It is the season of political thrillers as we saw Tandav on Amazon Prime Video last week and this week we get to see Madam Chief Minister in theatres. The movie begins in 1982 when somewhere in Uttar Pradesh, Tara (Richa Chadha) is born. On the same night as her birth, her father dies due to a caste-based conflict. Decades after the incident, Tara is now working in a library at a prestigious college and is in love with Indramani Tripathi (Akshay Oberoi) who has political aspirations. When Indramani refuses to marry Tara, she vows to tell the world about their affair, and Indramani sends some goons after her. Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla), the leader of the Parivartan party, rescues her and takes her under his wing. He teaches her about governance, and under his guidance, she runs and wins Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister’s post.
Richa Chadha is the real star of the movie
While the supporting cast of Saurabh Shukla, Manav Kaul, and Akshay Oberoi have done a great job, your eyes are always on Richa Chadha throughout the movie. You see her transforming from a naive girl to an ambitious lady because she wants to change the world for better. Her speeches are powerful, and you can feel why people support her in the fictional universe that is created. While you are here for the thriller, you will stay for the monologues.
The movie touches on a lot of issues
Issues like female infanticide and caste-based discrimination are not the only ones that this movie addresses. They also look at other issues like corruption in politics and lack of progress in a particular state. The movie offers a very utopian view of democracy where everyone is working to better the people and the nation.
An unpredictable but also an unbelievable plot
The story manages to keep you on your toes regarding what will happen next, but all the obstacles that Tara faces seem a little too easy to overcome. At no moment, there are any real stakes that will make you doubt the outcome for the lead character. Apart from that, this is an enjoyable thriller.
WATCH OR NOT:
If you are looking for a political thriller, you should not miss this movie. Watch it for Richa Chadha’s enigmatic performance. We definitely don’t see enough of the actress on screen.