CAST: Aparshakti Khurana, Pranutan Bahl, Abhishek Banerjee, Ashish Verma, Anurita Jha, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sharib Hashmi
DIRECTOR: Satramm Ramani
BLUF
Writer-director Satramm Ramani’s Helmet is co-produced by model-turned-actor Dino Morea. This story is about a young man, who works with a marriage band and needs to pick up a better job to marry his girlfriend. To make money, he and his friends steal boxes of phones from the shipment of a guy in their neighborhood to make some quick cash. They are shocked to find that the boxes they stole had condoms instead. Now, through a series of circumstances, the young man finds himself in the condom sales business. This is the story of his business and the outcome of his go-to-market strategy.
THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES
In a town called Raj Nagar where the hero, Lucky (Aparshakti Khurana), is in love with Rupali (Pranutan Bahl) who supplies floral arrangements for weddings. To impress Rupali’s father (Ashish Vidyarthi) that he is a worthy groom, he needs to make some cash and get a job. When he starts the condoms supply business, a product he was earlier too embarrassed to ask for at his local chemist shop. He quickly realizes that if he needs to make money off his supply, he will need to become innovative to market and sell it.
IN THE KNOW/FWAR
Hindi films intended to open discussions around subjects considered taboo in 21st-century India often end up being preachy. Condom use is a matter of national emergency given HIV and STD propagation through unprotected sex. For a country that is high on its reproductive capability and talking about this should be a top priority. Birth control should not be taboo in a society where reproduction is so high. The helmet risks the conversation when the movie starts but then retracts from the issue. What really comes off the moot is the reticence of men to buy and use condoms, which is a reality in India. The movie touches upon several important topics that are tabooed in the Indian context – primarily contraception and sex. It is quite commendable that the film would bring this topic into conversation. However, the execution of the movie falters when the narrative becomes highly preachy and diverts from the comedy. Ashish Verma as minus, Abhishek Banerjee as Sultan along Aparshakti as Lucky have a one in a million chemistry. Pranutan is perfect casting and very comfortable with the camera. In all, loved the chuckles.
WHAT WE LOVED
The core story.
The pairing of Abhishek, Aparshakti, and Ashish is comedy central
WHAT WE MISSED
Less moral science
Execution in the last 40 mins.
