132. LKG; movie review

LKG
Cert 12A
123 mins

BBFC advice: Contains discriminatory references

Where will it end? Thanks to social media, politics is crazier now than it has ever been - and that is not just in the UK.
On the same day that the Muller report came out in the United States, I watched Prabhu's LKG which shows how elections in India can be influenced by PR strategies,
It was written and stars RJ Balaji as an ultra-ambitious young politician who drifts from idealistic to cynical in his attempt to seize power.
But the keenest imprint it will have on its audience is from its representation of how social media can skew an election in a matter of hours - regardless of whether truth or lies are being presented.
In real life, Balaji is a well-known radio presenter who has campaigned for people to take greater care of their vote.
Thus, he has created this movie satire in which his character initially tries to battle against corruption from the inside.

The young politician, buoyed by local popularity, goes in seek of even greater power but to do so has to engage with the two-party system and take on the old men who have feathered their own nests for decades.
That sentence makes LKG appear to be po-faced. Far from it. This is a movie which mocks politics and politicians but is also making a serious point.
Indeed, in parts, it lampoons the system so heartily that it reminded me of a Sacha Baron Cohen movie.
This is because Balaji's character is such a mickey-taker in the lead role, going to great lengths to make everyone around him seem ridiculous while occasionally making himself appear so too.
Meanwhile, Priya Anand plays the public relations expert who is the real power behind his election campaign.
And J.K. Rithesh portrays a career politician who is bamboozled by the new election tactics after 30 years of success at the polls.
Inevitably, my lack of cultural awareness meant that I was not falling around laughing during LKG but I was amused and I think it made some valuable points about how out of touch longstanding politicians are with modern-day communications and the havoc they can wreak.

Reasons to watch: Unusual political satire
Reasons to avoid: Its humour is very much aimed at Indian audiences

Laughs: None for me, more for others
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? About 600 million people, more than half India’s population, are under 25 years old.

The final word. JK Rithesh: "In real life the impact of memes and social media is affecting votes. LKG is a film that looks to question this practice and implores the audience to make an informed decision about whom to vote for. Even in politics, this mud-slinging that happens between two opposing parties is having unnecessary repercussions." New Indian Express

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