A masterful oneman show

writes out an SOS sign using toothpaste; sets clothes on fire to signal for help.

The silence that greets his attempts is claustrophobic. He might as well be buried alive.

Siddharth Diwan’s cinematography is masterful in the way it restricts your field of vision, juxtaposing inner frenzy with an outer world where everyone is on auto-pilot.

The minimalism of Motwane’s sets and storyline make the anxiety and desperation palpable.

It also means that the onus falls on Rao to keep the viewer engaged. He brings a great degree of talent and authenticity to Trapped.

After Gangs of Wasseypur, Shahid and Aligarh, this is not much of a surprise. There are occasional dips in momentum, but his performance stays strong.

He pulls you into his silent battle. As he tries one thing, then another, you realise you’re really rooting for him.

It’s not a survivor tale. There is little by way of heroism. It’s an intensely personal story, but that’s exactly what keeps you hooked. Trapped is a defining film for Motwane. In its use of a small canvas, and its use of silences, it is braver than his acclaimed earlier films — Udaan and Lootera. It’s a sign that he himself is still hungry, honing his talent. The fact that there’s no interval? That’s a stroke of