Review of the film Thank God: Ajay Devgn impresses in this modernised version of an old-fashioned family drama

Meta Description
This standard festival food, starring Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra, makes you appreciate family and long for an innocent past.

Movie Review
There was a time when Indra Kumar’s movies were nothing more than a collection of SMS jokes. Thank goodness this Deepavali, after trying a bunch of stupid Dhamaal and Masti, Kumar returns to give an emotional tale that causes you to reflect and examine yourself.

It initially appears to be a simple graphic collection of “good morning” greetings with a dash of overacting, but it soon draws you into the story and hits a nerve.

However, the emotion is very Indian, which emphasises the value of family and relationships. The template of a comic fantasy with a social message is taken from a Danish film.

Story
To confront the weaknesses of cold-blooded urban living, Kumar, who is not recognised for his ability to strike a subtle note or craft nuanced tales, conjures up an old-school family melodrama. Ayaan Kapoor (Sidharth Malhotra), a conceited real estate tycoon, loses his empire built on hard currency as a result of demonetisation.

Following a tragic accident, he transcends and meets Chitra Gupta, also known as C.G. (Ajay Devgn) who records both positive and bad activities committed by people.

Instead of lecturing about karma in this instance, the jazzy C.G., who is dressed sharply to speak to the OTT generation, asks Ayaan to play a game that gradually reveals a mirror of his true self to him. He gets to deal with real-life issues once more, but Ayaan fails since his character flaws still show through no matter how hard he tries to disguise them.

As the game goes on, Kumar can stir up the audience’s emotions in the dark theatre as they start to relate to the removal of the masks we all wear.

Blindly Performing Religious Rituals
Kumar deftly covers a variety of contemporary social ills, from feeling envious of a spouse’s upward job trajectory to labelling parents as archaic. The movie also explores the mindless practice of religious rites and the unwillingness to distribute wealth to the less fortunate.

The most important lesson, though, is when C.G. tells Ayaan to concentrate on the brighter aspects of life rather than cluttering his thoughts with the darker ones.

He is an actor who convincingly portrays a larger-than-life figure in Ajay Devgn. As Chitra Gupta, a.k.a. C.G, Ajay gives the part a hint of starry charisma without overdoing it. He was delighted watching the game show life and death with Sidharth Malhotra’s company.

Once more, Rakul Preet Singh is quite helpful in assisting. She strikes the correct emotional notes in her role as Ayaan’s wife. Kanwaljeet Singh and Seema Pahwa bring the family drama cliches to life.

Thank God is an innocent song that makes you appreciate simpler times.

Currently showing in theatres is Thank God.