The Silent Heroes

Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Writer: Mahesh Bhatt
Cast: Mann Bagga, Gurfareen Bano, Maanuv Bharadwaj
Strength: Great human interest story
Weakness: Direction, Acting
Runtime: 115 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: The story of 13 deaf children and their heroism, passion and humanity.

Review: First thing first. The director is not to be confused with the Mahesh Bhatt. The man behind The Silent Heroes is a newbie.As the story revolves around its 13 mute artistes, we are constantly shown how people are hostile to them. This villainous vein looks like a gimmick. The film also should've ideally avoided playing the sympathy card from the first frame. It shows how as a society our psyche forces us to pity the underprivileged. Characters who emphatically reprimand people for referring to them as disabled try to even out the flaws but don't quite manage it. Also, it is a shame that we are told nothing about our 'heroes'. The 13 children are an amorphous mass and there is no effort to portray them as individuals with distinct identities and unique struggles.

The film's story shows promise but its tawdry execution is a problem. It is unpardonable that the actors in this film are either overacting or sleepwalking through their roles. Thankfully its leads - Maanuv Bharadwaj and Priyanka Panchaal are watchable but the same doesn't stand true for the other actors who reduce their characters to caricatures.

The technical drawbacks and logic lapses further weakens in the narrative. Additionally, the film's tone is too flat and though enough drama unfolds on screen, it never really touches you. In short, The Silent Heroes is a perfect example of how being myopic can play down noble intentions.

Reviewed By Intisab Shahriyar