Keyur Seta
Mumbai, 17 Apr 2020 14:39 IST
Updated: 30 Aug 2020 21:58 IST
But Half Full isn’t only about giving out a social message. The film works just as well as a thriller.
Abhay Khanna (Vikrant Massey), a 29-year-old, is alone in his apartment on a rainy night. Shortly before midnight, a stranger (Naseeruddin Shah), whose car has broken down nearby, rings the doorbell and asks if he can make an urgent phone call. The wary Abhay initially refuses, then relents and lets him in. The old man is evidently in some distress.
But the audience then learns that Abhay is in far greater distress as the old man happens to read a letter lying on the coffee table. The tables are turned, so to speak, in the simplest manner.
The execution is similar throughout the film. The narrative brings in a serious social issue and deals with it with utmost subtlety, without any preaching. Simplicity in narration can give profound results and that is exactly what happens.
But Half Full, directed by Karan Rawal, isn’t only about giving out a social message. The film works just as well as a thriller. The narrative keeps you guessing till the very last frame about Shah’s character. Perhaps you could call this a social thriller.
Of course, Shah’s mastery of his craft plays a big part in achieving the end result. His genius is seen aplenty despite the film being just over 10 minutes in length. Massey, too, is no slouch. It is a huge task to match up to someone of Shah's calibre, but he succeeds in making his own mark.
Maye if the writers had shed some light on Abhay Khanna’s back story, the audience might have sympathized with him more. But this does not spoil the fun since the film has plenty of positives working in its favour.
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