2017 · Film
Newton
Amit V. Masurkar's black comedy in which a rule-bound government clerk, played by Rajkummar Rao, is sent to run a polling booth in an insurgency-hit Chhattisgarh forest.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Newton is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Nutan Kumar, who calls himself Newton, is a junior government clerk with a stubborn belief in doing everything by the book. When the officer assigned to a remote polling booth falls ill, Newton volunteers to take his place on election day. The booth is deep in the jungles of Chhattisgarh, in an area troubled by Maoist insurgents and guarded by weary paramilitary troops under Assistant Commandant Aatma Singh. With fellow polling staff and Malko, a local election officer, Newton sets out to hold a free and fair vote among villagers who have little idea what the election is for.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A short, dry political satire at under two hours, good for teens and adults who like humour drawn from everyday bureaucracy. It is rated U/A and has armed security forces and the threat of insurgent violence, but little on-screen bloodshed.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Newton is the second feature by Amit V. Masurkar, who co-wrote it with Mayank Tewari. Manish Mundra produced it under Drishyam Films, and Eros International handled the release. The film had its world premiere in the Forum section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017, where it won the CICAE Art Cinema Award, and it opened in Indian cinemas on 22 September 2017.
It was selected as India's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. At the 65th National Film Awards it won Best Feature Film in Hindi, and Pankaj Tripathi received a Special Mention. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards it won Best Film (Critics) and Best Story from eight nominations. Rajkummar Rao won Best Actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Wikipedia reports a budget of about ₹10 crore, and Bollywood Hungama puts its India total at about ₹15 crore.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Black comedy, Political drama
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Amit V. Masurkar
- Cast
- Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Raghubir Yadav
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Newton in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Newton is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Newton in Hindi?
- Yes. Newton is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Newton suitable for children?
- Newton has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Newton?
- Newton runs for 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).