Released Date : 21 Jul, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 4/5
Story: Set during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nagpur, the film follows a cop as he solves a high-profile murder case. The investigation involves a missing girl and a politician who does not want the case solved. Police officers crack the mystery?
Review: Director Pratik Maitro brings us a gritty and dark crime drama set against the backdrop of the dire COVID-19 lockdown situation and medical crisis. A young and fierce police officer, Preksha Sharma (Rucha Inamdar), investigates the murder of Dayanand Pandey (Rajesh Sharma), a well-connected businessman. The case is fraught with obstacles, such as uncooperative family members, politicians obstructing the investigation and a missing girl, Preksha Meshram (Nisha Dhar), a wannabe hip-hop star who is an important link in the case. While trying to solve the mystery, Preksha has to deal with the torment of her ill-tempered father Anupam Sharma (Raghubir Yadav).
Written by Maitro, Charulata Maitra and Ankit Bhupatani, the story is not an edge-of-your-seat affair. But it's a layered watch as it depicts family dynamics as lower-middle-class youth hustle and elders fail to consider the perspectives, aspirations or needs of the next generation. Preksha Sharma and Preksha Meshram have similar backgrounds—no mother figures at home and are teased by those who raised them. There's also forensics guy Gautam Aggarwal (Shivankit Singh Parihar), who doesn't see eye-to-eye with his parents and drinks.
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From start to finish, the atmosphere of the film is keyed, be it the dark alleys of the slums or the dirty tanneries, the personal lives of the characters, the backdrop of corruption or murder during the biggest humanitarian crisis. And all this is set against the hip-hop culture that the lower strata of society resort to as a means of expressing their anger.
Rucha Inamdar is strong as a strong cop, a dutiful daughter and a young woman who wants more from life. An interesting take on the parallels between him and the absent rapper. Shivankit Singh Parihar and Rajesh Sharma also prove their strengths as performers, but Raghubir Yadav steals the show as the bitter and crippled ex-cop. His scenes with Rucha are worth mentioning, especially when he confronts her for making his life difficult.
The soundtrack of the movie by Hip Hop Bhaiya and Yash Sahai, and Udayan Dharmadhikari (who also scored the background) is impressive and goes well with the look and feel of the film.
Minus 31: Nagpur Files may not be a thrilling watch and it can be slow, but if you like dark and gritty crime dramas, you should check it out.
