'Pink' review: Amitabh Bachchan is exceptional in this hard-hitting courtroom drama on women's consent

Film: Pink
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Andrea Tariang, Kirti Kulhari, Angad Bedi, Piyush Mishra
Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

What it's about 

Pink is an engaging courtroom drama revolving around the subject of a woman's consent. Despite the feminist twang to the title and perception, Pink isn't about women's rights or liberalism. On the contrary, it talks about a basic yet often forgotten subject— a woman's right to say no when it comes to sex. Andrea (Andrea Tariang), Meenal (Taapsee Pannu) and Falak (Kirti Kulhari) are roommates in Delhi. A tiff during a night out at a rock concert with some boys changes their lives forever. Meenal, in an attempt to protect herself, ends up breaking a bottle on Rajvir's (Angad Bedi) head. Not knowing his affiliation with politics, her friends and she land in a legal soup that involves a very public character assassination in court. Amitabh Bachchan plays an ex-lawyer Deepak Sehgal who happens to be their neighbour and decides to come out of exile despite his mental health issues. With a great narrative and exceptional acting, Pink not only highlights some important issues but also entertains.

What's hot 

The pace never slackens and Pink keeps you engaged. Director Aniruddha Chowdhury gets full marks for drawing heartfelt performances from his three actresses. There are scenes where Taapsee and Kirti could have gone all out and played to the gallery,but they were restrained and that kept their characters from becoming caricatures. Pink takes on a sensitive subject but is hard-hitting and unflinching in its approach. Bachchan's lawyer act is top class and a reminder of why he's such a force to reckon with. His dichotomy of taking the case at a time when he's about to lose his wife to an ailment will choke you up. He is the foundation of Pink and the three girls — Andrea, Kirti and Taapsee — are the pillars that hold it together. Pink isn't preachy, nor does it wear you down with a heavy dose of moral science. The film works because it speaks about a subject that is often relegated to the confines of the four walls.

What's not 

Pink has its fair share of hiccups. In a scene, Bachchan tells the judge, "Your honour, I am digressing", just like the uneven second half. The court room scenes are epic because of the dialogues and Bachchan's execution, but they tend to get a bit predictable along the way. Also, it would have been a treat to get us a short back story for Bachchan's battle with his mental disorder and how he came to be the way he is. The North Indian girl angle with Andrea seemed weak and an attempt to up the drama quotient. It didn't flow with the narrative that well. Piyush Mishra's lawyer act is loud and he could have done a way with his trademark diction and style of talking. 

What to do

Pink is a film every woman and every man must watch. It carries an important message. And even if it changes the mindset of one percent of the country's population, it's a big win. 

Rating: ****