Genre: Crime Thriller
Language: Hindi
Release Date: 21-Aug-2020
Platform/OTT Details: Netflix
Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes
Age Suitability: 18+
WMR Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis
Set in the early 80’s when the underworld gangs were spreading their tentacles in the underbelly of Mumbai( then known as Bombay), a disgraced but honest police officer serving a punishment posting as the dean of the Police Training Academy, Nasik designs a secret model based on institutionalized killing of gangsters by policemen. In his quest of revenge and redemption, he handpicks the five lowest ranking cadets to enter the police body as anti-bodies as he sees them as the dark horses and romantics, untouched by politics and dirty games. Class of ’83 is Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment’s first produced Netflix film.
Performances:
Bobby Deol imbues the protagonist, Dean Vijay Singh, with restrain and a brooding weariness. The film marks his foray into the streaming and OTT space and the actor approaches his part of a middle-aged man intuitively, rather than relying on physical prowess. Apparently, Bobby was thrilled to play this age! The supporting cast- comprising the five rookie cops, is in good form but the makers could have fleshed out the antagonist - Kalsekar more competently. This is where the film falls flat. The cadets are played by newcomers Ninad Mahajani, Bhupendra Jadawat, Sameer Paranjape, Hitesh Bhojraj and Prithvik Pratap. Anup Soni plays the CM Patkar with flair but his character could have been more layered. Viswajeet Pradhan plays the short but relevant part well as Vijay’s supportive colleague.
Technicalities:
Direction and Editing:
Director Atul Sabharwal (of Aurangzeb fame) exhibits a nuanced understanding of the subject and conjures up a vivid portrait of the era when the city thrived as the underworld's circus. The film has a verve that reminds you of the 2010 hit Once upon a time in Mumbai which was also based on the underworld. With sharp editing by Nitin Baid and Manas Mittal, Class of ’83 evolves as a true-blue potboiler laced with intrigue and action.
Screenplay and script:
The film is an adaptation of Hussain Zaidi's book with the same title and based on true events that rocked the underbelly of Bombay of 80s. Aided by a lucid voiceover, which juxtaposes the key socio-political events with the film’s landscape, the script examines Vijay Singh’s uncompromised ethics evenwhen the ground is shifting under his feet with the shifting loyalties of his dark horses. Writers Abhijit Deshpande (of Shootout at Wadala fame) and Sakshi Mishra flesh out the characters well but there arecertain incoherent elements– Bobby Deol’s guilt and his troubled equation with his son – are not answered with satisfaction and seem contrived.
Cinematography and Production Design:
DOP Mario Poljac, who is associated with Red Chillies , grasps the rhythm of the narrative and his camera captures the shots justifying the genre of cinema. Class of ’83 has impressive production values – the architects’ team Donald Reagen, Gracy and Anita Rajgopalan do a fabulous job here.
Background score:
The soundtrack of Class of ’83 is helmed by the popular music director of 90s, Viju Shah who is back in the game and his music – the quintessential mix of synth sound and traditional Bollywood music elements, resonates with the milieu of the plot.
Overall:
Class of '83 kept me thoroughly invested in its runtime of 98 minutes. I would rate it at 3.5/5.
Cautionary Note:
Children shouldn't watch this film due to profanity and sexual content
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