Helmet: Aparshakti Khurana Shines In His First Lead Performance

Helmet starring Aparshakti Khurana and Pranutan Behl released recently, and is causing ripples in the audience’s hearts. As much as it is a quirky comedy, it’s also highly relevant especially in a country like India where population explosion is of the same rate as a nuclear fission; on a steady upward curve. What works best for the film is Aparshakti’s performance and it resonates with the critics’ verdicts. Many film reviewers have singularly praised the actor for his sincere performance.

The actor impresses with his solo leading act and a huge part of it is formed by his top-notch comic timing, it’s easily one of the veritable highlights of this social comedy. The unmistakable sincerity in his performance manifests itself with the authentic 'desi' accent and his voice modulation in scenes where he walks a tightrope of comedy and emotions. Mixing comedy with drama is akin to a vigorous chemical reaction, it can turn shambolic within seconds but, Aparshakti easily pulls off the lead act with immaculate ease and keeps the film grounded.

This is the first time Aparshakti has played the lead but, his confidence in terms of performance speaks for itself. The actor plays Lucky, a singer in a wedding band in a town in Uttar Pradesh and he makes full use of the film’s setting, he has nailed the accent, his body language is on point and he flawlessly dissolves into the small town setting. In a paradoxical sense, he becomes one with the film’s universe to stand out as a key performer whom the film rides heavily on.