lystn

Writer-director Vasan Bala is a bonafide cinephile, and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, his second feature directorial, is a testament to his love for movies.Starring Abhimanyu Dassani in his debut role, Radhika Madan and Gulshan Devaiah, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota is a vivid, inventive film peppered with pop culture and comic book references. At the centre of this story is Abhimanyu’s Surya, who is born with a rare condition that makes him insensitive to pain. Bullied in school and helicopter-parented by his protective father, he finds unlikely allies in his grandfather, played with tenderness by Mahesh Manjrekar and Supri, essayed by a delightfully engaging Radhika Madan. It is an underdog story, and Vasan Bala makes his protagonist an immensely likeable dork. But the casting of Gulshan Devaiah as Surya’s idol Karate Mani and his evil twin brother Jimmy, the psychotic villain of the story, was genius. The actor imbued both the roles with wickedness and spunk. In this absurdist, non-conformist superhero story, the action is also comic book-inspired. So punches and kicks land in slow motion, and blood sputters appear perfectly choreographed. This is a whimsical, fantastical world with characters equally outlandish. But unlike what the film’s cheeky title suggests, the film isn’t quite about machismo. If you trust the vision of the director, you’re in for a cinematic delight. And if you haven't watched this hidden gem yet, it's streaming on Netflix, Google Play and iTunesThat's the OTTplay Lost and Found film for today’s podcast. I shall be back again with another critically acclaimed film but lesser-known. This Is your host Nikhil signing out for now.