Newton Movie Review

Release Date: September 22, 2017
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Raghubir Yadav
Director: Amit Masurkar
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes      

As Bollywood is in the grip of superstars, peppy songs, and fictional stories, the movie Newton comes as a refreshing break. Newton is a sarcastic take on the current political system and everything that’s wrong with it. The movie showcases the fact that the world we live in has become so corrupt that anyone who still believes in truth and honesty is treated like an alien from a different planet. However, the movie also gives hope in that there are people who are still fighting to change the system and make a positive difference to the lives of people. While elections are interesting, Newton explores the seemingly drab world of people who conduct elections. It shows their fears and challenges, which is something unique to present in a movie.

The movie follows the life of a righteous elections officer Newton (Rao) who is not afraid to speak the truth. Newton believes in doing the right things and he will go to any extreme to achieve that. Newton is sent on an important assignment to conduct polls in a village that is located in Naxalite area. There’s a risk to life in the Naxalite area, but Newton accepts the challenge and goes with his team to conduct the election. While in the area, he meets Aatma Singh (Tripathi), who is just the opposite of Newton. Aatma Singh believes in getting the job done, irrespective of whether it is done in the right or wrong manner. Most of the other members in Newton’s team have also become lazy and indifferent, and don’t care much about the system. It’s up to Newton to let them see the true picture and make them realize that until you make efforts, there won’t be any change.

The very fact that the movie delves into a topic that has rarely been highlighted makes it quite interesting to watch. And to make an engaging story out of a seemingly uninteresting topic makes it even better. The credit goes to writer-director Amit Masurkar and Mayank Tewari, who have beautifully captured the finer aspects of what it’s like to work with honesty in a remote corner of India, surrounded by dense jungles and the constant threat of Naxalites.

Sir Isaac Newton may have got his inspiration from a falling apple, but this Newton really soars. It will delight you with its simplicity and subtle humor.