Review of Baby

A film dedicated to the heroes of our country, who actually don’t die for the country but live for the country so that no one can harm our country. It is Neeraj Pandey’s film (Wednesday fame). Though the name of the movie is ‘baby’ it is not at all a child’s game. Another brilliant movie from Neeraj Pandey.

Danny (Feroze Ali Khan) heads a special operations wing of commandoes, which is running in its trial period of 5 years with the name Baby. They had picked up 12 people from paramilitary forces. They could avert lots of terrorist attacks. Baby is the story of their last operation.

The movie begins with Danny’s narration. Akshay (Ajay) is in a foreign land trying to get one of his peers saved from the anti-social elements. On knowing that another peer had betrayed them, he extracts confessions from him and averts a terrorist attack at DLF Promenade mall in Delhi. Then the effort starts to reach to the master mind behind ‘all the Diwali’ planned. There enters into the scene Kay Kay Menon, who is in the jail as a suspect in one of the bomb blast, but manages to flee with the support of his people. It is interesting to see, how Akshay with his team under the command of Danny reaches the master-mind. Tapasee is part of his team for part of the project. The second half of the movie is more intriguing than the first half where Anupam Kher (Shuklaji) and Rana Dagubatti join Akshay for the sequences shot in the desert escapades of Abudhabi.

It is so painful to see the uncertainty in the life of such officers involved in the covert operations. Madhurima plays the role of Akshay’s wife. As per the protocol, Akshay can’t even share hois job profile with his family, and so cooks up some conference stories everytime when he is back after some operation. Madhurima tells him only one thing: Bas marna mat.

Mikall Zulfiqar who played the role of Ashfaq and an associate of Akshay in Abudhabi has done a wonderful and noticeable performance.

A special mention to the background music, especially in the Abudhabi scenes, was just superb, added lot of suspense to the climax.

Neeraj Pandey has taken a very non-biased and non-judgmental approach towards handling this movie. Although, certain scenes are there which raised a question mark in me, whether it is possible to conduct secret operations to this extent where these secret agents enter into another country, extract confessions and leads from suspects etc. May be, secret agents get the right to work in such fashion also. I am not making a comment on it, just trying to highlight the same.

There are certain other scenes which need a special mention and highlight is: Danny tells a senior minister in the beginning of the film that the government ought to win the confidence of Muslim community is India, for Pakistan is taking advantage of the community’s sense of alienation within India. In another scene, Akshay during his interrogation of an ISI agent Taufeek, Taufeek says that he writes ‘MUSALMAN’ in all caps in religion column. Responding to that Akshay tells him his story of defending a Muslim family during Gujarat Riots and why he puts ‘INDIAN’ in the religion column in all the forms that he fills. Neeraj Pandey has definitely communicated this loud and clear that terrorists don’t have a religion and no particular community ought to be associated with terrorism.

Another scene: Before every covert operations, Danny keeps telling the senior minister in front of Akshay that if something goes unfavourable, Akshay knows that India will disown him. So, once the minister asks Danny (not in front of Akshay), how would this impact Akshay. Danny says: Mil jate hain sar aise kuch officers, jo desh ke liye marna nahi chahte, but jinda rahna chahte hain taki desh ka koi kuch bigaad na sake.

Baby, a balanced take, has no dull moments. Grand Salute to the unsung heroes of our country.

Rating: 4/5(Very Good)