Rent Mogul Mowgli (2020)

Towering performance by Riz Ahmed - Mogul Mowgli review by AER

Mogul Mowgli is one of the UK's best films to-date about the being Asian in Britain. It's not a watered down valley of cliche's like The Kumars at No.42 or even My Beautiful Laundrette, this is the real deal. Co-written by Riz Ahmed, this tale of an Hip Hop MC on the rise to fame who unexpectedly falls ill is a bracing ride. The performances by the entire cast are flawless and convincing, however, I wasn't so sure about the narrative's reliance on dreams, flashbacks and hallucinations. These served as a stylish distraction rather than augmenting the story, and they were occasionally disorientating, which is a shame because this film could have stood firm without the need for flashiness. A floral faced man called Toba Tek Singh haunts Riz Ahmed's character too, he would have been way more effective if used more sparingly. Lots of great scenes, and amazing acting bring this through, the flourishes make the needle skip.

PS: I've not seen the Sound of Metal yet (also starring Riz Ahmed), but that one seems to have a very similar plot too.

Culture Drama with Great lead performance - Mogul Mowgli review by GI

A quite intense drama that deals with culture and family with Riz Ahmed further cementing his place as an actor (and writer) of note. Here he plays Zed, a British Pakistani rapper on the cusp of international success. Just before starting a world tour he returns to London to visit his family whom he hasn't seen for two years. There he has to reengage with his traditional and patriarchal father ((Alyy Khan) and he discovers many of his old friends consider he has 'sold out' to achieve success. But tragedy strikes when Zed is struck down by an incurable autoimmune disease. There's a complexity to this film and it can be read as a narrative about always moving forward and not going back but there are complicated themes included concerning the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan in dreams and hallucinations Zed experiences. To that end the film has a certain impenetrability that makes it, at times, an unsatisfactory film. Ahmed's performance is excellent (his rapping is good) but ultimately a film about culture that is a bit of an empty experience.