rangdetumpy Reviews

Rukh (2017)

A slice-of-life thriller that has tells a story seldom told in Hindi cinema

[28 October 2017]

Debutante Atanu Mukherjee breaks the concept of genre and gives a slice-of-life thriller Rukh. It's a story about a unhappy family and its predicaments. In the mold of a thriller the film follows a trajectory which scares you, makes you angry and then out-of-sudden you feel strong, then finally embracing tears of love and sacrifice. At core it is also a tale of greed and fragility of friendship but I won't tell about it more as that will give away the plot. But honestly, this is one rare Hindi film that showcases the fragility of friendship,unlike the "Yaarana" utopia depicted in mainstream Hindi cinema.. Also, there's a heart-warming tale of a father-son & how far a father can go/tries to give a better life for his offspring/family..Well, this is one area which is alien to me in my real life. So those who have experienced such a phenomenon may like it more. Mukherjee (& co-writer Akash Mohimen) keeps Dhruv at the front and along with him the mystery gets unraveled. The characterizations are top-notch. And then there are the fine performances – Manoj Bajpayee yet again; he is surely the most under-rated actor today. He gets able support from the dependable Kumud Mishra, Marathi actress Smita Tambe & Adarsh Gaurav (who is superb as Dhruv. After Mom & Rukh he is surely a talent to look for)... Rest is done by my favourite music director Amit Trivedi (& Sidhant Mago - lyricist) with two adequate songs which completes the film. Also, cheers to Sanglap Bhowmik (editing) & Anjo John (background score). While the end of the film celebrates "hope", I hope that this film gets recognized by its target audience over the period of time.

Dear Zindagi (2016)

Dear Zindagi is like a therapy..What an Experience!!

[25 November 2016]

Dear Gauri Shinde,

Thanks for gifting us a story where the journey is more important than the destination. One needs courage to make an intrusive film on a young individual's internal complications and involve us in her expedition. Eventually the therapeutic route engulfs us to an extent that we start our quest for happiness within our imperfection existence. And therein lies your success, your ability to convey some simple yet deep statements about Life without striking with a sledgehammer to prove your point.

And thankfully there's no excessive drama – what a beauty!! Yeah, the narrative is verbose but those dialogues are so free flowing and real. Many a times I didn't feel like watching a movie.

Thanks again, for gifting us Dr Jehangir "Jugs" Khan. A life-mentor like him around can prompt any soul to sing "Love you Zindagi". Lots of thanks for giving Shah Rukh Khan a scope for a restained performance. His gentle, calm aura is infectious. And it seems Alia Bhatt can't go wrong... Dear Zindagi belongs to her and it is yet another triumph for this young talent. Also, convey my note to your casting director for the flawless casting (one who played Jackie is my fav), Laxman Utekar for the cinematography & Amit Trivedi (ofcourse). The protagonist's issues are very urban centric and the decision to release it only 1100 screens is spot-on.

Be it problem of house wives or millennial, you seem to hit the right chords... These two beautifully crafted slice-of-life films surely make you a sought after director in my list.

A heartfelt film with all heart & heart……and the statement on parenting..

Yours thankfully, An ardent (& momentarily happy) cine-lover

P.S : "you and only you is the teacher of your School of life" - a much required statement that should flow into our psyche....

Pink (III) (2016)

Pink is a social movement that should be accepted with open arms and use to improve society

[17 September 2016]

Pink is not a film and this is not a review..

A dialogue from Rang De Basanti – "Koi Bi desh perfect nevi ho ta hai..use perfect banana parta hai" – and for that one needs to change the various aspects of societal mindset. #Pink is not just a film but a statement against this prejudiced, hypocritical feudal societal fabric that can't handle modern-thinking women.

Two major point raised without being didactic:- 1.Stop being judgmental. A modern working woman who wears short (I would say more comfortable in this humid climate) clothes or one who parties & drinks or one who is friendly doesn't mean SHE IS AVAILABLE. SO STOP LABELING HER..

2.Most vital point – NO MEANS NO..She can be your friend, GF, sex-worker, even your wife : NO means No. I am sure even most educated men won't get this point but I hope they does..

Honestly Shoojit Sircar (who is synonymous with quality films Vicky Donor Madras Cafe Piku) & debutante Dir Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury should be applauded for The Film Pink as it has the power to change mindset. Hope Pink is watched at a large scale, start a debate and inspire young adults. Going by the reactions all over I guess the movement has just began, that is Power of Great Cinema.

Kudos to Amitabh Bachchan to be part of such a topical film demanding respect.His acting and choice of films are getting better and better with old-age..This issue was necessary to be told and his name would increase the audience base. Tapsee Pannu and Kirti Kulhari are a revelation. Their pain reflects the voice of majority of Indian women who have to face ordeals even in the busiest of streets in our country. Angad Bedi is so authentic that you will hate him. Debutante Andrea Tariang is effortless. And can Piyush Mishra & Dhritiman Chatterjee go wrong in any role? Pink is indeed a taut social thriller which needs your attention.It is taut and gritty and it establishes its plot-points effectively keeping the tension intact. And while doing so it makes evident points against the society. The court-room sequences in the 2nd half is tremendously superb. As a cinema it is Talvar of 2016 albeit with a straight plot-line.

Btw, Do watch the end credit..

Phobia (I) (2016)

Phobia Is A Gem Of A Psychological Thriller That Defies All Genre Stereotypes..!!

[29 May 2016]

There are good films and there are great films but few films have the potential to change a genre or start a new one. "Phobia" is one such gem of a film that demands your attention and might just be the game-changer in the space of psychological horror thrillers in Hindi cinema. The film's taut narrative neither ignores viewer's intelligence nor does it test their patience.

The film open with a famous quotation of Franz Kafka, "A cage went in search of a bird" and you're in for a roller-coaster psychological ride. The quote merges into a painting with that of a hand in the left side of the frame trying to reach out for help while half a dozen of hands are trying to rescue him from the right side of the frame or are they? This picture coupled with Kafka's quote quite sums up the whole film which revolves around an upcoming painter Mahek who is suffering from acute agoraphobia (a fear of open spaces). To accelerate her healing process her well-wishers thought that a change would be beneficial thus Mahek gets shifted to a used but empty apartment. But the apartment has its own story which results in her getting trapped from outside as well as within. Initially the whole setting seems like a typical Hindi horror film but as the film moves ahead you will be stunned at the smartness of Pawan Kirpalani's execution. Believe me "Phobia" is something which you have never witnessed in a Hindi horror film. Nothing is what it seems and the atmospheric horror is devoid of any cheesy sequence. Phobia terrifies you with its creepiness and when you think you know where it is heading it surprises you. There's an unexpected quirky pr-climax which lightens the mood only to take you to a gory but impactful climax that gives an apt closure to the first two acts.

For reading the full review please check this link:-

http://bit.ly/1sVrVEu

Aligarh (2015)

Aligarh is a moving critique of a homophobic invasive society that tries to control the lives of others.

[27 February 2016]

In one of the moving scenes towards the end a tired old man fighting for his right and dignity sadly tells his journalist friend, "soch raha hoon main Umrika chale jayun. Udhar mere Jase log chain Se re-he sakte hai". That sentence takes me back to my formative years when different sexual orientations were not openly discussed & acknowledged in the society. It was a time when a slightest trait of homosexuality was ridiculed. With time and experience there's many like me who have evolved and understood what freedom is but sadly a large section of the nation are still cocooned in a regressive time wrap. Aligarh is a poignant critique of such a homophobic invasive society that tries to control the lives of others.

Hansal Mehta should be appreciated for choosing a film on real-life academician Dr Ramchandra Siras who was denied his job in the Aligarh University due to his sexual orientation. They left no-stone unturned to make his life a living nightmare. The film gives a harrowing picture of the grudges of an illogical moss-back community thrown to a sensitive man who was full of love and poetry. Beyond this sensitive issue credit goes to Ishani Banerjee (story) & Apurva Asrani (screenplay) for making a heart warming commentary on loneliness and desire for love. Mehta's film has a certain pace which is in-sync with Dr Siras – calm, soft and poetic and the dialogs add on to the mood. One of my favorite dialogs is when Dr Siras calmly reacts to the word "gay"- "koi mere feeling KO 3 aksharon mien kaise samjah sakte hai". Brilliant!! The courtroom sequences on the issue of moral policing deserves attention. Within my limited understanding of this medium I can confidently say that Manoj Bajpayee's portrayal of the ordeal of the real-life professor shall go down as a landmark performance in the history of Hindi cinema. What a fabulous actor!! Rajkumar Rao is another great talent who gave an able support to Bajpayee.

Like last week's Neerja we got another film on a real-life hero : Dr Siras, a social martyr who fought for a cause - for individual freedom & the right to live one's life respectfully.

If possible please support the film & the cause behind it..

Neerja (2016)

A gripping heart-warming tribute to a brave soul - Neerja Bhanot

[23 February 2016]

In one of the tensed sequence Neerja Bhanot's screen mother tells her sons not to cry as tears are gateway to negativity.. Sadly most of us are not as brave as Neerja or her parents and even though certain "kaka" (Neerja's favourite) would have hated tears I went moist eyes watching the film.

Neerja Bhanot is a gripping heart-warming tribute to a young brave soul who was no less than a super-hero. For those uninitiated Neerja Bhanot was a head purser in the ill-fated Pan Am flight which was hijacked at Karachi in Sept'1986. Neerja gave her life saving 359 passengers and was awarded by India, Pakistan & USA for her bravery. This film that deals with last 16 hours of her life stands out from the flock of recent biopics due to director Ram Madhvani's conviction of the subject and the way he injects believability in the characters that's devoid of a single ounce of melodrama. Now that's the power of great cinema which involves your audience with its narrative as you start feeling for the protagonist. The anxiety of the situation and the claustrophobia is aptly captured by usage of hand-held camera. The back-and-forth narrative adds impact as we get to know more about Neerja and that helps in building up the emotion. Also Saiwyn Qadras' story adds dimensions to hijackers thus making the proceedings interesting.

