Director Shree Narayan Singh, who is known for socially relevant films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, enlightens us once again about a grave issue about towns that are plunged into darkness daily due to inflated electricity bills, faulty meters bills and corrupt electricity providing companies.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu is about a young brash lawyer Sushil Kumar Pant(Shahid Kapoor) who is called SK by his best childhood friends Lalita Nautiyal (Shraddha Kapoor) and Tripathi (Divyendu Sharma). The three are the best of friends.
The film is set in the picturesque hilly hamlet of Tehri in Uttarakhand. SK is a lawyer who often uses his status as a lawyer to get money out of people by blackmailing those who cheat and indulge in malpractices. He’s loud, overconfident and not one to mince his words. While Tripathi is the good son and the quieter, gentler one who wants to start his own business and goes on to open his own factory. Lalita aka Nauti (as her two besties call her), is a chirpy local dress designer.
The first half mostly establishes their friendship and their relationship with each other. Though there are some witty dialogues and fun moments, the first half could have been edited a little crisper. It seems dragged to a certain extent.
The film picks up pace when Tripathi loses his business because of an astronomical electricity bill. Tripathi gives up his life since he can’t pay the bills and that’s when things take a turn in SK’s life. He becomes more responsible and is focused on making sure the culprits are punished. The second half is mostly a court drama with some entertaining dialogues by Shahid Kapoor. The second half also sees Yami Gautam as Gulnar, a lawyer fighting against SK but most of the time she is left speechless by SK’s counter questions and answers. Shahid Kapoor’s monologue in the court is applaud worthy.
The film could have been shorter than 175 minutes. There are certain scenes in the film that could have been done away with. Having said that, there are some interesting twists in the story.
The three actors have done a good job. Shahid plays the overconfident lawyer with a heart of gold and he balances both well. Shraddha looks perfect as the chirpy girl from the hills and Dibyendu does a great job and fits into the role of a good small-town young man perfectly.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a relevant social drama that everyone needs to watch, especially people in the metros who have no idea about the difficulties faced by people living in smaller towns.
