Newton (2017)

A government clerk on election duty in the conflict ridden jungle of Central India tries his best to conduct free and fair voting despite the apathy of security forces and the looming fear of guerrilla attacks by communist rebels.

Director:

Amit Masurkar

Writers:

Amit Masurkar (screenplay), Mayank Tewari (screenplay)

Stars:

Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil

Top Rated Indian Movies #185 | 12 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Rajkummar Rao	...	Newton Kumar
Pankaj Tripathi	...	Aatma Singh (as Pankaj Tripathy)
Anjali Patil	...	Malko
Raghuvir Yadav	...	Loknath
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ishar Ahmed	...	S News Camerman
Nahida Ali	...	Lila's Sister In Law
Nisar Ali	...	Lila's Nephew
Nizam Ali	...	Lila's Brother
Vinod B.	...	S News Reporter
Jangli Bai	...	Scared Villager
Ragho Bai	...	Questioning Village Woman 2
Vaijanti Bai	...	Chicken Cook
Sulekha Begum	...	Lila's Grandmother
Krishna Singh Bisht	...	Krishna
Sunil Ramkrishna Borkar	...	Kamal Kishore

Storyline

As India, the world's largest democracy, braces itself for another general election- with 9 million polling booths, more than 800 million voters, and costing nearly $5 billion -- Newton Kumar, a rookie government clerk finds himself entrusted with a task that appears deceptively simple: conducting elections in a remote village in the jungles of central India. The bushes teem with Communist guerrillas, who have been waging a decades old war against the state, even as the indigenous tribals live without any access to mainland amenities. Conducting 'free and fair' elections in a minefield like this is no child's play, as Newton learns over the course of this eventful day. Unfazed with the cynicism and danger all around him, Newton is determined to do his duty. But, as they say in the jungle, 'The more things change, the worse they will get'.

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Plot Keywords:

election | officer | honesty | duty | forest | 

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Taglines:

Electoral Rumble in the jungle.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Newton grossed Rs 11.75 crore net in the first week in India.

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Goofs

When Newton meets Aatma singh for the first time, there is a part of sacred thread ( Janeoo) which is visible . In the subsequent frames in the same scene, there is no sign of the sacred thread.

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Quotes

Aatma Singh: What is 2 plus 2 divided by 2?
Newton Kumar: Two?
Aatma Singh: Three. You talk of rules, and forget the basic one: division comes before addition.

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Connections

Referenced in 63rd Filmfare Awards (2018)

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Soundtracks

Panchi Ud Gaya
Performed by Mohan Kanan

User Reviews

Newton is the best work from Bollywood in 2017

Newton is just not a brave film but perhaps the most important film of the year. It is a satirical take on Indian election process which discusses the loopholes in the system while strengthening the faith on world's largest democracy.

A simple tale about an ambitious government officer commissioned to conduct a fair election in an isolated Naxalist/Maoist area in Chattisgarh who carries his honesty as a badge of honor. Rajkumar Rao plays the lead role and aces it - a stubborn character driven by self-righteousness who is not tainted by the corruption and cynicism that we as Indians have come to embrace, so often, so regularly. The supporting cast is equally brilliant with Pankaj Tripathi, Raghubir Yadav and Sanjay Mishra leaving a lasting impression.

It is not a preachy movie but tries to help us understand the importance of voting and how individual opinions can collectively establish or overrun a system. Our need for an able administrator, our desire to take powers in hand, and our faith in the system while establishing an honest government all lies within our reach – by just casting the vote. To begin the change, we must take responsibility and do our bit.

A script made of fine witty and subversive humour even when the subject is a serious one, is what makes Newton the film, so unique. It most certainly will defy gravity to fly high in the corridors of Bollywood Cinema. If possible, go watch this in theater. We as an audience rarely get a chance to watch such an absorbing movie – may be to just encourage such a genuine piece of art. Do cast your vote sensibly!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

22 September 2017 (India)

Also Known As:

Newton

Filming Locations:

Dalli Rajhara Forest, Balod, Chhatishgarh, India

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,426

Company Credits

Production Co:

Drishyam Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1