Rating: 1.5/5
The rise of digital streaming platforms has paved the way for many filmmakers to explore yet another medium of storytelling. Not just experts in the fields, but even aspiring filmmakers are being given a once in a lifetime opportunity to get their work aired on some of the most watched OTT platforms available across the world. The likes of Hulu, Zee5, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and Netflix amongst many others has not only provided the content producers, actors and technicians with more work opportunities, but has also given the viewers a variety of options to choose from. From horror and comedy, to romance and action, streaming platforms have made sure to cater to a larger audience. Likewise, when the platform’s popularity hit India, many Bollywood filmmakers were quick to take advantage. The audience jumped on the bandwagon too, binging on the likes of Sacred Games, Lust Stories, Mirzapur and many others. Now, the recently released Upstarts has been creating quite a buzz ever since it hit Netflix on October 18.
Upstarts is an Indian comedy-drama – although it had very less comedy – directed by Udai Singh Pawar, who was earlier a part of Airlift and Inkaar as an associate director. Starring Priyanshu Painyuli as Kapil, Chadrachoor Rai as Yash and Shadab Kamal as Vinay, the Netflix original revolves around the story of three friends who have just graduated from university and want to launch a start-up. It follows their journey as they finally manage to kick-start their project and the events that unfold as they progress. But like all other films based on friendships – such as 3 Idiots, Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and even Veere Di Wedding – things are bound to go south. And that’s exactly what happens in Upstarts.
Plot
The film kicks off with Kapil and Yash, trying to help Vinay elope with his girlfriend, but like the fate of many other engineers, he too is eventually dumped. Lost in a lover’s sorrow, Vinay tries to distance himself from the possibility of launching a startup. But on the other hand, an unfortunate incident at a volunteer camp set in a village, where Kapil works, gives him an idea – a medicine delivery service like Uber. The app, Carry Karo, fails after its initial launch as it’s unable to make any money or bring in any investors. However, during the scenes where the trio is seen pitching their idea to potential investors, the audience meets another character, Jaya essayed by Sheetal Thakur – Kapil’s friend, who’s faced with the same old set of questions that any women trying to make a career face. “What is the future of this project? How can you guarantee your commitment to it? How will you manage the business when you get married and have kids?”
Going downhill
As these events unfold and the three friends, along with Jaya are left disappointed, Kapil meets a filthy rich, Veer Diwan, played by Rajeev Siddhartha, who has all the money his father has earned, to make a “life of his own”. He invests in the startup and it soon becomes one of the best ones in India, attracting more customers. But as the business gets bigger, the distance between the friends starts to grow and eventually, Yash and Vinay resign, leaving Kapil with the big guns. What follows is a series of disappointments, loopholes in the storyline, unconvincing turns of events and a drag – that could have easily been sufficed in a better way in a matter of mere 20 minutes. And while many would want Jaya’s startup to finally get the recognition it deserves, Upstarts fails to show if she was as successful as the men in the film. Apart from fulfilling the main aim of her business, which is to help suicidal people, there has been no appreciation shown to her in terms of her career — a sad state of affairs at a time when women should be given their due credit and acknowledged. Even the film’s end wasn’t as convincing to serve as an actual closure to a storyline. Moreover, in terms of acting, none of the actors except Shadab delivered an impactful performance, despite having such strong characters.
Nail in the coffin
Upstarts also failed to stand out in terms of production quality. During some scenes, it seemed like a phone’s camera was used to film, without a steady hand, as there were quite a few shaky clips. The lighting, sound and cinematography was not up to the mark that one expects from a Netflix production, adding that it could have easily been a student film instead of an actual digital streaming platform’s original.
While Upstarts might have tried to show the culture of startups in India, it did not exactly portray how things turn around. Like the dialogue in the film, “9 out of 10 startups fail,” the one suggested by Kapil, Yash and Vinay was one of them, because in reality, not many aspiring entrepreneurs get the same kind of chances that the trio got. They often don’t even get close to it. All in all, Upstarts does not deserve the hype it received. The storyline, along with the characters did not get any closure either. Maybe it is about time that Netflix starts reevaluating the projects they plan to take on board and make sure that the funds provided to create an original is used where it suits best, instead of disappearing into thin air.
About Post Author
