2013 Indian film
Table No. 21 is a 2013 Indian Hindi language thriller film directed by Aditya Datt and produced by Eros International. It is named after Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which talks about the protection of life and personal liberty.[2] The movie features Paresh Rawal, Rajeev Khandelwal and Tina Desai and touches upon the pertinent social issue of ragging. The movie's soundtrack was composed by Gajendra Verma, Neeraj Shridhar and Sachin Gupta.[5] The film performed above average at the box office.[4]
Plot
Vivaan Agasthi is married to his college sweetheart, Siya. The couple struggle to make ends meet when Vivaan loses his job. The couple wins a trip to the beautiful island nation of Fiji in a lucky draw. The holiday is fully sponsored, with luxurious hotel accommodation and fine dinners. The duo flies to Fiji to celebrate their wedding anniversary and encounter the charming Mr. Khan at the resort. Mr. Khan invites the couple to participate in a live game show called Table No. 21. He tells them that the winner of the game bags a staggering amount of ₹210 million as prize money. He outlines the rules which are eight personal questions asked that must be answered truthfully, and following this, one must complete a task related to the question. The couple decides to enter the game show. At first, the questions seem easy, but as the game progresses, the tasks become increasingly horrific connected to their college life. Many murky details emerge, such as Vivaan slapping Siya for aborting their child without his consent, and Siya sleeping with her boss to keep her job. Vivaan's final task is to murder an individual. He is led to a room, where he is to face his target. When he sees the person he must kill, he recognizes him from his past. A flashback shows Vivaan and his friends ragging a boy, named Akram. The ordeals that Vivaan and Siya had suffered were based on the same ordeals that they inflicted on Akram. The severe bullying compelled Akram to approach the principal, but Vivaan and his friends captured the latter before he could complain. Vivaan stripped the hapless Akram naked and tonsured his head while filming the act. This humiliation caused Akram to become mentally challenged. Back in the present, it is revealed that Akram is Mr. Khan's son and that Mr. Khan's intention was to exact retribution from Vivaan and Siya for reducing his son to an empty shell. It is implied that Mr. Khan had already murdered the other bullies of his son. Mr. Khan tells them that they are free to go but their sins will follow them everywhere. The movie ends as Vivaan and Siya are still shocked – crying and regretting their choices.
Reception
Critics have praised the story but have criticized the way the issue of ragging is kept under wraps.[6][7]
Indiaglitz.com says that "Table No. 21 keeps you engaged right from start to the finish. If the beginning portions are frothy, middle portions turn thrilling, post-interval is dramatic and ultimately the narrative turns dark before reaching a shocking end."[8] Ankur Pathak of Rediff.com says that "Table No. 21 should be watched for the reactive social commentary that it is and should not be misconceived as a vigilante film." Rated it 3 out of 5 stars.[9] Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India rated the film 3 out of 5 stars.[10] Mansha Rastogi of Nowrunning.com says that "Table No. 21, although may not be a completely out of the box, never before concept but it's the execution of the story and the acting that makes this film a one-time watch."[11] Prasanth of Movieorange.com says that "Table No 21 is an excellent thriller, with a good message." Rated it 8 out of 10.[12] Over the years the movie has been considered a cult movie for its unique concept.
Box office
Upon release, Table No. 21 saw a slow start at the Box Office in its first week. It collected ₹157.5 million net over the weekend, while the four-day collection was approximately ₹67.5 million net.[13] The movie earned ₹101.0 million in the first week of its release,[14] and after a two-week-long run, 2013's first release stood at a total of ₹121.0 million in India and ₹180.0 million worldwide.[15]
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