Anup Das's 'Life Express' tackles the theme of surrogate pregnancy which is still a controversial subject matter. The premise of the film is interesting but the screenplay and execution are very weak. The film opens with a working couple, Tanvi and Nikhil, living in marital bliss but the romance between them looks staged and the dialogue delivery sounds forced and uninteresting. Many of the subplots are unnecessarily stretched out and as a result they drag, like the post abortion sequences, the explanation of surrogate pregnancy and the sequences that take place in Gouri's village. Das is trying to tackle too many things and his exploration of some of the themes is poor. I understand the need to explain surrogate pregnancy as it's not commonly known in India but why the need to spoonfeed the viewer? The execution is very typically Bollywood. The cinematography is dull and the score is very intrusive. The songs don't contribute. They only further slow down the pace. Rituparna Sengupta stands out in the complex sequences where Tanvi is conflicted by her choices and decision. Divya Dutta is first rate as she delivers the best of the lot. Yashpal Sharma is decent. Given the premise this could have been a watchable and engaging film but it's let down by poor writing and direction.
