Lockdown Review #72: The Illegal (2021)

After securing admission into the university of his dreams, Hassan travels from Delhi to the States in order to pursue a degree in filmmaking, and while the doors of the prestigious institution are thrown open to him and he also easily finds acceptance in this strange new land among his classmates as well as helpful teachers, he is in for a shock and struggles to find footing within his own community and kin who find reasons to either judge, invalidate or frown upon him for his chosen career path, or even at times, from fellow immigrants whose idea of adjusting to life in the States is by giving in to a dated colonist mentality, thus further alienating the young dreamer from Daryaganj with a middle-class upbringing who isn’t kin on keeping up with these same posh Westernised ideals. And while initially Hassan acts as the lead and narrator of this movie, the character’s short-lived bouts of happiness are a common occurrence among many of the countless immigrants who viewed life in the States as an escapist fantasy, only for their expectations to fall short, with each ‘illegal’ harbouring a story to tell, and dreams as well as desires that are stifled and lie stagnating in the long run, with no country to call their own.

The movie is driven by its scenarios and situations, and one also needs to applaud filmmaker Danish Renzu’s no frills approach to tackling internalized racism and cultural appropriation- via instances of tempers flaring between Hassan and a temperamental Latino chef at his workplace (an Indian restaurant where the staff is overworked to the bone), as well as through confrontations with his employer, a more privileged and sly restauranteer with desi roots who shows a strong disconnect with the community and who ruthlessly exercises bullying and gaslighting as methods of ‘keeping the staff in check’, more often than not treating the underpaid employees working for him (a lot of whom are fellow immigrants themselves) as third class citizens and even ‘stealing’ their identities quite literally by withholding their passports! The depiction of such a toxic work environment further alludes to the aforementioned colonist mentality of Indian immigrants in playing to the gallery and in catering to the West’s exoticised perception of Indian cuisine and culture, with Hassan staring in disbelief and amusement at the distorted and sugar coated reality of India sold by his employer at the restaurant-Ranging from photoshopped tourist hotspots, to the bowls of ‘authentic’ chicken balti that’s overseasoned beyond recognition!

Other scenes that stand out include the irony laced speech in the first half as Hassan’s mamujaan/uncle projects his own insecurities upon the former, preaching sermons on responsibility which exposes his holier than thou attitude, but who turns his millennial nephew out on the cold streets in an unknown country soon after! This particular instance also sets the scene for a debate between the mentality of older generations in enabling regressive norms under the guise of practical thinking, and the more free spirited views of the youth who are unfortunately guilted, rather than guided into sacrificing their ambitions in service of said practicality.

Renzu also incorporates wholesome moments, rather than solely dwelling on the insipid and unjust nature of unfulfilled dreams and wasted prowess, as Hassan lives vicariously through the kindness of Babaji (a loyal but ultimately overworked and veteran server at the restaurant) and phone calls/Skypes with his sister Mahi, both of whom play a key role in motivating the sullen and demotivated young man, even as they face their own individual struggles, such as Babaji’s distant dream of flying home to India to spend time with his grown daughter finding hurdles in the form of the manipulative restauranteer selfishly refusing to part with the elderly employee’s passport, and Mahi harbouring the dreaded news of their father abruptly taking ill from her sibling.

The self aware cheesy nature of dialogues works two-fold by lending charm to its lead, but also acting as a bittersweet parallel to the gradual reveal of Hassan’s more volatile nature as the obstacles only steadily stack up against the otherwise calm millennial who begins to put up walls to cope with a dream that keeps slipping out of his reach, despite his countless improvisations and sacrifices.

The movie isn’t free of flaws, as the melodramatic tone does prove to be a drawback and could have easily been substituted with a far more subtle tone to convey the same messages. The romantic interlude between Hassan and Jessica could have been allowed to breath, and while the movie alludes to Jessica’s white privilege, her character is one-note with no real backstory/knowledge of her background, thus resulting in an overall paper thin subplot.

I’ve always been left spellbound by Suraj Sharma’s script choices and acting prowess since his debut in ‘Life of Pi’ and his growth as a performer with screen presence that’s on par with his seasoned peers definitely shows here. While the LA- based actor’s slight Americanized twang occasionally distracts from the fact that his character Hassan is originally supposed to hail from Daryaganj (although judging by the actor’s more natural intonation in the recent award winning ‘Gulmohar’ where he also plays a Delhi-bred entrepreneur, thankfully it has since mellowed), his command over Hindi especially in the several scenes where the character is required to speak in his native tongue, and his nuanced facial expressions as well as effortless ability to capture Haasan’s innocence, initial naivety and later his explosive angsty tirade proves to be a far more memorable facet of this performance. Sharma’s onscreen reparte with his fellow co-stars such as the tender and heartfelt interactions with Iqbal Theba (who plays Babaji) and with the ever charismatic Shweta Tripathi (Mahi) is yet another testament to his undervalued talent. Adil Hussain hardly has screentime, but leaves a mark in a brief climactic sequence wherein a homesick Hassan scrolls through his video recordings, to discover a reassuring message from his father.

Suraj Sharma turns in an impeccable performance as Hassan

Ultimately, ‘The Illegal’ isn’t your run of the mill motivational story about passions, goals and dreams, but more so a cautionary tale about the drive behind ‘making it’- Be it on the streets of Delhi or the hectic kitchens of the not so authentic restaurant in suburban Hollywood, where ‘dreams do eventually get lost, but ambitions don’t’. As a fresh-faced literature and media studies graduate who’s based in India herself, but who opted for postgraduate studies abroad, the depiction of Hassan’s struggle and dedication to earn his keep in order to pay off living expanses and international tuition, all while working full-time jobs and the toll of juggling one’s personal life and creative ambitions resulting in multiple burnouts and an embittered personality in one’s twenties was realistic yet overwhelmingly cathartic to watch. Rest assured, ‘The Illegal’ is only recommended viewing if you’re a braveheart like me who’s intent on reliving this experience, or in swallowing a bitter pill. Be warned, you’ll be in for a reality check!