Review Summary
5 Star
0
31%
4 Star
0
50%
3 Star
0
13%
2 Star
0
0%
1 Star
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0%
Recommendations
- Acting 0%100%
- Direction 43%57%
- Story 7%93%
- Visuals 23%77%
Top Review
Tineesh
I must thank to creaters of this film for their brave efforts of showing how people with money try to convert poor people into their religion in exchange of food and necessities. Nawazuddin Sir was as good as himself. The charater of adi mani was brilliantly performed by little champ. And a great slap to the darkest Part of India. Direction, acting, cast, locations everything was impressive.
Recommendations
Serious Men (2020)
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4
30 Reviews
- Genre : Comedy,Drama
- Runtime : 1h 54m
- Cast : Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Nasser, Aakshath Das
- Director : Sudhir Mishra
- Producer : Bombay Fables & Cineraas Entertainment
- Language : Hindi
- Release Date : 02 Oct 2020
- Rating : 18A
Reviews
Life posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Brilliant movie, very unexpected story and what an ending... The acting from all the actors was on point, especially the mother's. I'd say its a must watch, Nawaz deserves all the success he is getting!Honestly, the subtitles don’t do justice to Nawaz’s dialogues. It means the same thing in English , but the way he says, the underlying sarcasm, the hint of rebuke, the nonchalant demeanour.... it gives a whole new meaning to the words, you can feel it in your soul, .... ah! No wonder Nawaz is an enigma!!!
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Jerin posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men, directed by Sudhir Mishra is a tale of a twisted mind that refuses to succumb to the ordinary and will go to any length to realize his dreams, by hook or by crook. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is par excellence as the master manipulator, who is least concerned about the lack of maturity of the young mind, piling on agony on the child with psychological overload. But Serious Men belongs to the child artist Akshath Das, who absolutely captivates with his charm, innocence and complex psychological emotional demonstration, especially when he is unable to handle the burden any longer. It is must watch film with varied actors and awesome acting skills. Every emotion is discovered in the film with great exposure to every character.
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Babu posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Nawazuddin delivers and he proves again why he is such a gem. I liked the realistic style of the movie and its really interesting and on a different storyline. Sudhir Mishra does a good job here but he fails somewhere as screenplay is not that solid. The pace of the movie is also bit slow. Definitely it's for select audience but at the end of the day I enjoyed Serious Men.
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Tineesh posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
I must thank to creaters of this film for their brave efforts of showing how people with money try to convert poor people into their religion in exchange of food and necessities. Nawazuddin Sir was as good as himself. The charater of adi mani was brilliantly performed by little champ. And a great slap to the darkest Part of India. Direction, acting, cast, locations everything was impressive.
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Ram posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
SERIOUS MEN is outrageously splendid. One of the best commentaries on the corrupt notion across religion, caste, politics, and science. That's what cinema should be doing. Bring out thought-provoking real stories to reel. This is Nawaz's award-winning act where his body language, dialogue delivery are able to bring out the pain, agony, suffering, frustration, happiness, ambitions, and above all- love for his son. His son played by Aakshath Das is another gem to watch as he shines like a diamond. He is able to bring out all the emotions that a small kid would feel. The climax is gonna make your heart skip a beat in a subtle way where we have Nawaz explaining his action and also, course correction. I was overwhelmed. Nowadays, I hardly see a movie with an ending that offers a complete closure. 'Serious Men' has that ending.
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Loki posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men - Not at all a usual movie watching experience, it's very much different from other movies. It touches various social issues throughout the film especially the caste system. Cinematography is done brilliantly, every frame speaks itself. There is so much humour throughout the film and it's very good. Now, there is Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role, so it's obvious that there will be no complain about acting. But the show stealer is of course the child actor Aakshath Das. Nassar & Indira Tiwari also support the film very well. Hope to see Indira Tiwari in future again. Finally Sudhir Mishra is back again in his old form.
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Pandi posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious men is about a father trying to give his son a great life but by taking the shortcut. What's good. The story is good. The performances are great especially Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the child artist Akshat Das. The film criticizes a lot of things that happen in society in a funny way. What's bad. The ending is predictable. Not a family film. Overall, Nawazuddin Siddiqui fans and those who want to see something different will love it.
