This is one of those mainstream movies that delivers its message coated with a thick layer of melodrama. And it works.

Shahid is the gravy of a spicy misal while Shraddha, Yami, Divyendu and other actors are just the toppings.

With a tighter runtime and more focus on the crux of the story, this social drama had the potential to shine bright. The cinematography by Anshuman Mahaley manages to capture the beauty of Uttarakhand’s hills very well. The movie also has a parallel track of two characters named Vikas and Kalyan, narrating the story, but the metaphor doesn’t quite click. BGMC loses power under the load of its heavy-duty screenplay.

Watch BGMC because it throws light on the issue of electricity, which is a fundamental human right. If we sit like frogs in a well, we may never learn what ails the real India. Jaago guys, jaago. 

Overall, Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a film that does seem to have its heart in the right place with the subject it wants to deal with, albeit with a mild case of cardiac arrhythmia – perhaps a little shock is in order to set its pace back in order?

While the film gives you an idea about the gravity of the power-supply problems in Indian small towns, it doesn’t stoke the activist in you or make you enraged on behalf of the common man. You remain a mute spectator and that makes this film a lost opportunity.