Kaagaz

About the film

Kaagaz (transl. 'Paper') is a 2021 Indian biographical comedy film written and directed by Satish Kaushik and produced by Salman Khan and Nishant Kaushik under the banner of Salman Khan Films and The Satish Kaushik Entertainment Production. The film stars Pankaj Tripathi, Monal Gajjar and Amar Upadhyay.

The plot of the film is based on the life and struggle of Lal Bihari, a farmer from the small village of Amilo Mubarakpur, who was declared dead on official papers. It marked the last directorial venture of Kaushik before his death on 9 March 2023.

Synopsis

The film depicts the struggle of Bharat Lal Bihari against the Indian bureaucracy after he was declared dead on government records. His fight with the government lasted for 19 years.

Soundtrack

The film's music was composed by Pravesh Mallick, Rahul Jain and ceAzer while lyrics written by Aseem Ahmed Abbasee, Rashmi Virag, Kunaal Vermaa and Shweta Raj.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 29% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10.

Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of The Times of India rated the film 3/5 and wrote "To sum it up, Kaagaz could have been the go-to movie for those seeking a burst of inspiration, but it ends up being a uni-dimensional masterclass on one man’s acting prowess. Not that we are complaining, but the film had the potential to tug at the heart strings. Alas! It was not to be."

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3/5 and wrote "Satish Kaushik's labour of love drives home the plight of a common man up against an administrative system that thrives on running the already dispossessed further into the ground."

Key details