Shabana Azmi and Yogendra Tiku (already famous as Queen's father) leave strong impact as the helpless yet proud parents of Neerja. The supporting cast is superb especially the terrorists. ‪Jim Sarbh‬ makes a brilliant debut as the hot-headed Khaleel who evokes fear and apathy.Already a popular face in theater circuit he is an actor to look forward to...

And then there's Sonam Kapoor, often criticized for her acting inabilities seem to have hit back with vengeance. And what a performance - she looked and acted like Neerja in every frame and demands all attention, accolades and awards. Her transition from a happy-go-lucky loving adorable daughter to a dynamic calm leader Kapoor had emoted with precision. Fear had instilled courage as Neerja took pointers from her previous failed marriage and words of her father to stand tall.

Surely credit must be given to Madhvani who brought out the best in her. Go for this film and get inspired An exceptional biopic which dares not to add any mas-ala (which even Airlift did)... (Well, am ignoring the unnecessary Maa song in the 2nd half)

Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lam bi nei... Jeeta hai chal jeeta hai chal.. respect!!

Airlift (2016)

A tale of hope and humanity that breaks all political, societal, religious barriers.

[8 February 2016]

To be honest Hindi patriotic films have never hit the right notes of my nationalistic sensibilities. With dollops of jingoism and nation-bashing there's not much meat to stimulate one's senses barring few like (in last few years) Rang De Basanti or a Swades: We the People (though that was filled with utopia). Last year's ‪Baby‬ was sleek but predictably linear. And then we have Airlift.

Can't believe I watched a film with patriotic undertone which actually didn't play to the gallery. The film might have taken liberties from true events but have depicted things realistically. The plight of the 170000 Indians stranded as refuges in Saddam Hussain's Iraq invaded Kuwait could be felt thanks to Raja Krishna Menon's dexterous execution. The film could easily have swayed to tear-jerking melodrama but Menon's deft handling complimented by some razor sharp writing (Menon himself, Ritesh Shah & Sureah nair) prevented the same. The characterizations and their transitions gelled well with the situations.

Technically the film does proved the we are not far behind the west in terms of depicting war-torn cities and Priya Seth gets away with all the brownie points for her cinematography. In a single frame she craft-fully depicted the plight of whole Kuwait city just at the dawn after the dreadful night when Saddam's men attacked it unwarranted. Seth got able support from Hemanti Sarkar whose editing made the film crisp though they could have easily done away with two unnecessary songs in the 2nd half.

Vicky Sidana demands attention for his immaculate casting. Inaamulhaq (who won our heart in Filmistaan) perfectly depicted a ghoulish Iraqi general. Always reliable Kumud Mishra's commendable performance as the helpful government official will become memorable for sure while Purab Kohli touches your heart as Ibrahim looking for his love. Prakash Belawadi's complaining Joseph act becomes repetitive but he hold on to the character till the end. Nimrat Kaur scores another century after The Lunchbox. I particularly liked the scene where she (as Ranjeet's wife) confronts Joseph accuses Ranjeet of negligence.Feryna Wazhier made her graceful presence felt without any dialogues. And then there's Akshay Kumar who gave a performance of lifetime as Ranjeet Katiyal, a headstrong businessman who believed he to be more of a Kuwaiti than an Indian and his gradual transformation over the course of events. He played the main protagonist but underplays his superstar image thus giving a believable act that showed his growth as an actor. We wish to see more Special 26, Baby, OMG, Airlift in his career.

Having said all the film has its share of flaws as the space was slowing down occasionally in an otherwise taut narrative. Also the scope for some drama had been completely ignored by the makers. The climax is somewhat lame which didn't make the impact needed. May be they wanted to focus more on the incidents that led towards the monumental airlift. Yes, ‪#‎Airlift‬ is indeed a proud historical event which demands respect for all the individuals involved, especially those 488 Air India flights and the two Indians - Manumurthy Matthews and Dr Vedi who were instrumental in getting the balls rolling. As per the film Akshay Kumar's Ranjeet Kaiyal is amalgamation of these two characters.

In the end Airlift is a story of triumph..More than that it is a tale of hope and humanity that breaks all political, societal, religious barriers.

Tamasha (2015)

Tamasha is a brilliant critique of modern society that manages to suck away passion of an individual

[29 November 2015]

The film begins with an act of a ‪Tamasha‬ whereby we get introduced to a joker who is laughing at a robot having stuck between Dil & Duniya. The robot symbolizes most of us, our mechanical existence whereby we are killing our dreams each passing day by being unwillingly part of a routine life which we abhor but then we need the money.. The stage is set for another Imtiaz Ali extravaganza ----- On analyzing Imtiaz Ali film we can see he has an inclination towards characters that are aberrations to societal rules and traditions. They are not anti-social or asocial but are non-conformist in nature. Be it mild nature Viren Oberoi from Socha Na Tha or cutely hyper Geet from Jab We Met or rebellious Janarthan from Rockstar his protagonists are different who antics influences their contradictory counterparts thus shaping into an unusual love-story. And for someone like me who distants himself from mushy romance are attracted by Imtiaz Ali's characters who comes across as free-spirited and hatke.

With Tamasha he brings back his non-conformist lead in the form of Ved but unlike Janarthan Ranbir Kapoor's character is an apparently soft- spoken dreamer who is a byproduct of materialistic societal existence. He is bored & wants to get rid of his mundane daily life which brings him closer to a bipolar personality. Well I guess majority of us can connect with him as he webs several stories and lives each of them in his mind. The world of dreams kind of gives him a freedom and there begins a fairy tale journey which culminates into self-actualization with Ved realizing his potential through the eyes of Tara Maheshwari.

Last month Vikas Behl tried to narrate a similar tale but the surreal setting and quirky humour boomeranged. Imtiaz Ali tried the same story but gave it a dark & poetic tone, dealing with the complexities of human emotions. Ali dares to experiment with the narrative as it goes past, present and future as he paints 3 phases of Ved's life. He dexterously uses mirrors and shadows (as props) to reflect the inner conflict of the central character. In several sequences he proved why he is one of the finest directors around. One of my fav is the repeated scenes with cut shots of the following frames - his alarm clock waking him in the morning, brushing teeth, having breakfast, getting stuck in traffic, getting into office lift, swapping his card and settling at his cubicle. The gloominess of monotony and monstrosity of lifeless survival is effectively displayed which probably haunts 90% of those watching the film. Ali deserved accolades for many sequences like the one in an auto which leads to "wattu watu" songs is creative or the one where he confronts his father "lecture" on responsibility and blah blah blah... Ved's blabbering in client presentation or the scene where he confronts his boss. But honestly few frames looked manipulative and the one where his father's heart showed a change in the pre-climax seemed hurried and badly written.

Ranbir simply puts his teeth into the role and proves why he is one of the best actors around. He should be also applauded for choosing this film. The complexity of bipolar Ved comes alive through him and the vulnerability of the character could be felt. Personally I wish this film at least works in the BO to give him confidence to select more bolder scripts. Deepika Padukone is one actress who had simply taken all the criticisms seriously in her early stage of career. Over the years she has improved a lot and after Piku this is another performance for her to cheer. Piyush Mishra's voice has a narrator is an apt one for a script which deals with human ambiguity. A.R Rehman's music, Ravi Verman's cinematography and Aarti Bajaj's editing compliments Ali's vision.

Tamasha is not for those who are looking for a popcorn rom-com, but it is not a pessimistic film either. What make me delighted about Tamasha is that it hits on the plastic "holier than thou" society & urges people never to lose the child within one and try to follow one's heart. I couldn't dare to follow my heart but at least I can surely say that the child within me is very much alive And as the story-teller old man (a brilliant Piyush Mishra in a cameo) confronts Ved he gives a valuable life-lesson - there is no point in cribbing, end-of-the-day it is your own story and you have to find a resolution. Indeed, the pursuit of happiness continues

Piku (2015)

A nice slice-of-life film that lingers in your emotion, motion & all

[11 May 2015]

I must say whenever Bollywood deliberately adds "shit" to the narrative the film turns potilicious (Check Delhi Belly & now Piku – though there isn't any similarity between the two films. ---------------------------------- Shoojit Sircar has a unique relation with bodily fluids. After his successful stint with "sperm" this time he brings in another bodily fluid that takes the center stage. Welcome to ‪‎Piku‬'s wacky family - a crabby father suffering from chronic constipation and his idiosyncrasies, his headstrong yet somewhat eccentric daughter and then there's the weird 3rd individual who wants to get rid of his mother. He offers help to this odd father-daughter duo to drive to their ancestral home in Kolkata; and expectantly it becomes one journey of a life-time. If one observes the characters there's tremendous chaos, confusion, detachment which creates space for the odd humor but within the zaniness there's a sense of love & belonging. Thunderous applause to Sircar & Juhi Chaturbedi to carefully web a simple yet powerful slice-of-life film that breaks societal cliché's & gave us some memorable characters with a strong sense of individuality. Simplicity is an asset which Sarkar possess. And yes the film is a celebration of Indian Womanhood.

