6 Gunn review: Scores really low on execution

On a makeshift stage, children dressed in silver and blue shimmery clothes move with pompoms in a supposedly choreographed dance routine to the song ‘Abhyas Abhyas Abhyas’. The song lyrics pack in observations of the familiar scenario of kids being buried in books with exams looming over them. However, the abrupt editing and seemingly random placement of the song takes away from the impact it could’ve made.

There are many such instances in 6 Gunn (Saha Gunn or 6 Marks) that have been added for effect, taking away the subtlety of sensitive moments.

Director-story-screenplay-dialogue writer Kiran Sabhaji Gawade has a good idea which falls victim to terrible execution, making it a mockery of an attempt. Gawade seeks to show the current appalling state of education where parents burden kids with their own unfulfilled ambitions and prefer bookish knowledge over overall development and capability. The end product, however, falls terribly short at the execution level.

Vidya Sarvade (Archit Deodhar) is one such victim of his disciplinarian mother Saraswati (Amruta Subhash), who lost out on an admission to a medical college because of one less mark. Vidya’s father is away for work, and Saraswati rules Vidya’s life with an iron hand, making strict timetables so Vidya can keep coming first in his class at Adarsha Vidyalaya in Meethmumbri village. Her foul attitude towards her son’s classmates has naturally made Vidya an unpopular kid. Things take a turn for the worse when Raju Panse (Ajinkya Londhe), the new entrant in the school starts performing better than Vidya and becomes a class favourite. Will Vidya surpass his capacities and top the class? Or will his mother’s unrealistic demands be the end of Vidya?

The topicality of the story cannot be ignored. The recent suicide of 23-year-old Arjun Bhardwaj, who leapt to death from a Mumbai hotel is proof that the situation is a real problem. To make a film on such a sensitive issue is a good starting point for a discussion on depression among students who are buckling under the pressure of anxiety and unrealistic academic demands. But director Gawade’s attempt lacks conviction and seriousness.

He resorts to extremes to prove a point. Amruta’s stern Saraswati looks like a stretch as she behaves badly with almost everybody, including the school principal. Despite her lofty ambitions, we wonder why Vidya was enrolled in a village school and not a fancy city one. On the other hand, Shriganesh Sarvade (Sunil Barve), who is the more level-headed one, is portrayed as the good parent who tries to understand the child’s psyche. The good cop-bad cop game makes scenarios unrealistic and unbelievable.

Lack of depth and development make Gawade’s characters more like caricatures, limited by a shoddy script and lack of vision. Add to this appalling editing with abrupt cuts and dialogues that seem straight out of a soap opera, make 6 Gunn a boring watch. Kids here talk more maturely than adults do, often sounding contrived and vain.

Archit Deodhar delivers a measured and restrained performance as Vidya. His charm since Killa (2015) is intact, but here he doesn’t get to do much. Siddhesh Parab as Baban Khot is the best of the lot among the kids. Amruta Subhash follows through with her brief as the strict, ambitious mother. Her soft side is showcased in some scenes and she excels in them too. Sunil Barve comes into the picture in the second half, and its refreshing to see him as an adult actor behaving maturely on screen. Sadly, you don’t connect with any of the characters or feel their conflict.

It seems like Gawade wanted to draw attention to everything to do with academics — need for parental attention, importance of recreation, healthy personalities, friendships, sports etc. In the bargain, he manages to make 6 Gunn a hack-job put together to meet a deadline. Mind you, this is not the kind of pressure that produces diamonds. He trivialises all the problems and even makes them laughable.

If you have to spend quality time with your kids this summer vacation, take them to the park or the beach. 6 Gunn is better left not scored.

Reviewed by Blessy Chettiar