BUDDHA IN A TRAFFIC JAM is a balanced political drama that shows the reality of India suffering from various crimes. Also, in ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’ we loved the ideas Vivek brings forth but we are not in love with them. It lacks outrage and treads familiar ground but it lacks artistic merit. As far as performances are concerned, the characters played by Mahie Gill and Anupam Kher very well showcase the sincerity that is needed for their role. All in all, we are glad that Vivek Agnihotri brings us an untouched issue of the hidden war going on in the country -- between naxals and the tribals, a race for supremacy over the other in dark areas hardly touched by civilisation. But for those who have a poor knowledge of issues such as Naxals in India and their motives, can give this movie a miss. 

It is tricky to make a balanced political drama that holds a mirror at the ugly realities which plague India. Director Vivek Agnihotri smartly raises all the right questions. Finding his muse in socialist thinking, his narrative unravels the workings of the volatile Naxalite Movement which functions aggressively in the sinister underbelly of society. In second half, the film loses plot. Heroes turn into deceitful villains and Maoists are thirsty for the blood of a young college-goer who is practically of no consequence to them. Vivek wastes far too much time in vilifying the Naxal soldiers as anti-social elements. His limited knowledge of the issue is evident from the tendency to overfeed information. By the climax, Vivek is fumbling to put across what he set out to say. The film ends on a hurried note, never offering a plausible solution to any of the listed problems. While Arunoday (despite his jarring accent) and Anupam Kher are good, the flimsy story fails them. Quoting from the film, the best thing that can be said about Buddha in a Traffic Jam is that we love the ideas Vivek brings forth but we are not in love with them. It lacks outrage and treads familiar ground.