Soni

"Soni" is a film that deals with gender sensitive issues. Indian cinema deals very less with this subject. The women are either glorified or shown as helpless victims in most of the popular narratives. Ivan Ayrs debut film "Soni" breaks that by staging its lead characters amidst the real world. The protagonist "Soni" a police officer in Delhi police dealing with crimes against women. A warm blooded with anger always on the tip reports to her higher official Kalpana who is completely opposite, full of calmness and capability of judgement. They are in power but still are vulnerable and have their own weakness in dealing with the world of men on either side, the criminals as well as the male police officials. This is a complex idea but executed with such clarity by Ayr. Some of the extreme sequences like handling of youths taking drugs in ladies toilet, top Navy official harassing police on duty, high school girl teased for usage of sanitary pads. These are the threads that the film deals with. "Soni" was screened at Venice in the Orizzonti Competition category.

Some topics are better explained with subtleties. "Soni" refuses to demarcate police and society. Beautifully expresses how everyone is part of the same society, even those who are supposed to protect it. And with all the reality, there is an element of hope which makes it a worthwhile watch. One of the best police stories with applaudable scenes shot in one go.

I hv recenltly watched soni movie on netflix .This movie is very good example how good director can make a very good cinema on such a simple subject with all unknown faces but good actors. Cinematography is very good specially the way camera moves with the characters. Cameraman in not indian and he has done a superb job even if he might not be aware about our culture. Camera is one of the characters in the movie.The movie is about women empowerment. All the actors soecially female actors have acted exceptionaly. Director stuck to his viewpoint. He could have added some more details in story and made it interesting for common movie goers. But he focussed on his way of story telling and those who love good cinema will find this movie very interesting and engrossing. I would strongly recommend this movie. In case you donot appericiate good cinema you may find this movie boaring.

Subtle, smooth and meticulous. This movie captures nuances unlike most Indian drama movies. It's a slow paced but not at all dry drama about two female cops trying to steer their lives in the system, and patriarchy. All the characters are effortlessly natural. This drama makes you feel sad about our state of society, but doesn't overdo it. Scenes are long and organically merge into next ones with no abrupt context switches at any point of the movie. You may be disappointed if you are searching for some blazing guns. This one is close to everyday reality of female cops. The ending could have more heroic turns, but that could have derailed the natural progression of the movie. So kudos to writers for not giving in to cliche of Hindi cinema, and keeping it simple and tight. It's a very closely knit, no bs movie. If you are from North India, you probably will relate to it at some level.

Right from the moment I landed on the Netflix home page and I saw the thumbnail of the movie. I fell in love with it. Trust me, each and every moment of the movie was like delving deep in the unconscious realms of the minds of the women. The subtleness which Ivan Iyer showed in directing the frames is exceptional. The way Saloni Batra portrayed the mid aged IAS officer, Kalpana is fabulous. she captured the crux of the character. She had the character in her hold or I should she say she became Kalpana. Geetika was so gripping as the hothead Soni who was dealing with emotional voids in her life and society. The portrayal deserves an applaud. She seemed so real, maybe she knew what it felt to be a girl who is frustrated with what society has to offer. I am in awe and love with this movie. Its an extension into the awakening conscious of the filmmakers, actors and our society as a whole.

I wish that many people like Ivan Iyer, Anand Gandhi, Sohum Shah keep on walking on this path and showing us our darkest, corrupt and unjust practises going on in our society behind the veils of our obscure traditions, practices and egos.

A special thanks to Netflix and other production houses supporting them.