Gandhi Talks movie review: Vijay Sethupathi can’t save this ambitious silent film

Also Read – Mardaani 3 movie review: Rani Mukerji returns, but familiarity dulls the impact

When the characters remember to use body language to show their feelings, the film does make you smile: there are some nice initial bits between Sethupathi and Hydari, aided by a lilting AR Rahman song. The rest of the film is filled with Rahman’s riffs–used well in a dance number with the two men on the floor– often more attention-grabbing than the film itself.

Those who know, know that ‘silent’ films are never without sound; even the oldest ones had interstices and music as inlay. It’s all about not using dialogue as a crutch, which the silent films of yore knew well: actors used their body and surroundings to convey their feelings.

Though there have been several films in the genre, there’s a reason why Kamal Haasan’s 1987 Pushpak is considered a classic. The thespian delivers a masterclass in expressionism in the burlesque which sustains its quirky beats all the way through, both leading the narrative, while leaning into the joys of physical acting.

Gandhi Talks, on that score, is a pretender. With flashes of Lage Raho Munnabhai (Gandhi as the moral keeper of the nation) and 3 Idiots (permanently bedridden parent) without any of their bite, it is actually a talkie at heart, using text messages and written chits as convenient devices. You don’t miss hearing the dialogue because you’ve read the words.

Also Read – Daldal review: Bhumi Pednekkar comes off far too morose in serial killer thriller series

The better bits are in the first half; post-interval, all is a confused slump, weighed down by an inordinately long passage with the rich guy, poor fellow and the grinning thief skulking about without any discernible purpose. Even Sethupathi can’t save this one.

Gandhi Talks movie cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddharth Jadhav, Usha Nadkarni, Mahesh Manjrekar
Gandhi Talks movie director: Kishore Pandurang Belekar
Gandhi Talks movie rating: Two stars