With anexemplary star-cast the film holds on to those 120 minutes of running time. Deepika Padukone sinks her teeth into this author backed role.She looks & talked Piku from the first scene. Amitabh Bachchan is rock solid as cantankerous Bhaskor Banerjee. He is a typical egoist Bengali babu with strong sense of right & wrong. Amitabh's accent sounded little forced & fake few times though.Through these two characters Shoojit does highlights how Bengalis are culturally more progressive than many which were thrown in some dialogues too. But the film is not about glorifying Bengalis, the script does have space for an UP-iet Rana Chowdhury who points out the fallacy in normal egoistic Bengali bhodrolok's way towards life. Irfan Khan excels as "Non- Bengali" Chowdhury who forms the catalyst for the transition that happens in father-daughter story. Jishu Sengupta as Sayed and Raghuveer Yadav as Dr Srivastava are quite likable. Moushumi Chatterjee as Mashi is just about OK. The actor playing Bodhan did a commendable job.

Kamaljeet Negi's cinematography captured the mood of moments successfully. And Anupam Roy's music filled those little gaps in the flow.

And by the time the rolling credits appear the audience is submerged into Piku's world, a world which is quite similar to you, me or the person sitting next to you in the dark theatre. And like Bhaskar..err..Bhaskor u'll also start dancing to the tune of "Jibone ki pabona".. The ending of the film is a masterstroke.The film is as satisfactory an experience as clearing your stomach in the morning and obviously life mein Motion mein hi Emotion Go for this one, till then I concentrate on clearing my bowel.

P.S: Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Kangana Ranaut – the leading ladies are showing some good sense in their choice of films than the leading men. Way to go gals!! Looking fwd to Anushka & Kangana

Delhi Belly (2011)

Overwhelmingly Potilicious

[27 April 2014]

Indian cinema is maturing at a faster rate and now even the censor board has boarded the flight of maturity. It's good to see people shedding hypocrisy and becoming rudely real with their dialogs in cinema. Sample this "This girl has given me a blow-job" or "You used my juice to clean your ass" – thumps up to censor board for releasing this without any cut. Delhi Belly is indeed the maiden attempt to elevate toilet humor to another level and probably it is dirtiest, filthiest comedy at its very best.

Delhi Belly is a simple story about three roommates Nitin (Brilliant debut by Kunal Roy Kapoor),Tashi(Imraan Khan) and Arup(Vir Das) unknowingly stuck in a crime whereby a local goon (superb acting by Vijay Raaz) and his henchmen are after them to get back their diamonds and rest of the film is about the trio escaping as the youth anthem bhag bhag dk Bose scores in background.

It is sheer genius of writer Akshat Verma to come up with a Guy Ritchie kind of script. One feels like watching a Guy Ritchie,Tarantino-is cinema with ample dose of Desi tadka. After his disastrous debut "The Game" Abhinay Deo bounced back with this. It is unorthodox kind of cinema at its best which hits all aspects of pseudo morality. The characters are real and identifiable, the ways they speak are shockingly real and so is the execution. There is no pretentiousness or double innuendos but in your face kind of toilet humor brilliantly used in the fast paced narrative. In the opening credit the characters are aptly introduced by mere usage of props as the song "Saigal Blues" plays lazily in the background. With the perfectionist Aamir Khan as the producer flawless execution is quite expected. Towards the climax when the shootout takes place, the slow motion execution seems like an opera with each character's reaction being like that of chords of various instruments in a string ensemble. The concept of return of disco fighter starring Aamir Khan is intertwined wittily with the narrative leading to the hilariously marvelous item song "I hate you (like I love you)" in the end where we see Mr perfectionist himself dressed as Austin power having fun with an intelligently choreographed song.

Abhinay Deo is blessed with a talented technical team starting with a capable cinematographer who brings alive the by-lanes of Delhi. Without glorifying the tourist spots it brilliantly captures the intensity of the city and its true color and kudos to the art department for that. The 96mins pace is aptly edited with the clever idea of no-interval concept thus maintaining the flow with the gradual rise of madness. One of the real heroes of this film is the music and the lyrics. Ram Sampath(the music composer) and Amitabh Bhattacharya(the lyricist) created wonder with the album with Amitabh's magical lyrics Dk Bose is now the anthem of the youth. One of the most creative song since "Emotional atyachaar"(from Dev D) is "jah Chudail". The video of "Jah chudail" is sure to throw one in the floor with laughter. All the creatively outrageously funny songs in the album are used appropriately in the background.

Coming to the acting department, casting director Adoore Mukherjee seems to know his job well selecting Kunal Roy Kapoor (who earlier directed the mind-blowing hinglish comedy "The president is coming") as Nitin who suffers a weak belly due to food poisoning. He is natural and shows oodles of emotions in his face. The other find of this movie is Poorna Jagannathan who is spontaneous and delightful actress. Vir Das and Imran Khan do justice to their roles and so does Shenaz Treasury. Vijay Raaz is a fine actor and while watching his subtle villainous act one wishes to see more of him.The henchmen in Vijay Raaz's gang did a fine job specially the one who played "Bunty".The person enacting the landlord has superb potential in situational comedy films.

Aamir Khan should be applauded again for taking an independent cinema to this elevating commercial level. Previously he supported Peepli Live and Dhobi Ghaat, and now with Delhi Belly he opens a door for more film makers. It is true that Delhi Belly won't appeal to all cine-goers but then it will surely be named as one of the farting cult film in the long run. Hopefully more film makers will explore this territory unabashed. A true Potiliciously hilarious cinema that will be remembered for its content. A cult comedy all the way….

Revolver Rani (2014)

A fresh Tarantinoesque attempt but could have been much better

[27 April 2014]

Indians love slapstick humor but seldom appreciate dark comedy humor though things are changing with a certain segment accepting films like "1:40 Ki last local", "Go Goa Gone", "Shor", "Ishqiya" series (& the few others made recently).

Debutante director Saikabir's Revolver Rani is an unapologetic creatively outlandish, pulp-fiction meets political satire that provides doses of Tamasha. The dark setting, the straight face yet wacky humor in an otherwise intentional loud scenario, witty lines, eccentric music (a masterstroke by new music director Sanjeev Srivastava), crookedly weird verbose villains, unpredictable characters – it is a rightful tribute to the one & only QT. (There's also tribute to Robert Rodriquez – the initial credit & the metallic bra is homage to Machete. There's also a tribute to Scarface in the climax scene).

When was the last time you saw a black comedy based on a shocking female protagonist (that also the leader of a political party) who is neurotic, psychotic, egoist, wicked & even a nymphomaniac. When was the last time you saw a Hindi film where the hero is the toy-boy of the female protagonist. Add on to it there are dozens of eccentric characters like the calculative sex-maniac mama, MJ (who resembles the iconic pop-star) & three weird political personalities. There's a news reporter who uses random Shayeri to describe the situations & she is bound to bring the house down with "Sim Sim pore pore" thing.

Spoilers -

The brutally twisted climax was handled deftly which was kind of cursor to Kill Bill. If a 2nd part is made I hope Rani takes brutal revenge like the Bride & please no more emotions, softness...

Spoiler End

Like Go Goa Gone (of 2013) this was a fresh attempt in Hindi cinema But RR got diluted by the emotional element in the stretched second half. Though needed to inflict conflict, the director outdid the sentiment part while the dark, wacky humor got relegated to backstage. It seemed like the producer had forced the director to add sentimental elements to suit the sensibility of a wider audience.

Kabir has a flair for Hollywood films & knows his art – the use of minimalist light, apt background music, frames depicting layers, one hope he remains consistent next time. Without lifting scenes he took cues from Kill Bill and suitably changed it for Indian sensibilities. He knows the violent region of Chambal and the brutal game of politics prevalent thus instilling realistic flavor to the eccentric proceedings.

He got ample support from other departments. Debutant Sanjeev Srivastava rocks the show with his inspired background music which had retro beats strategically mixed with rock to portray the pulse of the characters. The use of 90s songs used effectively and the use of the siren sound from Kill Bill was a masterstroke. The songs were nice but it hampered the screenplay in the second half.Suhas Gujrati's camera deserves a special mention who lends voice to each of his frames.

With revolver Rani, Kangana stamped that she is miles ahead of her contemporaries as Alka Singh aka Rani isn't an easy character to portray which she dared to do & how. Personally I loved her more in this film than Queen (She was superb there too) but when compared Queen had a softer tone which is generally liked by a larger segment.

Another strong point - Supporting actors like Kumud Sharma, Zakir Hussein, Vir das, Zeeshan Qadri (definite from GOW).. And obviously, the ever talented & extremely choosy Piyush Mishra sir (as Mama). (By the way those who loves his voice, he also sung two songs in the film).

Overall, those who are new to the genre can give it a try. It's like tasting alcohol for the first time, the initial gulp would be heavy & shocking but gradually one either gets use to it or rejects it completely. For the "avid" drinkers like me who enjoys Tarantino (& likes) the film has a rocking 1st half and a superb climax. The initial 45 minutes of the second half diluted the otherwise decent attempt.

P.S: At societal level, let all the unwanted girl child of India turns a rebel like Rani & beat the sh*t out of men in this regressive patriarchal society...

Dishkiyaoon (2014)

A good brainy script which didn't get the execution it deserved.

[5 April 2014]

Actually when you watch something without any expectation & when that surprises you pleasantly (to an extent), you feel like letting people know about it – somehow that's how i felt after watching this film.

This is exactly not a review but just some after-thoughts on the film Dishkiyaaon which indeed had some good moments.

The Pluses – To start with, most of us erroneously judged the film by its trailer. Unlike a regular mindless action thriller, the film actually turned out to be a gangster noir, that had more brains than many of such films being made in Hindi in the recent years.(Not that we often see noirs in Hindi cinema) With a non-linear narrative, the film actually engages you without spoon-feeding, connecting the dots in the end. The action sequences are stylish and the cinematography is superlative. The dark mood & tone of the film remains intact till the end.

