Released Date : May 26, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 3.5/5
Synopsis: Satyanash (Omkar Kapoor), an engineering graduate from Raipur, moves to Mumbai in desperate need of a job to support his family. After a year of struggling in the city, he resorts to taking unclaimed corpses to crematoriums for money and discovers a social crisis.
Review: Satyanash's unstable new job makes him question social norms. How can some children be so busy chasing their dreams and success that they don't mind leaving their parents behind? Why don't you visit them or be there for your parents in their time of need? The selfishness of some makes his blood boil until fate puts him in a similar situation. What happens when the tables are turned? Does the main character subconsciously abandon his parents to focus on his career in another city?
Sudesh Kanoujia's Lavaste (Lash Ke Vaste, meaning for corpses) addresses a relevant and significant topic. The subject is often a topic of discussion in every household. 'When you get old, who will see you? What if you die alone?’ A pre-planned funeral time may be required. The film's heart and purpose are in the right place. It most importantly has a sympathetic main male character, and that's rare to find in a world that perceives kindness as weakness.
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What jeopardizes the earnest effort is the film's one-toned, one-dimensional approach to relationships and life. It tries to be a satire and a tragicomedy but it only works as a family drama. The story-telling seems to go a step further than Bagban in blaming the children who refuse to see themselves as the sole saviors or solve their parents' every problem (budhpe ka sahara).
It's okay to expect humanity or accountability as long as the story follows a broader mindset. Having children as an investment for your old age is also transactional and conditional, right? You miss this important contradiction and counterargument in the writing. What you get is a moving but preachy lecture on loving your parents who may not be equipped to lend a sympathetic ear when their children have problems or lack peace of mind.
Omkar Kapoor seems too sanitized for the setting but he is sincere and likable. Manoj Joshi plays an important role and brings life to the story. Brijendra Kala is humorous and heartfelt. Lavaste can be seen for the intention and subject it addresses despite the flaws.