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Ester posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Based on the book by "Manu Joseph" of the same name, Serious men deals with the problems of insecurity & timidity of a father for his son. Nawaz brings that uncanny charm to his character as an underprivileged-middle aged Dalit. He has angst against everyone in the society, from the peon to the supervisor. Serious men offers very sharp annotation against racism, casteism, politics, media culture & favoritism with its witty as well as satirical sequences. Sudhir Mishra brings his experience.
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Thickna posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Nawazuddin is a gem. Realistic movie. I like Nawazuddin speaking style , his voice and dialogue deliveries, superb expressions. Serious men is based on the book of same name and tells the story of a over-enthusiastic office assistant, who would go the extra mile to get the respect he deserves along with is son. The movie on one side focuses on a High IQ child prodigy, who seems to blessed with natural intelligence and inquest while the other side parallels the games played by individuals from all the strata of society to get what they want. The whole premise tends to reach a boiling point when the core sub-plot unfolds sometime in the middle.
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Lime posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men is one of the finest films of this year. Director Sudhir Mishra successfully delivers a worth watching and impactful film. The film addresses the caste system prevalent in our society, inequality, corruption, and politics. The dialogues are effective and the screenplay is sharp from start to finish. Nawazuddin Siddiqui effortlessly slips into any characters, once again he delivers a brilliant performance. One more impressive performance in the film came from the child artist Aakshath Das. Indira Tiwari and Nassar got limited but effective roles. Shweta Basu Prasad and Sanjay Narvekar were decent in their supporting roles.
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Roshan posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
The film starts off with satire and then becomes poignant and then poignant. Director Sudhir Mishra's film Serious Man brings these issues to the fore. The film based on the book slows down considerably in many parts. The main characters have been given a lot of time to set up, which makes it a bit bored and impacts the storyline. Films on social bias and discrimination have been made for years, but 'Serial Men' makes its characters different. As a father, Nawazuddin Siddiqui appears to be the best, while the strong side of the film has emerged as Akshat Das in the role of his son. He walks shoulder to shoulder with Nawazuddin in every scene. Nasser is perfect in his character. But, the director has given very little space to a good actress like Shweta Basu Prasad. Apart from caste discrimination, 'Serious Men' made under the direction of Sudhir Mishra touches on topics like inequality, lack, corruption, politics. Director Sudhir Mishra has tried to put it in an easy way. The message of Netflix Serious Men is very important for making a serious and social taunt, but it is served that way easily.
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Jaya posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious men is a sharp take on the dilapidated and biased Indian education system and a takedown of that age-old Indian tendency of parents projecting their unfulfilled dreams upon their children. Serious men seems to a bit cluttered in the second half as the makers seem to be struggling in giving it a proper ending. But that can be omitted owing to the film's intention.
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Shivram posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
The movie serious men is a masterpiece introducing Nawazuddin Siddiqui . The movie is very well directed and its very well presented on the screen too. The plot of the movie discuss a relationship of a father and a son . The cinematography of the movie is awesome. The suggestion a father give to his son is life lessons . I suggest everyone to have a look at this movie.
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Magesh posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Ayyan (Nawaz) is a personal assistant to an overbearing astronomer Acharya (Nassar). The harder the former tries to please his Brahmin boss, the more obnoxious is the latter’s behaviour: to be called a moron and an idiot, in his hearing, is something Ayyan is used to, and he does what others would have in his position—swallow his pride, smile unctuously, and scurry off to do the boss’s bidding.Ayyan Mani, a Tamil Dalit who lives in a Mumbai slum with his wife and son, represents a here-and-now Indian who wants a better life, and will do anything he can in order to achieve it, even if the things he does may not pass a strict moral or ethical metric. But when the chips were stacked against you generations before you were born, what is right, and what is wrong? The answers, in this thought-provoking film, lie somewhere in between.
