Mogul Mowgli Parent Guide

With its venues, talent scouts, and record executives, New York is a great place to be for an aspiring British-Pakistani rapper like Zed (Riz Ahmed). He’s struck it lucky and is about to go on a major tour which should give his career a boost. Before it begins, he decides to stop in London and visit the family he hasn’t seen in two years. While in London, Zed starts to notice some weakness in his leg, which then spreads throughout his body. Doctors inform him that he’s suffering from a degenerative autoimmune disorder that requires immediate attention…attention that’s going to prevent him from going on tour.

Now, while Riz Ahmed just picked up an Oscar nomination for his performance as a musician with medical problems in Sound of Metal, this is a very different film. Mogul Mowgli is focused primarily on Zed’s cultural identity, his struggles with his family, and intergenerational trauma. As immigrants to the UK in the wake of the 1947 Partition of India, Zed’s family has plenty of trauma to go around – even without dealing with racism and prejudice after their arrival.

This is an ambitious movie, one that moves beyond the standard tropes of musical films. The script explores big, emotionally fraught, and complex topics. Since I’m far from an expert on either Pakistani history or racism in the UK, I’m don’t feel qualified to judge how well the movie addresses them. But from what I do know, it’s apparent that the filmmakers managed to explore multiple aspects of these issues without killing the pacing or making the film too complex or abstract to follow.

Given its deep topics, Mogul Mowgli clearly isn’t aimed at family audiences – and the five dozen sexual expletives are yet another reason to keep this flick away from kids. I also doubt that young viewers have much interest in films quite this cerebral or introspective. In addition, I caution non-Brits that you may want to watch this on a platform with subtitles. The non-English sections are captioned, but Ahmed’s London accent can be difficult to track when he’s rapping.

If the movie’s complexity doesn’t scare you off, I can recommend Mogul Mowgli for adults who enjoy serious drama and can tolerate lots of swearing. The film can be challenging, but it’s worth the mental effort it asks you to invest. The production is rich with culture and symbolism, and provokes thoughtful discussion. And if that doesn’t interest you, then the performances from the cast will. Trust me on this one.