REVIEW: WHO AM I?

Producer- Shirish Prakash

Director- Shireesh Khemariya

Star Cast- Chetan Sharma, Surendra Rajan, Rishika Chandani and Shashie Verma

Genre- Adventure

Platform of Release- Theatres

Rating- **

Poetic & Philosophical!

Jyothi Venkatesh

This offbeat film is a philosophical drama film that revolves around Narmada parikrama. For the unversed, Narmada is the only river that has the tradition of being circumambulated from source to sea and back, and this film celebrates the beauty of yatra and region and that's the reason why this film was released on the auspicious occasion of Narmada Jayanti.

What is very interesting about this film is that it has been executed by young crew members who are below the age of 25. Another beauty of this film is that it is entirely shot in Madhya Pradesh and sets out to show the untouched beauty of Madhya Pradesh.

Produced under the banner of Write Click Production, the story of this film is based on the critically acclaimed novel "Ko Aham" by Ashok Jamnani, who has also written screenplay and dialogue. The adapted screenplay and dialogue have been penned by Kallol Mukherjee. The music & lyrics by Abhinav Singh, while the extraordinary cinematography is by Shashank Virag and the sound is done by Jahnab Roy. The editor of this film is Saksham Yadav should have made the film slicker with subtle editing. The Background Score by Abhinav Singh enhances the effect of the film manifolds

Bhavitavya, a philosophy student, is full of questions about life. When his favourite professor passes away, Bhavitavya begins self-discovery, wondering who he is and what his life means. Shot on the banks of the Narmada River, Who Am I is a picturesque examination of the human condition.

The USP of the film is that it is a small and sweet film which speaks volumes about the philosophy of human life while the biggest negative point of the film is that it goes on and on almost to the extent of lulling the viewer to sleep

As far as the performance is concerned, among the actors, mention ought to be made about Rishika Chandani and Chetan Sharma who literally get into the skin of their roles with effortless ease. Surendra Rajan also stands out with his intense performance.

The film has had a minimal release considering it has come right on the heels of a massive film like Pathaan and hence considering all the factors, it will face hurdles as far as a successful run is concerned, though it has been appreciated in international film festivals globally. Screened in festivals like the 24th UK Asian Film festival, Chicago South Asian film festival, and Washington DC South Asian film festival this film has also won for Best Actor and Best Debut Director, Spirit Film festival Israel, Indian film festival of Melbourne, Indo German Film Week Berlin and Vancouver South Asian film festival. German Film Week Berlin and Vancouver South Asian film festival.

To sum, up, the film has a better chance to score when it is released on any OTT platform as it is very poetic as well as philosophical