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Sonu posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Director Sudhir Mishra and writers Bhavesh Mandalia, Abhijeet Khuman, Nikhil Nair and Niren Bhatt, reduce the sting of the book. The result is a drama with a less curdled view of humanity. The film is designed to make you question but not to make you uncomfortable. It veers between sharp and sagging but ultimately Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the terrific child actor Aakshath Das steer the story to a satisfying close.In Serious Men, Sudhir finds the sweet spot between intricacy, starkness and emotion. I think there is material here for a sequel in which Ayyan Mani runs the world. I have no doubt that he can.
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Renu posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
There are many actors and characters we see in the movie but only some of them be with us for a long time. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the star who just make the movie magical with his eminent precision of acting and simplicity. The movie serious men is a movie directed by Sudhir Mishra . It's a story of father and a son in which son teaches his mather moral and some life problems. It's worth watching movie . Go and have a look at it.
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Agrippa posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious men is about a father trying to give his son a great life but by taking the shortcut. What's good: 1. The story is good. 2. The performances are great especially Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the child artist Akshat Das. 3. The film criticizes a lot of things that happen in society in a funny way. What's bad: 1. The ending is predictable. 2. Not a family film. Overall, Nawazuddin Siddiqui fans and those who want to see something different will love it.
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Vishal posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Finally we ought to see another master piece by director Sudhir Mishra . The movie serious men casting Nawazuddin Siddiqui is best one released in most of the times in lockdown. Released on Netflix I saw it yesterday and it's just amazing The visuals are damm awesome and just smashing . O would say -4.5/5 I cannot talk about the realistic acting of Nawazuddin Siddiqui because then it will drop my movie watching quality . It's just amazing and outstanding . The best scene I get that the boy asked what failure gives u and he said - experience . It's must watch movie . Give yourself a try and see you will be amazed . Thanks
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Rahul posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men revolves around a common man named Mani essayed by Nawaz who wants to give every possible thing which he didn’t get as a child to his only son, Adi portrayed by child actor Akshath Das. Nawaz plays that father who defies all odds to give his son the best opportunities and a life full of privilege. Based on Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name, The film is a Satirical dark comedy, Beautifully written by Bhavesh Mandalia. It touches every aspect of Indian society and a satire on education system and casteism. The first half is terrific and is laced with several hilarious and witty moments. The plot is unique and something never seen before in Bollywood and that goes heavily in its favour too. The 2nd half on the other hand is a bit dragged and feels unexciting, but stick to it as the climax and the finale is the biggest USP of the film. I Absolutely loved it.
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Niki posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men is a dark satirical drama based on a book by Manu Joseph. The association of Nawazuddin with Netflix continues to deliver quality cinema. Few weeks ago we had seen in movie Pareeksha how a rickshaw puller goes to every extent to secure his child's future. Now we have Nawaaz playing a backward tamil guy willing to take any step to do the same. This is one of the best works from Sushir Mishra in recent years. The sharp storytelling not only sheds light on the cast and class divide existing in our society but also talks about aspirations of Indian parents. The expectations they have from their children & the pressure it creates on a child killing his childhood forms the crux of the story. Somebody rightly said Nawaaz is our national treasure and you are constantly reminded of this fact while watching the film. He is in top form here supported brilliantly by the child actor Aakshath Das. Its a delight watching both of them as a father son duo. Rest of the cast is good in their respective roles. Serious Men adds to the repertoire of Nawaaz and is a relevant watch which doesn't fail to entertain.
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Warun posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
This film is worth watching & impactful. Thumbs up to complete team of film makers. Manu Joseph, the film tells the story of Ayyan Mani, a Dalit personal assistant to a Brahmin scientist. Based on Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name, The film is a Satirical dark comedy, Beautifully written by Bhavesh Mandalia. It touches every aspect of Indian society and a satire on education system and casteism. The first half is terrific and is laced with several hilarious and witty moments. It includes Acharya leaning and whispering into a female assistant’s ears during meetings. Mani watches how others worship at this altar of bullshit, and he wants a piece of it. He too wants to be like them, the serious men. And with people lower than him in stature, cunning and gumption, Mani tries out the same urgent, intemperate demeanour, complete with nonsensical chatter, irritability and fancy neck-ties. While the two protagonists of that film were naive do-gooders with modest ambitions. Will definitely recommend you all to watch it this weekend.
