As far as spy thrillers go, ‘Ulajh’ (Entangle) is a dull wanna-be.
The film has an impressive ensemble of actors and all the razzmatazz that goes into making a spy thriller. There are foreign locations, high commissioners, and foreign embassies. It also has a cast of characters from ISI to RAW, chatter about Islamabad, Kathmandu, terrorists, and men in the shadows weaving webs of intrigue around two key characters — a patriotic IFS officer and a Pakistani VIP.
But all these are like items that make up the scenery of 'Ulajh' which, at its core, is a film about daddy’s little girl who wants to play spy-spy to impress him.
'Ulajh' is centred around Suhana Bhatia (Janhvi Kapoor), a young diplomat from an illustrious family. She has been to St Stephens, Harvard, and has just been made India's deputy high commissioner in London.
Her daddy, Dhanraj Bhatia (Adil Hussain), seems a bit off, and she feels that he thinks she’s not up for the task. But his concerns are larger and about to come true.
In London, Suhana encounters the disapproval of colleagues who dismiss her as a “nepo kid”, but finds some thrilling company in a Michelin star chef, Nakul (Gulshan Devaiah). Soon they become a thing with date nights and booty calls. Except, things are not as they seem. A lot happens suddenly. Critical official information is leaked, and Suhana finds herself in the middle of a betrayal-cum-blackmail scheme.
A driver who seems to have a network and abilities beyond what's required of him is killed, and senior RAW officials begin an investigation. Meanwhile, a foreign minister is pursuing his own agenda, while a Pakistani middleman who doesn’t want peace in the subcontinent is busy trying to sabotage a VIP visit. All of this leads to one sharpshooter who must be stopped by Suhana and her newly-acquired sweet ally, Sebin (Roshan Mathew).
The problem with 'Ulajh', written, by Parveez Shaikh and Sudhanshu Saria, who has also directed it, is that its screenplay is sometimes steeped in the reality and bureaucracy of the Indian foreign service, but conveniently all of it disappears when it comes to Suhana going out on a limb to save the day and her reputation. Important people get killed and bodies are disposed of, but no one seems to care.
This whimsy world it is set in, which asserts itself whenever the writers want, and disappears when inconvenient, makes the film filmy and flimsy.
But then, 'Ulajh' is not really interested in being a nail-biting spy thriller. It is an elaborate showpiece for Kapoor to show off her chops. Kapoor, 27, seems to have nailed the whole stardom enterprise. She has a long list of endorsements and engagements promoting fashion and health brands that she focuses on when she is not acting. But when she does act in films, mostly she picks roles that offer some creative challenge.
From 'Dhadak' to 'Gunjan Saxena' to 'Roohi' and 'Mili', she’s played an Air Force officer, a ghost, a girl trying to save the boy she loves, and a girl stuck in a freezer. And now she's played a diplomat-spy on a mission.
'Ulajh' begins nicely, but after about 30 minutes, it begins to slump.
The proceedings are dreary and illogical. Dramatic things happen with little or no consequence. And Suhana does so much, yet no one catches on, which makes you think that India is running the most unintelligent intelligence network.
But Kapoor, with her big kohled eyes and innocent Bambi-in-distress look, tries to hold the film together to the best of her ability. Which is a shame really because 'Ulajh' has great actors who could have added some spunk and fun to counter her constant babe-in-distress flailing and running around.
But that’s not what 'Ulajh' is.
It’s a joyless film about a daddy’s little girl who must somehow redeem herself at least in her father's eyes. On that count the film delivers. On all other counts, it fails.
Film: Ulajh
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Roshan Mathew, Gulshan Devaiah, Adil Hussain, Meiyang Chang, Rajesh Tailang
Direction: Sudhanshu Saria
Rating: 2/5