Film Krishna Arjun Review: “Krishna Arjun: Extremely Bold, Yet an Impressive One-Take Film...”

• Rating:  3 Stars
• Producers: Hemwant Tiwari & Sudha Tiwari
• Writer: Hemwant Tiwari
• Director: Hemwant Tiwari
• Cast: Hemwant Tiwari, Auroshikha Dey, Uday Chandra, Sandeep Anand, Anil Pandey, Shilpa Sablok, Ravi Sah, Ratna Neelam Pandey, Rui Jalgaonkar, Romi Siddiqui, and others
• Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes

After his 2023 single-take film "Lomad" (1 hour 37 minutes long), Hemwant Tiwari returns with "Krishna Arjun", a 2-hour 14-minute-long one-take film with a double role. The film was denied a certificate by the Censor Board, so it was directly released on YouTube.

Story

Set in a village in Bihar, the story revolves around twin brothers and their clash with a corrupt, greedy MLA named Giriraj Yadav (played by Vineet Kumar). He is protected by the local police in covering up a case in which he rapes a girl named Kusum (Auroshikha Dey), who becomes pregnant and is about to deliver a child. She had been imprisoned during the trial, but lack of evidence and support from the Chief Minister leads to her release.
The CM himself is shown to be as unethical, if not more, than the MLA. Giriraj secretly records a video of the CM engaging in sexual activities with three women and uses it to blackmail him.

Arjun, once a hitman for the MLA, failed in a mission to kill some people who had looted him. The girl who was raped by the MLA was the love of Arjun’s life. She is unaware of his feelings, though he used to dedicate poems to her. Arjun works in an unusual job – doing laundry for a local Muslim priest (Uday Chandra), and takes up other odd jobs to survive. His family is heavily in debt.

There’s also a village beauty who lusts after Arjun and tries to seduce him. One day, while Arjun is talking with his friend Gopal (Sandeep Anand), two policemen arrive and harass the girl. Arjun and Gopal try to intervene but are taken to the police station for questioning. The police station is full of corrupt and arrogant officers.

Then arrives Kusum, the rape victim. Soon after, MLA Giriraj Yadav also enters, and all hell breaks loose. Arjun and his friend grab firearms and try to defend Kusum and themselves. During the chaos, Gopal is killed, and Arjun dies shortly after.

This is when Krishna, Arjun’s twin brother, enters the scene seeking revenge. The narrative intensifies inside the police station. Eventually, many policemen, the MLA, and the magistrate are killed. Krishna is critically wounded. The SP prepares a report on the CM’s orders.

Review

Shooting a single-take film of over 2 hours with multiple locations and a double role is no easy feat. And when the director himself is playing the lead, it becomes even more challenging. Despite this, Hemwant Tiwari deserves applause for this ambitious endeavor.

To ensure everything stayed in the frame, extensive rehearsals must have been done with the actors, cameraman, and crew. But over-rehearsing can sometimes lead to a lack of naturalness in performance – which is evident in several scenes.

For the handheld camera used here, proper pre-planning of camera positions and lighting was crucial. Given that the director himself was acting in every scene, it's remarkable how he managed both acting and directing. The execution alone proves Tiwari is a multi-talented and hard-working filmmaker.
However, if the film doesn't reach enough viewers, all the effort goes unnoticed. Like the saying – “What’s the point of a peacock dancing in the jungle if no one sees it?” Therefore, it becomes essential to craft dialogues and scenes that resonate with a broader audience. Unfortunately, the use of overly explicit language and bold dialogues may have alienated general viewers.

Story-wise

There's nothing particularly new here. Such narratives have been recycled in thousands of films. The addition of caste politics, sexuality, and a hint of homosexuality adds some layers, but the excessive use of vulgar language – especially by female characters – is jarring. One wonders if Bihari women really speak like this?

The character of Gopal seems forced, and his over-the-top talk fails to bring comic relief.

Acting

Hemwant Tiwari delivers a commendable performance in his double role as Krishna and Arjun. Auroshikha Dey, as Kusum, proves once again that she is a powerful actress. Vineet Kumar, as the MLA, and Uday Chandra as the Maulana, also leave a strong impression. The supporting cast – Anil Pandey, Shilpa Sablok, Ravi Sah, Ratna Neelam Pandey, Rui Jalgaonkar, Romi Siddiqui, and others – perform decently.