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Partner posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Based on a novel by Manu Joseph, the film tells the story of Ayyan Mani, a Dalit personal assistant to a Brahmin scientist. After a lifetime of being called names such as ‘moron’ and ‘imbecile’, he decides to channel his anger at the world by conning it. Ayyan begins a journey of upward social mobility by convincing everybody that his 10-year-old son is, in fact, a genius.It’s interesting to observe how director Sudhir Mishra’s perception of the common man has changed since Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in 1983. While the two protagonists of that film were naive do-gooders with modest ambitions, the following four decades have made the common man angrier, it would seem, deserving of an equally enraged movie.
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Salila posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men revolves around a common man named Mani essayed by Nawaz who wants to give every possible thing which he didn’t get as a child to his only son, Adi portrayed by child actor Akshath Das. Nawaz plays that father who defies all odds to give his son the best opportunities and a life full of privilege. Based on Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name, The film is a Satirical dark comedy, Beautifully written by Bhavesh Mandalia. It touches every aspect of Indian society and a satire on education system and casteism. The first half is terrific and is laced with several hilarious and witty moments. The plot is unique and something never seen before in Bollywood and that goes heavily in its favour too. The 2nd half on the other hand is a bit dragged and feels unexciting, but stick to it as the climax and the finale is the biggest USP of the film. I Absolutely loved it. Speaking of performances: Nawazuddin Siddiqui as usual is in great form and steals the show in each and every scene. Aakshath Das (child actor) leaves a huge mark and is like the second lead of the film. Shweta Basu Prasad, M Nasser and Sanjay Narvekar among others have done a commendable job. With a single movie, Sudhir Mishra has highlighted several topics. The film shows how far one can go to make sure their kids are not subjected to the discrimination they faced because of caste. It's a heartbreaking dark comedy that hits you hard. All in all Serious Men is seriously outstanding. Without being too preachy, it sends a key message to all of us. And All thanks to Director Sudhir Mishra for successfully making a worth watching & impactful film. Will definitely recommend you all to watch it this weekend.
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Deepak posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men is an entertaining, well-made film that tells the story of Ayyan Mani, a Dalit man who resents being invisible, and when he is seen he is subjected to daily humiliations, lucrative offers to convert, vote-bank politics. The film’s plot is about a desperate man’s desperate attempts to make sure his child, born in a pool of fraud by a hotel’s poolside, amounts to something. Except that the seemingly sweet, benign story of Serious Men, which is rooted in reality, is ring-fenced by a worldview that is seriously anti-Dalit.While the film is sympathetic to men like Mani, it sets out to teach him a lesson. Merit, Serious Men says, is everything, it’s the great equalizer, and not opportunity. This karmic cycle of misdemeanours and comeuppance only sucks Mani into its orbit, not similarly fraudulent upper caste men.Serious Men, based on a novel of the same title by Manu Joseph, opens with the posturing of an impatient, serious man who frowns and growls at the world. It seems to be in his way as he is rushing about doing very important things. Astro-physicist Aravind Acharya (Nassar) acts as if he’s on emergency duty to save the world with his discovery of alien microbes. They hold answers to humankind’s profound questions, he believes, and is in the pursuit of another round of government funding for his spatial explorations.Everyone around Acharya defers to him, assuming that what sounds like gibberish to them are words of wisdom, for he is a man of greater knowledge, superior intellect and with a plan. But Ayyan Mani (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a dalit Tamilian, sees through Acharya and intently watches how he fakes his way through the world. Mani is Acharya’s clerk, a la Massey Sahib, and is summoned to be shouted at for doing or not doing something, often just for being. Throughout the film Mani addresses us directly, sharing with us what it means to be invisible, how IQ is not connected to social status or caste, how posturing is power, all the while picking up Acharya’s small gestures that stitch together a VIP identity. It includes Acharya leaning and whispering