Critics review BA Pass, find it thought provoking

Ajay Bahl's directorial debut touches upon a sensitive subject. Critics have given a thumbs up to BA Pass. The cheer comes with a disclaimer: the dark film may not be for the chicken-hearted.

BA Pass is an adaptation of Mohan Sikka's short story The Railway Aunty. Shilpa Shukla, Shadab Kamal, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma have worked in Ajay Bahl's directorial venture.

Plot quickly: Orphaned, Mukesh moves into his aunt’s house while in finishing college, until he meets Sarika aunty. She seduces him and teaches him the ropes of the act. Before he knows it, he’s a male prostitute. Then something goes wrong, Sarika’s dark side surfaces and Mukesh’s life goes haywire.

Critics feel that the director has done justice to the theme. Performances too have been lauded.

Saibal Chatterjee writes for NDTV, " BA Pass builds up its 'horror' tale bit by bit, tightening the screws with calm, calculated twists and turns as it inches towards its unsettling climax."

Saibal Chatterjee writes, "BA Pass is gritty and affecting because its characters, even the most minor ones, are vividly etched, believable people."

Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express, however, has a different opinion: "Ajay Bahl's directorial debut lays out a plot with promise, but then belies it, by not giving us as much as it could, and should have."

Film critic Mayank Shekhar writes, "Would it be any different if he was a woman? That is the story. I guess any kind of sex that is neither a consequence of temporary lust nor enduring love must be painful, regardless of what gender you belong to."

Saibal Chatterjee writes, "Though gripping, you need a strong stomach to absorb this gritty and thought-provoking fare!"

Actors Shilpa Shukla and Shadab Kamal have also impressed the critics with their performances. writes for Times of India, "Shilpa brazenly wears the sex-hungry look and performs steamy acts. Shadab reveals a range of emotions, and pulls off a complex role heightened by uninhibited sexual exploits."

"The acting lends coiled power to the story, with both Shilpa Shukla and Shadab Kamal holding their own all the way through this obviously difficult-to-navigate material," Saibal Chatterjee adds.

Watch it for the performances, direction and the sensitive debate it attempts at opening up. Avoid it, if you are not ready for some gritty and thought-provoking cinema.