It’s the early 1600’s, and Hunger plagues India as the British invade and attempt to colonize this massive land. When one man (Sayanta Dhar) is given the opportunity to eat for the first time in days, the man referred to as Landlord (Kalyan Goswami) proves to be a menacing force that wears many masks. As the two converse, the truth about who and what Landlord is comes to light–and the world is in danger.
Hunger is a low-budget production that initially appears to be below average in terms of production value, acting, and more. However, within seconds the film turns the tables and allows viewers to understand that while the budget may not be massive, the film itself is massive in terms of value. The individuals tasked with bringing this film to life, tasked with ensuring that the messages present in Hunger shine through do a stellar job–and nearly every second of this film manages to hit the mark.
There are a multitude of reasons why a film might be shot in black and white. It could be money, it could be to develop a specific tone, or something else entirely. Regardless of what the initial reasons were–which I believe to be the budget, Hunger being shot in black and white quickly lends itself to setting the tone–a dark, somber one at that. It’s made clear the struggles that the individuals around India are facing, and much of that comes to light as a result of the lack of color. This simple decision, one that may have been made out of necessity, breathes life into Hunger from beginning to end.
Hunger, for all intents and purposes is pretty straightforward–at least it seems that way at the start. Writer-Director Junayed Alavi develops a script that is constantly shifting, changing into something bigger and unexpected. At every turn there seems to be some new revelation that comes to light, shifting the narrative and the film as a whole. Alavi only gives himself and his team four minutes to develop Hunger into a complete story, one that resonates with viewers–and I believe he accomplishes that feat. Every revelation is bigger than the last, but it never extends the narrative too far. Never does anything happen that causes Hunger to feel incomplete, and even as the narrative continues to shift and grow over the course of four minutes, it never does too much. Hunger is quick, concise, and complete.
Alavi, again, doesn’t give himself and his team a lot of time to develop a complete narrative, and without knowing anything about the film, it initially seems likely that a full film won’t be able to develop. In addition to this Hunger initially seems like it, due to its incredibly low budget, wouldn’t be able to do much to appeal to viewers. All that viewers may initially believe Hunger to be couldn’t be further from the truth. From the script to the acting, Alavi develops something intimate, yet far reaching–and nearly every step of the way is a success.
Written & Directed by Junayed Alavi.
Starring Kalyan Goswami, Sayanta Dhar, Subinoy Ganguly, Bharat, Gopal Bhowmik, & Bulbul Ahmed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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