into a female assistant’s ears during meetings. Mani watches how others worship at this altar of bullshit, and he wants a piece of it. He too wants to be like them, the serious men. And with people lower than him in stature, cunning and gumption, Mani tries out the same urgent, intemperate demeanour, complete with nonsensical chatter, irritability and fancy neck-ties. It works. But it’s too late for Mani. So all his hopes are pinned on his child. Oja (Indira Tiwari), Mani’s wife, is oblivious to his project. Adi (Aakshath Das) seems like a bright kid who is shy and hard of hearing. A convent school rejects him at first. But when, a few years later, Adi is a hailed as a genius in the dalit chawl, called “Abdul Kalam”, the school admits him. In class, Adi often gazes out of the window, and when the teacher asks him what he’s thinking, he talks of photosynthesis for humans, about the “arrow of time”, and when probed further, he snaps, “I can’t deal with primitive minds like you”. Enter a father-daughter politician duo — Keshav (Sanjay Narvekar) and Anuja Dhavre (Shweta Basu Prasad) — who, impressed by his scientific knowledge and the awe he inspires in the dalit chawl, pick on Adi, and recruit him. They have an agenda. A high-rise housing complex where Mani’s dingy, rat-infested chawl squats.Mani, who often uses his caste to get his way, is more than willing. And all goes as per plan till the day when, Sayani, Adi’s schoolfriend, is being thrashed by her mother for doing badly in an exam and lying about it. Mani’s plan and Adi’s formidable reputation begin to unravel. Exam papers were bought, and there were a father’s instructive susurrations into his son’s ears. As Mani’s life begins to spiral out of control, affecting Adi the most, he turns his sights on his boss, Acharya. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an exceptional actor who is able to convey the machinations of his character’s mind even while holding still. As a desperate father on a dogged pursuit of his and his son’s life amounting to something, he and little Aakshath Das hold the film together and are supported by a very strong ensemble of actors, including Indira Tiwari, Nassar, Sanjay Narvekar and Shweta Basu Prasad.
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BALAMURUGAN posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men revolves around a common man named Mani essayed by Nawaz who wants to give every possible thing which he didn’t get as a child to his only son, Adi portrayed by child actor Akshath Das. Nawaz plays that father who defies all odds to give his son the best opportunities and a life full of privilege. Based on Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name, The film is a Satirical dark comedy, Beautifully written by Bhavesh Mandalia. It touches every aspect of Indian society and a satire on education system and casteism. The first half is terrific and is laced with several hilarious and witty moments. The plot is unique and something never seen before in Bollywood and that goes heavily in its favour too. The 2nd half on the other hand is a bit dragged and feels unexciting, but stick to it as the climax and the finale is the biggest USP of the film. I Absolutely loved it. Speaking of performances: Nawazuddin Siddiqui as usual is in great form and steals the show in each and every scene. Aakshath Das (child actor) leaves a huge mark and is like the second lead of the film. Shweta Basu Prasad, M Nasser and Sanjay Narvekar among others have done a commendable job. With a single movie, Sudhir Mishra has highlighted several topics. The film shows how far one can go to make sure their kids are not subjected to the discrimination they faced because of caste. It's a heartbreaking dark comedy that hits you hard. All in all Serious Men is seriously outstanding. Without being too preachy, it sends a key message to all of us. And All thanks to Director Sudhir Mishra for successfully making a worth watching & impactful film. Will definitely recommend you all to watch it this weekend.
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Dilip posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
After a long time finally a movie comes in Bollywood that is worth to watch. Movie that is full of laugh, joy and some seriuos performances by seriuos man Nawazuddin and his son played by Aakshat Das. Seriuos Men is story about a father who wants to give every possible opportunity to his son so people will acknowledge his son as genius. While proving geniusness of his son to world he does many things that are unethical and immoral but in the end he finds a way out from all this. Movie is based on Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name and it's been screenplayed beautifully and directed splendidly by Sudhir Mishra. With this film Sudhir Mishra also highlighted the issues of Indian Society from education to castism.
