Beyond The Clouds Movie Review: Heartwarming Story Of Compassion By Majid Majidi, Ishaan Khatter And Malavika Mohanan!

Beyond The Clouds Movie Review: Heartwarming Story Of Compassion By Majid Majidi, Ishaan Khatter And Malavika Mohanan!
In India, every movie buff is a fan of Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Children of Heaven, a film that earned him worldwide attention. So when it was announced that he is making a film in the country, in the heart of Mumbai, people were intrigued, if not excited. Deepika Padukone had auditioned for it, had given a look test, but was not signed on by Majidi who preferred a newcomer Malavika Mohanan, the daughter of Filmfare Award-winning cinematographer KU Mohanan. Shahid Kapoor's brother Ishaan Khattar, another newcomer, was hired and nurtured in Beyond the Clouds. Has it been worth it? Let's take a look.

The director's films are slice-of-life, realistic, gritty and showing the struggle of the common man. Majidi himself has humble beginnings and so prefers to make films on everyday struggles, often of the economic kind. His last film on the Prophet being an exception, a project that landed him and Indian music composer AR Rahman in some sort of trouble from hardline Islamists. In Muhammad: The Messenger of God, all that Majidi wanted to show was the real Islam, the sweet and wonderful side of his religion that is downplayed in the era of terrorism. But he was not allowed to, as he says. With his latest outing Beyond the Clouds, although one of the protagonists is Muslim, the story is essentially of the Indian poor who dwell in ghettoes in the city.

Well, haven't we seen it before? The Indian slums and the poverty and the stories that generates. In Mira Nair's Salaam! Bombay, in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, and countless Bollywood films based on gangsters and / or the slum life. Does Beyond the Clouds offer something different then? It does. if you dig deep.

Story
Ishaan Khattar plays Aamir and Malavika Mohanan is his sister Taara. She is not his sibling by blood but they share a strong bond. The first half of the film goes in establishing the characters and the milieu. Beautiful visuals, not just in the first half but throughout the film are captured by India's ace cinematographer Anil Mehta to tell the story. Like in many great films, the city is an important character in Beyond the Clouds. It's a story of Mumbai, the many little Mumbais within the bustling financial capital of India. Majid Majidi and his cinematographer have captured Mumbai in the most beautiful manner. Never seen before areas or an unseen perspective of what you have already seen. Just for that, do no miss this film! But even in the indoor shots, Anil Mehta spells magic.

The twist comes when Taara is sexually assaulted by Akshi (played by actor-filmmaker Goutam Ghose). In a further twist, the rapist is in hospital, Aamir on the run and Taara in jail. What will happen next?

The Theme of Compassion
In the second half, you realise that Beyond the Clouds is not about whether the rapist will be punished or if Taara will get bail. It is about how the daily life of the people around them gets affected by this. It is not a film about sexual assault. It is about how in adversity one finds compassion, even for the enemy or his kin. Beyond the Clouds has the siblings Taara and Aamir separately deal with their struggles in jail and outside respectively. In the end, compassion and humanity prevail. Taara forms an unmistakable bond with Chotu and Aamir with Akshi's family, in spite of himself. In a dog-eat-dog world already ridden with problems, one ends up finding or expressing tenderness, empathy, love and warmth.

Performances
Ishaan Khatter makes a SMASHING debut as Aamir in Beyond the Clouds. His performance is earnest and honest. This film will raise expectations for his Karan Johar film Dhadak, which is a remake of the Marathi blockbuster Sairat. Ishan Khatter has arrived!

Malavika Mohanan looks the part and is good but can work on her acting more to shine in future films. Ishaan and Malavika do present a good sibling story.

But the cast that keeps the interest in the film going is Tannishtha Chatterjee as Taara's jail inmate with her little son Chotu, and National Award-winning GV Sharada and the two little girls who form the rapist Akshi's family.

Musical Score
AR Rahman the music maestro does not create magic through his score in Beyond the Clouds, but it is apt for the film. There are many silent moments in Beyond the Clouds without any background music playing out.

Our final take
If we go see it as a Majidi film rather than it belonging to the Slumdog or Salaam! Bombay genre, it works. But the Indian audience may not be wiling to see this representation. Beyond the Clouds has won acclaim at international film festivals and it seems like a film made just for that. The setting, the performances, the pacing, the message, all are unique to the film. It may not be a signature Majid Majidi film, but maybe the filmmaker and his writer wanted to tread a slightly different path this time. However, what is heartening to see is that they have kept the message of 'humanity over everything' alive.

Verdict: Watch it for Mumbai and a unique story!

Rating: 3.5/5