Line of Descent

Last updated

Line of Descent
Line of Descent (2019 poster).jpg
Official Poster
Directed byRohit Karn Batra
Written byRohit Karn Batra
Produced by
  • Rohit Karn Batra
  • Guy J. Louthan
Starring See Cast
CinematographyJohn Stokes
Music by Mario Grigorov
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 15 November 2019 (2019-11-15)(NYC South Asian Film Festival)
  • 13 December 2019 (2019-12-13)(United States)
  • 20 December 2019 (2019-12-20)(India)
Running time
108 minutes
CountriesIndia
United States
Languages
  • English
  • Hindi
Budget$5 million [1]
Box office$3,599 [2]

Line of Descent is a 2019 Indian crime drama film written and directed by Rohit Karn Batra (in his directorial debut). The film stars Ronit Roy, Neeraj Kabi, and Ali Haji as the three brothers of a mafia patriarch who fight over the future of their crime family. Brendan Fraser, Prem Chopra, and Abhay Deol play supporting roles. The film was previously known as The Field. It had a simultaneous release in theaters and video on demand in the United States on 13 December 2019. [3] It was released on ZEE5 on 20 December 2019 in India. [4]

Contents

Plot

In Delhi, India, the Sinha mafia family is celebrating the birthday of their newest member, Nya. The youngest brother, Suraj, wants nothing to do with the family's criminal activities and dreams of living a normal life with his girlfriend Seema. However, at the party, a gang of boys stalks and tries to abuse Seema, and Suraj comes to her aid.

Later, Suraj accidentally shoots a homeowner while trying to show off his gun to Prithvi, the new leader of the family appointed by Bharat Sinha, the previous boss who died by suicide due to the family's declining business.

Meanwhile, Officer Raghav is investigating the Sinha family's criminal activities and meets with Deputy Commissioner Daniel Bates to discuss Bharat Sinha's involvement in real estate pirating. The flashback reveals that Bharat's criminal career started after his twin brother, Prithvi, died due to a tragic accident that left him unable to pay the hospital bills. Bharat sold his successful restaurant to pay for Prithvi's treatment, but the money never arrived, and Prithvi died. This incident left a hole in Bharat's heart and led him to partner with a British gangster, Morris Burns, to grow his criminal empire.

After Bharat's suicide due to his grief, Prithvi decides to leave the family business and focus on their electronics store, but Sidd, his older brother, wants to continue the criminal activities. Sidd sets up a robbery at the store to provoke Prithvi, and when Prithvi investigates, Sidd kills him. However, Prithvi survives, and Raghav meets with Sidd and Suraj to question Sidd's motives. Sidd lies and leaves, while Suraj seeks Charu's help, an undercover officer who is part of Raghav's operation.

Sidd hires a sniper to kill Suraj, but he accidentally shoots Seema. Seema's father blames Suraj for her death. Sidd ambushes Prithvi and finally kills him. Sidd hides Prithvi's body and kills a witness who saw him burning it. Suraj decides to help Raghav in exchange for his safety and goes to get Sidd's confession after talking to Charu. However, the plan fails, and while looking for Sidd, Suraj gets the guns of Sidd's men and shoots the men along with injuring Sidd.

A few days after the incident, Raghav visits Suraj in jail as being part of the Sinha mafia family, informing him that his mother has left India for the U.A.E. He reveals that he helped Suraj and Charu put an end to the mafia family in Delhi and plans to speak with a lawyer to have Suraj's sentence reduced. Raghav shares information about Sidd's affair and how Pritvi's body was found near the witness's family. He reveals that Sidd had hired a sniper to kill Seema, but Raghav managed to get him to confess.

In a shocking turn of events, Prithvi paid Charu to protect Suraj from Sidd and arranged a meeting between them. After Prithvi's death, Charu set a trap for Sidd and Suraj. Raghav informs Suraj that Nya is not Siddharth's daughter but Prithvi's, causing Suraj's sister-in-law to suffer a mental breakdown and be sent to a psychiatric hospital. Nya is currently staying with her sister. The film concludes with Raghav asking Suraj if he would be willing to let Nya become a part of his family since Raghav and his wife are unable to conceive, and Suraj agrees, starting a new beginning for his legacy.

