PRAGUE: Go with no expectations and you might come out going ga-ga over it! [3.5/5]

Prague is one beautiful city with spectacular world heritage sites and astonishing architectural monuments of all sorts. Being a crucial location for catastrophic World War II events, the city itself has a mysteriously spirited feel to it. Look at those sulking mutilated figurines to be reminiscent of the tragedies happened long ago or that ‘bone chapel’ seeking peace and humanity in middle of countless human bones…& you will know that no other setting can be so appropriate than this enigmatic city of Prague when it comes to paint down the complexities of human mind that deal with harsh reality and even harsher world of imagination and hallucination simultaneously.

Ashish R. Shukla’s PRAGUE is an awe-inspiring mind-bending psychological thriller that stands out from many efforts in the recent past. Weaved in an innovative narration style, film focuses on the life of a promising architect in search of peace of mind, love and redemption!

Chandan [Chandan Roy Sanyal in a tailor-made role with an applause-worthy performance] is in love with Shubhangi [confident Sonia Bindra]; his perfect soul mate seems to be but nothing is as it seems. Seeing is misbelieving. And as Chandan happens to see his dead friend Arfie, guiding in his most of decisions and beliefs in life, another ‘always-on-weed’ ‘high-on-life’ friend Gulshan [Kumar Mayank in an impressing look and characterization] is found under same sheet with Shubhangi. Story takes a leap when Chandan is in Prague for his ambitious monumental project on World War II victims. This time, a gypsy Girl [Ellena Kazan surprises with her ability to act besides just looking ravishing] finds a place in Chandan’s heart but to his wildest fear makes a come back as Gulshan. Rest is how what you see is far from what you believe.

PRAGUE is an independent film and carries off that tag very confidently. It persistently involves itself in creating freshness in its approach. So, besides that visually stunning picturesque camera work and the edgy-crispy editing hands, there is also the skillfully layered writing that keeps you on your toes either with interesting narration style [story goes back & forth to interlink happenings and divided into chapters to keep focus on the highlighted part] and the aromatic suspenseful twists & turns in the tale.

The plot here doesn’t leave much scope to create perplexity in viewer’s mind because of lesser number of characters than fingers in your hands. And the characters are also real, simple, straight yet complicated in their own way.

Film if belongs to anyone solely, it is Chandan Roy Sanyal who outshines everyone else in the frame. Here is a talent that has never been explored to its maximum and demands much more than skinny supporting roles. Watch him in emotional scenes where he is struggling to manage his connect to relationships in both the world…in real & in hallucinated one.

I am sure you haven’t heard of it much before its release, but for one who believes in experimental cinema that dares to break league and norms…this is a huge huge pleasurable surprise of the year. PRAGUE is trippy, witty, confident, engaging, innovative, astonishing and an exhilarating psychological ride you must take for a mind-bending experience and to trust the fact that this is the best period of indie cinema in India. Go with no expectations and you might come out going ga-ga over it. [3.5/5]

Special Note: Do not go if you don’t know what the term ‘Indie film’ stands for!