Film: Durgamati: The Myth
Language: Hindi
Release Date: 11 December 2020
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Directed by: G. Ashok
Language: Hindi
Release Date: 11 December 2020
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Directed by: G. Ashok
Produced by: Vikram Malhotra, Bhushan Kumar, Akshay Kumar, Krishan Kumar
Written by: G. Ashok, Ravinder Randhawa
Written by: G. Ashok, Ravinder Randhawa
Screenplay by: Shweta. J. More
Based on: Bhaagamathie
Starring: Bhumi Pednekar, Arshad Warsi, Jisshu Sengupta, Mahie Gill
Songs: Tanishk Bagchi, Naman Adhikari, Abhinav Sharma, Malini Awasthi
Score: Jakes Bejoy
Cinematography: Kuldeep Mamania
Edited by: Unnikrishnan P.P
Production Company: Abundantia Entertainment, T-Series, Cape of Good Films
Running time: 155 minutes
Based on: Bhaagamathie
Starring: Bhumi Pednekar, Arshad Warsi, Jisshu Sengupta, Mahie Gill
Songs: Tanishk Bagchi, Naman Adhikari, Abhinav Sharma, Malini Awasthi
Score: Jakes Bejoy
Cinematography: Kuldeep Mamania
Edited by: Unnikrishnan P.P
Production Company: Abundantia Entertainment, T-Series, Cape of Good Films
Running time: 155 minutes
Ever since the lockdown has happened, so many films are coming out on the OTT platforms. The latest one to do so is Durgamati, which is the remake of Anushka’s Bhaagmathie. Touted to be a suspense horror drama, this film is directed by Ashok. Read on to see if this thriller impresses you or not.
Plot
Eshwar Prasad(Arshad Warsi) is a bad guy who never shows his dark side in the public. But the cops want to nab him and the only way to do this is to deal with his close aide Chanchal Chauhan(Bhumi Pednekar) who is in jail. So, they bring her out of jail and take her to Durgmati haveli for interrogation. What happens later is chaotic and changes the course of the film. What are this haveli and Durgamati all about forms the rest of the story?
Actors and Performances
This is a perfect way to show film students how not to make a remake. Right from the actors to the setup, everything looks fake. Arshad Warsi, who is a very good actor is just dumb as the politician. Nor his screen presence or performance boosts the film in which way. Mahie Gill plays this Bengali cop who hams to no extent. Jishu Sen, the Bengali actor makes some sense. Last but not the least, Bhumi Pednekar, the award-winning director looks so silly that it is hard to believe. She fails to live up to her role and is not good at all. She is lost in translation and is hardly there in the scenes. In just a few scenes she shines but the worst part was seeing comedian Dhanraj in a Hindi film mouthing Hindi dialogues which were horrible.
Analysis
Bhaagmathie was a big hit at the box office in Telugu and when Akshay Kumar bought the rights and roped in Bhumi Pednekar, many thought the film would be good but that is not the case. Director Ashok has spoilt his own work in Hindi and this is weird to see. He does not establish the story well from the beginning. Also, his casting is poor and the actors fail to deliver for him.
There is no emotional connection in the film as Ashok used dull narration and silly execution to tell his story. The actors’ sleepwalking in their roles, cheap production values, and horrible screenplay leave us irritated. The makers do no justice to the script at all and the songs and BGM look dull. Also, the ending is a bit good and that was the saving grace.
But to watch that happen, you have no choice but to go through some illogical and unkempt scenes which do not create any impact. In a nutshell, Durgamati is a film that has things going haywire from the word go. You will never see such seasoned actors lost in any film like in Durgamati. So, the decision is yours to watch the film or not.
There is no emotional connection in the film as Ashok used dull narration and silly execution to tell his story. The actors’ sleepwalking in their roles, cheap production values, and horrible screenplay leave us irritated. The makers do no justice to the script at all and the songs and BGM look dull. Also, the ending is a bit good and that was the saving grace.But to watch that happen, you have no choice but to go through some illogical and unkempt scenes which do not create any impact. In a nutshell, Durgamati is a film that has things going haywire from the word go. You will never see such seasoned actors lost in any film like in Durgamati. So, the decision is yours to watch the film or not. 
