I just finished watching this movie today and was impressed by the message it conveyed (ie, humanity is religion), the performances, the direction, the lighting and the cinematography, yet, IMO it could have been a little better as it somewhat disappoints (only a little). What I found disappointing was the ending. It just seemed too abrupt and sudden (which sort of made it unrealistic).
Talwar's direction is impressive and she put a lot of heart into making a movie based on a somewhat complex issue. There have been movies made on similar subjects but she shows her point of view and takes us into the mind of Pandit Chaturvedi, an extremely devoted Brahmin priest. We see his dedication, experience his conflict and feel his emotions. The character's been excellently played by Pankaj Kapur. His subtleness and silence conviction is powerful and his dialogue delivery, especially in the end, is amazing. Supriya Pathak plays Chaturvedi's wife with clear ease while Hrishitaa Bhatt leaves a mark in a smaller role. The rest of the cast is adequate while the 'villains' were very caricaturish. The background score deserves mention as it adds a voice to the going ons.
Bhavna Talwar deserves full marks for doing such a fine job. Even though I think the ending could have been a little better developed, I think Ms Talwar wanted to make it more concise. It would have been interesting too to also dig into the 'villains' psyche. They were so fundamentally opposed to other religions. Anyway, while one may argue that 'Dharm' is a spiritual movie, I think it has very universal message. This is a film that everyone must see, especially in today's time.
