TrappedIndian Film Festival MelbourneDirector: Vikramaditya MotwaneStars: Rajkummar RaoScore: ★★★½
FILM REVIEW
By SHIAMAK UNWALLA,
entertainment editor
Bollywood isn't known for its realism or attention to detail; it is infamous for being bombastic, over-the-top, and song-laden. But Trapped is not typical Bollywood fare.
The film has its flaws. The blossoming of romance shown at the beginning of the film — which is the catalyst for what follows — would in non-film circumstances count as stalking.
The protagonist makes the shadiest of all shady deals without a thought, and then doesn't inform his love interest about something that would have an immediate impact on their future.
But if you're willing to look beyond those shortcomings, you're in for a survival drama that clearly draws inspiration from Tom Hanks' Castaway, with a bit of James Franco's 127 Hours thrown in for good measure.
However, the movie also manages to stand on its own feet.
Trapped is the story of quiet everyman Shaurya (Rajkummar Rao) who gets accidentally locked in in his new house, which happens to be in an abandoned high-rise building in the heart of Mumbai.
Through a succession of escalating misfortune, he finds himself with no electricity, no water, and no way of communicating with the outside world.
He steadily descends into physical, mental, and emotional despair as his continued — and surprisingly ingenious — attempts at escape end in varying levels of failure.
That the film takes place in Mumbai, a city with a population of approximately 18 million, adds a delicious layer of cruel irony to the immense aloneness faced by the protagonist throughout the movie.
One of the finest aspects of the film is its pacing. Once the initial clumsy build-up is out of the way, you're left transfixed at what unfolds.
The plot progresses rapidly when it's meant to, and slows down excruciatingly to draw out the tension when it needs to. A stop-start plot doesn't always work, but here it lands almost every time.
Director Vikramaditya Motwane is one of the bravest directors in Bollywood, and he isn't afraid of being subtle here. In an industry that relies heavily on sound and fury, he restricts almost the entirety of the 105-minute runtime to a man in a house.
The film is big on foreshadowing. Hardly anything is shown without reason. An example of this is an early scene with Shaurya jumping at the idea of a mouse near him sets up his phobia of rats, which plays a huge role later in the film.
But as good as Motwane’s directing is, the film works largely because of the outstanding performance by the leading man. In his short career, Rao has already established himself as one of the finest actors in India right now.
In Trapped, much of his performance comes through without the use of dialogue. The viewers vicariously live his frustration, fear, and eventual hopelessness to such an extent that at one key moment in the film, the audience collectively gasped.
A crucial moment at the film’s end plays out with nothing being spoken, but a whole lot being said. Rao, who was at the screening of the film during Indian Film Festival Melbourne later said, “I’m not a big fan of dialogue. I don’t like speaking much on screen.”
It is a testament to his ability as an actor that he manages to show so much emotion without the use of what is traditionally an actor’s most potent tool: their voice.
Overall, Trapped is far from a big Bollywood blockbuster, but is a worthy piece of filmmaking led by an excellent actor.
If you are a fan of the survival genre, you may want to give this a chance. Don’t go in expecting an airtight plot, and you won’t come away disappointed.
The Indian Film Festival continues until August 22.