Kalabhavan Mani surrenders before the police!

‘Aalaap’, the musical drama film and the first film directed by Manish Manikpuri has been released. The film has been set and shot in and around present day Chhattisgarh with the main protagonists being college students with a passion for music. Reviews are negative.

Rediff says its a superficial take on a sensitive issue: “Few films are good at tackling sensitive socio-political issues. The intention may be good but the film ends up trivialising the issue or over-simplifying it. Or, as in the case of Aalaap, offering naïve solutions that send out fruitless messages of peace and optimism.”

DNAIndia says its a badly made propaganda film: “There have been pro-Maoist movies and anti-Maoist movies before this, and while Aalaap doesn’t come anywhere close to those efforts, the least it could have been is — and this is irrespective of what line it took — decently made.”

The Times of India feels its a mixed bag: “At its heart, Aalaap is a tense drama, portraying young college students caught in a violent political face-off. But like a guitar left out in humid air, its strings sag – and snap – at times.”