Movie Guide:
- Release Date: August 2, 2024
- Run Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Certificate Type: UA
- Language: Hindi/ 2D
Movie Cast:
- Janhvi Kapoor
- Gulshan Devaiah
- Roshan Mathew
Also Read: ‘Ulajh’ Set to Hit Screens in August 2024: What You Need to Know for more details.
Ulajh takes you on a breath-stopping ride through a world of spies and secrets. Suhana Bhatia, as Janhvi Kapoor, gets embroiled in a dangerous game involving international politics. As the story unfolds, you will be waiting with bated breath for what lies ahead as secrets tumble out and stakes rise higher.
The Story:
Suhana Bhatia is an officer in the Indian Foreign Service; Janhvi Kapoor plays the role of a dedicated employee who gets shifted to Kathmandu. Her life then took a dramatic turn when she was appointed India’s new Deputy High Commissioner to London. Her family is visibly excited, though her father, who happens to be a seasoned diplomat himself, is a bit skeptical about how she would handle this huge responsibility.
Suhana tries to settle down after shifting to London for her new role. She befriends a fellow diplomat, Nakul, portrayed by Gulshan Devaiah. Despite being warned about the results of staying out late by her driver, Suhana and Nakul share a night. This one wrong move results in a nightmare as Nakul reveals that he is an ISI agent and blackmails her with a video of that night in exchange for sensitive Indian defence information.
It is a very tenuous situation, and Suhana thinks of ways by which she can kill herself and resign from the force. Things go out of control when her colleague, Jacob played by Meiyang Chang, smells something fishy and confronts her but is shot by a sniper at her house. Realizing that she has been framed and embroiled into a bigger conspiracy, Suhana decides to fight these corrupt forces that threaten to destroy not just her but also her country.
Highlights:
Complex characters and performances-
Janhvi Kapoor, as Suhana, plays the young diplomat caught in a bind of sorts rather convincingly. In Ulajh, she fares quite well, in the more heightened portions, anyway.
Gulshan Devaiah, as Nakul, seems sweet and deadly at the same time, so that it becomes really hard to swallow the betrayal of his character.
Roshan Mathew, in the character of Sebin Josephkutty, brings in strong support, and with a lot of depth into the narrative it is .
Intricate plot-
Now, the story becomes really complex, full of Indian and Pakistani officials, corrupt RAW agents, and high-stake espionage; the kind of actions that keep audiences quite engaged, even though the plot might be a bit confusing at times.
Engaging Climax-
The climax is quite tight, with Suhana uncovering the assassination plan of the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister to India. She not only saves the day but also earns herself some long-overdue respect from her skeptical father.
Shortcomings:
Convoluted Storyline-
The first half of the movie Ulajh can get really confusing with all the various threads and a huge number of characters. The political machinations and deep-running conspiracies are, at times, hard to follow.
Predictability-
In as much as the movie Ulajh is very complex, some plot points can be easily leaked. For example, the mole in the London office and how the ultimate villain’s plans are pretty easy to guess.
Unnecessary Elements-
Certain elements, such as the product placements, and its excess of serious tones, come out like a misfit and are unintentionally funny. A much tighter and focused narrative could have easily turned this into gold.
Behind the Scenes:
Director’s Vision- Sudhanshu Saria’s vision is clear: he wants to make a thriller. When he actually manages to do so only by the climax, the whole movie is dubious.
Music- Shashwat Sachdev’s music for the film is decent but fails to stand out. But somewhere, its song placement enhances the emotional quotient of the film with songs like “Ilahi Mere Rubaroo”.
Cinematography- Shreya Dev Dube captures London in its beautiful form, offering a visual treat to the audiences.
Action: The action directed by Nick Powell and Amritpal S is well done and intense; it goes well with the tone set by the film.
Final Score:
It is a mixed bag—clearly has an interesting story with hard-hitting performances by Janhvi Kapoor and Gulshan Devaiah. However, it gets marred by its very convoluted plot and the way it goes—the too obvious, predictable scenes. So if you enjoy espionage cum political thrillers and don’t get fussed about getting confused, then Ulajh might just turn out to be your cup of tea.
Watch Ulajh if you are a fan of spy dramas and do want to see Janhvi Kapoor in a challenging role. Flawed as it may be, the film keeps the thrills sufficiently galore at regular intervals till the very end.
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Bookmyshow Rating: 7/10