Today's character study is going to be a little personal. People who know me know that I am a total sucker for redemption stories. I am no saint or a model citizen. I personally know the cost & value of redemption. It is a tough road and to act it out is also very difficult. Shahid Kapoor has given his performance of the decade in this one and his commitment to the role has left no one unconvinced.
Tommy Singh is a cliched "rapper" who makes controversial music loved by the slightly younger audience, does blow, makes another song, and does blow again. If narcissism was a person, it would be none other than Tommy himself. He is as self-obsessed as it comes. A certain event in his life makes him realize that he is more than a coke doing, ill-minded artist. He finds depths in his own personality which was unknown to him then and with that realization comes tons of self-doubt & self-deprecation. Becoming overly critical of himself and his trash drug promoting music, he finds out that maybe drugs aren't so cool as he portrays them to be. His bubble (made by his entourage) of self-obsession gets blown when he understands the effect his music has on the youth of Punjab. He gets cold feet and a massive wave of guilt washes over his conscience. An already wasted man, Tommy tries to make an effort to change and if things couldn't get any worse, his entourage goes to an enormous length to discourage his path to redemption but Tommy is determined. He feels his life belongs to the art of music. Thus the only way he could spread his message is through his music. In one of his concerts, he tries to convey his struggles but (naturally) the crowd who paid for drug music would not digest the contrary and hence, In a fit of rage, the crowd decide to attack him.
Tommy manages to run and hide during which he meets Kumari Pinky (Alia Bhatt) and from there, his path of redemption actually begins.
Introspection is one of the simplest and most effective powers of our mind. It is as simple as thinking about oneself for five minutes in peace. The power of self-realization and enlightenment is real and life-changing. Be it spiritual or mental (The never-ending debate) but the deadly duo of introspection and immediate action truly reformed Tommy from a narcissistic hollow human being to someone who learned to live for an individual other than himself. Love would be a major factor in the case of Tommy, but his initial decision to spread the "anti-drug" message even after being discouraged by the subtle retaliation of his own loved ones required A LOT of courage.
In conclusion, people who are troubled or going through some problems inwards need to take a minute, catch a breath, fight their demons one by one but consistently. The goal is not to smash the car but to make a small dent every day.
Available on Netflix(IN).