A teenaged boy is mistaken for a Maoist commander and captured by police in the heart of India’s forests. Can it be proven that they have the wrong Kosa or will they find out that they were right all along?
Life for Kosa Muchaki in the heart of India’s forests is just like any other teenage boy in his indigenous village. That is until one day when he goes out to sell a goat and he is picked up by two police officers in a big white jeep. After realising that Kosa is missing, his family soon find out that he is being held in police custody and try their best to get him out of prison. The story follows his father, younger sister, a journalist, and a lawyer trying to convince the authorities that they have mistaken him for a Maoist commander with the same name.
The film is a heartfelt tale of uncertainty, terror and distress. With its handheld cinematography, minimal soundtrack, and natural mise-en-scene, Kosa is both truly believable and gripping. What makes this film extraordinary though is its superb acting from the entire cast during intrusive close-ups and long takes that increase the anticipation for what will happen to Kosa in the end. This slow- footed story of accusation and equity perfectly portrays the intense reactions to this disturbing and unpredictable situation.
Mariella Driskell BA Film and Screen Studies, London College of Communication
Kosa is streaming on Nov 2 & Nov 3.
This is a fantastic review, I am very pleased to have stumbled across such concise and delicate writing.