Ghoomketu Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Performance Lights up This Earthy Drama

Ghoomketu

Cast: Nawazudin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap, Raghuvir Yadav, Ila Arun

Director: Pushpendra Nath Misra

An aspiring Bollywood screenwriter from Uttar Pradesh runs away from home and reaches Mumbai, only to find out the real worth of his stories. He has only 30 days to prove his mettle, otherwise he will have to return to his village where his perennially angry father is waiting for him.

In Ghoomketu (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), we meet a nearly failed but jovial writer, who likes to keep a book titled ‘How To Be A Bollywood Writer In 30 Days’ with him. His family loves to laugh, mostly on its patriarch Dadda (Raghuvir Yadav), who keeps getting bouts of anger. Yadav, with his typical middle-class traits, is a treat to watch. It’s difficult to not laugh everytime he erupts in anger.

Director Pushpendra Nath Misra has retained the essence of small villages and its usual characteristics. There is a ‘bua’ (Ila Arun) who is almost impossible to decipher. Arun has brought so many layers to her character that you can’t help but appreciate her understanding of the milieu. She is bizarrely funny, and seems enjoying her part.

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Though Ghoomketu was completed in 2013-14, it had to wait for 6 years to find a platform, just like the lead of the film who gives a glimpse of his latent potential. Nawazuddin might have lost the ‘innocence’ in his presence now, in Ghoomketu, he shows what he is capable of by switching gears with ease.

Anurag Kashyap, who plays a corrupt cop, is his usual self. Once again, he prefers to go without long sentences, and long pauses. He takes his dialogues without putting much emphasis on words, something cop characters are known for doing in Hindi films. This serves the film well as the focus remains on Siddiqui and not Kashyap.

The film has some well-written and performed moments, especially between Siddiqui and Brijendra Kala. Their humour is absolutely on point, and they maintain the tempo of the story.

Amitabh Bachchan impresses in a cameo.

Ghoomketu is a sweet film that totally relies on the fun elements. Thankfully, the primary actors have done their job well. At around 100-minutes, it’s a good mood-lifter. It’s also a lesson for budding filmmakers in how to make a good film with limited resources.

Ghoomketu is now streaming on ZEE5.

Rating: 3/5