House Arrest is entirely Ali Fazal’s film. His expressions, body language, mannerisms, and most importantly, ‘subtlety’ are all praise-worthy. I always believed that digital is the platform for good content and performers. It’s not the platform for celebrities. If you can do your job well, digital welcomes you with open arms. Though a known name in Bollywood, Ali Fazal couldn’t shine in the competition. He did not get any recognition for his work or acting skills. But when it comes to Digital, it looks like if given a chance, he will turn the tables and come out as one of the fabulous actors of today’s time.
Shriya Pilgaonkar too was convincing as Saira. I would say, complete justice has been done to the character. If there would have been a weak actor here, you would have understood how desperately this character demanded someone who could play Saira with utmost dignity and grace. In short, she has beautifully fit in.
One person I would like to specially mention here is Barkha Singh. After seeing her play Pinky in House Arrest, all I could say is, the digital world has found its own Poo. Need I say more? I don’t think so…
And Jim Sarbh is Jim Sarbh, effortlessly himself, always the coolest of lot.
Now let’s move on to House Arrest, the film. Why did I not talk about the movie first? Why did I discuss the actors? Because this is the actors’ and the director’s film. The story isn’t extraordinary. There are no twists and turns to keep you hooked. But yes, writing such a simple story and then turning it into a film and yet keeping your audiences hooked is a challenging job.
I would call House Arrest the story of Millenials. It’s all of us wanting to lock ourselves in the house, cutting down the rest of the world in search of peace. When it comes to connecting with the outer world, or earning for that matter, can easily be done using “INTERNET”, right? We do not need to step out of the house for even basic needs these days. If like Karan, we could afford this lifestyle, we would all lock ourselves and simply have fun, won’t we?
The scenes where the not-so-dead body rolls out of that suitcase are hilarious. You might even end up screaming at places. The fight scenes where the ‘sealed man’ hits a ‘free man’ were fabulously done.
There is just one thing that I am afraid of – not many people will sit back and watch it till the end due to its pace. It’s a slow-moving film. Also, don’t expect to be laughing throughout the film. House Arrest is a light-hearted film with comedy here and there, it’s not a comedy film. If the film had more of such scenes or if it would have been a little quick-paced, it would have been loved by the ‘masses.’
Where to Watch? Netflix