Pagglait, released on Netflix on 26th March, begins with a funeral scene. A young, newly married man, Astik has died. The whole family is in deep grief, and relatives have gathered to mourn for Astik. Meanwhile, Sandhya (Sanya Malhotra) the widow of Astik scrolls through her social media feed…reading aloud people’s copied condolences. The film is set in Lucknow and directed by Umesh Bisht, Pagglait explores a new realm of an Indian woman’s reaction to her husband’s death. Sandhya is unable to feel any grief for Astik’s death, an incident that could’ve put an Indian woman’s entire existence into crisis, had it been a typical Bollywood film. 

Through the lens of this film, the scriptwriters disrupt the whole idea of grieving for good. Sandhya’s in-laws (Ashutosh Rana and Sheeba Chaddha) are trying to come to terms with the unfortunate incident while their relatives are as nosy as one can expect them to be. There’s Astik’s Tauji (Raghubir Yadav), a staunch conservative.  Astik’s grandmother (Saroj Singh) is suffering from Alzheimer’s and is the most peaceful and observant character in the film. Astik’s Chacha (Rajesh Tailang) comes to attend his nephew’s funeral under the garb of extracting money from Astik’s father. Pagglait introduces amazing characters that we can easily relate to. So, Pagglait scores points for its relatability and simple character arcs. 

Sandhya also has a close friend Nazia (Shruti Sharma)  who stands by her side throughout the film. Relatives picking on each other, petty Indian household politics and diplomacy are all a part of the premise. But Pagglait wins our heart when Sandhya meets Akansha (Sayani Gupta) and gets inspired from her and the way she leads her life.. Akansha indirectly teaches Sandhya the  importance of breaking all the societal shackles that confine her.

With the essence of the movie Queen, Pagglait empowers women and leaves the audience feeling uplifted. Sandhya acknowledges all that life has to offer and all the adventures that await. Sandhya is not a rebel by nature, but a simple woman heading out on the journey of self-discovery. The film has some hilarious moments amid grief and family politics. 

Pagglait is the foundation stone to a totally different and realistic kind of cinema. The ending was quite abrupt and it should have touched upon Sandhya’s struggle after she decides a life path for herself. The ending felt as if I sat down to eat a whole platter with all my favourite dishes in it; but the waiter storms in between, takes the platter away and hands me the bill. 

Pagglait would totally complement your weekend vibe. Overall, it’s a well-made film which makes you appreciate the cast ensemble and warms your heart. Definitely worth watching! 

Rating: 4/5