TheReviewMonk
Mulk backdrop
3 August 2018Hindi140 min

Mulk

6.315 reviews
CriticsMixed

Bayesian avg · 15 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

7.617 ratings
UsersRecommended

User Score · avg of 17 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

A Muslim joint family from a small town in India fight to regain their honour after a member of their family takes to terrorism.

Critic Consensus

Critics broadly received Mulk as a timely and socially relevant film, with most reviewers commending its willingness to address issues of religious identity, terrorism, and media responsibility in contemporary India. Performances — particularly from Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, and Manoj Pahwa — drew frequent praise, as did the film's courtroom drama and emotional intensity. The most consistent criticism centered on the film's delivery, with several reviewers noting simplistic storytelling, a bombastic or melodramatic tone, and a background score that felt distracting. A handful of critics also felt the film prioritized its message over cinematic craft, though most agreed the message itself was worthwhile.

15 reviews · 12 positive · 1 mixed

Praised: timely social message and performancesCriticised: simplistic storytelling and melodramatic tone

AI-generated summary of 15 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (15)

Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
7.0
"Any film that does not demonize, that talks of peace and brotherhood, in these dark, cynical times, is to be lauded. Mulk is Anubhav Sinha's best film, and it concerns us all."
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Umesh Punwani· KoiMoi
9.0
"All said and done, Mulk is one such film that will hold your guts till the end. It'll pinch your soul hard & question your humanity. Stellar performances, mind-blowing climax & superlative narration – this is so far, the best movie of 2018."
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R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
8.0
""Mulk" is a sensitively told sensitizing film that should strike the right note in people with the right sensibilities. In its own way, it is no less patriotic than a "Pad-Man," "Raazi," "Raid" or "Parmanu.""
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Suparna Sharma· Deccan Chronicle
7.0
"And as I walked away from Mulk, marvelling at its crackling drama, high emotional quotient, its gritty appeal, whistle-worthy dialogues and politics, after a long time I doffed my hat to Bollywood. Because when mainstream Bollywood begins to get it right, when it finds the strength to articulate what's right and wrong in a way that sits with audiences for a long time, there is hope."
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DNA Web Team· DNA India
7.0
"Mulk is worth a watch because it focuses on some pivotal issues of the day."
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Indiatoday Reviewer· India Today
7.0
"Though Taapsee has little role in the first half, she steers the film in the second half as the resolute and slightly diffident lawyer. Ashutosh Rana, who is so used to playing the villain in films, does come across as a little exaggerated at points, but refined dialogues save him. A special mention to Manoj Pahwa, who portrays Bilal's painful and emotional breakdown with finesse. All said and done, Mulk is a voice that needs to be heard. Make time for it this weekend."
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Renuka Vyavahare· Times Of India
7.0
"Shot in the bylanes of small town India, the film captures the milieu it is set in aptly. The music is the weakest link and the soaring and melodramatic background score in some portions is distracting. Mulk focusses on some hard-hitting and burning issues, while also highlighting the crucial role that the media and various other channels of information play in disseminating the right news and facts to its citizens. It also brings to fore the other faces of terrorism which often gets brushed under the carpet."
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Mayank Shekhar· Mid-Day
6.0
"For a second if you don't imagine this to be a film at all, but a compelling conversation; its motive, and indeed its structure, will begin to make more sense to you..."
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Joyjeet Das· CatchNews
6.0
"So, well tried Anubhav Sinha and all the best. But you need to stretch some more to touch the bar that is being set higher with time."
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Rahul Desai· Film Companion
6.0
"Mulk, though, is a reminder that we are all part of that courtroom. Being surprised is a condescending emotion – and inherently a product of our own preconceived notions. It is also a reminder that the right film in this country is often better than a good one. Raazi was an example, but it was perhaps Meghna Gulzar's Talvar that had already conditioned us expect a skillful take on the rift between mulk and mazhab. In contrast, I came out of Sinha's film admittedly humbled, and of the belief that verdicts are best delivered after the closing statements."
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6.0
"Mulk isn't original cinema, it's not even its own film, but it's a much needed reminder and lesson that we live in a secular nation, something that we always strive for.​"
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Hindustan Times· Hindustan Times
6.0
"This film takes an important step in defining terrorism and underlining the differences between a suspect and a criminal. It succeeds in intent and purpose, but sadly fails when it comes to storytelling."
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Sreehari Nair· Rediff
5.0
"'Mulk gets a lot of things right, including its vision of the country as a place where underneath the punctilious, forced-secular surface there are volatilities waiting to go off..."
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Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
"After Balraj Sahni in Garm Hava and Kaifi Azmi in Naseem, it's the turn of Rishi Kapoor as the paterfamilias of a Muslim family to bring out the dilemmas of the community in divisive times"
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"If there is one thing Anubhav Sinha's "Mulk" (Nation) gets right, it is the message. The manner of delivery might be deemed a tad simplistic, and the tone bombastic, but the film is clear about what it wants to say. And it today's times, it is an important message to get across."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
3 August 2018
Runtime
140 min
Language
Hindi
Genre
Drama

