Ek Duaa Review: Even with good intent, the Esha Deol Takhtani film doesn't materialise into good cinema

There has been quite some chatter about Ek Duaa. The film, which stars Esha Deol Takhtani and can be called her comeback (of sorts), also marks the actress' debut as a producer. We had been looking forward to see how the film would turn out to be, and well, it's disappointing to say the least.

The film premiered at the Voot Film Festival today. The story is about Abida and her daughter Duaa. We see a heartening relationship, and we also see how Abida loves Duaa the most, more than her son or her husband. But, there's a twist at the end.

To begin with, the film is a longish short spanning for about 40 minutes. Even in the 40 minutes, there's so much unnecessary portions that could have been easily done with. If you call this short feature film, then there are so many details that could have been put. However, this film deals with serious issues like gender discrimination and female foeticide on a very superficial level. You would have a hint of the twist from the start. In fact, I desperately hoped that the thought I had while watching it isn't true, but not only did it turn out to be the plot twist, but the makers went on for another good 5 minutes to make sure that the audience understood it. Sorry, but the surprise wasn't that mind-numbing that most people wouldn't get it. The director, Ram Kamal Mukherjee, makes the genius assumption that his audience would be extremely dumb, which is why he even writes the plot twist (yeah, I'm not kidding) while simultaneously giving a blow to our intellect.

The performances are also passable. Esha Deol shows spark in some parts, but is flat in most. In fact, you can;t really blame her. In a scene where she is facing extreme pain, during pregnancy (that's best I can say without giving spoilers), it is her highlighter that shines. Dude, someone just mist her face to show the sweat, to show what bodily pain she is through. Why such sloppy work? The entire narrative goes flat and sadly, you'd feel that Esha has been miscast here. The rest of the cast does a fair job. It is the child actress who plays Abida, who does a good job and is the best performer in the lot.

All in all, this one can be avoided easily.