Coming to the plot, the film deals with the conspiracies & complex dynamics of the underworld (which is oft repeated) but it is more of character driven (that's rare in Hindi). The psyche of the various shades of grey gets highlighted with the characters. There isn't unnecessary revenge drama or melodramatic angle forced in to attract crowd.

Sanamjit Singh Talwar seems to have a knack for dark gangster films without any diversions in form of preaching morality. Credit should be given to him to traverse an unsafe convoluted path to tell his story. The characters' graph moves in accordance to the script specially the protagonist Vicky Kartoos who from his neglected childhood learnt that Ganghiji's formula doesn't work in today's real world & following which how he started idolising the gangster Tony & gradually winning his heart thus becoming a part of the system. The dialogues written by Talwar are as brutally honest as the characters & most of the times they are impactful.Special mention to this one – Gandhiji said non violence but did anyone listen. If he would have said it at a gun point then everyone would've listened.

In the acting department Prashanth Narayanan (as Tony) & Anant Tiwari (as Rocky Chu****) overpowered all the other actors with their brilliant histrionics. Specially Anant Tiwari who was last seen at his funnier best as geeky Bunny in the superb zom-com "Go Goa Gone",stuns you with the cunning, manipulative evil Rocky. There are able actors like Rajesh Vivek, Dayashankar Pandey, Subrat Dutta, Harsh Chaya, Aditya Pancholi who feels the gap with their limited screen times. Sunny Deol as Lakwa is pleasantly restraint though his accent fluctuates.

The minuses –

Even though Talwar showed potential as a debut director he lacks playing his brush thoroughly & giving it finesse. The execution is unfamiliar and doesn't move in the set track,agreed but in many occasions the proceedings looks haphazard & forcefully convoluted. There are some loopholes in the narrative which gets camouflaged by the slickness of the proceedings. Add on to it, this film deserved a better leading man. Baweja did try his best & looked Vicky in many scenes but overall he lacked the energy & ability to carry the film on his shoulder. Moreover pitted against strong supporting actors he seemed a little let-down. Debutant Ayesha Khanna lacks any acting prowess. Though their romance isn't stretched out yet that came as a jolting halt thanks to their inability to emote.

And even within a limited 2hour running time the film looked a way too long. The script demanded some fine editing. The director and editor tried to give a cool neo-noir look but succeeded only partially. End of the day talwar is No Kashyap, but he has potential & hopefully can come up with a better film next time.

Having said everything, the film isn't that bad as many are addressing. Probably the Anti-Gandhian idealogy didn't go down well with few. Anyways those who love dark gangster films & noirs (like me) go for this one with limited expectation and you might not be disheartened. Don't expect it to be classy noirs like Johnny Gaddar or Kaminey but at least this one is better than Abbas-Mustan's clueless dark thillers.

Overall Dishkiyaaon had a distinctive gun in the hand of a sharp albeit green shooter, a proper frame to aim but somehow it brushed past the target. Finally landing into 6 (somewhat) out of 10 zone.

Ankhon Dekhi (2013)

A Symbolic witty original modern day fairy tale that is nothing short of a masterpiece

[25 March 2014]

(Probably) Simplicity can never be a passé. A whole generation still connects to the "Ta Na Na Ta Na Na" of Malgudi Days. R.K Narayan Ki duniya talked about the real India, some simple people, their life & its ordeal.

Rajat Kapoor's refreshingly eccentric yet gimmick-less (even hype-less) "Ankho Dekhi" is kind of a dejavu of Malgudi Days. The film revolves around Bauji who lives in his own ideological world & believes in inherent goodness of people. But he isn't gullible person & believes only in "Ankho Dekhi". And in a moment of realization he literary sets on to a journey whereby he decides that he will only believe what he can see for himself. From religion to education to even science - Bauji seeks for his own truth, an experienced one. He will come across as a visionary to someone while others might outright reject him as a nitwit. Kapoor webs an authentic image of a regular middle-class household in the surrounding areas of urban India, the still-prevailing joint family & the ego dynamics. His execution is gentle traversing at its own pace much like the ways of Bauji.

Kapoor's narrative talks about many issues in subtle way & he webs in some brilliant situations to express his points. Like the scene where the priest gives "Prasad" (Godly offering) to Bauji, he takes it, have it & then says that the sweet is good totally unaware of the anger of the priest who kept on insisting that it's not a mere sweet, it is godly offering. Then in another accomplished sequence bauji kept on saying that he won't believe in gods until one of them comes & have tea with him which angers the religious fanatic ones. Going away from religion, he even pokes on the education system whereby he establishes the importance of knowledge beyond books. The debate with the maths teacher on how could one assume that two parallel lines would meet at infinity deserves mention. Then the sequence of visiting a zoo to check whether a tiger roars or meows was superlative.

Kapoor got able support from cinematography, editing & music department bringing out the essence of the narrative deftly. And as the masterstroke climax happened I almost jumped from my seat to applaud & that's when the end credit began with the following note – "Thanking my teachers Mani Kaul & Kumar Shahani" (two of the finest film makers of Indian parallel cinema); what a way to give back to his masters! This is indeed one of the finest films from Rajat Kapoor.

Otherwise typecast & wasted in loud comical characters Sanjay Mishra didn't let slip this opportunity & gave his career best performance as bauji. Hopefully his acting potential will be frequently utilized from now on. The supporting cast were tremendous comprising of Rajat Kapoor himself, Manu Rishi, Pahwa, Miya Sarao (who made a striking debut as the daughter of Bauji), Namit das, even stalwart Saurabh Shukla in a cameo.

Without being preachy the premise makes you (makes us) introspect – all of us, lost in the jungle of consumerism are losing our own thought prowess; the power of self experience. As bauji would have said which goes in English somewhat this - Whatever I am saying is my truth, my experience. Don't go by it only as your's experience & truth can be different.(For some reason IMDb is not allowing me to out the Hindi sentence thus have to give the translated version). In this way the film hits the consumerist (And media dominated) culture whereby people are losing their self identity.

Give this movie a try, you will probably come with a thoughtful grin & might set for your very own 'flight of fancy" (as Masand said).

(Sadly this witty original film got overpowered by ghostly baby dolls & their gang of marketing terrorists..)

Dedh Ishqiya (2014)

It will be a cult classic in near future

[11 January 2014]

Like Khulujaan I am also a patient of love, in love with Good cinema & was thirsting to see a good Hindi cinema for the last four months. Finally my thirst got quenched by Dedh Ishqiya.

What was expected from this sequel (or predecessor as one of my friend rightly pointed) – the likable camaraderie between Khalujan & Babban; impeccable comic timing of Nasseruddin Shah & (under-rated as always) Arshad Warsi; dark quirky humor; shayerana Ada; katilana femme-fa tale; crime amidst rustic old-world romance; manipulative characters... You will get to see all of these, probably dedh goona zyada (1 n ½ times more)...

&

This stylishly written twisted comic thriller scores with its absorbing narrative & well edged characters that keep you hooked to the proceedings & there's rich cinematography to compliment it. With the plot revolving around poets wooing the begum you can blindly expect some captivating sher shayaris & the film scores here as well. Luckily for the ignoramus lot (like me) SUBTITLES were thrown in to grasp the "lufth" of the Urdu mehfil.

The dialog by Vishal Bhardwaj are wacky & intelligent as the Characters wittily play with words; nowadays that's something as rare as searching for logic in a 200cr film. Kudos to Bhardwaj & Abhishek Chaubey for the screenplay; & obviously Gulzar Saab for the lyrics.. The background music is one of the most effective ones in any recent Hindi films.. Prasad' editing & Pande's cinematography worked magically just like Khulujan-baaban (or Para-Muniya) combo that uplifted the mood of the film.

And yes this time you have two Begums with the power to bring out a shayer in every Men with no hormonal infirmity... Madhuri Dixit - Nene & Huma Qureshi, ufffffff!!!!!! (And Madhuri mesmerizes in two dance sequences)... Both of them did justice to finely written strong female characters that's also an aberration to usual stuff served to us off-late. The lesbian angle depicted through shadows was a masterstroke... Mr Chaubey, looking forward to see more films from you...

Naseeruddin & Warsi are rock solid as usual. Manoj Pahwa & Salman Shahid gave commendable support in their respective cameos.

And then there's Vijay Raaz , one of the finest & under-utilized actors of Indian cinema who seemingly lighten up in every scene as Wannabe Nawab Jaan Mohd.. If he would have been in the west then Coen brothers would have surely lapped him...& academy would have been waiting for him..

And talking about Coen brothers, the film does seem to be heavily inspired from their films specially the one where Jaan's henchmen & Khalujan-Babban points guns at each other for the whole night in the middle of a road till dawn breaks in. The two parties parted off only when they heard an assembly prayer coming from a primary school near-by. And the brilliant action sequence in the climax, where we get to hear a haunting classical song playing in the background & things happening in a slow motion. The sequence was a tribute to Coens as well as Tarantino at the same time..

To sum it up I would quote a line from one of the leading Indian critic's review - "Like heady wine, it delivers a welcome kick."..

To all those who complains of dearth of Good Hindi films give Dedh Ishqiya a shot, u might not regret it....This is called "Intelligent Entertainment"...

P. S : The 6th stage of Love is Junoon which is similar to "chutiyapa" as it's followed by Maut..well suicide as some wise guy said...

Robber (I) (2013)

A superlative celluloid painting of love,betrayal & redemption

[9 July 2013]

Love, in its purest and uninhibited form, has attracted many film-makers since time immemorial but somehow the thin line between sensitivity and melodrama gets blurred. "Lootera" is one such attempt which brings out the raw passion in its purest form without being too melodramatic that will go down as a classic in history of Indian cinema.

