New Delhi: Human dramas showing a person or a group of persons trapped on an island, in a room or on a boat on the ocean may be a common feature in Hollywood but such films have been few and far between in Indian cinema. The last such film featuring actors Irrfan Khan and Tabu that made waves in India was 'The life of Pi'. 'Trapped' is yet another survival drama from the Vikramaditya Motwane, director of acclaimed films like 'Udaan' and 'Lootera'.
It is the story of Shaurya’ (Rajkummar Rao) who accidentally locks himself up in his new rented apartment in a Mumbai high-rise, for almost a week. Shaurya secretly admires his office colleague Noorie (Geetanjali Thapa). At first shy, Shaurya manages to woo his lady and lands up on a dinner date with her. As the friendship of the two turns into love, Shaurya asks Noorie, who is engaged to someone else, to move in with him. She agrees on a condition that he finds a place for them to stay.
With a limited budget on hand , Shaurya manages to find a flat in an empty high rise building that has no other members. However, in a hurry to welcome Noorie on their new abode, Shaurya accidentally locks himself in. The film us about his story of survival in a room with no water and electricity. 'Trapped' engages the audience with its gripping story which hooks them onto his efforts to survive in the locked room on a desolate high rise by dint of his tremendous will power and courage . Also, the director replacing the desolate island of the Hollywood film 'castaway' with a room in a high rise located in a crowded metropolis of Mumbai is an innovative idea to show that one can be 'alone in a crowd'.
In a way, it is a brilliant commentary on busy lifestyles in a crowded metropolitan city like Mumbai where nobody has time for anyone else. The film begins on a light note with meetings between Shaurya and Noorie. However, it soon assumes a dark tone after Shaurya gets trapped in the room, capturing his anguish, pain and frustration at not being able to get help from any quarter. The film, which is without any intermission, keeps the viewer engaged with the constant efforts by the protagonist to escape from the building every single day.
After getting lot of critical acclaim for his earlier films 'Udaan' and 'Lootera', Vikramaditya Motwane again impresses with 'Trapped'. His setting the film in a crowded metropolitan city is an innovative idea that brings out the lifestyle of its residents. Rajkummar is the highlight of the film with his power-packed act as a person experiencing the pain, anguish and frustration of a person locked in a room without any water or electricity and with even his phone battery going empty.
He display a similar intensity that he showed in his work in 'Aligarh' and 'Citylights'. As the love of his life Noorie, Geetanjali Thapa looks pretty and puts in a able performance. The claustrophobia experienced by Shaurya is excellently brought out in the film. Trapped is a gripping drama with another powerpacked performance from Rajkummar.
Rating : 3.5/5 - one for the excellent screenplay, one for impressive direction by Vikramaditya Motwane, one for a powerful act by Rajkummar Rao and 0.5 for cinematography. (UNI)
