Published from Mumbai, Delhi & Bhopal

The conversion: A gut-wrenching tale of women’s courage

Film Review

By Aakruti Bagla

Director:- Vinod Tiwari

Duration:- 2 hours 14 minutes

Cast:- Vindhya Tiwari, Prateek Shukla, Ravi Bhatia, Vibha Chhibber, Manoj Joshi, Amit Behl

Rating:-3.5/5

The film explores the dilemma of religious conversions that happen during love marriages in India.

Story:
Set in Benaras, Sakshi(Vindhya Tiwari) has fled her house to marry Bablu Iqbal Sheikh (Prateek Shukla) against the will of her parents since he belongs to a Muslim Family. Sakshi on the other hand belongs to a renowned Pandit family. But unfortunately, her life turns upside down when she becomes the victim of Love Jihad.
Bablu pretends to be in love with Sakshi and marries her, promising her to let her live her life on her own terms despite being from another caste. But, she is eventually forced to accustom herself according to Muslim traditions. She even is a victim of terrible Halala tradition.
Well, how do Sakshi overcomes this ruthlessness?
Will she be able to fight against Bablu’s family?
The answer to these questions forms the crux of the story.

Performances:
Vindhya Tiwari is amazing as fierce, ballsy yet scared Sakshi. The role of her parents is played by Vibha Chibber and Manoj Joshi, is a fabulous a job. Ravi Bhatia, as Dev, who helps his college friend and lover Sakshi to fight against these devils shines in his part. Although, his screen presence is limited. Prateek Shukla as Bablu is fantastic. Be it being head over heels in love with Sakshi or turning ruthless towards her, he has depicted the emotions convincingly.

The rest of the supporting cast could have done a better job.

Technical Aspects:

Well, this is a topic, a certain section of society is oblivious of. But the way Vinod Tiwari has managed to keep it gripping while conveying an important message is praiseworthy.
One cannot question the grasp and understanding he has of this concept. He has paid attention to every detail and presented it authentically. The subtext of molestation is showcased sensitively.

Talking about music, the songs just add to the runtime of the film and are forgettable.
While the first half of the film seemed exaggerated, the second half of the film is engaging and manages to hold attention.

Final verdict:
Overall, the conversion is a straightforward film with a clear message.

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