Mogul Mowgli

An up and coming Asian British rapper living in the US gets a break to support a well known artist on tour, he gets the chance to return to his home prior to the tour and has a seizure.

In the hospital it is confirmed he has a serious auto immune disease.

Good story but too many hallucinations which don't seem to link well to the storyline.

Great acting from Riz Ahmed.

This movie could have been much better exploring more the issues with girlfriend, career, manager and family.

Ending pretty much left in dark.

When your day to day life revolves around doing something that you have a devout passion for there could be nothing worse than that particular lifestyle being put at risk by something so cruel as an illness of some sort.

In Bassam Tariq's Mogul Mowgli, Riz Ahmed plays Zed, a British-Pakistani rapper just about to start his first world tour before being struck down by an autoimmune disease that threatens to derail his big break.

Tariq delivers a rather intimate tale of a talented man's life that comes crashing down around him all while trying to reconnect with his family back in London. Finding a path in life that has led to a career in music is one that Zed's family don't fully approve of so the two colliding when his illness takes holds leads to a real sense of claustrophobia as Zed struggles to come to terms with the impact it will have on his life.

This is realised in some trippy dream sequences littered throughout that haunt Zed and emphasise the panic he's facing internally with some choppy editing and some very decent rapping. Listen out for Pussy Fried Chicken, a dead cert for the Oscar for Best Original Song for sure.

Riz Ahmed leads the film with an exceptional performance that spans from confident musician about to get his big break to a shell of his former self, vulnerable and frail as the illness sets in and leaves him questioning what future he is set for. This is very much a film for Ahmed to showcase his talents and he truly excels on every level.

It's kicked off LFF for me in a great and surprisingly emotional fashion so make sure you seek this one out upon release.

Riz Ahmed takes front and centre stage in 'Mogul Mowgli,' a film he co-wrote with director Bassam Tariq. The movie plays more like a stream of thoughts than a thoughtful discourse about issues of identity and cultural and religious heritage. It also borders on being too strange when it uses disorienting editing, Islamic symbolism, and surreal imagery on such strong subject matters, but never realised to the fullest extent. Still, bolstered by a captivating performance by Ahmed, 'Mogul Mowgli' is a deeply emotional and personal outing that affects in an unexpected way, opening possibilities of vulnerability and the examination of selfhood.

Movie night with Iris.

This has the feel of 1980s Film on 4 and a bit of Donnie Darko. Riz Ahmed leads with a performance that is his most personal and affecting yet. This tackles questions of family, identity, religion, integrity and illness in a way that never feels forced. It's an engaging, heartfelt rumination that feels very personal but emotionally hooks you from the first bars.

It does look cheap, and that can be jarring at times. However, it mostly hits the right emotional beats. Mogul Mowgli is a gripping, emotive and thought-provoking examination of British-Pakistani culture.

A very uncomfortable watch. The way it was directed was not exactly up my alley. While the writing and story itself really worked, and it also caught me what the film represents, I really had some issues with several creative decisions to tell that story. The positive thing is Riz Ahmed! When does Hollywood finally recognize his huge talent and uses it more effectively than supporting roles in blockbusters. This guy is phenomenal in the role of a parkistanic DJ who developes a sickness that not only destroys his career but also his view at life. The film has many things to tell, first its the struggle with that new illness and the constant inner struggle of the leading characters believes and traditions. Ahmed is awesome how he handles this material, also written by him and director Bassam Tariq. Also the performance by Alvy Khan is absolutely noteworthy. Riz Ahmed also proves himself as a very talented rapper. The films structure is generally fine, except for those imaginary scenes that really are often not easy on the eye, because of the sloppy editing, but the way the protagonists faces all his challenges is extremely well portrayed.