Cargo2019

10 years back Aamir Khan was asked why India can’t produce a film like inception or think like that. To that he answered “They can make anything they imagine but we are not even able to imagine”. I had agreed to his answer and I still do. But what Cargo did is something super rare in India and Arati Kadav literally imagined something supremely inventive and made it. Kudos to her. She really made something she imagined and envisioned. Insanely original sci fi film that has got vintage sci fi production design that is so apt for the genre with an emotional and spiritual punch that is so rejuvenating throughout. Who would have thought the blood bearer Rakshasas from our childhood/mythological  books would be enlightened or humanised to this extent. They also live in a world just like us. They also have similar connections between their close ones. They also feel isolated. They also feel sad, lonely, depressed, cry, fear etc. Funniest bit was  -  Shurpanakha (sister of Ravan as we have heard in Valmiki’s Ramayana) is a popular pop singer in Rakshasas world. They all have superpowers too but they are also not always perfect like humans. They have their own share of struggles like us. Character Prahastha is lonely for so many years in space without having any kinda major interactions with anybody and just doing his work of extracting recently deceased humans (Called Cargo) for reincarnation. But it’s his assistant Yuvishka who throws a light on him and makes him realise the importance of family, memories, love. At one point Prahastha says “I feel like that the people who come here are alive and I am just a ghost”  There’s a small touch towards the end that again defines Yuvishka’s character. When Ramachandra Negi (Calls himself an international loneliness detective) dies and comes as a cargo, Yuvishka, who was struggling to use her powers now finally could use it and heals him (before he’s been extracted into after life) who was another lonely guy when he was in his world and was so much into his profession just like Prahastha and later got love. Basically Yuvishka is the saviour and literally the soul of the film. Lovely performances by Shweta Tripathi and Vikrant Massey.  It’s such a pathbreaking thing even if you imagine all these concepts that Arati could put it on screen for us. Really indie treatment for a sci fi genre that is pure mundane. This is really the best sci fi film India has produced so far and I wish we get more from Arati and also inspires others to do the same with this kind of budget. Sky is the limit.