Axone Review – Meandering Tale Of Migrants That’s Engaging In Parts

BOTTOM LINE: Meandering Tale Of Migrants That’s Engaging In Parts  

Rating: 2.5/5

What Is the Story About?

A group of friends belonging to the North Eastern community in Delhi plans a wedding for their best friend. One of them, Upasana, is keen on making a special dish for the ceremony. Unfortunately, nothing goes as expected?  Did the function happen successfully? What about the particular dish is the basic story of the movie?

Performances?

There is no particular standout actor as the lead in Axone. Everyone is part of the larger narrative playing bits and pieces roles. Sayani Gupta, Lin Laishram is vital among them, though. They are the ones who drive the story forward.

Sayani Gupta starts slowly but grows in confidence as the narrative progresses. She easily stands out among the crowd by the time the movie ends. Lin Laishram also shows moments of sparks in between. The two confrontations scenes she has with the molester show her rage correctly. Tenzin Dalha and Lanuakum Ao complete the set. They neatly complement the respective ladies and form the right pair.

The other set involves the local Delhi landlords. Dolly Ahluwalia is a hoot and steals every scene she appears. Rohan Joshi closely followers her with his infectious, but contained energy. And finally, Vinay Pathak is reliable as usual within the few scenes he has. The rest is alright for their parts which include a casual observer role essayed by Adil Hussian.

Analysis

Nicholas Kharkongor directs Axone. He has a simple, but an instantly distinguishable subject in his hands. The story is about Northeast Indian migrants in Delhi. It is this aspect which differentiates the movie from others.

The wedding ceremony provides Nicholas with the opportunity to explore the cultural differences seen within India. The Delhi setting couldn’t have been picked better.

The kind of different characters that are brought together in the narrative is where Axone scores. The rigid thinking each has and the repercussions it brings about are captured realistically with all its chaos.

The food plays as much of an essential role as any of the characters. It is what drives the proceedings. The way the locals looks at the Northeast community or they think about themselves are smoothly integrated into the story through this aspect.

The reaction to the cooking and how the ones preparing it, feel about it, explains a lot about the characters and the tension among them without too many dialogues.

Unfortunately, the screenplay is not smooth, and the narrative gets bumpy with some meandering parts, in between. While the racial discrimination and cultural activities related to it are fine, the inter-personal relationships and drama drag the narrative.

Still, the ending is neatly handled with a fulfilling emotional roundup of various tracks. There is a genuine feeling of warmth and emotions. We feel happy that after all the trouble, the friends have a happy end.

Axone has its heart at the right place, and emotion works well towards the end. The focus on the particular community brings fresh appeal. It is also simultaneously an eye-opener in how we treat non-locals and people who belong to a different race, religion or region.

Overall, Axone is a decent watch if one doesn’t mind the slow pace and its meandering nature. There is a freshness to it that manages to engage. Give it a try, but have lots of patience.

Music and Other Departments?

Tajdar Junaid provides the background score for Axone. It goes with the content and is used sparingly. It helps in giving a unique feel. The cinematography by Parasher Baruah is decent considering the low –budget scale. The editing by Suresh Pai could have been better. The writing is okay, in an overall sense.

Highlights?

The Migrant Angle

Axone

Characters

Climax

Drawbacks?

Slow Pace

Meandering Screenplay

Feels A Bit Lengthy

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, but with slight reservation

Review by Siddartha Toleti