LFF 2020: Mogul Mowgli
LFF 2020Featuring a script co-written by lead actor Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli is an astonishingly powerful debut from Writer/Director Bassam Tariq that expertly displays the conflict between creative passion versus family and religious ties.
Riz Ahmed’s portrayal of Zed, a rapper who is torn away from the cusp of breakout success due to the shock appearance of a chronic illness, stands as one of the many brilliant aspects of Mogul Mowgli. After losing contact with his family for an extended period of time and with the past issues already coming to a head upon re-connecting with them, Zed’s admission to hospital brings his world crumbling down, as his career and family begin to get away from him each passing moment. A leading character fighting the battle against chronic illnesses can often lead to a generic tear-jerker script with an equally over-the-top emotional performance from whomever lands the described role. Yet Ahmed, along with co-writer and Director Bassam Tariq, crafts a nuanced and subtlety played character in Zed, never succumbing to the tropes a role such as this might entail.
Every relationship in Mogul Mowgli feels familiar yet equally crushingly honest, yet it is the relationship between Zed and his father, played by Alyy Khan, in which the core themes and strengths of the film truly come through. A father who struggles to support his son’s passion for rap as a career choice, feeling as though his son has chosen to abandon both religion and family in favour of success, is portrayed with deep intimacy thanks to an equally stunning performance from Khan, cultivating heart-breaking and endearing moments between the two.
The intimacy of the relationships is further highlighted through the decision to shoot the film in the ratio 1.33:1, executed by cinematographer Annika Summerson. Constant close-ups of characters, regardless of how many appear on screen at once, pull the viewer into the psyche of Zed as he confronts past, present and future. The cinematography further portrays the forced confinement of Zed due to his medical turmoil, unable to escape physically or mentally, portrayed through some abstract dream sequences that serve as a means to hint at past turmoil, which further aids in the deep relationships the film portrays in its short runtime.
Mogul Mowgli beautifully explores a seemingly deeply personal concept for both Ahmed and Tariq, yet it is a narrative that many will resonate with. The bonds of family and the passion for art do not always co-exist peacefully, with one often detracting from the other, yet thanks to the incredible performances and direction style, Mogul Mowgli shows that these bonds can ultimately be healed.
