Cargo
Director: Arati Kadav
Cast: Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi
At a time when the Indian cinema which is mostly dominated by drama, romance and comedies, all chances of viewing an original Hindi space sci-fi movie are so rare. But thanks to India’s two of the finest filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane who made it possible by backing director Arati Kadav’s Cargo.
Cargo is not your regular space sci-fi film where you see an incessant number of time travel moments or some ambitious space mission. It’s rather about the oppressive silence of the space that an astronaut often has to deal with.
The story follows Prahastha (Vikrant Massey), a lonely astronaut who works for Post Death Transition Services – a company that stores, heals and recycles dead people for rebirth. Every morning, he gets cargos delivered on his spaceship. These cargos are basically people who have just died on the Earth. He is soon joined by another astronaut Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi), a brilliant mind with an amazing superpower, and together they embark on a journey of self-discovery.
By now you must have known that Cargo makes no scientific sense. But its bizarre concept is what makes it one of the most authentic and innovative films of recent times. There is plenty of interesting sci-fi touches to the film, including the introduction of cargos that bring some deep and heart-wrenching questions about the nature of humanity with them.
Scenes like where a cargo of a stuntman, who dies of performing a fire stunt on a film set, tells Prahastha, “I hope I become Salman Khan in my next life," is quite commenting on the complexities of power dynamics on the Earth. Arati’s space exploration also feels even more real and relatable because it draws out clear parallels between life and death.
Meanwhile, a vulnerable Vikrant Massey will crack your emotional armour with his stellar performance as Prahastha. He astutely depicts the alienation and frustration of an astronaut in space. On the other hand, Shweta Tripathi’s easy-breezy persona turns out to be a nice counter to Vikrant’s no-nonsense, closed-door astronaut. Her character brings certain lightness and optimism to the film.
With a few locations, a shoestring budget, and a handful of actors, Arati manages to visualise an incredible space sci-fi film. The space scenes are well shot, especially considering the film’s budget, but Cargo’s biggest strength comes from the interactions among its fully realised characters whose dialogues and camaraderie are sure to deliver an entertaining ride.
Cargo is available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5
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