he handles this material, also written by him and director Bassam Tariq. Also the performance by Alvy Khan is absolutely noteworthy. Riz Ahmed also proves himself as a very talented rapper. The films structure is generally fine, except for those imaginary scenes that really are often not easy on the eye, because of the sloppy editing, but the way the protagonists faces all his challenges is extremely well portrayed.

Riz Ahmed takes front and centre stage in 'Mogul Mowgli,' a film he co-wrote with director Bassam Tariq. The movie plays more like a stream of thoughts than a thoughtful discourse about issues of identity and cultural and religious heritage. It also borders on being too strange when it uses disorienting editing, Islamic symbolism, and surreal imagery on such strong subject matters, but never realised to the fullest extent. Still, bolstered by a captivating performance by Ahmed, 'Mogul Mowgli' is a deeply emotional and personal outing that affects in an unexpected way, opening possibilities of vulnerability and the examination of selfhood.