‘Ulajh’ (2024) Movie Review - Sex, Lies, and Videotape

Sudhanshu Saria's Ulajh looks superb as a thriller. By "look," I am, of course, referring to the film's almost perfect tone. Scenes are taut, with little to no room for flabby portions. Saria doesn't leave anything loose - we feel as if the frames have been tightly locked into their place with a screwdriver. We always remain alert to the on-screen events. We never look away from the screen. The movie keeps hitting you with one thing after the other. The twists are neatly slotted into their positions. When we come across them, we experience a slight rush of excitement. Saria manages to play with us because he is able to catch the pulse of this genre. He knows how to move from one event to another without giving any space to boredom. Ulajh is the work of an assured director.

All this competence, however, supports an incredibly banal story. We once again get into a lame India-Pakistan battle, which turns a patriot into a traitor. The characters, though, are more uninteresting than the plot. Suhana (Janhvi Kapoor) wants her father's (Adil Hussain) approval. Sebin (Roshan Mathew) is annoyed with Suhana because he thinks she doesn't deserve the IFS position. Jacob (Meiyang Chang) is...present, and Nakul (Gulshan Devaiah) is a Michelin Star chef until he isn't (he, at least for a while, dispenses threats in a comical tone). One can defend this dull story, and these dull characters by saying, "Hey, look at the subtext." To go there, you need to consider Sebin's thoughts on nepotism. His line about Suhana getting the job because of her family background can be extended to Janhvi Kapoor as well. Star kids can have either some or no talent at all, but they can still get a role in a big production because of their family name/connections. Suhana is merely competent at her job. She doesn't have and doesn't display any exceptional skills. At one point in the film, she even fails to decode a code word for the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Rushad Rana). The only daring stunt that Suhana successfully pulls off here has something to do with taking selfies with her mobile phone, which might be Ulajh's way of saying, "These new-gen star kids show more talent through their phones on Instagram." Moreover, even after mostly acting like the enemy's pawn, we see Suhana receiving praise from the Prime Minister of India through a phone call. She is even hired for a high-end secret government job. Meaning: Nepotism gives you more chances to act in films, even if you have an okayish skill set. A star kid will get more public acclaim and attention for just being competent. Meanwhile, a more talented outsider will receive recognition with comparably less fanfare. Sebin, too, is hired for the high-end secret government job, but we don't see him talking to the recruiter, and he doesn't receive compliments from the Prime Minister.

Apart from the trite nepotism angle, which makes the movie the equivalent of a tweet on this subject, there is a regressive undercurrent in Ulajh that feels terrible. Suhana's father briefly raises doubts regarding Suhana's IFR job, and he turns out to be correct. In London, Salim (Rajesh Tailang), Suhana's driver, becomes Suhana's father figure (he calls her "beti"). After a party, when Nakul invites Suhana, Salim cautiously says, "Raat bahut ho gayi hai." He expresses concern for her, fearing that if she goes out with this boy, she might get into trouble. Well, even Salim's apprehensions prove to be correct. Saria seems to be saying, "Girls should listen to their fathers or any other mature, old man if they want to avoid trouble." Give them independence, and they will surely make bad decisions. The girl can be a well-educated government agent, yet a boy will be able to lure her into a trap. How can she escape from such complications? By getting help from another man because she cannot do anything on her own. Kapoor's presence renders Ulajh monotonous. The "Janhvi Kapoor character being undermined by men in her life" genre has become unoriginal. But fret not. According to IMDb, Kapoor is set to appear in 12 more films in the future. She can remove herself from this cliché and "reinvent" herself in any of the upcoming productions.

Final Score – [4/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times