Nukkad Naatak is loaded with infectious passion. In the independent Hindi movie, an untested director and a new cast tackle the age-old quest to bring literacy to the most marginalised sections of society.
Relentless do-gooder Molshri (Molshri Singh) runs a street theatre group at her college in Dhanbad. Closeted gay student Shivang (Shivang Rajpal) joins Molshri’s group and is swept away by her zeal for social causes. When the besties are caught committing a crime to help the impoverished canteen employee Mukund (Lalit Saw), they are expelled.
The kindly college principal (Danish Husain) tells Shivang and Molshri that they will be reinstated if they can enrol five children from Mukund’s slum at a school. Where professional social workers have tried and failed, Molshri and Shivang set out to succeed. Molshri decides to make an example of Chotti (Nirmala Hazra), whose family would rather that she earned money.
Tanmaya Shekhar’s directorial feature is out on Netflix after a limited theatrical run. Nukkad Naatak depends on all-round naivete and idealism – from Molshri and Shivang, who seem unaware that education isn’t an option for the destitute, and from viewers, who must go along with the friends as they learn from their mistakes.
The 107-minute movie is so well-intentioned and sincere that it seems churlish to pick out its flaws. The plot is very much like a street play in its examination of and solutions to the structural causes of poverty. The film recommends that young students move away from the rat race and turn their attention towards worthier pursuits. It’s hard to argue with this message.
The overstretched premise and inconsistent tonality are always being balanced by the earnestness of the leads and the overall desire to transform lives. There is some attention paid to Shivang’s journey out of the closet, and to Molshri’s inability to realise that her aggression isn’t helping matters.
Nukkad Naatak is entirely carried by Molshri Singh and Shivang Rajpal, who never let rawness get in the way of enthusiasm. Nirmala Hazra is sparky and convincing as Chotti, who clutches her textbooks like it’s a lifeline.
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