Title: Ulajh
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew, Rajesh Tailang, Meiyang Chang, Adil Hussain and others
Director: Sudhanshu Saria
Where to watch: In theatres
Rating: 2 stars
Just when one starts smacking one's lips at the prospect of relishing a promising looking spy thriller, with an equally promising and zestful cast, we get a tale that remains both half-baked and largely insipid in equal measures. That's the fate of director Sudhanshu Saria's 'Ulajh', starring Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah and Roshan Mathew in the lead roles. The film, for sure, is sleek and sharp in terms of its production design -- the spiffy suits, the smarts and suave appearances et al. But much like the notorious English weather (we see London with grey skies replete with looming clouds, of course!), it remains dull without much spark to celebrate, especially when your expectations are elevated by what looks like a potential plot -- the one that you so-want to enjoy, but alas, end up witnessing yourself simply smirking at!
Picture this! A high ranking diplomat, sharp as ever, hailing from an esteemed bloodline of diplomats, being elevated and even posted to a posh foreign locale for showing her smarts, secretive streaks and stealthy moves. She meets a handsome chef, the one who whips up delicacies and delicious stories with his sweet talk. Honey, can't you see the honey trap being set exclusively for you? Even a fifth grader would get that.
Now, that's the usual espionage trope 'Ulajh' resorts to and then relies on the mercy of the performers to pull it all off. The fact that Janhvi Kapoor plays that high ranking Deputy High Commissioner and the chef being the always-so-dependable Gulshan Devaiah is the only respite here -- while the former is striking the latter is sexy like a devilishly delicious Chef he can be.
The film straightaway dives into the centerpiece without meandering much. Janhvi's character being quickly elevated to higher position raised many eyebrows. Is it the classic case of nepotism at play? After all, Adil Hussain who plays her father is a decorated diplomat himself. In her zest to prove her merit and make a solid piece of commentary on nepotism, the young girl finds herself in a situation which is not only sticky for her, but can jeopardise the country's diplomatic ties and security situations.
Rajesh Tailang and Meiyang Chang are placed in this espionage saga quite strategically. Rajesh shows his acting chops that make this lukewarm plot a bearable watch, while you question why Chang has not been given enough material to showcase his strength as an actor. Adil Hussain is wasted largely except for a scene or two where we see his anxiety bouts as he confronts his supposedly sharp daughter.
In little over two hours, Ulajh sets up its pieces on the board astutely. There are multiple layers of human emotions and intricacies on display too. Add to that a generous dollop of deshbhakti and chest thumping jingoism, and it makes for a passable watch. What it lacks though is crisper writing, characters that have arcs and a storyline that has enough depth to cover the shades of grey. More detailed and nuanced approach could have saved this entangling mesh of lies, deceit and everything bordering dangerous. What hurts the most is the fact that 'Ulajh' promised to provide some thorough entertainment as characters shift their loyalties and change their colours swiftly. But then again, the film fails to deliver on that exact promise.
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