Starfish Film REVIEW: Khushalii Kumar And Milind Soman Salvage This Sinking, Offering A New Perspective To The Complex Relationships
Directed by Akhilesh Jaiswal, Starfish features Khushali Kumar, Milind Soman, Ehan Bhat, Tusharr Khanna, Mike Parish and others
Directed by Akhilesh Jaiswal, Starfish narrates the story of Tara Salgaonkar’s life which is full of darkness, chaos, and complications. In a journey to find the right soulmate, she has to face her harrowing past and tackle her fears head-on. The film is based on the book by the named Starfish Pickle written by Bina Nayak.
The film discusses complex relationships and how few scars from the past leave a permanent mark on one’s life. While the film’s premise appears interesting, Akhilesh barely manages to capitalize on the chance despite the film starting on a promising note. Sadly, the first 15 minutes of the film try hard to leave an impact but ends up being a mockery of complex relationships.
In addition, the film continues to drown from uninteresting scripting and drowsy screenplay. The characters somehow managed to grab the attention with all the drama in their chaotic life, but as the movie progresses, the film turns out to be a snooze fest.
Despite earnest performances, and barring a few scenes, it’s hard to take this movie seriously, and all you can do is wish for intermission and the end.
Honestly, the script wasn’t too bad but, a tighter narration would have worked. While there might be a few nooks, the underwater scenes are shot with great precision. On the contrary, the film’s editing remains to be its weakest point. One such example is how the film jumps from one scene to another without any continuation. As for Starfish's background score and songs, they do elevate the film.
Starfish could have been easily shortened, and it needs to be cut. The crucial revelation and the outcome of that were easily predictable. Tara swings between love and duty, and after a point, and its projection will leave you amused. Also, you will be amused by the way the movie ends. This is because it just ends leaving a few characters' arcs open to viewers' imagination.
Khushalii Kumar's performance throughout the film remains inconsistent. While she successfully manages to deliver some emotional scenes, many of her dialogues seem automated and unnatural.
Ehan and Tusharr also looked convincing in their parts, but sadly, the script doesn't give them enough importance, as it revolved around Tara. Honestly, Milind Soman acting as Lucky Ali was a splendid addition to the film’s star cast.
In conclusion, the film shells out a few awkward scenes with Khushalii’s body shots and a few romantic scenes. Starfish dives deep into the depths of blue, drowning the script. The film had great potential, but the subpar performances and weak editing hindered it’s success.
Ratings: 3.5/5
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