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Kalapana posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men, the debut novel of journalist Manu Joseph, was published a decade ago in a different, less raucous India. Joseph’s smartly cheeky take on the two “serious men” of his imagination – Arvind Acharya, a Brahmin scientist, and Ayyan Mani, his Dalit personal assistant – is unsentimental but also a sympathetic insider’s view of our grand divides. Joseph’s story and narrative provided, unintentionally or intentionally, a counterview to the platitude about India as a country of contradictions and opposites. The novel stripped the idea that India lives in several centuries at the same time and shows why these polarities can play out dangerously in human lives.Ayyan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is at the mercy of his boss, the formidable scientist Arvind (Nassar) who has worked for decades at the Indian Institute of Science in Mumbai, bullying his way through plum grants for an ongoing project about stratospheric microbes. None of his colleagues is convinced that Arvind’s theory deserves much attention or support. Ayyan intently eavesdrops on every meeting and conversation and, through small subterfuges and annoying questions, manages to invite Arvind’s ire. Is there a purpose behind this antagonism? Arvind’s anger towards Ayyan is loud, almost abusive, and Ayyan nurtures a simmering gripe. Ayyan lives in the BBD chawls in Mumbai – which have few windows for opportunities and as much history as Dharavi – with his wife Oja (Indira Tiwari) and 11-year-old son Adi (Aakshath Das). Ayyan feeds Adi scientific knowledge in small capsules and sets in motion a plan to convince the world that the boy is a child prodigy and genius. Will Ayyan be exposed, and will Arvind come to his rescue? On the other hand, will Ayan’s guile save Arvind from ignominy? In Joseph’s novel, the world of science is as monolithic and oppressive as any corporation or government machinery. But there is also the promise that science, when used the right way, is one of humanity’s greatest hopes to cross artificial barriers and find solutions to its problems. In the film, the focus is on Ayyan’s journey with his son. There is no catharsis and only compromise, catalysed by a brilliant climactic moment at an art gallery. The scene beautifully crystallises what Serious Men is about – no matter how close they are physically, for a Brahmin, and in extension, all born to privilege, the lens to view creativity, is vastly different from what it is to a Dalit
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Amit posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
There are few movies that have a particular scene or moment you may have missed but lingers on, making you replay it from the beginning, in your head, just to make sense of it as a whole — it is just for the sake of pleasure, sometimes. Like this consequential scene that arrives in the opening portions of Serious Men, which, at that point, seemed quite inconsequential. Early on, we see Ayyan Mani (Nawazuddin Siddiqui who is fantastically defiant and who is more “Mumbaikar” than Tamil) entering the premises of National Institute of Fundamental Research, perhaps, the most elitist of organisations — where he works as a personal assistant to his Brahmin boss, Arvind Acharya (Nasser) — and pausing at a white board which has the following text: “Indians who write in English don’t understand India.” Absolutely true, no doubt. But what makes it an interesting commentary is the name of the person to whom it is attributed: Saravana W. Perhaps they meant Savarna? Ayyan flips the board to a text that reads this: “Reservations cannot be the only compensation to treating fellow human beings like animals for the last 3,000 years.” It is a note supposedly written by a Tamil: Arivunambi Ghatak, whose Bengali surname is borrowed from a master filmmaker. Without much thought, Ayyan quickly changes the name to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. He gets caught sheepishly by a colleague who says, “Ayyan, Sen never said this. You’ll get into trouble for this, one day.”
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Ashutosh posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men follows Ayyan Mani, an underprivileged man who decides to make his son a genius. However, he'll soon find out that his method is slowly destroying his son. Serious Men is a film that may linger on people's minds for some time. It's a film that a lot of people can relate to. Adapted from the novel by Manu Joseph, Serious Men explores the desperation and want to have a better life and how caste and class plays a factor into your societal status. A great aspect is the writing. The characters interact in a natural way and its commentary on society doesn't come across as preachy. Having four writers on a film can be scary as there may be a clash of ideas but Abhijeet Khuman, Bhavesh Mandalia, Nikhil Nair and Niren Bhatt all collaborated really well with each other and made a script that was thought-provoking and engaging. There are parts of the story which I did question because it seemed a tad unbelievable but otherwise I didn't have much of a problem with it. The cinematography is handled really well and Sudhir Mishra's direction was well done. The performances really shine in this film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui once again does a great job here. Ayyan is a very intriguing character that has many layers to him and Siddiqui plays him to a tee. Nassar, as the intelligent but arrogant Dr. Arvind Acharya, plays his character well. Indira Tiwari also does a good job playing Siddiqui's wife. I've always been sceptical about child performances but Aakshath Das was truly great. He conveyed the smart and confused nature of Adi well and I hope to see more of him in the future. Serious Men is definitely one of the better Hindi films I've seen this year. It has a fascinating premise and an interesting take on society that is sure to make you think.
