Pippa Review: Ishaan Khatter and Mrunal Thakur's film is a fitting tribute to India's brave war heroes

Item: Pippa
Rating: 3.5
Author: Rishil Jogani

Pippa, directed by Raja Krishna Menon and starring Ishaan Khatter and Mrunal Thakur, very beautifully shows how India's intervention into Pakistan's internal matters led to the birth of Bangladesh.

By Rishil Jogani

Updated on Nov 10, 2023 | 12:46 AM IST | 648.1K

Pippa is the story of a braveheart, Balli, who at a tender age of 24, leads India to victory at a war with Pakistan in 1971 (Credit: RSVP)

Name: Pippa

Director: Raja Krishna Menon

Cast: Mrunal Thakur,Ishaan Khatter,Soni Razdan,Priyanshu Painyuli,Inaamulhaq

Rating: 3.5

Plot:

In 1947, India was divided into three parts. Pakistan was one country but was divided into two parts, namely West Pakistan and East Pakistan. In between both parts of Pakistan was India. The population of East Pakistan was greater but the power was with the West. Despite 60 percent of the people speaking Bangla, Urdu was chosen to be the national language. The people of East Pakistan found it difficult to get good jobs and lived a miserable life. In 1970, General Elections in Pakistan were held for the first time. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's party, the Bangladesh Awami League won the elections by a comprehensive margin but Pakistan President General Yahya Khan denied it and even arrested Rahman when he objected Khan's denial. Almost the whole of East Pakistan desired an independent state and rose up in rebellion. The Pakistani Army was on a killing spree. They killed everyone who protested. Due to the troubling situation in East Pakistan, many seeked refugee in India. India had to intervene into the matter. The Indo-Pak War of 1971 gave birth to Bangladesh. Captain Balram Mehta (Ishaan Khatter) is a war hero. He was born in an army family and was part of the 45 Cavalry Regiment. He fought on the eastern front during the 1971 war. His brother Ram Mehta (Priyanshu Painyuli) and his sister Radha (Mrunal Thakur) are also war heroes who played a vital role in India's war victory.

What Works

The story of Pippa works extremely well in favour of the film. It doesn't bicker around and gets straight to the point. The cartoon story at the start, related to the atrocities that the individuals of East Pakistan have had to face, has been beautifully done. The camera work in a lot of motion sequences is praise worthy, especially the scene where Balli and his troop run towards the war tank. The set design is on point. The relationship dynamic of the two brothers Ram and Balram has been explored beautifully and it really adds depth and a personal touch to the film. The music in the film deserves a special mention. Songs like Jazbaat and Main Parwaana are soothing and on the other end, there are a couple of very energetic tracks as well which will boost your adrenaline, of course along with some chilling background score.

What Doesn't

First and foremost, the visual effects in battle sequences are really shoddy. The blasts look computer generated. Since the film is based on true historical events, the cgi just takes away from the authenticity that the makers are trying so hard to preserve in every scene of the film. The screenplay does get slow in certain portions. The film could do with 15 minutes of lesser runtime.

Watch the Pippa trailer

Pippa Movie Acting Performances

Ishaan Khatter as Balram Mehta is outstanding. He has a commanding screen presence through the film. The innocence that he brings to his character is impressive. He also dances like a dream in the groovy track from Pippa, Main Parwaana.Mrunal Thakur as Radha Mehta is good. She essays her role of a cryptographer very well. Her part is critical but it's too little to leave a mark. Priyanshu Painyuli as Ram Mehta is again amazing. His confrontational scenes with Ishaan Khatter are the highlight of the film. There are number of supporting actors like Soham Majumdar, Soni Razdan and others who have given performances that only enhance the film.

Pippa Movie Final Verdict

Pippa is an extremely heartening film that will make make you respect India's war heroes even more. There are certain issues with the visual effects and the pacing but on the whole, the Ishaan Khatter film has everything that a prospective viewer would look for in a no-nonsense, gritty and compelling war drama.