Story wise Lootera is an uncomplicated linear story of a con-man falling for a lady who is the daughter of a big zaminder in Bengal. The movie is about love, betrayal, redemption and falling in love all over again. It is the execution which makes all the difference. Motwane with his craftsmanship transcends this story into a visual imagery which strikes tune with the chord of audience's emotions. Even the social milieu of 1950s Bengal has been projected with dexterity when Zamnidari system was almost dying out & government devising laws to abolish the whole Zamindari rule. The inner turmoil of losing one's autocratic set-up & the luxuries all of a sudden indeed comes as a jolt & that has been depicted precisely. Even zamindar Roychowdhury at one point of time confesses to Varun about how he grew habituated with zamindari system & how difficult it is for him to shed it now. While Barun Chanda (who made his debut with Master Satyajit Ray's Seemabaddha) gave a commendable performance as the failing zamindar & a father of a lovely daughter; Sonakshi Sinha steals the show as vulnerable yet emotionally strong Pakhi who falls for a young archaeologist & then their lives turns upside down. Her expressive eyes conveyed the mature emotions in earthy fashion which helps to connect with the character that is in dilemma in accepting his lover after being betrayed once. It is often believed that good director brings out the best from all actors. I sincerely want to differ with this & wish to believe this lady is indeed talented with the hope of seeing Sonakshi Sinha doing more films like Lootera. Never expect the Dabbang & Rowdy girl to give such a restrained and mature performance. While Pakhi is a delight to watch, Ranveer's portrayal of Varun (real name is unknown till the end) grows on you slowly. The soft spoken guy with his boyish charm is an easy bet to win any woman's heart & Ranveer did a stupendous job in projecting the same. Like Sonakshi, his character also has layers of emotions which he delivers through his facial expressions and voice modulation albeit in a controlled manner. Vikrant Massey as Varun's friend Devdas Mukherjee & Adil Hussain as Inspector Singh complimented the acting of the lead pairs thus elevating the proceedings. Arif Zakaria, Divya Dutta & Dibyendu Bhattacharya shines in small roles.

... "Silence" plays a crucial role in this epic love story. In real life we often use silence to convey thousands of emotions. It's true that sometimes silence speaks more than words & that what makes Lootera stand out from other films of this genre.

The real heroes of the film are Vikramaditya Motwane & his technical team. After delivering the classic Udaan, Motwane hits the bull's eye with "Lootera". Unlike the dark proceedings of his debut film he chooses one of the most basic emotions called "Love" & merges some thrilling elements to create a brilliant film. O. Henry's short story "The Last Leaf" has been seamlessly merged in the second half which uplifts the sensitive depth of the climax. Shetty's cinematography compliments Motwane's vision thus creating an awesome painting in celluloid. Purulia looked astonishing & the intrigued photography is probably one of the best in recent times. Credit goes to Deepika Kalra for editing the frames effectively. Rarely one witnesses such effective use of Block Shots in any mainstream cinema recently. The detailing in production design & lights needs special mention. Art direction is top notch. There is one particular scene where Varun is suffering from indecision of going ahead with his con job and at the same time expressing his love for Pakhi. As Pakhi enters his room there is a dim light everywhere except Varun's eye which shies away in darkness as if he is not able to confront himself.

There are many such master strokes in the film which needs more elaborate discussion. The film starts with an old story of a king whose life is stored inside a pet bird. The symbolism has been aptly used as Pakhi imbibes the story & start searching for that "pet bird" until she finds it in a Leaf. The leaf symbolizes the gradual decaying of Pakhi's health and the same time Varun's unconditional love for Pakhi that completes his life. Motwane & Iyer's screenplay did justice to Henry's short story while genius Kashyap's minimal usage of dialogs evokes the perfect ambiance for a classic setting.

Amit Trivedi & Amitabh Bhattacharya combo is always superb and then sealed their credibility with Lootera. One of best music of recent times, the setting actually helped in taking the story forward with the lyrics sometime playing the part of a narrator or giving an insight of protagonist's mind. The picturization of the song "zinda hoon yaar" had blown me away completely.

If cinema is one of the greatest medium to tell a story then Motwane knows it better than many of the directors at present whose ideas are contrived. A visual painting, an ode to Love, Lootera is a must must watch for those who are seeking good cinema within mainstream domain. The film obviously wont set BO by fire (neither any of the classics ever did) but will go down in the history as a timeless classic.

Udaan & Lootera–Motwane, Sir take a bow!!Other directors should learn to use colors in films like Motwane does that never looks like Plastic. Encore!! Encore!!

P.S-AnuragKashyap always supports great films.This time along-with him,thanks to EktaKapoor for believing in Motwane's vision & helping him to paint his canvas so beautifully.

Go Goa Gone (2013)

The perfect torchbearer of Zom-com in Indian celluloid; Go for it..it's quirky,zany laugh riot..

[13 May 2013]

Centenary year of Indian cinema started on a positive note with different genres being explored & various subjects being applauded by audience. The scenario is perfect to introduce new genres & the film fraternity did not let the opportunity go waste. With "Rise of the zombie" & "Go Goa Gone" Indian audience was introduced to the concept of Zombie. While the dark zombie-origin film "Rise of the zombie" came without any hype, the Go Goa Gone became an instant rage with its wacky promos.

"Go Goa Gone" is basically a slacker comedy revolving round two friends Luv & Hardik & their frustration with mundane life. Be it girls or respective bosses the need of the hour is a break from the tin & bustle of material existence. When their third room-mate, geeky Bunny, had to go to Goa for an official presentation Luv & Hardik joined in & thus the mad adventure began as the trio attends an under-ground rave party in an isolated island miles away from Goa. Out of the blue, the island became infested with zombies & thus the cat-n-mouse game of survival began.

"Go Goa Gone" follows the typical linear path of any mainstream zom-com film & the writers (Raj, Dk & Sita Menon) did a commendable job in introducing all the basic rules from the zombie-survival rule book. It is a perfect launch pad for the genre to a large Diaspora who're totally alien to the concept. The quirky slacker comedy gelled well with the narrative & sets the mood. The film is a 2 hour laughter marathon. The director duo (Raj & DK) showed their adroitness in making brilliant wacky dark comic films with "99" & "shor in the city". With "Go Goa Gone" they will surely become a known name amongst those who enjoys the tongue-in-cheek kind of humorous films. The film had been given a graphic novel narrative with intelligently divided into three chapters - "go", "Goa" & "Gone". Within the limited budget director duo successfully established the gore & violence involved with a zombie film & took only 2-3 scenes to establish the ugliness of the Living Dead(s) as they pounce on human body eating every ounce of it till the last flesh. A decade ago majority of the audience would have got repulsed by those visuals but with world cinema penetrating every households I don't think anybody would complain (apart from few weak hearted).

The uniformity of film is commendable with sleek editing by Arindam Ghatak. Dan's cinematography is worth mentioning as he translates the whole island into a zombie inflicted territory. Within the comic milieu the fear of unknown lurking somewhere could be felt & the sudden shakiness of camera effortlessly captures the Attack of the Zombies. Along with the pace of the film, the humour has been equally spread throughout the narrative & those are situational thus never looks loud or slapstick. The scenes come alive actuated by hilarious dialogues which bring in a zany flavour to the proceedings (trademark of the director duo). There are many scenes which deserves mention for its execution like the initial scenes revolving around luv & hardik; Luv dumping his two-timing girl friend; their confrontation with Zombies & the confusion as to what those creatures are; Boris explaining the concept of zombies; Hardik being interrogated after having sex with a living dead..etc etc..

The make-up & graphics never looked fake which adds on to the credibility. With heads getting popped-up, bloods flowing like red wine, flesh getting ripped-off the effects are realistic enough to get audience approval.

Sachin-Jigar's music gels with the mood. "Khoon Chus le" has already become anthem for majority of us who hates to wake up on Monday morning & slog our body to the workplace."Babaji ki Booty" is another gem of a song that reflects the mind of a person when one is "high".

The second half might give you a feeling of Dejavu but then majority of zombie survival films moves in this set pattern. Being the first zom-com in Indian cinema the director duo aptly chose the basic concept without making a convoluted plot which might have backfired. There is homage given to iconic zombie film "Night of the Living Dead" to "zombieland" in the second half. The heart of the film reminds you of Edgar Wright's masterpiece "Shaun of the dead".

Coming to the end there is also a social message against usage of drugs.

The actors were in full form & seem to enjoy the madness of the script. Kunal Khemu as the lecherous "Hardik" is spontaneous & spot on. His energy & comic timing is infectious. Vir Das as confused lover boy "Luv" is flawless. Anand Tiwari as geeky mumma's boy "Bunny" is lovable & he has the cute smile which reflects the innocence in his character. The camaraderie within the boys is superb & that helped bringing in the required madness. Saif as the Russian Mafioso "Boris" is in full form & his accented English is a treat to watch. His dialogues "Let's Keel Ded People" & "Main Delhi se hoon bainchod" have already become a rage amongst the youth. Pooja Gupta looked gorgeous & instilled hotness quotient (and never just an eye-candy) in all boys' team.

On the whole GGG is the perfect torchbearer for the zom-com genre in Hindi cinema. Moreover since "Delhi Belly" the audience haven't seen a hilarious smart slacker comedy. GGG seamlessly merged the two concepts (Zombie & Slacker comedy) & made one hell of a mad ride. Go for it - it's a laugh riot.

P.S : There is a hint of a sequel & I am looking forward to some more madness in it.

Ek Thi Daayan (2013)

An engaging eerie supernatural thriller

[21 April 2013]

"..and the chivalrous prince dives down to the bed of the ocean to find the blue fish with a burning red eye.After battling with sharks he could reach to the infamous fish and split its belly with his rugged sword.Thus the deadly power of the monster stored in the fish's belly comes to an exhilarating end.."–As a child we often heard such folklore from our grandparents.With rich heritage of folklore & myths,I used to wonder why Hindi cinema don't explore those terrains while our foreign counterparts have given a whole new dimension to the werewolves and vampires straight out of the folklore of the west.Without broadening the horizon the bollywood film-makers played safe by doing monotonous horror films repeating similar structure(& often stories).Here comes a film that breaks the predefined norms.