Cast

Production

Though set in India, Batra said Line of Descent should be seen as an international film, explaining that though he could have set the story in a typical American city, he chose to film in the country "because the visual energy of India is very different, so I thought why not use that." He also states that "Filmmaking sometimes ends up being very local for the country a film is made for, but at the same time we are in a very global world, so I think films should reflect this more ... That's why Brendan's character is so interesting in that he grew up in the U.S. and is then in India." [5]

Pre-production started on 18 April 2016 and filming began on 18 June 2016. Brendan Fraser was in Mumbai for two weeks in May to film his scenes, which feature dialogue in Hindi and English. Speaking of Fraser's time filming in India, Batra said: "It was fantastic. He had a lot of respect for the actors. For instance, Neeraj Kabi was in Talvar [based on a real-life murder mystery that premiered at Toronto] and Fraser actually happened to see that film on the flight to Mumbai." [6]

Reception

Noel Murray of Los Angeles Times wrote "Rohit Karn Batra does a fine job of exploring the dynamics of a potentially lethal sibling rivalry; and he gets an entertaining wild-card performance from American Canadian actor Brendan Fraser." [7] Gautaman Bhaskaran of Arab News wrote "Line of Descent is tightly and imaginatively scripted. Its exposition of organized crime is masterful, and some brilliant performances, especially from Deol, Roy and Kabi add a dash of class to an otherwise gritty enterprise. A compelling dramatic arc is established from the start in this fast-paced thriller, and the themes of guilt and atonement permeate throughout the movie, with both coming home to roost for the Sinha family in a touching final sequence." [8]

The film was released theatrically in the United Arab Emirates on 28 January 2021. The film had an opening weekend gross of $3,599, ranking in tenth place. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kahiin to Hoga</i> Indian television drama series

Kahiin To Hoga is an Indian soap opera which aired on StarPlus from September 2003 to February 2007. The show was created by Ekta Kapoor of Balaji Telefilms and starred Aamna Sharif, Rajeev Khandelwal and Gurpreet Singh. The show is based on the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

<i>The Hero: Love Story of a Spy</i> 2003 Indian spy thriller film directed by Anil Sharma

The Hero: Love Story of a Spy is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Time Magnetics. It stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra in her Bollywood film debut. Written by Shaktimaan, the film tells the story of an undercover Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who must gather intelligence about cross-border terrorism and stop the terrorist responsible for it and his separation from his fiancé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abhay Deol</span> Indian film actor

Abhay Deol is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi films. Born in the Deol family, he made his on-screen debut in 2005 with Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Socha Na Tha. Deol was praised for his performances in the independent films Manorama Six Feet Under (2007) and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008). His breakthrough role came in 2009 with a starring role in Anurag Kashyap's black comedy Dev.D, a modern-day adaptation of Devdas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukesh Rishi</span> Indian actor, film producer (born 1956)

Mukesh Rishi is an Indian actor and film producer who works primarily in Hindi and Telugu films. He has also appeared in Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi and Tamil films. He got his first break in Hindi in 1988 and has since, established himself as a character actor. He started his career in films as a villain.

<i>Tridev</i> 1989 film by Rajiv Rai

Tridev (transl. Trinity) is a 1989 Indian action thriller film directed and co-written by Rajiv Rai. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Sangeeta Bijlani, Sonam, Anupam Kher and Amrish Puri.

<i>Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!</i> 2008 Indian film

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film starring Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal, Neetu Chandra, Manu Rishi, Manjot Singh and Archana Puran Singh. It was directed by Dibakar Banerjee. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. The film is inspired by the real life shenanigans of Devinder Singh alias Bunty, a real-life "super-chor", originally from Vikaspuri, Delhi.

<i>Suraag – The Clue</i> Indian crime television series

Suraag – The Clue is an Indian television detective-crime drama series that aired on DD National from 14 June 1999 to 30 September 2002. The series, starring Sudesh Berry as CID Inspector Bharat Chattopadhyay in the main lead, was directed by Gautam Adhikari and produced by Shri Adhikari Brothers Limited. It used to air every Monday at 10 P.M.

<i>Shanghai</i> (2012 film) 2012 Hindi political thriller film directed by Dibakar Banerjee

Shanghai is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language political thriller film directed and co-written by Dibakar Banerjee, starring Emraan Hashmi, Farooq Shaikh, Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin and Prosenjit Chatterjee. It is a remake of 1969 French movie Z which was based on the Greek novel Z by Vassilis Vassilikos. On 6 June 2012, the high court refused stay on the release of the film. It received critical acclaim upon its release but was considered a modest commercial success.

Ali Haji is an Indian actor who rose to fame in Yoodlee films's Noblemen (2018) directed by Vandana Kataria as Shay Sharma, a struggling adolescent who goes through a life of loss and innocence at his new school. He won the Best Child Actor at the New York Indian Film Festival in Noblemen.

<i>Haathkadi</i> (1982 film) 1982 Indian film

Haathkadi (transl. Handcuffs) is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Surendra Mohan, starring Sanjeev Kumar, Shatrughan Sinha, Reena Roy & Ranjeeta in pivotal role. This movie contains some super hit songs composed by Bappi Lahiri, especially, the song "Disco Station Disco" is one of the most popular & super hit disco songs in Indian film industry.

