Every film, especially if you’re someone who likes to watch trailers, comes with its expectations. Ulajh came with a set of its own – a spy thriller with a diplomat at its helm opens up a world of possibilities. Most spy thrillers often put agents against agents while the diplomats handle their responsibilities elsewhere (or vice versa in the rare case) – the playing field is level.
Here, a diplomat Suhana Bhatia (Janhvi Kapoor) must fight people trained in combat, unlike her, all while battling personal demons. Suhana is a third-generation diplomat and is burdened by the responsibility of living up to the ‘Bhatia’ name. This pressure is both internal and a product of a father who often withholds his praise.
Suhana is appointed as a deputy high commissioner at a very young age – an unnatural occurrence – and moves to London. Almost everyone views the appointment with skepticism and her identity as a woman also comes into play – she must have done “favours” for someone important, the men around her theorise. It’s an, albeit superficial, look into how people assume women can’t succeed on their merit.
However, the film doesn’t delve deeper into her identity as a woman in the world of diplomacy – there are many nuances to explore in that simple idea alone. And that’s one of the film’s biggest issues; it doesn’t really stay anywhere long enough. The screenplay feels too rushed to have an actual, tangible impact.
This also means that most characters don’t get enough depth to feel memorable and, in a spy thriller, where life and loyalties are fickle, characters need to connect with the audience. The person who gets the shortest end of the stick is Gulshan Devaiah – his character is a major catalyst but the one-dimensional writing doesn’t give the actor the stage he deserves. There is no doubt that Devaiah is an excellent actor but he can also only do so much. He does, however, manage to bring his signature charm to the screen.
The title Ulajh, naturally hints at an entanglement or a web a character is trapped in – in a spy thriller, that premise requires some very strong writing. In Ulajh, the writing is intriguing and engaging but not intelligent enough. I found it hard to wrap my head around the fact that a diplomat would act the way Suhana does, with such little regard for the consequences of her actions.
The film is, by no means, a bad spy thriller but it doesn’t match up to some of the best in the same (and the Indian content space has seen some good spy thrillers recently). The one thing that could absolutely bring a spy thriller to its knees is dull writing – every flaw aside, ‘boring’ is something a spy thriller should never be.
In that aspect, Ulajh delivers. With all its twists and turns, the film remains consistently engaging, always doing enough to keep you invested in the happenings. The idea of a diplomat who is trying her hardest but is still a fish out of water having to tackle an international conspiracy is quite intriguing. And Janhvi Kapoor also handles the charge well.
While this might not be her best performance – there are moments when she doesn’t shift from one mood to another quite as seamlessly as one would expect – the vigour with which she handles the role is praiseworthy. In some of the more emotionally demanding scenes, she shines.
The cast is Ulajh’s strength. In the arc he gets, Meiyang Chang proves yet again that he is the master of restraint – it takes skill to portray as much as he does without saying a single word. It’s a pity that he, too, is wasted. Even Roshan Mathew, who makes his character effortlessly funny, deserved more.
However, despite the plot holes and obvious missteps, it’s tempting to give Ulajh a bit of a pass because I’m still curious to see what Suhana does next….and isn’t that a feat on its own?
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