Storyline: Body, a Hindi film, takes place after the COVID-19 pandemic and revolves around a group of friends, who are actors. These include Manoj (Manoj Sharma), Khushboo (Khushboo Upadhyay), Amol (Amol Deshmukh), Jatin (Jatin Negi) and Shivam (Shivam Parekh). Once the four men from the group are having a swim in a lake during their trip outside Mumbai. After the swim, Manoj’s clothes are snatched from him during an episode of drunken fun, headed by Amol, and he is left stark naked.

The incident triggers such profound trauma in Manoj that he randomly starts getting fully naked at various public places. Khushboo, who is also Manoj’s girlfriend, Amol, Jatin and Shivam are deeply concerned about his state with their theatre performance being around the corner.

Review: First things first – as noticeable in the above synopsis, the names of the characters are the same as their real names. But that’s not all. The five of them are also a part of the same friend circle in real life. Those who know this (like this reviewer does) are bound to be amazed.

Body is more like an intimate glimpse into the world of Manoj and people around him after the traumatic incident. The incident and its after effects are shown in the most realistic manner. Director Abhijit Mazumdar achieves this in a simple but bold manner in scenes where Manoj gets naked. He just lets the visuals speak without using any sort of jazzy camerawork or background score.  The sequences where the rest of the friends are also going through the after-effects of Manoj’s condition are presented in an unconventional and creative way.

A large amount of the credit for the final result should go to Manoj Sharma for shedding his inhibitions, literally. To agree to play such a character itself is a bold decision. He gives his all to the character in scenes where he undresses even in broad public places, which could have been a hugely tough task for any actor. He also portrays the trauma without the use of words. Watch out for the scene where he sheds his clothes while inside a moving auto rickshaw.

The rest of the performances also fall in the realistic zone. Khushboo Upadhyay proves her talent once again as an ideal support system for the protagonist. Amol Deshmukh is perfect for the character of someone who carries out such bullying. Jatin Negi, Shivam Parekh and Sandeep Shridhar Dhabale, who enters the scene later, provide fine support.

The only point that bothers you is that Amol doesn’t even face any serious wrath from the rest of the group members for an act that has affected someone so negatively. The other critical aspects are the pacing and the length. Various long sequences could have been shortened. And a film of this nature should have ideally got over inside two hours.

Overall: Body is an utterly realistic saga about the extreme after-effects of bullying. It is one of the most unconventional films to have been made in Hindi. The film has released on Brew TV OTT platform.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Abhijit Mazumdar

Producer: Amala Popuri

Writer: Abhijit Mazumdar

Cast: Manoj Sharma, Khushboo Upadhyay, Amol Deshmukh, Jatin Negi, Shivam Parekh, Sandeep Shridhar Dhabale

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

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