Timely subject, weak script: Surkhaab's migrant drama earns goodwill it can't sustain.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Surkhaab is mixed to lukewarm, with most reviewers acknowledging the film's relevance and good intentions in depicting the plight of illegal migrants to Canada, but finding its execution lacking. Where praise exists, it centers on the subject matter's emotional and social weight rather than the filmmaking itself. Common criticisms include a manufactured quality to its dramatic perils, an unsafe blend of masala thriller and serious social commentary that satisfies neither goal, and a weak screenplay and third act that undermine the film's stronger early stretches.
2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 6 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Film review ·
Many Indians leave in search of a better life, convinced that a dollarwielding pauper is more respectable than a rupee-wielding pauper. Surkhaab exposes their naivety, albeit with dignity, despite an awry third act that threatens to dilute the strength of its hero. As a frustrated Kuldeep wryly notes, Jeet eventually lives up to her name. In a way, this film does too.
Film review ·
Surkhaab is perhaps one of the finest examples of those small budget films which start with a good intention of dealing with a relevant issue, but then fall into the trap of making it 'safe' to ensure a box office hit.
Film review ·
Surkhaab is extremely relevant and a poignant tale of survival that deserves to be seen.
Film review ·
An out-and-out vanity project that takes itself far too seriously, Surkhaab lacks the strength to go all the way either to become a masala thriller or to blossom into an insightful take on the exploitation of immigrants. Because it wants to do both, it ends up doing neither.
Film review ·
A cross-over film which has its moments, but is bogged down by its screenplay and acting.
Film review ·
The Indo-Canadian co-production promises to be a stirring depiction of the plight of illegal migrants to Canada. It is indeed a tale of survival in the globalised world but the perils and the ensuing threats don't fall in place naturally. They rather seem manufactured by smart editing.
From our readers
1 rating · user score 5.0
If you are tired of watching mindless films that Bollywood throws at you every week, then Surkhaab will be a blow of fresh air.<br /> <br /> Jeet (Madan) is a young pretty woman who immigrates to Canada to live with her brother Pargat (Bahl) and start a better life. However, she gets entangled into a messy business with two idiotic kidnappers and their anonymous boss. Now in Canada, she finds that her and Pargat's lives are threatened by none other than Kuldeep (Suri), the same guy had helped them before and who now seems to have shed his friendly nature.<br /> <br /> It's both a thriller as well as a drama about the lives of immigrants and how they are misused by crooked businessmen to smuggle illegal goods over borders. The narration is inventive and full of sentiments as the viewer is gradually taken on a flashback routine about Jeet and what led her to move to Canada. There's an emotional connect that happens where Jeet introspects about her life, her lonely mother back in Punjab, and the status quo. That is the best thing one will take away from Surkhaab.<br /> <br /> Talking about the theme, the makers seem to have got themselves confused. Because at one side, you have the immigration story and on the other you have this active thriller story which they eventually choose to resume the film with. It all ends in a puff because of low imagination. The actors do a pretty good job at portraying the characters.<br /> <br /> Far from all, Surkhaab is about familial love and a woman's fight to make things right.<br /> <br /> BOTTOM LINE: Surkhaab is one of the few good films to have released in Indian in 2015. Flawed it is, but it is at least a one-time watch for the efforts that have been put into making this.<br /> <br /> GRADE: D+<br /> <br /> Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES<br />
Credits
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