Haan haan pata hai sab log “Main Parwaana” ka reel dekh kar hi “Pippa” ka review padhne aaye hai. But, don’t get very excited, cuz what could have been one of the best war movies of Hindi cinema, unfortunately, settles as a decent watch. Directed by Raja Krishna Menon and inspired by the book “The Burning Chaffees” by army veteran Balram Singh Mehta, this film tries to bring the heat but ends up throwing cool breezes quite occasionally. The movie could’ve been so much more than just a decent war film that’s not cringe, it is legit a shame.
Plot
Alright, so we’re in 1971 during a joint military exercise between India and Russia. Meet Balram (Ishaan Khatter), our unconventional hero who’s got a love for amphibious tanks. The trouble is, he also has a love for going against the orders of his superiors. Phir kya, as soon as he fcks up, we have a disappointed older brother Ram (Priyanshu Painyuli), a war widow mom (Soni Razdan), and a sister, Radha (Mrunal Thakur), who’s studying while managing not to roll her eyes at Balram’s antics. Cut to the Bangladesh Liberation War heating up, and Balram is called back to the 45th Cavalry (Yes, it seems very convenient, ngl). From that point onwards, the movie dives deep into Balram’s moral dilemmas, family dynamics, and the call of duty.
Performances
Ishaan Khatter actually surprised me here. I wasn’t confident about him playing a soldier, but he understood the assignment. But the problem is, he wasn’t the right man for the assignment. His soft puppy-like voice and chocolate-boy look don’t help either. The makers prolly wanted to pull off a ‘Vicky Kaushal as lead in Uri’ kinda move, but it didn’t really work. Priyanshu Painyuli, on the other hand, like always is the dependable dude who’s solid in almost everything he does. Also, a special shoutout to Soham Majumdar as the geeky analyst, adding a dash of humor to the war drama. His scenes were something I looked forward to for that light-hearted vibe even in tense situations. However, the under-utilization of Mrunal Thakur really hurt me. She is such a good actor man, she definitely deserves more than what she got to work with here.
Direction and Writing
You can sense that the narrative breaks in quite a few places during the movie, but Raja Krishna Menon, keeps things even-tempered– naa hi zyada serious, aur naa hi puri light-hearted. The film taps into the moral consequences of war, and you’ll catch Balram being all doubtful about the refugee crisis before reality smacks him in the face. Menon celebrates Indian nobility on foreign soil, reminding us that they’re fighting a tyranny, not a country. But idk, in an attempt to be different from other patriotic movies, they kinda forgot to add any seriousness and urgency to the battle scenes. Felt like a half-hearted approach to me, ngl. But just a limping local Pakistani subordinate was a refreshing break from devilish Pakistani majors, though.
Screenplay and Cinematography
The trio of Menon, Ravinder Randhawa, and Tanmay Mohan pull off a decent at best narrative. They mix Balram’s family drama, personal struggles, and the chaos of war in a way that keeps you hooked, but only in the hopes for more. It feels like they left you hungry on purpose, even though they could’ve prepared a feast for you. The songs are all nice, but “Main Parwana” easily stands out for me. The cinematography does well to frame the action scenes against compelling backdrops that set the tone of the battle. But, my god, the VFX. Idk if it they ran out of budget, or the sudden change from theatrical to OTT release is what led to this mess, but the explosions and muzzle flashes look clumsy asf. Do you see how every aspect of this movie feels half-baked? We can only imagine what would happen agar everything was top-notch.
So, overall “Pippa” isn’t a bad movie. It is a decent movie that had the potential to be one of the best war movies of Bollywood. And knowing that hurts. The actors aren’t utilized properly, the story faulters a lot, the intensity of the war scenes don’t feel up to the mark, he VFX is below average. And even then I’m saying this is a decent watch. Now, imagine if all of these elements were even slightly up to the mark. Anyway, “Pippa” might blow hot and cold, but in the end, it’s a ride worth taking. Do give it a try.
