I Am movie review – A quest for identity

Bollywood Garam: The movie ‘I Am’ is among the rarest movies ventured by some of the talents which do not appear too often in Bollywood. Onir and Sanjay Suri, the producers have come up with an excellent subject of self identity, which may not be new to the audience, but is always an eye opener.

Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala in “I Am”

The director has narrated four stories which are interlinked in the movie. Juhi Chawla is a Kashmiri Pundit, who returns to her state after 20 year, but finds herself as a stranger in her own place.

Nandita Das plays the role of a divorcee who tries to be a single mother with the help of a donor and displays a very solid performance. Rahul Bose plays the part of a gay, who finds it difficult to survive in the city due to his sexuality and seems to do justice to his role especially with the gay PDA which becomes a nightmare.. And Sanjay Suri plays a film maker, who has been sexually abused by his step father, but there is no overt link of how his past has shaped his present, but his confrontation with his mother (played by Nafisa Ali) is a highlight in the movie.

The unique thing about the movie is that the producers have gathered money by asking for donations from the masses through Facebook. But certain stories aren’t as appealing as they should be, but in all, the movie subtly tackles various taboo issues in India and keeps the audience asking for more. No main climax per say, but it seems to convey the message clearly. The experienced actors like Manisha Koirala, Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli have given their best in their roles.

Those who are curious to watch the movie can watch it for the interesting stories. The rest is up to the audience, but it is sure to open your eyes to some stark realities in the nation of India.