Nukkad Naatak review: A sincere and hearty tale of activism in its truest sense!

Tanmaya Shekhar's crowd-funded 'Nukkad Naatak' explores the social divide and redefines authentic activism beyond performative gestures!

Conviction is the key in cinema, and if you're an indie filmmaker stepping into a market as competitive as India, your unwavering belief in your vision is possibly the best starting point for your battles ahead. And each step of the journey of Tanmaya Shekhar’s Nukkad Naatak- a crowd-funded, self-distributed and uniquely promoted film brims with this belief and conviction to offer the audience a hearty story of ‘Two Indians’ and how activism, not the one of tokenism but that of genuine, emphatic engagement and grassroots change, can bridge the gap between the two!

Nukkad Naatak follows best friends Molshri (Molshri) and Shivang (Shivang Rajpal), two engineering students at a prestigious institute who get expelled after being caught robbing the college canteen in an act of immature vigilante justice. Desperate to reverse the decision, they plead with the college Director for forgiveness, who, given the duo’s credentials as members of the ‘Nukkad naatak’ club, offers them a second chance. However, the redemption task requires them to enroll five children from a nearby slum into a local school- a challenge that becomes a transformative and eye-opening journey for the two privileged individuals. 

Also Read:#KetchupTalks: "There is an audience waiting for meaningful cinema, they just need to know it exists" - Tanmaya and Molshri on Nukkad Naatak

What I love most about Nukkad Naatak is how it holds a mirror to the activism of convenience that's prevalent among today's privileged Gen Z. As someone who's also guilty of taking pride in just posting, ranting, and resharing content on social issues and then feeling satisfied that I've done my bit as a responsible citizen, the film gently nudges ‘keyboard warriors’ like me and shows what is truly required to bring about even the slightest positive change. For example, on the way to basti when the kind Director asks Molshri and Shivang about their understanding of the slum-settings, assuming they would have visited some during the course of their preparations for their street play based on child-labour some time ago. The two with a blank face, simply respond by citing the internet and one documentary as their only sources of research, much to the disappointment of the Director. As the best friends step outside the privileged bubble of their elite campus, they encounter a world completely different from their's where they are forced to navigate resistance from slum dwellers, emotional setbacks, and power through moments of sheer exasperation and personal vulnerabilities, to deliver some character and plot arcs that follow predictable lines. 

Nonetheless, the film still does a decent job weaving themes of social divide, inner conflicts of the LGBTQ+ community, and the power of art as a tool to empower a positive change. We have Molshri, a bold zealot leading the ‘Abhay’ club, who cares deeply for the underprivileged and is outspoken on issues she is passionate about. Shivang, on the hand, usually tags along on her adventures, but is reserved and fears consequences. While it is admirable how the makers reflect on the inequalities of our surroundings that we often overlook and how difficult it is to change years of social conditioning despite the most sincere efforts, the themes of Shivang’s homosexuality felt a tad forced and lacking nuance. Nonetheless, the film is impressive in its social commentary through the duo’s quest to enroll students in school. It depicts how underprivileged families see education as a luxury and children as a source of income, who they are not ready to admit to schools or they lose out on their wages or alms. It also underlines the bureaucratic hurdles of NGO’s, and the harsh realities of poverty and child labor. Despite taking some convenient routes, the film never loses touch with the grim realities of the world we live in and system we have inherited and are also responsible for contributing to. The film doesn’t shy away from showing Molshri and Shivang as performative activists at the start who prioritise simply enrolling the required number of children to avert expulsion. When they fail to convince schools and parents initially, the duo resorts to some under-the-table transactions and also return back to their bubble once the admissions are acheived without enagaging in any follow-ups with the children and families later, defeating the very purpose of the community service their Director entrusted them with, until certain realizations recommit them to the cause, of course.

Nukkad Naatak has the rawness and flaws any film of this modest scale would inevitably carry, but its heart and sincerity make you overlook them with a genuine smile. So is the team ready to ‘Enter the Bollywood’ yet? Watch it and decide for yourself!

Nukkad Naatak is playing in theatres near you!