Starring: Gulshan Devaiah, Radhika Apte & Sai Tamhankar
Director: Harshvardhan G Kulkarni
Cinematography: John Jacob Payyapalli
Producers: Phantom Films, Tailor Made Films & Shemaroo Entertainment
Hunterrr is more the collective memory of young boys who (hopefully someday) will become men in middle class India than a film. It’s a flat, one-sided story of a man’s growing up sexual self. Unfortunately, it’s only the protagonist’s sexual self that emerges in this flat, single tone screenplay. So watching Hunterrr is both a risk & a painstaking exercise.
In brief, the film traverses life & times of Mandar Ponkshe- an average, unimpressive man from ages 12 to present day; charting his eye popping course of ‘conquest’ of women. Be it the frustrated neighborhood housewife with a curvaceous waistline, or a voluptuous young college girl; or an urban married woman with a kink for cat calls, all these ladies succumb to Mandar’s glad eye. Unreal situations, like he jumping into an auto with a solitary woman, swing in his favor for he is the hunterrr armed with Ponkshe. As to why Mandar’s charms work on the ladies is a mystery throughout for he is unremarkable and unimpressive at all levels. Predictably, he meets a lovely young girl for an arranged marriage exploration, and falls in love. Of course, here, Mandar, the incurable sex addict, won’t even touch or feel her, leave alone trying to navigating her skirt sails. Of course, now Mandar is now a decanter of middle class values and good intentions. A couple of slip ups lead to a few inner conflicts, but our reformed Hunterrr (Ponkshe intact) remains steadfast and noble.
Women of course, are quite keen to be hunted in this set up. Their points of view rarely matter or even show up. Actually, while I detest this interpretation, it might have a ring of truth to it.
The film scores a huge brownie point with its tackling of the inherent sexuality that exists beneath our repressed hypocritical society. Dropping pants is rarely about quality control and mostly about opportunity in a culture where sex is rarely spoken about.
And it has a team of actors who go well beyond the mandate of a flat screenplay to deliver realistic & convincing performances. Gulshan Devaiah (Mandar Ponkshe) is believable- evoking an air of sleazy smartass ness around him. Sai Tamhankar speaks sparsely yet communicates volumes with her eyes & body language. And Radhika Apte (Trupti) sparkles onscreen with the film’s most memorable performance.
Trouble is, all of this is wasted on a screenplay that does not progress or grow at all. The director uses a series of time lapses without purpose- for the character of Mandar remains the same (existing to have sex alone) throughout. While portions of his growing up with two teenage mates are cringingly convincing, his sudden transition to conflicted lover is hardly established in the film’s second half. Which is why, the end seems contrived & feels like a script writing exercise, far removed from reality.
For a film that tries to stay real with all it’s blandness & unattractiveness, this unreal turn in Mandar’s persona & his behavior lets the film down. Add to that, an underlay of numerous songs and you wonder why didn’t they just save costs and leave out a few. None are remarkable musically.
Director Harshvardhan G Kulkarni has made this film with plenty of FTII fellow graduates in his crew. A word of caution to them: implanted ugliness does not a good film make. Camera angles panning up on a man’s hairy thighs & an overweight man’s jiggling flab, might have been fun at film school (god save Indian cinema!); onscreen, in all it’s nakedness, its simply unpalatable. Even more so, when there is no real need for those visual moments.
I would suggest women skip this film. But for a truly neutral soul, risk it for it does feel different (albeit not in a good way). And since a talented young actress commented last night on this, men often do stay 12 all their lives. So the boys might actually like it.
Final Verdict:
I go with 40 Percent of the ticket rating.
