Newton (film)

Newton
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Amit V. Masurkar
Screenplay by	Amit V. Masurkar Mayank Tewari
Produced by	Manish Mundra
Starring	Rajkummar Rao Pankaj Tripathi Anjali Patil Raghubir Yadav
Cinematography	Swapnil S. Sonawane
Edited by	Shweta Venkat Mathew
Music by	Benedict Taylor Naren Chandavarkar
Production companies	Eros International Drishyam Films Colour Yellow Productions
Distributed by	Eros International
Release date	22 September 2017 (2017-09-22)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹10 crore[1]
Box office	₹85 crore[2]

Newton is a 2017 Indian

Newton had its world premiere in the Forum section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. The film received universal acclaim, securing eight nominations at the 63rd Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Critics) for Rao and Best Supporting Actor for Tripathi, while winning Best Film and Filmfare Award for Best Story. Rao won the

The movie concludes with a shot of the area six months later, showing mining activity going on. Aatma Singh is shown shopping in civilian dress with his wife and daughter during holidays, suggesting he is humane and conditions in Naxal-affected areas made him a dispassionate and cynical person. Newton is shown in his office wearing a neck brace for his injury from the beating but otherwise happy, and keeping with his old ways. He is visited by the local election officer Malko (Anjali Patil) who asks him what happened after she left as she is unaware of the events and Newton asks her to tell everything over tea, but only after five minutes, when Newton's scheduled lunch break begins.

Cast

• Rajkummar Rao as Nutan “Newton” Kumar
• Assistant Commandant
  Aatma Singh
• Anjali Patil as Malko Netam
• Raghubir Yadav as Loknath
• Danish Hussain as DIG of Police
• Mukesh Prajapati as Shambhu
• Krishna Singh Bisht as Krishna
• Pistak Gond as The Village Patel
• Sanjay Mishra in a special appearance as an Election Instructor
• Mukesh Nagar as Mangal Netam
• Bachan Pachera as Newton's Father
• Kirti Shreeyansh Jain as Newton's Mother
• Omkar Das Manikpuri as Lakhma
• Jyotsana Trivedi as Fiance

Soundtrack

Reception

Newton was released to universal critical acclaim and was also a commercial success. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10.^[11] On the Indian film review aggregator website The Review Monk, Newton received a 7.5 out of 10 average score based on 23 reviews.^[12]

Rajeev Masand gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and said that, "Newton is relevant and timely without being boring or inaccessible. You could say it lays on its message too thick in the end, or that the pace occasionally slips. But these are minor nigglings that never dent the impact of its thrust."^[13] Neil Soans of The Times of India gave the film a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, saying, "Newton has dared to take on an issue that our vast majority turns a blind eye to, and slaps us out of our blissful ignorance. Amidst laughing, it'll leave you thinking, which - and we need to be reminded of this - is what good cinema should do. Both your funny bone and your grey cells will thank you for watching it." Soans praised the performances of the cast - particularly that of Rao and Tripathi - and the screenplay by Masurkar and Tewari.^[14]

Suhani Singh of India Today gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and said that, "Newton is a dark comedy that gives you equal measures of dread and disillusionment and hope and hilarity. It makes you see the pitfalls of the democratic system but also tells you that it's the only one capable of positive change. This is reality at its finest, with credible performances and backdrops that immerse viewers into the world and where even the faces of the background characters leave a heartbreaking impression."^[15] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 saying that, "Director Amit V Masurkar and co-scriptwriter Mayank Tewari have crafted a strong black comedy. It is as sharp and subversive as the classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, and even though it is entirely sobering, it leaves us feeling just a little better about ourselves." She also praised the performances of the actors saying, "Rajkummar Rao is enjoying a purple patch. After Bareilly Ki Barfi, here he is again stitching up a big performance full of small things: blinking, thinking, doing. He is at his most interesting when he is being quiet: he makes us watch. Pankaj Tripathi, as the head of the security detail, cynical yet doing the best he can, is lovely too. For once the talented Patil has been used well, and as for Raghubir Yadav, he gives us, after Peepli Live, another stand-out act, a lesson in How To Immerse Yourself Effortlessly In Your Role.^[16]

Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and said that, "It is one of the finest political satires we have seen in the last couple of years. It refrains from taking sides and offers a humorous take on state versus the Maoists bloody battle. It raises questions on the importance of the electoral system we are so proud of. It takes us much beyond what we see. The team of Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Raghuvir Yadav and Anjali Patil has come up with a top-notch performance."^[17]

Harish Wankhede calls Newton 'A new Dalit Hero' in the Indian Express review.^[18] He suggests that the most reviews of the film neglect the protagonist’s social identity, while emphasising the film’s creative aspects. "Newton, no doubt, is a refreshing entry in the genre of commercial art house cinema. However, more significantly, the director offers a new social imaginary to depict the film’s protagonist. A new Dalit hero is offered to the audience through the subtle use of certain symbolic gestures and social codes."

Newton received a warm response at its premiere at the

Newton was India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards;[21] it was also the first Indian film to receive a grant of Rs 1 crore from the Central Government.^[22]

Release

Newton had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival held from 9–19 February 2017 in Berlin, Germany^[23] while in India it got released on 22 September 2017.^[24]

Box office

Newton grossed Rs 11.75 crore net in the first week in India.^[25] The film grossed Rs 3.75 crore in its second weekend, taking the total to Rs 15.50 crore.^[26] It was a box office success.

Controversy

After the film's release and its selection as India's entry for the Oscars, Newton was criticized for its striking similarities with the Iranian movie Secret Ballot. In defense, film-maker Anurag Kashyap voiced his support to the team of Newton, stating "Newton is as much a copy of Secret Ballot, The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale".

The producer and director of Secret Ballot further clarified that Newton is not a copy of his film. Anurag Kashyap started an online chat with the producer of Secret Ballot Marco Müller, and he stated that "There's not even a hint of plagiarism". Kashyap then asked for his permission and shared a screenshot of the conversation on his Facebook account. Subsequently, the director of the Iranian film Babak Payami stated in an online interview that he "saw the film and there is no sign of plagiarism. These are completely different films."^[27]

Other commentators have noted a similarity between the film's official poster and that for Satyajit Ray's film Ganashatru.^[28][29]

Awards and nominations

See also

• List of submissions to the 90th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References