I eagerly anticipated Ulajh, a film starring a promising New Generation actor who seemed finally to have a role that matched her intelligence, supported by a solid and diverse cast. Unfortunately, this spy thriller, mostly set in the cold landscapes of London, ended up being a disappointment.
The movie begins with the ambitious young diplomat, Suhana Bhatia (Janhvi Kapoor), winning a seemingly losing battle in a neighboring country through a questionable move. The rationale is that it was in India’s best interest, emphasizing Suhana’s cleverness and her ability to think quickly. Her promotion to a prestigious overseas position suggests that this IFS blue-blood — her father Dhanraj (Adil Hussain) is a legendary figure in the service — is on a path to a trailblazing career.
Suhana soon encounters an avuncular chauffeur-cum-factotum (Rajesh Tailang), a suave senior (Alyy Khan), a few critical juniors (Roshan Mathew, Meiyang Chang), and a charming chef (Gulshan Devaiah) who can whip up mouth-watering dishes on the fly.
Then, the narrative takes a drastic turn: an indiscretion makes Suhana an easy target for the ISI (where there are patriotic Indians, how far behind can the sinister Pakistani secret service be), and suspicion starts to circle her, tightening the noose. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a peacenik Prime Minister (Rushad Rana) is preparing for a visit to India. Will everything go as planned, or will it end in disaster? Are Suhana’s increasingly desperate colleagues innocent or complicit? Will she manage to extricate herself from the tightening grip?
The spy genre is well-worn territory, but there’s always room for a sleek film with characters who convincingly portray their conflicted beliefs and questionable actions. In *Ulajh*, however, believability is sacrificed for contrived situations and artificiality. How does Suhana, who is depicted as having sharp instincts from the start, fall for the oldest trick in the book? Why are her interactions with the mentor she idolizes so stiffly written? How does an antagonistic colleague suddenly switch sides in an instant?
These issues are particularly disappointing because Ulajh features a talented ensemble cast, yet they are left to fumble through an amateurish plot. The problem with Hindi films where heroines lead from the front is apparent in how Kapoor is positioned front and center, even when her character should have known better: sometimes she should step aside and let the experts do their jobs. When the lead is elevated at the expense of other characters, who feel underdeveloped, the film as a whole suffers.
Ulajh stars Janhvi Kapoor, Roshan Mathew, Gulshan Devaiah, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Meiyang Chang, Rajendra Gupta, Alyy Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Rushad Rana. The film is directed by Sudhanshu Saria and earns a rating of 2 stars.