Rating – **** (4/5)
CTRL
Cast: Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat
Directed by: Vikramaditya Motwane
What if Searching (2018) and Missing (2023) had an Indian baby that tries to spice things up a bit? That’s perhaps a decent appropriation to describe CTRL but purely on the basis of explaining to others. In essence, CTRL is a much more ambitious and somehow, commercial film than Searching, Missing or any screenlife mystery thriller you have ever seen.
We meet Nella (Ananya Panday) and Joe (Vihaan Samaat), a lovely and adorable influencer couple through their journey from falling for each other to having a blast in their lives as they become one of the most popular influencers and document everything. One incident changes the course of their lives and leads to their separation – but this development and once choice made by Nella unveils a dark web of deceit and lies that keeps playing with your mind the more it deepens.
CTRL deserves all the plaudits for the impeccable detailing and care given to present a screenlife mystery thriller that never, not for once, feels like a forced input. The moments that go ‘viral’ are genuinely viral worthy, the bazillion apps and websites that are zoomed in on and its operations ranging from remembering passwords, allowing access – is all honest, authentic and as close to reality as possible.
The editor of the film, Jahaan Noble, the writers, Sumukhi Suresh, Avinash Sampath and co-writer and director man, Vikramaditya Motwane decide to give special attention to each frame that consist of the screenlife. It doesn’t leave you finding faults and instead has you marvelling on the advanced technology and its execution at display.
It is ironic to remark about the impeccable use of AI in a film that talks about AI taking over but it needs to be highlighted. I believe the voice for AI was given by Aparshakti Khurrana and if it was or wasn’t, it’s done fantastically well. Motwane does falter with trying to infuse with and give an emotional backdrop to Nella’s breakdown after finding out that Joe cheated on her which lasts a little too long and a little too much. Several themes such as data laundering, difference between reel and real lives, not reading the ‘terms and conditions’, Gen-Z struggles, social media effect and much more are stupendously worked around with and to great effect as well.
There’s a thin emotional core to hold on too despite Motwane’s attempt to work hard with it but there is an intriguing mystery and gradual progression of a riveting plot that keeps unraveling, always keeping you hooked. The runtime of just about 98 minutes also helps because there might be a minor chance that the screenlife treatment gets you fatigued – which is yet again ironic, given how we are all glued to our device screens for hours and hours.
Panday is undoubtedly in her best phase when it comes to her career and while it might feel like her playing another version of her comfortable self after Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and Call Me Bae – but perhaps, CTRL is the closest to how Panday is in her real life and hence her performance is as phenomenal and fitting as you can expect her to be. Emoting in front of a screen might seem easy but it isn’t.
And finally, it is great to see an actor like Vihaan Samat also getting his due. The actor is fabulous and especially in a scene where he is talking just to the camera could easily be an audition tape-styled shoot and a fine example of how auditions are given which casting agents can use. Despite having lesser ‘screen time’ than Panday, he is able to leave a lasting impact.
CTRL is India’s answer to the Searching, Missing, Host and other such films you are accustomed to and it is only apt that a clutter-breaking director like Vikramaditya Motwane was the one to do India’s second and Hindi belt’s first ever screenlife mystery thriller, and do it well.