Milestone Review: Brilliant in its Own Way!

Milestone (Meel Patthar), the 2021 Bollywood movie on Netflix, revolves around a truck driver who recently completed 500,000 kilometers on the road faces a dilemma and some threat when a new intern is appointed to possibly replace him in his role.

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Ivan Ayr, the director, who previously helmed one of the more underrated movies of 2018, Soni, maintains a somber tone in Milestone. A mood that flawlessly captures the vibe of the entire country in these horrible times. Much like his debut vehicle ‘Soni,’ the cinematography and the production design capture the grim reality of the main character by utilizing the cold dazy morning atmosphere in North India, limited use of color palette, and narrating the story without any background score.

Subsequently, for the most part, Milestone follows the journey of our lead, Ghalib, a character that is once again comparable to Soni (played expertly by Geetika Vidya Ohlyan). A lonely guy in his 50s, who’s going through a lot professionally and personally from the death of his wife, a settlement at his village, to an intern taking away his job and the threat of his owner firing him due to his degrading health situation.

The screenplay by Ivan Ayr moves at a very deliberate pace and skillfully sets up the previously mentioned plot points through well-written scenes filled with great conversations and dialogue. Notably, the near five-minute scene between Ghalib and his friend Dilbaug and the random discussions that Ghalib has with his new intern Pash are meaningful and captivating to watch for the most part.

Suvinder Vicky, who plays Ghalib, carries the entire film by making it seem that he is not trying too much to deliver. His performance fits the bill from not having much dialogue and utilizing only his low-energy body language and portrays what he is facing in life at that exact phase flawlessly. Optics are very much essential when you’re trying to base the movie on a single character, and Ghalib’s crooked walk, bedraggled apartment, scruffy look, and more helped me, as a viewer, to understand his grievance inside and out.

Overall, Milestone (Meel Patthar) is slow, unconventional, and might not have that rewatchability factor, but it is brilliant in its own way and similar to Ivan Ayr’s previous film, which was one of my favorites from that year. This movie, however, will definitely stick with you for a while and is ideal to watch on a rainy day, so you can properly immerse yourself and vibe with the narrative. Watch ‘Milestone’ on Netflix here.

Rating – 3.5/5 | Grade – B+

Images via Netflix India

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