Meel Patthar

2020 Indian film
  • 3 September 2020 (2020-09-03) (Venice)
Running time
98 minutesCountryIndiaLanguagesHindi
Punjabi

Meel Patthar (transl. Milestone) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-written, edited and directed by Ivan Ayr and produced by Kimsi Singh.[1] Starring Suvinder Vicky and Lakshvir Saran in major roles, the story follows a truck driver who tries to cope with the tragic death of his wife.[2] The film premiered in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2020.[3][4] It was also screened at the 25th Busan International Film Festival and the Pingyao International Film Festival.[5][6] Meel Patthar won the Best Film award while Vicky was given the Best Performer Award in the Asian feature film category at the Singapore International Film Festival.[7] Netflix acquired the distribution rights of the film and it was released worldwide on the platform on 7 May 2021.[8]

Cast

  • Suvinder Vicky as Ghalib
  • Lakshvir Saran as Pash
  • Akhilesh dwivedi as mr. Gil Son

Production

The film is partially in Punjabi language as the protagonist is Punjabi who is working in the New Delhi region.[9] It was shot in January and February in 2020.[10] Ayr said that the film "tells you where you are and how much further you have to go." Further explaining: "Like how we say there is a significant moment or milestone one has crossed, that is there in the film. He gets to a certain milestone which he is unaware of and certain things begin to happen which makes things uncertain."[9] After the nationwide lockdown was imposed, Ayr got the film edited and sound-mixed from a remote location. The film was shot in a village in Haryana.[11] To get into how truck drivers operate, Ayr spent time with several one of them for the research in Delhi and Chandigarh.[11] Both the actors took truck driving lessons for their role.[10]

Reception

Meel Patthar received mostly positive response from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[12]

Namrata Joshi noted that the film "offers a brooding look at lives constantly on the move, yet always paused."[13] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote: "This sublimely multi-layered film embraces the personal struggles of its characters with as much passion as it portrays the manifestations of the social inequities that are an intrinsic part of their existence."[14] Stutee Ghosh of The Quint said, "A cinematic milestone, Ivan Ayr’s Meel Patthar is a moving portrait of a man lacerated by the truth of life."[15] Baradwaj Rangan praised the film and wrote: "This moving tale of a trucker paints a portrait of an ecosystem where everything and everyone appears to be a metaphor for disuse, neglect, ageing."[16] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express called the film "a poignant, lyrical look at the life of a truck driver."[17]

References

  1. ^ "Meel Patthar (Milestone)". Venice International Film Festival. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. ^ Panchamatia, Komal (5 August 2020). "Im interested in telling stories about human existence in contemporary India: Ivan Ayr". Outlook. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Chaitanya Tamhane's The Disciple and Ivan Ayr's Meel Patthar head to Venice Film Festival". NDTV. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  4. ^ Shedde, Meenakshi (9 August 2020). "Guru-Shishya: Cuaron And Tamhane". Mid Day. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Seven Indian films at Busan International Film Festival". Mid Day. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. ^ Davis, Rebecca (6 October 2020). "China's Pingyao International Film Festival Lineup Packed With Venice Titles, New Chinese Fare". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Deeply honoured: Ivan Ayr on 'Meel Patthar' winning best film at Singapore's Silver Screen Awards". The New Indian Express. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele trailer out. Zareen Khan, Anshuman Jha-starrer out on May 9". India Today. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Ivan Ayr opens up on his film Meel Patthar heading to the 2020 Venice Film Festival". Firstpost. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b Ramnath, Nandini (12 September 2020). "In film 'Meel Patthar', a truck driver's journey from irrelevance to meaning". Scroll.in. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  11. ^ a b Chhabra, Aseem (14 September 2020). "Why we must watch Meel Patthar". Rediff.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Milestone (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  13. ^ Joshi, Namrata (4 September 2020). "Ivan Ayr's 'Meel Patthar': Life in Transit for Truck Drivers Ghalib and Pash". The Wire. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  14. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (5 September 2020). "Meel Patthar Review: Brilliant Flashes Of Insight Make This A Genuine Milestone". NDTV. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  15. ^ Ghosh, Stutee (5 September 2020). "'Meel Patthar': A Deeply Moving and Profound Tale of Loneliness". The Quint. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  16. ^ Baradwaj, Ranjan (4 September 2020). "A Review Of Ivan Ayr's Sturdy, Lyrical Character Study, Meel Patthar (Milestone), Which Premiered At The Venice Film Festival". Film Companion. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  17. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (20 September 2020). "Ivan Ayr's Meel Patthar is a poignant, lyrical look at the life of a truck driver". The Indian Express. Retrieved 22 September 2020.

External links

  • Meel Patthar at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata