Gypsy - Has his heart in the right place but...

The highly talented but underrated actor Jiiva and the socially conscious filmmaker Raju Murugan coming together is the main attraction of 'Gypsy'.  Add the controversies surrounding the film and the censorship issues it faced and you sit back for a powerful sociopolitical commentary.  Does the film fulfill its expectations remains to be seen.

Gypsy (Jiiva) is the orphaned child of a Hindu - Muslim couple who are killed by a Pakistani attack in Kashmir.  The boy grows up under the wings of nomadic musician who apparently educates him and teaches him to be a free person.  Before his death the mentor tells Gypsy to find his soulmate which should be his purpose in life and the young man sets his eyes on Waheeda (Natasha Singh) a Muslim girl in Nagore.  Love develops between the two and they elope to Uttar Pradesh.  A horrific riot in the name of religion brings tragedy into the lives of the couple and they get separated.  Will the two get back together or the politics of religion separate them forever is what the core screenplay is all about.

The ever-dependable Jiiva has made the boundary less Gypsy likable with his easy on the eyes acting.  He gets to shine in the tragic scenes when he loses his loving horse Che and when his shellshocked wife does not recognize him.  Putting it shortly it is Jiiva who carries the entire film on his shoulders with his earnest performance which even helps the screenplay to limp past many a weak moment.  Natasha Singh carries the look of an orthodox Muslim girl perfectly and credits to her that she conveys most of her feelings with her eyes alone with little dialogue.  Sunny Wayne as the communist who helps the hero and Lal Jose as the heroine's dad are adequate while the actor playing a deadly rioter who then has a change of heart makes a strong impression.  The rest of the cast do justice to their respective roles.

What works best in Gypsy is humanity above all else message that the film emphasizes throughout.  The political commentaries on many issues including beef-eating, water disputes, religious disharmony and so on are effectively placed in the screenplay.  The writing is at its best when the man who kills many in the riots is shown as a mere pawn and humanizing him should hopefully serve as an eye-opener for such men.  The idea of bringing the riot victim and her tormentor on the same stage, in the end, is commendable.  Naming the horse as Che and the baby as "Vellai Pura" are poetic punches

On the downside, the love between the hero and heroine which is the crux of the screenplay could have been written more effectively for the audience to care for them which sadly does not happen here. The film also fails to do justice to the love story or the political story and falls somewhere in between leaving the audience in a spin.   There is also a feeling that though the writer tries to balance the damages on both sides one side is villainized more.  The hero singing to win back the girl borders on the comical and dealing with PTSD is rather immature.

Santhosh Narayanan's songs, as usual, have the variety but barring "Vellai Pura" the others are immemorable and are also misplaced.  In the background score, he is an asset. Selvakumar SK is the true hero of 'Gypsy' capturing the still beauty of Kashmir as well as the terror of the riots most authentically though hampered by the censors in most places?   Raymond Derrick Crasta could have done a little more to do away with the film coming out as all over the place.  Olympia Movies Ambethkumar has not only backed a much needed socially relevant film but has also gone all the way to fight for its release in a stifling political atmosphere.  Raju Murugan must be commended for boldly tackling the religious-political scenarios and some of his moments are poetic while the others are authentic.  However, it must also be said that though his larger vision is honest he could have done better with the writing and could have reached a wider audience. 

Verdict : Go for this powerful shoutout for humanity over all else which will move you in many an instant