Zwigato, directed by Nandita Das, forces the viewer to really see the gig worker and not just slam the door on his face after collecting that parcel of food. Gripping scenes, powerful dialogues, and stellar performances by the cast ensure that this 104-minute film is more than just a sanctimonious commentary on the lives of gig workers and the class divide.
The story follows the life of Manas Singh Mahto, played by Kapil Sharma, who has signed up with a food delivery app. He navigates his family of five while juggling stressors from his job.
The toil, exhaustion and everyday drudgery that goes behind serving those who sit in lavish homes and order food in three taps on their phone, is the main premise of the film. There is no task to accomplish or hurdle to overcome before Mahto’s life can get better. Zwigato is simply the cinematic encapsulation of Manas’ life.
And Das’ representation of this on the big screen is remarkable.
“The film is a work of fiction, based on a thousand true stories. During two years of research, my co-writer (Samir Patil) and I interviewed many such riders and captured their struggles, dilemmas, fears and aspirations to understand their world closely,” director Nandita Das told ThePrint.
Das has directed Zwigato like a documentary, and shows restraint in the use of artificial lighting and complicated camera angles.
Night-time scenes of a dim room after Mahto has an argument with his wife, Pratima (Shahana Goswami) is all the more authentic because of this. So is Pratima’s bus commute after a long day. There are also some shaky scenes following Mahto on his bike that add to the realistic storytelling.
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The story is in the details
Instead of a beginning, a plot and a satisfying conclusion, Zwigato flows like a series of events stitched together. This lack of a flowing narrative may feel disjointed, but that does not take away from the film’s underlying message.
The state of the economy, the lack of job opportunities and the empty pursuit of pleasure by the wealthy are all at play. A college graduate applying for a job as a cleaner in a mall. A Muslim delivery executive is anxious about entering a temple to complete his task and deliver the package.
At one point, the camera lingers at a signage: ‘Delivery boy not allowed to use lift’, as Manto carries 20 pizza boxes up several flights of stairs.
That, along with little comments that Manto’s daughter makes about his mismatched clothes or the ways in which these gig workers talk to each other, puts the viewer in the centre of this tough world.
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Terrific casting
Actor Kapil Sharma, who is known for his standup comedy and roles in films such as Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015) and Firangi(2017), is not the first choice to play Mahto. But he pulls it off effortlessly, and so does Shahana Goswami.
“Kapil and I come from such different worlds. For me, he looked the ‘part’ and that was a good starting point. Through our various interactions I knew there was a simplicity, a vulnerability and something real and rooted that would make the character very believable,” Das told ThePrint.
Zwigato is not just centred around Mahto. Goswami’s Pratima also struggles to keep the family afloat by taking up odd jobs such as being a masseuse or working in the mall. The burden on them is a shared one as even Pratima undergoes much discrimination as she struggles to make ends meet for her family.
Pratima’s humiliation when she is turned away from her appointment as a masseuse because a young girl thinks she is ‘sweating’ and ‘wearing a saree’ is a hard-hitting depiction which Shahana completely aces.
At the end of the film, there is no big reveal, lottery win or celebration that puts the family out of its misery. Everything continues to crumble as it has been, as Mahto gets suspended from his job and Pratima works late night shifts. But together, they share laughter and happiness on their faces, despite it all. And their life goes on. The same way that it does for millions of Indians every day.
(Edited by Prashant)