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After her 10-year-old granddaughter Manda is brutally raped by a serial sex offender, the young girl's Ajji sets out to seek revenge, after custodians of law refuse to bring the rapist to book, thanks to his influential political background.
Critic Consensus
Ajji receives a broadly positive reception, with critics consistently singling out lead actress Sushama Deshpande's commanding, emotionally raw performance as the film's defining strength. Cinematographer Jishnu Bhattacharjee's work is also specifically noted for making the film's grim subject matter both repulsive and immersive. The film's starkness and unflinching depiction of despair are acknowledged across reviews, though some critics caution that this makes it inaccessible to general audiences. The main dissent comes from Anna MM Vetticad, who felt the film's narrative was ultimately underdeveloped and only half-realized despite its promising elements.
5 rated reviews · 4 positive · 1 mixed
AI-generated summary of 6 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyCritic Reviews (6)
Updated
“Ajji is a tough watch. Deliberately so. It took me a long time to get the film out of my head, and while it's potent and rattling, it's not for the faint-hearted.”Read full review ↗
“If you subscribe to a cinema of supreme starkness, Ajji is your thing. However, if you go to the cinema for an excursion into escapism, this is not your cup of tea. There is no escape from despair in Ajji.”Read full review ↗
“Theatre actor, writer, director Sushama Deshpande commands your unflinching attention from beginning to end with her unsaid words and raw emotions. She makes her battle every woman's battle, who demands her safety and right to be heard. Other actors deliver a compelling performance, too. Director of photography Jishnu Bhattacharjee deserves a special mention for making this quest for justice seem repulsive yet immensely immersive watch.”Read full review ↗
“A standout film with a medieval, moral soul...”Read full review ↗
“Devashish Makhija, who earlier made the feature film Oonga, earned the spotlight just last year when Taandav, his interesting short featuring Manoj Bajpayee, went viral on Youtube. Ajji and Manda's relationship, Sushama Deshpande's striking face and screen presence, and young Sharvani Suryavanshi's natural acting are no doubt worthy of a full-fledged film. Ajji, as it stands now though, is well begun but just half done.”Read full review ↗
“Ajji is a unpretentious revenge saga served with proper dose of blood and gore.”Read full review ↗
Cast & Crew
Cast
- Smita Tambe · Vibha
- Sadiya Siddiqui · Leela
- Sudhir Pandey · Sharafat
- Vikas Kumar · Dastur
- Devashish Makhija
- Mangesh Dhakde
- Trimala Adhikari · Dolly
- Shreyas Pandit · Milind
Director
Music
Details
- Release Date
- 24 November 2017
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Language
- Hindi
User Ratings & Reviews
1 rating · 1 with a written review
Community Reviews (1)
The unconventionality of having a grandmother as the protagonist about crime and revenge is what makes Devashish Makhija's cold thriller a tantalizing watch. Ajji is an ambitious story of an old woman who takes the law into her own hands – cliché in the town – and asks us to wonder about the consequences. You tend to incline to the positive because you want her to win and so do the colorful characters who help her, but what we don't see are the obvious superhero powers that she possesses which you cannot blame on the power of will or circumstances. Sexual molestation of minors is definitely a grave topic and one that must be discussed openly but that doesn't mean you celebrate the idea of self-righteousness especially when related to the matters of justice. Ajji is definitely an engaging watch with clever camera work, mirror placements, wonderful performances, and above all, a magically complementing sunless setting. Everything works except for the enthusiastic plot for a film that is evidently the wheels of this crime drama. An accident is inevitable. TN.<br /> <br /> (As part of the Young Film Critics Lab 2017 at the 19th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)
