Making films about real-life incidents is a tricky business. One must strike that fine balance between dramatising an actual incident enough to make it an entertaining story while also sticking to facts. Nikkhil Advani’s Batla House comes close, but ends up making an exhilarating tale rather boring.
Starring John Abraham, the film is based on the 2008 Batla House encounter case, when crossfire took place between Delhi Police’s special cell and a group of suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives at L-18, Batla House in Delhi.
Lead inspector Mohan Chand Sharma was shot and killed along with two suspects. Two other suspects were arrested and one was reported absconding. There was a lot of media and societal backlash to this, with allegations of a fake encounter and Islamophobia being levied. A judicial enquiry, which was demanded by some local ruling parties at the time, cleared the officers of any wrongdoing. But prejudice against them remains. While one of the accused was given a life sentence for killing the inspector, the case is still open regarding the other suspects.
Mediocre performances
The film, while claiming not to take sides or endorse any party, fails miserably at remaining neutral. DCP Sanjeev Yadav (John Abraham) is a stoic and by-the-book kind of guy. He is married to his job, so much so that his wife, a journalist (played by Mrunal Thakur) threatens to end their marriage. He is idealistic and wants to help the people of his country, but is impeded by red-tape and politics.
Abraham has a character with all the markings of an impressive hero, but manages to bring down the energy of the whole film by portraying him with exactly two facial expressions — stone-faced and stone-faced with a tear in his eye. Thakur takes on the role of a conflicted woman, torn between fighting to save her marriage and self-preservation, and delivers an equally confusing performance.
Steering clear of Islamophobia
It is commendable that writers of this film managed to show PTSD and its effects without over-dramatising it in a typical Bollywood fashion — a bar set too low, sadly.
More commendable, however, is that it actually steers clear of Islamophobia — showing how communal prejudices can affect the fairest of investigations. The writers also bring out the tough spot in which law enforcement officers are usually put in — pressured to do a fair job in a broken system of which their institution is a pillar. It is a systemic problem, Yadav points out during the film.
Although the movie starts off on a fast note, it drags on later. Interpersonal drama and internal conflict take precedence for a little too long, before the filmmakers realise they need to get back to showing the actual case.
Mediocre performances, an ill-set item number and a rambling narrative make Batla House a passable film that you would rather watch on TV than in the theatre.
Also read: This John Abraham film hands out a ‘RAW’ deal to the audience
Stupid review. Seems like Pothukuchi was paid to write this verbal diarrhoea. I saw the movie today – well made, solid acting and gripping until the very end. John Abraham has put it a very competent performance along with the rest of the cast.
Find the True Story of Movie Batla House –> https://www.theworldofrandom.com/2019/08/the-true-story-of-movie-batla-house.html