Based on a short story by literary laureate Mukul Sharma(Happens to be Konkona's father),talented Vishal Bhardwaj adapts that for a full length film.ETD is a folklore set in urban Indian city.The story is about a famous magician Bobo who is disturbed by his dark,unexplainable,transcendental childhood memories which haunts him often.At a tender age of 11 he read a book on devils & daayans(Witches) which explored the age-old believes on daayans such as the power lies trapped in their "choti"(long braided hair),they need to sacrifice a human child to regain their strength etc. Imbibing those believes the adventurous young mind comes to the conclusion that every building has its own hell & the by pressing "666"(code to hell) the lift will take you there.Nurturing such believes he & his sister meets their new governess Diana whom they presumed to be a witch and has come from the hell of their building.Gradually few uncanny incidences followed by the death of his sister and father further strengthens his believes. Even years after these incidents, images of the past haunts him as he lives in dilemma about the existence of such occult forces.

Debutant director Kannan Iyer got ample support from producer Vishal Bhardwaj as was evident from the dark frames used,which are trademark of Vishal.The film opens with shadowy blue & black frames with Rekha Bhardwaj rendering her voice to the infesting, creepy "Lautungi Mein" which sets the mood of the film.Bhardwaj's screenplay is taut & we are straight away introduced to Bobo's problems in life.With Bobo being hypnotized back to his childhood the audience is in for some creepy ride.With sharp editing by veteran ShreekarPrasad & tilted camera angles by SaurabhGoswami (few long shot to substantiate the lonely creepy feel) did the trick.ClintonCerejo's background score set the atmosphere perfectly.Kudos to Iyer for the extra effort he invested in setting each & every props at Bobo's place and psychiatrist Dr RanjanPalit's chamber. It is one of the rare Hindi films that doesn't use any gimmicks to scare but resorts to characterization & atmosphere to bring out the spooky element which lingers long after the film gets over.The film keeps a realistic feel even within its surreal limitations.The dialogs add in to the proceedings with age-old myths seamlessly getting merged into urban existence. Bhardwaj-Gulzar combo again succeeds in bringing a winning track which complements the narrative."Lautungi Mein" reminds the yesteryears songs from Mahal,Gumnam & with semi-classical tone evokes a earthy horror feeling."Yaaram" is a brilliant composition & these proceedings following the song sequence accelerates the speed towards the somewhat bizarre climax.

Till the climax I was mumbling to myself that ETD is indeed a classic but then cliché final confrontation reminded me of those run-of-the-mills Vikram Bhatt films which made me ponder what would have forced Kannan Iyer to cater to the gallery at the penultimate sequence.The good-versus-evil finale looked misfit in otherwise smart film.Also the big twist at the end could have been foreseen in the first half itself.

Iyer had the opportunity to work with the finest talents in Bollywood & it paid-off successfully.The actresses in the film had made a striking impression especially Konkona(Diana).The role offered her was something which is diametrically opposite to what she had been doing till now & she did complete justice to it.The role will be long talked about in years to come.Huma Qureshi showed her potential with GOW, LSTCK and she continues to impress in this film too.With perfect blend of good looks & talents she will be the one to watch out for in near future.Kalki Koechlin is always dependent & there is no aberration here.Being introduced post-interval her character breaks the monotony of the narrative & brought in fresh angles to the quest to find the 'original' witch.It is heartening to see talented veteran actor Pawan Malhotra, in a meaty role of Emraan's geeky professor father.He exudes the right emotions making the character expressive.Rajatava Datta(a fine actor & a big name in Bengali cinema)excels as Dr Palit,the psychiatrist,who is suppose to act most rational,seems confused about his believes in myths of witches & is as eager to learn the truth.Visshesh Tiwari is marvelous as young Bobo.His histrionics were flawless-an excellent actor in the making.The child actress who played bebo's sister had the charm and innocence to hook the audience to the screen. .And the leading man Emraan Hashmi who has been criticized by critics for his choice of roles till he bounced back with "Dirty Picture",'Shanghai","Ek th daayan" (& now upcoming "Ghanchakkar").In each of the films he explored varied characters & wooed us with his acting abilities.As psychologically disturbed Bobo with a haunting puzzling past Emraan grasped the nuances of the character & delivered a top-notch performance.

ETD is a great attempt in Hindi celluloid albeit a mediocre climax.The entire team should be applauded for the effort to concatenate ancient myths with modern existence & deliver a hardcore entertaining creepy horror film.Good to see concepts like folklore,zombies are explored thus giving us break from the bland taste of formula based Hindi movies.

P.S:For all horror lovers do watch the 2012 Tamil film "Pizza" which is a landmark in this genre for its execution & novelty.

Rise of the Zombie (2013)

A well crafted Zombie-origin film for Indian audience...

[11 April 2013]

Zombie is one such concept which oscillates between two extremes when it comes to audience reaction....either one is crazy about this genre or strongly repugnant to it. From Romero's idea of Living dead to Rodriquez's quirky, pulp zom-com there have been numerous experiments with this genre resulting in a cult following for the same. Totally unexplored in Indian cinema the genre is catching up pace with various releases this year. With a limited audience for this genre majority of the audience has to be educated & then they can acquire the taste for Zombie films which borders between blood & gore.

It was a daunting task for Luke Kenny & his team to come with a serious zombie film & that also one which showcases the gradual transformation of a human to a flesh devouring living dead. The film starts with a camera zooming on to different aspects of nature establishing the protagonist Neel Parker's passion towards photography which is also his profession. Being so involved with himself & his love for wildlife photography he starts getting far away from his emotional belongings – love & friendship but he doesn't seem to get bothered by these "minor" jolts as long as his best companion "Camera" is with him. Thus, after a rift with his GF he moves to some jungle in Uttarakhand & indulge in his passion, where his camera, the nature & his thoughts are his only companions. The serene existence within laps of nature has been aptly highlighted with long footage of Parker's peaceful daily life which gets topsy-turvy with a bite from an "unknown" bug..and there begins the transitional journey from a human to a zombie.

Through the bug bite the director duo straight away hints on a virus being the root cause behind the catastrophe. The transformation at physical and psychological level has been showed with precise detailing with Parker's gradual denial towards human food & growing interest to consume living animals starting with ants.The strive against one's impression with gradually getting transformed into a monster has been depicted with dexterity. Through back & forth narrative we are subjected to the progressive loss of his earlier memory & at the same time snippets from his previous life could be seen. Here audience could empathize with the fate of this man. At certain point the flashback becomes monotonous & scenes getting repetitive which hampers the pace.

Credit should be given to the debutant director duo (Luke Kenny & Devaki Singh) for not shying away from the showing gory part of a zombie's existence. Unlike majority zombie films which focus on group of human blasting away zombie's head to glory; here the focus is on the inner demon as a person gets metamorphisized. From insects to birds to humans the devouring sequences are somewhat graphic which might not appeal to many Indian cine-goers. In one such scene Parker snatches out a heart from a man's body while in another he is squeezing the eye out of the socket from the body of a girl. In fact faint-hearted should strictly refrain from watching this (& those who are still amateurs to cannibalistic films should be cautious).But then those sequences supported with the silent background score creates the atmosphere & ambiance for the eerie setting. Human are most dangerous animal on earth – indeed the cannibalistic sequence have more shock value than any RGV's horror films with screeching background music. Pagiwala's camera captured the essence of the film. From the rejuvenating, calm wildlife to the destructive mayhem scenes are captured effectively. To compliment his camera work the sharp editing & Jhanjhani's make-up did the trick.

Devaki – Kenny duo should be applauded for choosing such a convoluted horror script and then showing it in the simplest way possible. The film also takes a dig at human psychology. At core we all humans are nothing less than a zombie pouncing on other living creatures. At one flashback scene Parker is shown to eat some cooked meat & next moment the camera zooms to blood soaked teeth just after having a bite of a living creature – end of the day the crux is the name. Also the film hints on the bottleneck of today's stressed out existence whereby we are getting distant from our loved ones & turning out to be someone else without having any time to feel, think, love & care.

The film ends with Parker totally transforming into a total flesh eating monster while his girlfriend (in some nearby metro city) sets out in search of him. The story gets to continue with "Land of the Zombie" (to be released in 2014) whose trailer is shown at the end. Here we get to see the whole town turning into a living dead & searching for flesh. In typical western zombie films the humans are few & they have to kill for their own survival.

Luke Kenny did a commendable job with acting as well as direction. Being the captain of the ship he understood the concept & the character to the core which gets reflected in his performance. Towards the end of the film the introvert, quiet, dashing photographer could be seen no more, what is left of him is a flesh eating monster. Kirti Kulhari,Benjamin Gilani,aswin Mushran were adequate in their respective roles.

2013 opens new gateways & brings the audience to a new genre – Zombies or the Living deads. With zomcom "Go goa Gone" on the pipeline we are hoping for varied zombie films in near future & more audience acceptance for this genre. As a starter this zombie-origin film did set the mood even though this one was probably (strictly) for a niche audience. Go for the chilling experience!!!

