Table No. 21

Table No. 21
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Aditya Datt
Produced by Sunil Lulla
Viki Rajani
Written by Abhijeet Deshpande
Screenplay by Shantanu Ray Chhibber
Sheershak Anand
Story by Shantanu Ray Chhibber
Sheershak Anand
Based on Article 21 of Indian Constitution[1]
Starring Rajeev Khandelwal
Tina Desai
Paresh Rawal
Dhruv Ganesh
Music by Gajendra Verma
Neeraj Shridhar
Sachin Gupta
Cinematography Ravi Walia
Edited by Devendra Murdeshwar
Production
company
Distributed by Eros International
Release date
  • 4 January 2013 (2013-01-04)
[2]
Running time
 108 mins[3]
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹85 million[4]
Box office ₹177.95 million[5]

Table No. 21 is a 2013 Bollywood psychological thriller film, directed by Aditya Datt and produced by Eros International. It is named after Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which talks about the protection of life and personal liberty.[1] The movie features Rajeev Khandelwal, Tina Desai and Paresh Rawal and touches upon the pertinent social issue of ragging. The film is an adaptation of T. Rafael Cimino’s novel Table 21.[6] The movie's soundtrack was composed by Gajendra Verma, Neeraj Shridhar and Sachin Gupta.[7] The film was a below average success at the box office.[8]

Plot

Vivaan (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Siya Agasthi (Tina Desai) struggle to make ends meet. The couple win a trip to the beautiful island nation of Fiji in a lucky draw. The holiday is fully sponsored, with luxurious hotel accommodation and fine dinners. The duo fly to Fiji to celebrate their wedding anniversary and encounter the charming Mr. Khan (Paresh Rawal) at the resort. Mr Khan invites the couple to participate in a live game show called Table No 21. He tells them that the winner of the game bags a staggering amount of ₹210 million as prize money. He outlines the rules which are eight personal questions asked that must be answered truthfully, and following this, one must complete a task related to the question. The couple decides to enter the game show. At first, the questions seem easy, but as the game progresses, the tasks become increasingly horrific connected to their college life. Vivaan's final task is to murder an individual. He is led to a room, where he is to face his target. When he sees the person he must kill, he recognises him from his past. A flashback shows Vivaan and his friends ragging a boy, named Akram (Dhruv Ganesh). The severe bullying made Akram mentally challenged. Back in the present, it is revealed that Akram is Mr. Khan's son, and that Mr. Khan's intention was to exact revenge and show Vivaan and Siya the damage inflicted on Akram by their actions. Mr. Khan tells them that they are free to go but their sins will follow them everywhere. The movie ends as Vivaan and Siya are still shocked – crying and regretting their choices. The end credits show upsetting cases of ragging.

Cast

Reception

Critics have praised the story but have criticised the way the issue of ragging is kept under wraps.[9][10] Indiaglitz.com says that "Table No. 21 keeps you engaged right from start to the finish. If the beginning portions are frothy, middle portions turn thrilling, post interval is dramatic and ultimately the narrative turns dark before reaching a shocking end."[11] Ankur Pathak of Rediff.com says that "Table No 21 should be watched for the reactive social commentary that it is, and should not be misconceived as a vigilante film." Rated it 3 out of 5 stars.[12] Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India rated the film 3/5 stars.[13] Rajeev Masand of IBNLive.com says that "Table No 21 squanders its potential. The film's ending is bold, but little else is consistent or gripping"[14] Mansha Rastogi of Nowrunning.com says that "Table No. 21, although may not be a completely out of the box, never before concept but it's the execution of the story and the acting that makes this film a one time watch."[15] Prasanth of Movieorange.com says that "Table No 21 is an excellent thriller, with a good message." Rated it 8 out of 10.[16]

Box office

Upon release, Table No. 21 saw a slow start at the Box Office in its first week. It collected ₹157.5 million net over the weekend, while the four-day collection was approximately ₹67.5 million net.[17] The movie earned ₹101.0 million in the first week of its release,[18] and after a two-week-long run, 2013′s first release stood at a total of ₹121.0 million in India and ₹180.0 million worldwide.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 "Why '21' in 'Table no 21'". IANS. India Today. 22 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "Table No. 21 Review". Koimoi.
  3. ↑ "Table No.21 (12A) – BBFC". BBFC.
  4. ↑ "Table No. 21 - Movie - Box Office India". Box Office India.
  5. ↑ "Table No. 21 - Movie - Box Office India". Box Office India.
  6. ↑ "Smashwords – About T. Rafael Cimino, author of 'Heavy', 'Table 21' and 'Mid Ocean'". Smashwords.
  7. ↑ "Table No. 21 by Gajendra Verma, Neeraj Shridhar and Sachin Gupta". Spotify.
  8. ↑ "Table No. 21 - Movie - Box Office India". Box Office India.
  9. ↑ ‘Table No. 21’ review: Worth every ounce of energy invested – more or less!. Zeenews.india.com.
  10. ↑ Film review: Table No 21: The curse of the back-story – Entertainment – DNA. Dnaindia.com.
  11. ↑ Table No. 21 Bollywood Movie Review – cinema preview stills gallery trailer video clips showtimes. Indiaglitz.com (5 January 2013).
  12. ↑ Review: Table No 21 is a game well played – Rediff.com Movies. Rediff.com (4 January 2013).
  13. ↑ Table No.21 movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
  14. ↑ Table No.21 Review – IBNLive.com. Ibnlive.in.com (5 January 2013).
  15. ↑ Table No.21 Review – Bollywood Movie Review by Mansha Rastogi. Nowrunning.com (4 January 2013).
  16. ↑ Table No.21 Review. Movieorange.com.
  17. ↑ "TABLE NO 21 Finishes Good Weekend". Box Office Capsule.
  18. ↑ "TABLE NO 21 Stable On Low Levels". Box Office Capsule.
  19. ↑ "TABLE NO 21 Finishes Decent Week Two". Box Office Capsule.
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