Ardh movie review: Rajpal Yadav-Rubina Dilaik's surprisingly weak performances make the bland film even duller

2/5

Story:

Ardh showcases the struggle of an aspiring actor who migrates to Mumbai from a small town to become a mainstream entertainer.

Review:

Ardh is one of those films that display the reality of the 'city of dreams' and that too completely raw. The Rajpal Yadav and Rubina Dilaik starrer begins on a good note, however, a film showcasing the drudgery of aspiring actors in Mumbai and their struggling livelihood needs to be packed with powerful performances, while all the actors in the film lack good acting.

Alongside Rajpal and Rubina, Hiten Tejwani, who is an experienced television actor, doesn't bring anything new to the table. All the three actors are known for their impeccable acting skills in their own mediums such as television and films, but here they have literally disappointed the audience this time.

The motive of the filmmaker was absolutely applaudable, however, the direction and execution of the story in this social drama are completely off the track. In one of the scenes, Rubina and Rajpal can be seen having a conversation during dinner, while their dialogue delivery seems so unrehearsed that it questions the makers' credibility in providing a proper script or even explaining the scene to the actors properly.

The movie has been filmed in the slum areas of Mumbai, but the shots have been taken so naively that it doesn't showcase the reality of those small locations or the people of those places. It could have been more impactful to the story if captured more creatively.

Rubina has garnered immense praise and popularity through her incredible roles in shows like Choti Bahu and Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki. However, the talented actress lost the opportunity to showcase her skill in her debut movie.

Rajpal Yadav is one of the most loved actors in the comedy genre. The actor's attempt to gather the same response from the audience through his serious acting is applaudable, however, he remained unaccomplished in his mission. There are multiple sequences, where his reactions seemed expressionless.

All things said, Ardh still leave us with a heavy heart. The film doesn't end on a happy note but on a realistic one and that's an important tale to be told. Better execution and adequate performances could have made it to the watchlist of the movie buffs.

Verdict:

Ardh showcases the reality of the individuals, who migrate to Mumbai with large dreams and a lot of hope but end up being unrecognisable in the crowd. However, the amateur direction and not-so-great performances don't make it to viewers' watchlists.