Movie review: 'Sonali Cable'

Lazy script, mediocre bordering on silly dialogues and shoddy editing makes 'Sonali Cable' sadly a boring affair

'Sonali Cable'
U/A; Drama
Director: Charudutt Acharya
Cast: Anupam Kher, Ali Fazal and Rhea Chakraborty
Rating:

Looks like Sonali Cable on paper had some things going for it — an unoriginal but with-plenty-of-potential-story-premise of a corporate company eating up small entrepreneurs in the big money game, the Mumbai setting and a bunch of fairly competent actors. But, as we know by now a good idea is never enough when the script, direction and dialogues are not in sync with it.

'Sonali Cable'

Let’s count the ways debut director Charudutt Acharya has ended up giving a dull movie instead of what could have been a gritty and fun film. For starters, Rhea Chakraborty fails in a strong woman-centric role of an independent, uneducated but street smart, self-made, typical Mumbai girl. Neither Rhea’s body language, nor the way she spouts swear words at the end of every sentence could convince anyone, leave alone a proud Mumbaikar, about the authenticity of her character. Rhea plays Sonali who owns a cable centre in a friendly neighbourhood, with a bit of help from a local politician (Smita Jaykar). She has a small gang of staffers, which includes her favourite Sada (Raghav Juyar). All’s well till a big corporate conglomerate, Shining Company, owned by the earbuds and khakhra lover (don’t ask why) shrewd businessman, Waghela (Anupam Kher) wants to eat up Sonali’s small, hard-earned business. Sonali’s childhood sweetheart, Raghu (Ali Fazal) wants to help her fight the supposedly funny, but most often not, Waghela. Choreographer-turned-actor, Raghav Juyar has screen presence but then his constant showing off of dance moves starts to get annoying after a point.

Lazy script, mediocre bordering on silly dialogues and shoddy editing makes this one sadly a boring affair. A woman-centric film is always welcome but there really is no point if the film falters badly at the execution and ends up being just another lacklustre film. Ali Fazal is sincere but the inconsistent script gives him no more scope than being just a decorative accessory to the plot.

Swanand Kirkire as Sonali’s father, Jaykar as a manipulative politician, and a few other actors playing the fringe characters are competent and could have done wonders only if each of their characters were not left half baked.

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