Kedarnath Review - An Overflooded Spectacle

The impending doom always is a key player throughout Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath (2018). In fact, the ‘disaster’ genre is characterised by this doom. Makers of these films gain from the audience’s sense of superiority - they know what is about to happen. So, you knew as members of society, barred by class differences, walked into Titanic (1997), that it would all cease to matter in a few hours. In Kedarnath, too, the conflicts, which are flimsy to begin with, become trivial in the face of the impending doom - here, the catastrophic Uttarakhand floods of 2013.

Mansoor (Sushant Singh Rajput) is a porter, who carries devotees to the Kedarnath temple on his back. Sparks fly when he meets Mandakini, also known as Mukku (Sara Ali Khan), who is an upper-class daughter of a Hindu priest. He’s a Muslim, she’s a Hindu. Set against the backdrop of the staunchly conservative pilgrimage town, all hell breaks loose when news of their affair finally comes out.

Kapoor, who’s directed films like Kai Po Che and Rock On, has always gotten in touch with the worlds he creates. Here also, there’s a sense of familiarity and comfort with each shot. But even though the script, written by Kanika Dhillon, the writer of Manmarziyaan (2018), takes twists and turns - it ultimately is a slog. There’s just too much time wasted on this forbidden love story. It plays out like a scene-to-scene recreation of Titanic, where a poor boy teaches a rich girl how to truly live. Refusing to cower down to her surroundings, she perseveres, and loves the boy against all odds - even nature, herself.

So, when this film finally hits its metaphorical iceberg, both the film and its characters spring to life. But, Kedarnath is also overtly preachy. There’s a sermon on the commercialisation of Kedarnath itself, a plea for environmental responsibility and an appeal to end the tensions between Hindus and Muslims. It’s a lot to balance, and while Sara and Sushant are lovely, they can’t keep all these balls in the air.

Mukku is a firebrand. Since Geet from Jab We Met and Anjali from K3G, she’s become Hindi cinema’s go-to for a sense of liberalisation. She’s a small town girl, who learns to rise against her patriarchal environment and live her life just as she likes. But, Sara gives a sturdy and assured debut. She never looks uncomfortable or out of place. For the most part, the script requires her to be sarcastic, but with deftness, she draws the line between wit and coquettishness.

Kedarnath works when Sara commands it. She also carries a homegrown innocence with her, and whenever Sara, a splitting image of mother Amrita Singh, is on screen - she commands your attention. Especially in the second half, where a suicide angle threatens to derail the entire film, she subtly pulls through, bringing the film right back on track. Aiding her is Sushant Singh Rajput, who lets Khan take centre stage. Sushant helps her to, both metaphorically and literally, carry Kedarnath on her shoulders.

He has a roguish charm to him, and Mansoor is cheeky, all while being sincere and honest. Their chemistry is delicate and untouched, but ultimately fragile in the face of not only this flood - but also, religion. And then, there’s a plethora of supporting characters, but they are derivative of their Titanic counterparts - a mother, desperately trying to cling onto her societal stature, a fiancé whose toxic masculinity puts off his bride-to-be - that they are hardly worth a mention.

There are sweeping shots of Kedarnath itself, shot lovingly by cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray. The music by Amit Trivedi is lilting and the likeable tracks Namo Namo, Qaafirana and Sweetheart are especially melodious. The secular politics of Kedarnath are also deconstructed, and Kanika and Abhishek use the 'disaster' metaphor smartly here. In a matter of few hours, all of these petty squabbles will be reduced to nothing, as people cling on for dear life.

Just as the film scatters itself completely, a flood literally engulfs the story whole, and Kedarnath, along with the water level, rises and commands your attention for the visually clunky but emotionally glorious climax, where blood is shed and people hold on for dear life. It’s absolutely stunning to watch as temples, houses, cars and roads are inundated - as cracks develop in houses, literally tearing them completely apart.

Kedarnath isn’t without its problems, but I enjoyed it - mainly because of Sara and Sushant, who carry it forward, with their stellar acting - even as the script doesn't match their energy and effervescence.

It’s over flooded with ideas. Whoever said that’s a bad thing?