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.617 ratings

17 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (12)

Mulk, a film by Anubhav Sinha, strikes the right chord of humanity. It does convey in the very beginning that the film is inspired from the true events. Mulk is an attempt to raise the voice against the prejudices existing in our country (as well as at a global level too). The word Terrorism is connected instantly and spontaneously to the community Muslims. But the film very strongly tries to put across the dictionary meaning of the word 'Terrorism' which is "the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims". So, as per the definition, many other activities could also fall under terrorism. Terrorism is actually criminal not communal. Terrorism does not have anything to do with the religion. But the frame of reference is in such a manner that we label a community synonym to terrorism. The film also projects a very sensitive topic in the most sensible manner. The film highlights that the Mulk is divided between 'Us' and 'Them'. This very differentiation makes the whole problem even more challenging to be solved. The film did attract controversies in the social media for the statistics mentioned in the poster. This review does not focus on any statistics or data or facts or figures but this review definitely highlights that how relevant it is to have such a film even in 2018, post 71 years of independence. The film is indeed very close to the reality. Some might compare the film with Garam Hawa (a masterpiece film released in 1973). Garam Hawa dealt with the plight of those people as well as the adverse situations faced by them who chose to stay back in India itself and decided not to migrate to Pakistan. Even after so many years, the wound of partition has not healed. Mulk not only focuses on the plight of a North Indian Muslim family who chose India post-independence, but also it emphasizes on the poisoned mindset which needs to be changed, the frames of references which need reality checks. It is not that the film does not get preachy at times, it is not that at times drama gets a bit exaggerated, but these can be very well ignored since the intention of the film is too good and needs to be applauded. Not only every Indian but every human being all across the globe must watch Mulk, since it is the necessity of the mankind to have peace all across the ecosystem especially when we are living in a nation of religious, social, cultural, linguistic diversities.

SHAug 2018

Instead of making a political statement through this movie, director Sinha should have focussed more on the art of cinema. This movie is just a repitition of 'terror has no religion' kind of defence that we have been seeing especially since 9/11 terror attack. 'Mulk' is set in India and tried to speak for muslims who have been discriminated because of their religion. In order to bring justice in the courtroom drama this movie has missed several points which genuinly are responsible for such so called discrimination in the country. As a movie lover I feel disappointed to see some filmakers misusing this platform with their agenda driven films. Something which we have been seeing our politicans doing since Independence to appease muslims. Secularism in India exist because of the collective efforts of the majoritians. No religion in the world is as democratic as Hinduism. Its high time everyone should realize it and respect it.

SAAug 2018

very good movie to take a lesson

NIAug 2018

Muslim appeasement is a part of politics but nowadays it has become popular a popular choice for bollywood.Film is all about glorifying a terrorist's family and demonizing the Hindu population of India.Anubhav Sinha is just a piece of shit.Tapsee is not upto my expectations in the film.

TAAug 2018

Its a Must watch movie....

