Critics Rating:

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao

Production: Sandeep Singh

Director: Hansal Mehta

Written By: Apurva Asrani

Genre: Darama

Duration: 120 Mins

Against all odds and despite the draconian laws preventing marriage equality in India, Aligarh makes it to the big screens with an important message and a niche appeal. Therefore, this is not a film which can be a sum-total of stars on a rating card. This is a story which is bound to trigger polarising reactions with the subject matter and the pacing of the narrative.

Aligarh follows the social isolation of Dr.Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) after a sting operation facilitated by his colleagues reveals his sexual proclivity. For the respected author, linguist and head of the university's Department of Modern Indian Languages, it is a terrifying scandal to be caught in bed with a rickshaw-puller.

The controversy catches the attention of reporter Deepu Sebastian (Rajkummar Rao), who travels to the university to cover the news. In an atmosphere of disgust and persecution, his sincerity and honesty draws Siras out of his shell, forging an unlikely friendship. Deepu maintains that the breaking and entering in the professor's accommodation is a violation of his privacy. Siras is convinced that it is a few jealous, malicious colleagues who want to take him down. He remains tight-lipped about the identity of his lover, aware of the repercussions he will face as a lower class youth from a minority community.

Siras takes the taunts, attacks and the evictions from various homes while reluctantly becoming a symbol of protest against the orthodox, homophobic confines of society. He refuses to spell out his sexuality, even as he sits penning poetry during court proceedings for his reinstatement. He continues to receive Deepu's admiration and curiosity. It all comes crashing down in harsh reality for Deepu, when Siras breathes his last under mysterious circumstances in 2010.

Aligarh is a master class of performances, headlined by an outstanding Manoj Bajpayee, who may not look Siras, but embodies his anguish and torment. The melancholy of his track is juxtaposed with a sprightly turn by Rajkummar Rao, who brings much of his blue-eyed cheer to an otherwise bleak set of circumstances. His emotional reaction upon hearing of Siras' death while covering another story is one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Ashish Vidyarthi and Gauri Balaji remarkably hold their own as opposing lawyers in Siras' case.

Emotive performances and noble intents aside, Aligarh has little else going in its favour. The pace is slow, to the point where it is bound to test the viewers' patience. Certain scenes are repetitive. It is true that Siras had little to do during his dreadful time of alienation, but the long uninterrupted shots of him listening to Lata Mangeshkar and downing whiskey go on for a long time. The Deepu Sebastian track breaks that monotony, but in the face of unrelenting tragedy, one wishes that there was more of him in the film.

Self-indulgent, slower than Shahid and certainly not mainstream, Aligarh will receive its due accolades for the courageousness of its message. It is one that needs to be heard in this changing society. However, as an engaging cinematic experience, it does not go out of its way to sustain interest. The film will, at most, welcome you into its world. It will take an aficionado of festival films to soldier through the sluggish scenes.

Flawed yet a commendable effort, Aligarh will have its audiences. The ones who want to hear its earnest message will be there to watch and spread the word.