Nitishastra review: Taapsee Pannu’s short film is an exaggerated version of a believable story

It is quite a task to effectively communicate one’s message in a short film but by using popular tropes, Kapil ticks the communication box off his list. There is a scene where Roshni asks her mother about why Arjun laid down his arms when he saw his brothers on the battlefield of Mahabharata and you immediately know where this story is headed. In an earlier scene too, Taapsee’s Roshni is shown just casually reading the Bhagvad Gita. It is a hint that this is the story where she would have to take extreme measures to stand up against injustice, even if it involves going against her family.

Taapsee plays a self-defense teacher in the film and it looks like her training from the Baby and Naam Shabana days must have come in handy. Taapsee is a fine performer and in many moments, one is reminded of her character from Pink.

Director Kapil Verma does not go for subtlety here, and so there are no moments that leave you shocked or surprised because the writing is on the wall from the start. The story credit is given to the director and the writing credit is attributed to Manoj Pandey who does not ask the audience to read between the lines. The background score by Mehul Vyas supplements Pandey’s tone as every emotion is dictated by the music. Dramatic in most scenes, the score tells you how to feel. It feels like the makers were worried if the audience would in fact root for Roshni, so they decided to introduce Lord Krishna’s teachings just so her ethical stand would have a reason that can be understood by the lowest common denominator.

The film is an exaggerated presentation of a believable story and it is the amplification that does not let you connect with the story at any point. The message of the film comes from a good place but due to the dramatisation, it turns into yet another predictable story that relies heavily on having a Bollywood star in the lead.