Special 26 (2013)

Special 26 is a must watch taut, racy, realistic thriller which plays on war-of-wits

[10 February 2013]

With talented directors' innovative bend of mind we are subjected to some brilliant cinema off late (though the 100Cr trashes still rules the marquee).Neeraj Pandey is one of such avant-garde story teller who wooed the audience with his flawless directorial debut "A Wednesday" half a decade ago. After a hiatus he is back and back he is with a Bang! Special 26 takes us back to the era of 80s (not the loud inane "Himmatwala" kind) when things were less convoluted and people still used to have faith on fellow sapiens. In terms of technology life was simpler and people had the time to use their wit to the summit. The film is about an team of four intelligent con men who used to impersonate CBI officer (or Income Tax officer) & raid corrupt ministers, businessmen to loot their "black" money. Their confidence & acuteness gets tested when pitted against equally capable Wasim Khan, a dynamic CBI officer. Therein begins the war of wits which becomes more captivating with the progress of the film. Based on real events it is heartening to see that someone had the wit & balls to con those who are conning the whole nation.

Neeraj Pandey should be showered with awards for this brilliant script which keeps you on the edge. There are many con films being made in India but this will feature amongst best Heist & Con drama made in Hindi so far. Pandey's film is one rare script-based gem that plays on the wit and gives a realistic touch to the proceedings. The detailing used to re-create the 80s deserves accolades. Every city shown in the story gives you the feel of the by-gone era and with usage of orange-brownish colour the tone of the film becomes more accurate. From telephone sets to car to newspaper the effort given in detailing oozes out from every scene. Dialogues like "Ye juicer grinder kya hai" hints on a subtly how mechanical we have become. The brilliant script is complimented with sharp dialogues with layered humour. One master stroke was when Akshay points on so many children of Anupam kher to which he replied that there wasn't any TV for entertainment in those days. At least there we have a reason for this gigantic population of ours ;) The script of "special 26" throws light on why Neeraj took 5years to make his second venture after a stupendous debut & now he stamped the fact that his maiden attempt wasn't a flash in the pan. Special 26 raised the bar & full marks to Pandey for making a commercially viable yet realistic, intelligent racy heist thriller that can proudly rub shoulder with world cinema.

Late Bobby Singh's camera-work coupled with Reddy's art direction brings alive the 80s distinctive flavour with honesty and reality. Narayan Singh's editing gives the edginess to the narrative keeping us glued to each scene. The visual graphics used to recreate the 80s are commendable.

Neeraj persuaded Akshay for the role and he excels as an astute con-man who let his brain speak rather than muscle. It is a rarity for Akshay who sheds his superhero image and gives an earnest performance. (How i wish he does more Speicla26 & OMG rather than the housefull rowdies. Also this film should force Sallu & Devgan to do at least one meaningful film).Manoj Bajpei is one of the finest actors around and we can only expect the best from him- whether it is revenge stricken Sardar Khan in GOW or a upright dutiful officer Wassem Khan in this film Bajpei is superlative. Even when he isn't speaking he is emoting through his posture & expression. Anupam Kher gets a meaty role after a gap & he pounce on to it giving a phenomenal performance. Jimmy Shergill had a strong yet understated character which is of extreme significance to the narrative & he doesn't let you down. As a dismissed confused police officer vowed to unmask the con men he adds more spice to the chat-pata narrative. Divya Dutta shines in an interesting supporting role. Rajesh Sharma is ever reliable and he made his presence felt in a role which is far cry from nutty Tikku mama from "Luv Shuv tey Chicken Khurana". Kajal Agarwal looked good but her character was forced and could have been done away with. The rest of the cast were restrainedly exemplary.

Neeraj Pandey gives a winner again after "A Wednesday" and this is not to be missed. An earnest, honest and realistic heist drama which comes once in a while in Hindi. Good to see brainy films for a larger audience are getting made nowadays. Let us help this superb film to cross the 100 Cr mark to show respect to this kind of films. Indeed a special experience for cine-goers who are bored with typical 'race2' kind of films.

David (I) (2013)

A Visual painting by Nambier

[4 February 2013]

Bejoy Nambier had brought in dark psychological cinema in a sleek fashion & raised the bar with "Shaitan". With "David" he only sealed the fact that he is a consummate artist.

David is about three "Davids" in different places & time-zones & how they are connected by destinies.

David #1-Set in 1975 London, David(Neil Nitin) is the side-kick of an infamous gangster Ghani. A sharp shooter & a Ghani loyalist, David's life takes a turn when some arcane matters regarding his origin comes to surface which challenges his relationship with Ghani.

David #2-Set in the 90s Mumbai David (Vinay Bimani) is an energetic aspiring rock-star who aims big. Like any regular guy he loves his family even though there is an ideological tension with his father who is an incorrigible optimist & a philanthropist. The father-son proximity develops when a Hindu fundamentalist with a sinister motive tries to malign his Christian father to rise up the political ladder by maneuvering "religious" sentiments. The incident gives birth to a new David who takes the risky path to unravel dark societal realities.

David #3-Set in 2010 Goa, David (Vikram) is an inveterate drinker having a sad history of his wife leaving him on the wedding day. From thereon he becomes the object of "bad luck" in his region. With a troubled existence he is in search for true love which comes in form of beautiful "roma" who is the fiancée of his best friend Peter.

The beauty of Nambier's film is the structural & thematic similarity of the three stories that move in parallel. The film starts with a glimpse of the climax and goes back to the genesis of each segment. Each of the stories reflect father-son relationship and the trajectory is thematically same. Each "David" is fighting their inner Goliath as they choose the path of redemption. While "Shaitan" gave us a glimpse of how the darker side have the potential to control human psyche, "David" explores the world of truth & forgiveness amidst dark & unpleasant times. "David" shreds their past anguish, forgives their present enormity & fight against their inner Goliath to shape a peaceful future. That's what makes a "David' stand out from the crowd. He may be alone but not shaken.

Nambier's eye for detailing is tremendous & every frame looks carefully edged out. The unconventional camera angles provided the extra zilch.

The Varughese's cinematography & photography department demands awards for their excellence. The story set in London had the neo-noirish look with sleek black-and-white frames adding in credibility to the gangster story. The action sequences in both the London as well as Mumbai stories are 'choreographed" with precision. Ejaz Gulab's stunt is one of the best in recent times (along with brilliant action sequences of technical marvel "Viswaroop").veteran Shreekar Prasad's editing joins the story sensibly without confusing the viewers. Background & foreground are rocking and gels with the mood of the film adding extra weight to the proceedings. Two men fighting in the cage during "Mastakalander" song is a master stroke.

Nambier & Sehgal's script is apt. The characterization is superb. The idea of David (the one in Goa) talking to his father's ghost is simple out-of-the world. The wacky yet cute sequences of father-son are fresh,honest,touching & funny.

Amongst the actors all the Davids gave a commendable performance with Vikram scoring a little high over others.It is heartening to see a tremendous actress like Rohini Hattangadi getting such a powerful role & as a immoral Hindu fundamentalist she expressed devil through her eyes.Saurabh Shukla, another tremendous under-rated talent impresses as ghost of David's father.Tabu rocked in a significant cameo in a role of a true friend, philosopher & guide of David.Veteran Naseer excels as father Noyal.Neil Bhopalam,Monica Dogra,Shweta Pandit,Shetal Menon made their presence felt. Isha Shravani as Roma seriously looked like an angel.Lara Dutta's track looked forced.

Nambiers film gives a message on the path to righteousness with a captivating narrative.It could have been a superlative experience like "shaitan" but thanks to the dragged second half it misses out from being a masterpiece.Also the stories could have been more compact for more impact. Nevertheless David is fine celluloid attempt which needs to be appreciated for its innovative execution. Looking forward to all Nambier's films in future..

'Spoiler' P.S : Couldn't resist myself from writing about a particular sequence from the film.In the second story there is a discerning sequence which is an eye-opener to the god-fearing society. Like other business "God" has become a subject of business with 'bhagwan",'allah',"jesus" being different brands created by people with vested interests. It is analogous to "undergarments" business whereby people wear their own brands even though all of them are the same thing. Like depicted in "OMG" those people have no religion & they manipulate religion for their own benefit. In the process the common man knowingly or unknowingly suffers.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013)

A political satire with absurdly amusing characters...

[13 January 2013]

With Vishal Bhardwaj behind the camera one can expect something new in the offering. This time Bhardwaj goes the quirky humor path with a socially relevant subject. Even though Indian politics & old lunatic politicians could be the maximum source of entertainment, for some reasons they are not utilized to the fullest. Bhardwaj-Chaubey's script is one such rare political satire that deals with land scam – a perennial problem pan India.

The film begins with a weirdly catchy shot with a limousine being parked in a farmland in front of the local wine shop. The limousine accelerated to bump into the stall as we get introduced to Harry Mandola, the millionaire & his affinity towards "Gulabo beer". He personifies "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" being the Good Samaritan when he is drunk but during his steady state he is an authoritative, manipulative businessman who is planning to take away the land of the farmers for personal gain. To add to it there is the corrupt minister with her sinister ambitions to climb the ladder of politics through tactful alliance with Mr Mandola. All plans goes awry as Mandola under his uncontrolled drunk state forced the farmers to start a revolution against him.

