Can ‘Newton’ Defy Gravity And Finally Bring Home The Elusive Gold Statuette?
Newton
A talented actor, Rajkummar Rao, one of the few in B-Town, has triumphed with his new outing – Newton. While his movies may not be high-budget, they certainly are high in content unlike most of the movies in the 100 Crore Club. With Newton too, Rao has managed to keep his reputation as a serious actor who is mindful of the story and the character that he plays.
Newton is a dark comedy which tells the story of an idealist simpleton in a less-than-ideal world and is set against the backdrop of elections in a small township in India. In addition, Newton highlights the plight and mentality of the Indian society when it comes to casting our vote and selecting a political candidate.
The story follows Nutan Kumar (Rao), a government employee, who wants to make a difference in a society that is plagued by lethargy and corruption. Kumar, a student of Physics, rechristens himself as Newton (after the famous physicist) and goes to conduct an election in a Maoist controlled area of Chhattisgarh with only 76 voters. As the presiding officer of the booth, he is determined to carry out the election by the book.
Rajkummar Rao once again gives a compelling performance as the Chaplinesque dunce and pulls it off with élan. His sincerity rings true with the audience and strikes an emotional chord as we laugh at his idiosyncrasies.
The movie also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Raghubir Yadav and Sanjay Mishra, and is directed by Amit V Masurkar. Pankaj Tripathi & Anjali Patil give a solid performance and delight us with their roles as Aatma Singh, the leader of the platoon and Malko, a young adivasi woman. The dialogues are well written and are delivered by these competent actors who give a powerful performance.
Will Newton Get Its Due From Bollywood? Unlikely.
In conclusion, barring a few stereotypes and clichés, the movie is well made and worth a watch. Masurkar and co-scriptwriter Mayank Tewari have successfully managed to create a dark comedy which doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Light on its feet and consistent throughout, the movie achieves what it set out to do – to educate the masses. Less dramatization and more story; as a result, Newton becomes a thought-provoking movie. Therefore, its selection as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards is well-deserved, if not entirely justified.
Finally, seems like in a world of Kapoors and Khans dominating the big-budget movies, Rajkummar Rao is the God of Small Things.
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: The Dude Abides!
[yasr_overall_rating]
The Idiot’s Rating System:
4.0 – 5.0: The Dude Abides!
3.0 – 4.0: Far Out, Man!
2.0 – 3.0: Take It Easy, Dude!
1.0 – 2.0: You’re Out Of Your Element!
0.0 – 1.0: The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
The Idiot's Corner 