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Anish posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
A father's desire to see his kid succeed is a sentiment. A Dalit father's desire to see his kid succeed is an endeavour. Casteist hierarchy has historically controlled whom it chooses to empower and whom to oppress. The gross injustice in this distinction manifests in a father's questionable actions in Serious Men. In the process of plotting his son's shiny future, he not only deceives but endangers the young one's childhood for the sake of an advantage may not necessarily seek. Ayyan Mani (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a bit of a smart-ass putting on a brash act to pull off his minor schemes. A man's belief in his dreams downsizes his reality. Rather than pity his marginalisation as a Dalit Tamil migrant in Mumbai, Ayyan weaponises it to slyly turn tables in his favour or shame anyone who dare belittle him. His constantly condescending voiceover reveals a shrewd sense of observation and extraordinary grasp over matters well beyond his reach. Like when he remarks, 'Uska IQ machar jitna hai. Microbes uske universe ki baahar ki cheez hai,' the scorn in his I-know-better conviction is hard to miss. People at the fringes are always in the know of things that people at the centre are too preoccupied to notice. Ayyan's insolence and trickery stems from his acuity, which he has meticulously cultivated over years and years of insignificance. Sponging off his snooty astrophysicist Brahmin boss Acharya's (sophisticated, erudite Nassar) pretence of intellect, he parrots back the same knowledge to his son Adi (Aakshath Das) until he is perceived as a child prodigy. When Adi's wee celebrity status attracts a local Dalit politician (Sanjay Narvekar is suitably slippery) and his daughter's (Shweta Basu Prasad does well within the scope) redevelopment plans for the crammed chawl complex he resides in along with his pushy father and compliant mother (Indira Tiwari, scarce lines, tall presence), endorsement is symbolic of altering the status quo. But the burden of genius is hard to bear. Especially when you are not one. Adi discovers this the hard way as does his idiosyncratic father. In this riveting adaptation of Manu Joseph's novel of the same name, the author's scathing worldview and wry wit sheds some of its cynicism to embrace director Sudhir Mishra’s empathetic treatment of morally skewed characters. Though remorseless in its cunning, often Ayyan's machinations feel like a justified response of a victim of longstanding prejudice. Between wronged and wrongdoing, Mishra treads on the fascinating duality of insecurities and impulses through the prism of class, caste and parenting. What emerges is a captivating and complex portrait of underdog ambition. Its satirical overtones, crackling zingers and razor sharp detailing enrich the experience of watching wholesome actors at the top of their game. Every second of Serious Men pulsates with Nawaz's steadfast energy even though it is a performance whose various facets can be traced to previous roles. Nawaz's ability to loom large even when he is not in the frame does well to highlight his character's intimidating quality. Even if the composure in his definitive chat around Acharya feels a tad too neat, the ruthless vigour he applies to his aggression towards the younger members of the cast is where his mettle shines. As an equal participant in Ayyan's elaborate game of affectations, Aakshath Das gets the body language of deceit down pat. His subsequent moment of breakdown is as heartbreaking in spirit as it is conveyed in person. Even phony brainiacs get a big speech moment but the masterful twist leading to his redemption is an amusing hat tip to human folly. Doing away with a literary source's plot threads or condensing characters is the prerogative of any film-maker. But one never sees the point of alluding to the politician's daughter's bad marriage. Another weak link is Acharya's characterisation, which is side-lined to give Ayyan's a stronger footing rendering the payoff somewhat underwhelming. Regardless of its unromantic conclusions, Serious Men never feels as dark as it really is or Manu Joseph intended it to be thanks to its film-maker's humane outlook. At the end of the day, there's always a little more to people than their politics. In what is one of the sharpest movies of his career, Sudhir Mishra shows you needs to be more sensitive than serious to recognise that.
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