Hostel Review

Genre - Social

Running Time - 2 Hours

Of late, there had been many films that have tried to take the route for the very purpose movies are made. Yes, for people who have forgotten its purpose, here is a quick input.

The movies are made to relive the issue a society has seen with the Tadka of entertainment. No One Killed Jessica, A Wednesday, Aamir and many more are the most recent titles of those movies. The most recent one to join the group is Hostel, a movie made on the burning issue of ragging.

Though Munnabhai M.B.B.S and 3 Idiots had some ragging scenes but they were on a lighter front but Hostel is first such film to be made on a full-fledged canvas.

Now, having said that, let' s take you off the track for a while. When we are small as kids, we aspire to make the most of the opportunities when we become young. In order to do so, we join a college and think that it' s high time we unwind in some freedom. But, that' s entirely your version. How the bigger picture looks, that' s more important. Does the "freedom" we seek out of a college life is as true as thought. In plain words, is it that funny, the answer is a blunt no?

Taran Adarsh gives us the account of the movie based on the freedom that' s prohibited as new entrants in a college has to go by a severe ragging session by their seniors not even in college campus but also in Hostel. Let' s see the whole story in the words of Taran Adarsh, a noted film critic.

The story of Hostel is inspired by true-life events, I am told. But the question is, does it serve as a wakeup call in the true sense? Does Hostel successfully bring to the fore the gravity of torture people experience in the name of ragging? Unfortunately, it doesn' t. Sure, it' s well thought of and well intentioned, but not well penned and well executed. The film starts off brilliantly, but loses focus midway.

Hostel comes to the point at the very start. The sequence at the outset - of Mukesh Tiwari physically abusing the young students - is hair-raising. A few minutes later, he repeats the act with the protagonist, Vatsal Sheth. To give the credit where it' s due, the sequences are disturbing and you only hope that the goings-on succeed in maintaining your interest.

Well, it shall depend on an individual to like or dislike the film, but no matter what be the result of the flick on the box-office, it must be applauded for being an eye-opener on the burning subject.

Coming to the direction, it' s the love story where he (Manish Gupta) is not able to carry forward the narrative and looks scratchy. It' s not a good effort when compared to his last outing, The Stoneman Murder.

Talking of the performance, no one other than Mukesh Tiwari is able to put up a good show. Even Nagesh Bhosale is good as the warden but could have been better. Vatsal Seth is strictly okay in parts. Tulip Joshi is wasted yet again. The students who are shown in the movie do not look convincing as engineering students.

It' s the lackluster star cast that fails to turn a good script in to a good cinema in the end.

On the whole, Hostel is yet another good and brave effort gone horribly wrong. Thumbs down!

From the box-office point of view, Hostel has got strong competition from Dhobi Ghat and last week' s Yamla Pagla Deewana which is still going greet guns. Given these kinds of competitors, it stands no chance, whatsoever!

Rating - ** (Below Average)

Verdict - Hostel is yet another excellent idea gone horribly wrong!

Movie Reviewed By - Md. Waliur Rahman

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