<i>Udaan</i> (2014 TV series) Indian social drama

Udaan (transl. Flight) is an Indian soap opera that premiered on Colors TV on 18 August 2014, replacing Madhubala. Produced by Mahesh Bhatt, it was originally conceived as a film but that plan was eventually shelved. Udaan is one of the longest running television shows of Colors TV The story revolves around Chakor, a victim of bonded child labour who fights for her village's freedom and aspires to break free. It starred Spandan Chaturvedi as a child version of Chakor until it took a generation leap in February 2016 & actress Meera Deosthale was roped in to play the role of an adult Chakor.

<i>Brahmarakshas</i> Indian television series

Brahmarakshas is an Indian Hindi-language supernatural thriller television series broadcast on Zee TV and digitally available on ZEE5. Spanning two seasons, it is a franchise produced by Ekta Kapoor under her studio Balaji Telefilms.

<i>Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil</i> 2016–2017 Indian television series

Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil is an Indian television series produced by Ekta Kapoor under her banner Balaji Telefilms for Star Plus. The story, set in Austria, is inspired by the 1997 film Pardes and Manju Kapur's 2008 novel The Immigrant. It was shot in locations in India, Vienna and Innsbruck. The series stars Drashti Dhami as Naina Vivek Batra, Arjun Bijlani as Raghav Rajesh Mehra and Vineet Raina as Rehaan Karan Khurana. It went off air on 30 June 2017 with 170 episodes. It was replaced by Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3.

The Mirchi Music Award for Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year, is given yearly by Radio Mirchi as a part of its annual Mirchi Music Awards for Hindi films.

<i>Blank</i> (2019 film) 2019 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film

Blank is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Behzad Khambata. The film stars Sunny Deol, Karan Kapadia, Karanvir Sharma and Ishita Dutta. It was jointly produced by Shrikant Bhasi, Nishant Pitti, & Pictures, Tony D'Souza, and Vishal Rana. The film follows a terrorist who plans to bomb Mumbai along with his compatriots. After meeting with an accident, he loses memory of his mission, but an investigating officer refuses to take his word for it, and plans to kill him in an encounter.

<i>Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2</i> 2021–23 Indian television soap opera

Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2 is an Indian Hindi-language television romantic drama series that ran from 30 August 2021 to 24 May 2023 on Sony Entertainment Television. It is digitally available on Sony LIV. Produced by Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms, it is a spiritual sequel or reboot version of the 2011 series of the same name. It starred Nakuul Mehta, Disha Parmar, Randeep Rai and Niti Taylor.

<i>Ziddi Dil Maane Na</i> Indian youth drama

Ziddi Dil Maane Na is an Indian Hindi-language youth-based television drama series that airs on Sony SAB. It stars Shaleen Malhotra, Kaveri Priyam, Kunal Karan Kapoor, Diljot Kaur Chhabra, Aditya Deshmukh and Simple Kaul. The plot revolves around a young Special Action Force (SAF) team who find love while fulfilling their aspirations at the camp. The show is made under the banner of Sunshine Productions. It premiered on 30 August 2021 and ended on 4 June 2022.

<i>Dheere Dheere Se</i> (TV series) Indian TV series or programme

Dheere Dheere Se also known as Aashao Ka Savera...Dheere Dheere Se is an Indian Hindi-language drama television series produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary under their banner Swastik Productions. It aired from 12 December 2022 to 7 July 2023 on Star Bharat. The series starred Reena Kapoor and Rahil Azam.

References

  1. ↑ "Line of Descent (2019)". imdb.com. IMDb . Retrieved 18 June 2024.[ better source needed ]
  2. ↑ "Line of Descent (2019)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  3. ↑ "Brendan Fraser New Delhi-set crime thriller 'Line of Descent' lands at Gravitas Ventures (Exclusive)". Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Balu, Aparajitha (29 October 2019). "'Line Of Descent' Starring Abhay Deol, Brendan Fraser To Release In Theatres In The United States And Stream On Zee5 In India". Silver Screen. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Bhushan, Nyay (3 August 2016). "First Look Brendan Fraser in Indian Drama 'The Field'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Nordine, Michael (16 June 2016). "Brendan Fraser to Star in Bollywood Thriller 'The Field' as a Gun-Running Villain". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Review: Brendan Fraser sparks Indian crime drama 'Line of Descent'". Los Angeles Times. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Film Review: Line of Descent is a dramatic tale of crime and atonement". Arab News. 16 February 2019. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Emirati 2021 Weekend 4". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.