Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Story: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Cast : Yami Gautam, Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, Neil Bhoopalam, Piaa Bajpai, and Tushar Pandey
Screenplay: Shyamal Sengupta
Dialogue: Ritesh Shah
Cinematography: Avik Mukhopadhyay
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Producer: Kishor Arora, Sam Fernandes, and Shareen Mantri Kedia
Production: Nammah Pictures, Zee Studios
Tanisha Saxena
Set in West Bengal, Lost is the story of a crime reporter’s quest for the truth. Ishaan Bharti (played by Tushar Pandey), a student whose passion is theater, goes missing, and Vidhi Sahani (played by Yami Gautam Dhar), a crime reporter by profession, undertakes the investigation. As the story unfolds, the different angles—for instance, a love story or involvement in an extremist group—intertwine.
Lost strives to be relevant and urgent but succeeds only partially as it loses its grip and fails to make a point. Some aspects are beyond comprehension. For instance, why is a crime reporter going all alone for an investigation? Why does the news channel that she’s working for not even involve itself in the process, and above all, are the news channels just white?
The screenplay cuts back and forth to narrate the incident with the lost student. The idea of showing police, politicians, and the powerful as corrupt and lacking empathy is cliche. Even if such an old trope has to be used, it must have been coated with fresh angles and an interesting plot. The film is titled Lost, but there’s no chasing as such happening to find the lost. The film, which is supposed to be a thrilling experience, fails to incorporate this element. It becomes a rather emotional (but not overly so) saga of a reporter seeking the truth. Moreover, Why? The most important question that the film should have raised while mentioning the extremists is not even touched upon. The build-up that’s been made should have culminated in a better climax than a moral value lesson. Furthermore, reporter Vidhi’s parents do not appear to appreciate or support her decision to risk her life by reporting on dangerous people. But it is yet another cliched thought process. Women are everywhere shining bright, be it in crime reporting or joining the army. The writers should have pointed out the challenges that reporters face in the media.
It is the performances in Lost that actually keep the ship from sinking. Yami Gautam Dhar shines in her full form; her dialogue delivery, vulnerable expressions, and emotional meltdowns make us emotional, and we connect to the story in those very moments. Playing her onscreen, Nanu, is Pankaj Kapoor, who is simply outstanding. Every ounce of love and warmth that he shares with his granddaughter feels relatable.
Besides Kapoor and Gautam, the other characters have also given notable performances. Rahul Khanna as Ranjan Verman is not all bad, and the greyish character is sparkling. Pia Bajpiee, who plays the role of Ankita, the lost boy’s girlfriend, is most compelling in the story. She comes from a middle-class family in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, and she is at a crossroads, having to choose between her career and her relationship. She is a mystery in the story that we absolutely connect with. She can be this sweet girl in love one moment and then be that girl who is ambitious and wants to climb the ladder the next.
Visually, the film is good as it is able to perfectly depict the West Bengal state in its essence. We hear Yami Gautam speaking Bengali effortlessly. Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography is beautiful and raw. The streets of Kolkata’s rustic quarters are beautifully captured. Shantanu Moitra has composed the soundtrack, which has songs penned by Swanand Kirkire, which are undoubtedly the best.
Lost tries hard to engage the audience, but the plotline becomes chaotic and complex. When the trailer was dropped, it opened with a woman lodging a report for her missing brother. Apparently, the lost student, Ishan Bharti, has nothing to do with politics. He is just a theatre activist who is Dalit. His sudden disappearance forces a reporter to go and search for him, but the film is actually searching for lost integrity and empathy. However, the creators show one-sided opinions way too much and dismiss the rest. Why are the cops not interested in finding Ishan Bharti? Even if there’s no empathy from the politicians and police, it is slightly unbelievable that a reporter is going beyond the limits to search for the lost boy. In reality, everyone has these grey shades, but the film makes it black and white.
Lost also aims to portray the struggles and repercussions faced by crime reporters. It is a genuine attempt by the makers, but there should have been a prior investigation done about the nuances of crime reporting. The reason why the film fails to touch upon the emotional side of the story is that several matters remain unresolved. While cops wonder that Ishan could be absconding and not necessarily missing, on what basis is Vidhi convinced there is more to it? The facts are clearly dismissed, and emotions rule. In a nutshell, the film could have been intriguing and more interesting.
Rating (2.45/5)
