Suparna Thombare
Pune, 15 Jan 2018 11:07 IST
Updated: 22 Jun 2018 16:14 IST
Vaidya's ambition to explore too many plot points to arrive at the destination makes the journey a tedious watch.
First time director Kedar Vaidya attempts to tell the story of Kisna (Chinmay Kambli), called Ziprya by his friends and loved ones, a bootpolish boy at a railway station in Mumbai. He rises to become the leader of the group of bootpolish boys, after the accidental death of their earlier 'ustaad'.
Ziprya holds himself partly responsible for the death and tries to fight his personal demons, even as he struggles to provide for his family.
The rest of the story explores the life and adventures of the bunch of boys as they try to navigate difficulties arising out of a failing bootpolish business and their personal problems.
When a film is based on a book, like in the case of Ziprya, one needs to pick and choose the aspects that one wants to include very carefully. Vaidya tries to incorporate too many things and in the process churns out a messy film.
Amruta Subhash, who plays Ziprya's sister, brings great vibrancy to every scene she is in. As someone trying to escape her poverty by earning an honest living while fighting societal biases, Amruta excels with ease.
Prathamesh Parab's filmi character Aslam (Ziprya's friend), who mouths Salman Khan's dialogues and dreams of being in a movie one day, brings a smile on your face on several ocassions.
Other supporting cast have also done a good job.
Kamble's Ziprya, though, fails to bring depth to his role, unlike the other members in his gang. The young actor has potential, but the writing lets him down in many places. His anger seems misplaced and his chauvinistic attitude towards his sister hurts his character, as the reasons behind his behaviour remain unexplored.
It is the failing of the script that the main protagonist is unable to make the desired impact.
A coming-of-age story that had some great potential, with the support of some good performances, ends up being only an average affair.
The editing is shoddy and the screenplay scattered.
While he creates the world of Ziprya quite well, Vaidya's ambition to explore too many plot points to arrive at the destination makes the journey a tedious watch.
Ziprya was screened at the Pune International Film Festival in January 2018.