Any Indian cinema connoisseur will tell you that when Sudhir Mishra directs a film, it’s more than entertainment. It is a political statement laden with jest, jive and satire on contemporary Indian society, which in turn more or less represents the multi-cultural peoples of the Indian subcontinent. The director, who has previously made socially compelling movies like “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi,” “Dharavi,” and “Chameli,” continues his storytelling of the real people in his latest release “Serious Men.”
Serious Men—based on Indian journalist Manu Joseph’s book by the same name—is a Hindi-language comedy-drama that skillfully touches issues of caste divide, economic disparity, proselytism, political interferences in the common man’s life, and the burden of education placed on today’s children—all centered on the family of Ayyan Mani (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).
Ayyan is middle-aged Tamil who lives in Mumbai with his wife Oja Mani (Indira Tiwari) and son Adi Mani (Aakshath Das). Coming from an underprivileged shudra caste, Ayyan has been facing hardships and discriminations all his life owing to his caste and financial status. But despite his more than humble beginnings, Ayyan has managed to educate himself and get a ‘respectable job’.
So while he works as an assistant to astronomer Dr. Arvind Acharya (Nassar) at the National Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, Ayyan dreams his son will elevate their status by getting higher education and becoming a famous scholar. Having been called “moron,” “imbecile,” and “knob-head” all the time by ‘serious men’ at work, Ayyan wants his son to be one of them—educated, rich, and powerful.
Ayyan’s son Adi does turn out to be a child genius of sorts. The 10-year-old with a slight hearing impairment can solve the most difficult scientific problems and calculate fast as a machine. Adi’s abilities catch the attention of the media as well as the local politicians who want to use him to promote their upcoming election campaign. Ayyan and Adi seemingly enjoy the attention they have been getting and make public appearances at various programs, to show off Adi’s skills. But what unfolds next changes the whole film narrative. It turns out that the father-son duo has a big secret, the leakage of which could alter their lives forever.
The story of Serious Men revolves around different aspects of discrimination that a poor, socially underprivileged family has to face, and their extra struggle to break their centuries-old shackles. Ayyan’s battle with casteism and poverty has made him callous to the feelings of his own wife and child. The burden of being poor and underprivileged he has carried all his life makes him take drastic steps to change the situation.
Even with so many underlying themes that affect Ayyan and his family’s life, the storytelling in Serious Men is coherent and enjoyable throughout its 1hrs 54mins length. Mishra’s tight script is adequately supported by the acting of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Aakshath Das. Both—the former a seasoned star and the latter just a newcomer—get into their respective characters and justify their casting with ease. Getting most screen time in the movie, Siddiqui and Das add strength to the already strong screenplay and help Mishra create another set of memorable characters.
Who should watch it?
Serious Men is a movie for all those looking for more than just entertainment in cinema. It is a movie people will relate to in one way or other, and readily identify the characters as people they know.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Run time: 1hr 54mins
Actors: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Aakshath Das
Director: Sudhir Mishra