Whether we like it or not, we live in a nation which has a significant number of people who gets easily swayed whenever the topic of "religion' comes up. As expected, many politicians use this strategy to their benefit by taking advantage of such gullible individuals. Even though we have developed as a nation in various aspects such as science, technology, education etc., we have failed to keep religious prejudices at bay. The fact is if such prejudices are left unchecked, it is powerful enough to unleash disharmony in the nation & we are already witness to such incidents rather frequently. This is exactly what is discussed in Anubhav Sinha's "Mulk", but is it too preachy & filmy or a replica of the ground reality??? Advocate Murad Ali (Rishi Kapoor) lived with his family in their ancestral home in Banaras & shared a warm relationship with everyone in the neighbourhood Things moved along smoothly until his nephew Shahid (Prateik Babbar) gets involved in a bomb blast that claims numerous lives. It turned out that he was influenced into becoming an extremist & was eventually shot dead in an encounter. The investigation team led by SSP Danish Javed (Rajat Kapoor) refused to believe that Shahid's family had no clue about his terrorist involvement. To make matters worse, circumstantial evidence seemed to indicate that Shahid's father Bilal (Manoj Pahwa) facilitated in the execution of his son's plan. This creates unrest in the locality with Murad Ali & his family isolated & insulted by even their friends & neighbours. However, that didn't deter Murad & his daughter in law, Arti (Taapsee Pannu) to seek justice & regain honour for their family who were innocent of Shahid's misendeavours. Anubhav Sinha came into the industry with a bang with an unexpected hit in the form of "Tum Bin", but couldnt quite recreate that form ever since. He had also helmed "Ra One" which was slammed by many, though I kinda liked the concept. However, I have no doubt that his latest release would be well received as it is his best work to date. Apart from calling the shots, he has also penned the script & it is evident that he has done his homework with regard to the prejudices that the Muslim community faces for some rotten apples in their midst. The movie doesn't grow on us in the first hour, but the moment the courtroom drama starts, you can rest assured to be completely engrossed. As for other technical aspects, the manner in which the court scenes were impressively picturised by Ewan Mulligan & the presence of Taapsee reminded me of "Pink". Rishi Kapoor has been lucky to get some meaty roles in the last couple of years & this one is no different as he has aced his part with elan. Giving him apt competition was Taapsee who in recent times have started to carve a niche for herself with some exceptional performances & this role will feature as one of the finest in her career. Similarly, Ashutosh Rana, Rajat Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa & Kumud Mishra have all excelled in their parts which has gone a long way in elevating the viewing experience. Verdict: It can definitely not be tagged as an entertainer but rather as a mirror for the society that seems to get narrow minded due to religious prejudices. It's a movie that needs to be watched as it is rooted in reality & even as a celluloid creation, you will love the last 30 minutes. In short, don't miss it!!! Rating: 4/5 Regards...Ben

SYAug 2018

This movie sends a very positive message to the society in a very beautiful manner. The cast have performed exceptionally well. Great effort.

ADAug 2018

Two Thumbs Up for Writing, Direction and the performances delivered by the actors.

TEAug 2018

If Mulk was a documentary, I would take it more seriously for the diversity of issues and their severity that it brings to the fore is amazing. I was enthralled by how brutally honest writer Sinha is in his dialogues, but all of that does not translate in the present setup. The final 30 minutes of Mulk are extraordinarily fantastical, which is why I will recommend you to watch it but also request you to take the proceedings with a pinch of salt. TN.

SUAug 2018

This movie gives a chance to understabd malices and prejudices which Indian society has. And we can see clear only when the glasses of prejudices are removed from our eyes. A movie which appeals peace and brotherhood in India. Thanks to the whole team.

'Mulk', though commendable and applause-worthy for its central theme alone, deserves being watched because it is an unexpected, moving film with a layered narrative about Islamophobia in India. It is subtle and comes with its emotional highs which makes it equally entertaining and core-rattling. Anubhav Sinha is actually the one here who deserves an applause for making the characters resonant and captivating enough to keep us entertained and hooked to the screens. Taapsee Pannu gives one of the career-best performances after 'Rumi' in Manmarziyan, and RisKapoor is unmatched- but Manoj Pahwa is a special find here in a funny yet blazing supporting character. It's a three-and-a-half stars rating out of five for Anubhav Sinha's 'Mulk'. It is a gripping film which tells a story with sincerity.

SUMay 2020

This is yet another film that has remained buried under layers of obscurity and has not got the fame and popularity it deserves. It examines the problem of communal discord from a highly realistic perspective without bothering about conventional views or orthodoxy. Everything about the film is realistic: it's depiction of society, famiily relationships, direction, histrionics. Excellent performances by Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu make the film memorable.

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