Ludo (2020)
(Netflix Streaming, December 2021) I still have a lot of Indian films to watch before making sweeping statements about the nation’s cinema(s), but I have more often than not been disappointed in what I’ve seen. The Indian films I’ve seen, especially those that consciously avoid the masala tradition, are often stuck in a paternalistic context — overly deferential to authorities, needlessly apologetic for innocuous material, and heavily conservative even when highlighting their progressivism. Indian films don’t speak to audiences at their own level, and they would be significantly better if they did. Well, here’s Ludo to bolster my assertion: As an ensemble black comedy dealing with criminals, complex criss-crossing fates and just a little bit of magical realism, it’s one of the most enjoyable Indian films I’ve seen lately, and it’s executed in a style that addresses modern moviegoers with all of the sophistication, wit and energy that they can expect. The framing device has two supernatural beings philosophizing about life, death, fate, and morality as encapsulated by the game of Ludo, while they witness the increasingly wild events to consume the story’s four main characters. Taking inspiration from the game board, each of them is colour-coded for our convenience — something that goes from their clothes to the dominant colours of the scenes in which they’re featured. Writer-director Anurag Basu has a lot to do in blending a complex story in 150 minutes — Ludo is a touch too long, but not unjustifiably so. The four strands of his story take place in a semi-comic criminal underworld, but some of them are funnier (or more tragic) than other strands, giving a result that is differentiated without being incoherent. It’s vivid, colourful and energetic, with some flashbacks to fracture the story even more. As someone with a thing for cute bespectacled curly brunettes, it was hard to pick between Sanya Malhotra and Pearle Maaney — but all of the actors have something to do here, no matter whether they deal with Internet pornography, reuniting with their estranged daughter, suitcases of money, or rising above being supporting characters. Comparisons with the British school of dark crime comedies à la Guy Richie are lofty but not entirely unfounded. The plotting gets a bit too contrived in the last third, and some judicious editing (especially at the script level) could have helped the film feel more cohesive. Still, I had a great time watching Ludo — far more than better-known Indian films of recent vintage, and I hope that it announces more enjoyable examples of Indian cinema than what I’ve seen recently.