'Madaari' review: Irrfan is the beating heart of this film that falls short

What's it about:

A father loses his son to a man-made tragedy (a bridge collapse). He strikes back and watches as the events he sets into motion, play out in real-time. He kidnaps the Home Minister's son and tries to get justice by hoping to get those responsible for the tragedy to own up to the corruption they were part of.
Nirmal Kumar (Irrfan) could well be anyone. Just about anyone you meet on the streets, in a local train, at a public place and not offer a second look to. It takes a personal tragedy for him to leave his middle-class existence and fight the system he once took for granted.
Nachiket (Sheirgill) is the efficient cop who goes about his job with a quiet doggedness.
The Home Minister (Dalvi) as a representative of the very system Nirmal is fighting, knows he's cornered, but doesn't cow down, rather insisting that the system exists for his benefit.
At the heart of it all, is his kidnapped child (Bansal), who's annoying and heartfelt in equal measures. 

What's hot:
Kamat's put together a good team. With Irrfan leading the way in the performances department, he has half the job cut out for him. As the man against the machine, the actor brings heart, soul and a steely resolve to the role. Some of Ritesh Shah's dialogue have flashes of inspired brilliance. Avinash Arun's as good as it comes, and he really lets it show. Shailja Kejriwal's story tries to punch above its weight and sort of comes off trying a little too hard. But one has to admit, they at least tried put up a good fight.

What's not:
The film's a little too long at two hours-plus. One feels that shaving off at least half an hour, would've kept one more invested in the story (apart from the performances). There are truly beautiful scenes that come too few and far between to really let it sit with you. The music is very middling. This film needed a strong supporting cast, and that only comes from Bansal and Sheirgill and that really doesn't say much. While one agrees that we need a mirror to our lives and that this follow-up to A Wednesday (it follows the same idea - a common man righting wrongs) played its part, it needed to make us more a part of its supposed movement than just treat this as another film. But it doesn't and that's really sad.

What to do:
Watch it once for Irrfan, who's the beating heart of this film. It's a film that could have gone for gold, but settles for lesser.

Rating: ***