The Signature Review: Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary’s Film Is A Rollercoaster Ride Of Emotions!
The Signature is directed by Gajendra Ahire and also stars Neena Kulkarni, Ranvir Shorey in pivotal roles. Read our review here.
3 / 5
We as a society often tend to be ignorant towards older people. Either we are not kind to them or we fail to understand their pain. Anupam Kher starrer The Signature tells a moving story about an old couple. The Gajendra Ahire film also sheds light on the poor health facilities in the country which breaks a common man’s hope to keep their loved ones alive. The Signature also stars Mahima Chaudhary and Ranvir Shorey in pivotal roles. Here’s a detailed review of a film which is nothing short of a roller coaster ride of emotions. It’s spoiler-free.
Plot
The Signature is a simple and very emotional story about an old couple played by Anupam Kher and Neena Kulkarni. The plot revolves around Arvind Pathak(Anupam Kher), an elderly man who is trying his best to save his wife Madhu (Neena Kulkarni) from a life-threatening disease. However, he struggles to keep up with the rising hospital bills and tries every possible option to get money. The elderly man knocks at every doorstep, from his daughter to his brother and friends. The Signature tells a story about hope and love, but is the middle-class man able to successfully fight this battle or does he lose in the end?
What’s Good?
Performances
Anupam Kher leads the film and he yet again proves his phenomenal range as an actor. He makes us sympathise with his character and the depth of emotions only becomes harder to absorb as the plot moves forward. Anupam Kher lives every moment of the character as his own, and therefore the impact of his emotions is felt quite strongly. His character is layered with emotions of hope, distress, love, anger, and disappointment, and the actor deals with each one of them with the same amount of conviction. The actor’s dialogue delivery is another highlight of the film and it leaves us on a thought-provoking note.
Mahima Chaudhary’s role is a small but impactful one. She plays the role of the elderly man’s (Anupam Kher) old friend. The actress is very natural and easygoing with her character. In the plot, her character is a reminder that life will happen but one has to stay strong and accept it. The plot twists that come with her character are hard-hitting.
Ranvir Shorey is just seen in a few scenes. He plays a distressed father who fights the authorities for irresponsibly asking him to bring extra medicines under the name of his sick son. The actor makes his scene worthwhile and perfectly shoulders the responsibility of this role which is small but impactful.
Themes
Poor Hospital Facilities
One of the key themes of The Signature is about the distressing hospital bills that force a middle-class man to make decisions that he would never imagine for a loved one. This is a problem that happens to a lot of people in today’s time and therefore, the film is not devoid of reality which is why we connect more with the storyline. The struggle of how the elderly man is ready to put everything at stake to keep his wife alive is the story of so many Indians. The contrast of how one man tries to do everything possible to save his wife while a distressed father fights the system against the injustice of hospital bills is a scene that stands out for me.
Love, Pain In Old Age
The Signature is not a preachy film when it comes to old age. It just tries to highlight the aloofness that an elderly man can feel in this fast-paced world, especially when society sees them as not someone who can add value. This is shown through Anupam Kher’s character and it’s very subtle which makes you appreciate the film even more.
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Duration
The film is only one hour and forty minutes long so it can be a quick watch, but heads up, it may just leave you with some heavy thoughts and emotions.
The music album of The Signature is also beautiful, however, it’s mood.
What Was Needed?
More Characters
The film could explore the lives of other characters as well, especially that of Mahima Chaudhary and Ranvir Shorey’s characters. It only becomes a film about one character and the film is completely dependent on it. There is no breather and I would have liked one. I couldn’t help but want to know more about the other characters who made their presence felt even with a small part in the film.
Pace And Storytelling
It’s through and through emotionally intense film which can take away the impact of a story that has something important to say. This makes the film difficult to watch, and even if it’s not a very long film, the slow storytelling can be bothersome. The film’s pace drops in some moments because it dives a little too deep into the emotions of just one character.
Verdict: Anupam Kher Proves His Versatility As An Actor In This Emotionally Intense Film
The Signature by Gajendra Ahire will be a good watch if you are looking to feel emotions of love, pain, and loss with some hard-hitting themes in real life. Anupam Kher is most certainly the star of this show as he makes us all root for his character Arvind Pathak. The actor delivers a phenomenal performance. Mahima Chaudhary, Ranvir Shorey and Neena Kulkarni also do justice to their respective roles. However, it’s an emotionally intense film so decide accordingly. The Signature will be released on Zee5 on October 4.
First Published: October 03, 2024 8:04 PM