Vishal Bhardwaj takes a different route from his usual dark psychological themes and tries to explore the capitalist exploitation of the affluent & the wrong usage of power. Mao Tse Tung is symbolically webbed into the narrative hinting on communistic ideology as the shadowy "Mao" helps the farmers in their fight to get their land back. Bhardwaj-Chaubey's script is wacky,zany at times surreal that doesn't become overtly didactic. There are ample sequences (especially in 1st half) which have the mark of genius Bhardwaj. The scene where Mandola & Matru are trying to pull a Well away from their path in a drunken state reflects the existential struggle of the farmers of the society. They provide us with the ingredients to survive but we tend to ignore their significance, while the politicians are up to their own games. The serious subject has been absurdly camouflaged with utter sincerity. The dark humors are well placed. One of the finest sequences involves the gathering of the politicians as they take up their wine glass & lustfully shouts "Kursiyan" (chairs of political power) instead of "Cheers". From Zulu tribe to UFO, Bhardwaj incorporated everything that can add in to the madness- with master touch being the creation of Gulabi Bhains (Pink Buffalo) which plays a crucial role in the film. The dialogs are exemplary with unique twisted take on common proverbs. Sample this "tumhare ghar mein Mao Lenin nehi hai kya". Karthik Vijay's cinematography helps in portraying a real & surreal world which gets blended by perfect editing of veteran A Sreekhar Prasad. Vishal Bhardwaj music is always different and here also his music gels with the mood. Gulzar seems to have enjoyed a lot penning those quirky lyrics. Seldom has he got the scope to write such interesting lines like "oye Dolli Dolli Dolli, meri vitamin Ki goli". I am sure he must have been bored to death writing the typical romantic songs for JTHJ and with MKBKM he embraced air of freshness.

The pillar of the film, veteran Pankaj Kapoor as Harry Mandola, is rocking. He effortlessly slips into the role and took "Split personality" in Bollywood to another level. He again showed his versatility and proved why he is considered amongst the top actors of our country. Imran khan was easy on eyes and tried his best to do justice to the complicated role of Hukum Singh Matru. Hopefully his acting prowess will get noticed with this one. The role of bubbly Bijli is tailor-made for Anushka Sharma and she didn't miss doing justice to the confused daughter of rich father suffering from "Meena Kumari Complex"(as coined by Matru). Shabana Azmi made her presence felt with her lecherous act of climbing the ladder of success. Another fine acting talent of Indian cinema, she showed her spontaneity in the sequence with her son where she is explaining her motive behind the thirst for "power". Arya Babbar surprisingly leaves impression as Azmi's stupid yet calculative son "Badal" who is trigger to Azmi's success.Navneet Nissan makes her presence felt in the small insignificant cameo.By the way what was Ranbir Shourey doing in that once scene? Lastly, the smile of the "Gulabi bhains" is addictive..Did I mention that I am also hallucinating like Mr Mandola?

On the whole the Bhardwaj should be credited for depicting a clash between communist & bourgeoisie and also dealing with a grave issue like land-scam. Probably this time he wanted to reach a wider audience which can be felt in the 2nd half when things becomes over simplistic & bromide for the entertainment of regular cine-goers. The climax is disappointing by Bhardwaj standards when one looks back & checks his uncompromising brilliant masterpieces like Maqbool,Kaminey,Blue Umbrella,Omakar. Nevertheless even a strictly decent Bhardwaj film is better than most of the Hindi films being churned out recently. Like one can't expect Messi to score in every match it is difficult to expect brilliancy from each & every film by any director. Having said that I feel a Vishal Bhardwaj,Anurag Kashyap,Dibakar Banerjee film should never be missed as they bring something new to the platter.And repeating myself, even a not-so-great film by any of them is better than most of the other Hindi films.

Give MKBKM a chance. There are enough moments that have the stamp of VB. Icing on the cake is the presence of ever reliable Pankaj Kapoor.

Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012)

an intriguing sensitive suspense drama that is not meant for all

[30 November 2012]

When was the last time Indian audience have witness an intriguing noiri-sh suspense drama without any cheap thrills? Probably not in recent times (for starters Kahaani is a suspense thriller). Talaash is one such celluloid experience that will captivate you to the last reel. The film is a dark,complex psychological yet there are layers of emotions which makes it more compelling..Add to this there is an Occult angle to the mystery..

The film starts with a darkish depiction of Maximum city with eerie background music followed by a car coming at high speed which suddenly takes a turn and gets drowned in a river. It is later known that famous cine-star Arman Kapoor died in that car accident (or murder or something??) Inspector Shekhawat gets the charge of the case. At a personal front Mr shekhawat and his wife are trying to come to terms with untimely loss of their son. The two incidences get connected at a point which changes the life of the protagonist. Without revealing the story I can say clearly the detailing is commendable and you can see the dots getting connected.

Reema Kagti in her second directorial venture proved her understanding of this medium and fluidness in handling of complex themes. Talaash is one of the most complex films of recent times with layers to the narrative and characters. At the same time it's a thriller and an emotional drama of a father coming to terms with his child's loss. The emotions and vulnerability of Inspector Shekhawat is genuinely expressed which one can identify with. Everyone of us have lost a near or dear one at some point of time we will (recently I lost my mother) and after that the mere existence becomes difficult. At those moments mind and brains starts behaving weirdly and one starts accepting irrationality which gives one inner peace. Talaash explores one of those phases of life when everything seems at lost yet one has to move on with life. Without giving away any suspense I would say Kagti's (& Zoya akhtar) script webbed in a beguiling suspense drama around that complex phenomenon. Kudos to K.U Mohanan's camera-work (who was recently being part of award winning pulp noir Miss Lovely) brilliantly captured the by-lanes of Mumbai. Mumbai becomes a darker character in this mystery. The fear of danger lurking around the corner can be sensed and it seems no one should be believed. Subaya's editing and Ram Sampat's flawless music add on to the proceeding and help in building the circuitous narrative. Sampat's music is brilliant with Akhtar's lyrics especially "Lakh duniya kahe tum nehi ho" is mark of a genius and someone who have lost a dear one will surely relate to the lyrics. It brings tear to one's eyes as one look back at life. "Jiya lagena" songs has a good video which gels with the fusion music. There are moments which had excellence written all over it like one in which Shekhawat is trying to recall his child's accident and ponders how his way of handling the situation in a different fashion would have saved him from drowning. The eerie background score and blurred camera work in few of the sequences justifies the end when the truth comes out.

The end is heartening which leaves a lump in your throat, yet the urge to watch it again remains. May be in the second viewing one will find another aspect of the story.

Aamir Khan again proved that he is the only superstar who wants to associate with quality cinema. This film doesn't have the regular masala appeal wala entertainment. While all other stars are playing it safe Aamir ensures that his film has some meat which will be remembered down the line. His performance as Inspector Shekhawat deserves awards and accolades. He flawlessly portrays amenability of a depressed soul who has been caught in a web of mystery. His sequences with Rosy showed his versatility as an actor. Kareena Kapoor is effective as escort Rosy. The role is sensitive and something not on the lines of a typical mainstream heroine but Kareena effortlessly fits in it. Rani Mukherjee is just about perfect as Shekhawat's lonely wife. Another actor who steals the show is Nawazuddind Siddiqui as Taimur who has proved his mettle this year with GOW & Kahaani and now this one (Those few privileged soul who got the chance to see Miss Lovely would have already labeled Siddiqui as finest actor of recent times). He is one of the central characters of this mystery and delivered his best. One will remember this character long after the movie is over. Shernaz Patel & Raj Kumar yadav are ever reliable actors and suits the bill. Subrata Sen as Shahsi leaves his mark in a small role. All the other actors did a decent job.

On a whole Talaash is a rare suspense drama which would be loved by connoisseurs of good cinema. This film will open new window to this genre and hopefully more complicated psychological themes will be explored in the near future. One thing is for sure Talaash will be remembered in the long run as a fine cinematic experience that remained true to the style and content till the very end without falling into traps of commercial arena.

Coming to the end of the film there has been criticism from some sectors claiming it to be "unrealistic" but then who told them the film depicts hardcore reality. The film just tells a story of coming to terms with loss and that also a gripping one with usage of "after life" concept to build the narrative. The end is sensitive.With untimely loss of your near and dear one you would feel or crave for some answers as to why "You" and the answer lies within...And in this film Mr & Mrs Shekhawat at least got some explanations in their quest(Talaash)..

Chittagong (2012)

An honest independent film that deserves applause...

[14 October 2012]

Going through the pages of history I used to think that India is filled with rich historical events and characters yet we hardly see them being made into compelling cinema. While foreign countries have churned great cinema out of their history, India has taken the back-seat. Somehow the interesting historical events are never turned into engaging films barring few. With growing empathy towards our own history the film-makers are showing no interest as market value seems to be turkey. Yet there are people like Bedabrata Pain, a genius Nasa scientist who dared to follow his passion making a great film of courageous men who symbolizes triumph of human spirit.Earlier a film made on similar events by Gowariker(Khelien Hum Jee Jan Se) was naive and childish attempt.

Chittagong uprising is an important incident in Indian freedom struggle led by a school master Surjo Sen. The uprising was of more significance as his army mainly consisted of teenage school students thus making more impact in creating a national uproar. But the film doesn't pivot on Masterda neither it's a homage in memorial of all the martyrs involved in it. Instead it focuses on Jhunku who is narrating his experience of the Chittagong revolution and after getting released from Kalapani how he created a movement involving peasants. The film ends with the footage of real Jhunku (in his early 80s) showing the passion and research work done behind making of the film.Recently no other historical film comes close to Chittagong in terms of authenticity and honesty.

Probably one has seen it in Gowariker's version but Pain's execution brings in layers to the characters. Those revolutionaries were but human it the end. They had weaknesses and fear of failures which are captured with precision. The revolutionaries are portrayed as mortal with strong will power and self-belief. MasterDa's characterization is flawless and the strategic depth in the movement comes out effortlessly through the proceedings. The masterstroke of the screenplay (Co-written by Shonali Bose) is telling the whole story through the eye of a boy named "Jhunku". Through his eyes we build an image of Masterda, NirmalSen, Preetilatha and other revolutionaries of his gang. With people already aware of the fate of Masterda, Jhunku's angle gave a fresh perspective for audience viewing. Brownie points must be given to the writers for showcasing the human side of the British officers. Barry John's character shows inner conflict which is too evident from being a family man. Anurag Aurora as Ahsanaullah & AllexO'neil as Johson depicted sadism with perfection.

Pain excels in his directorial debut. His style of execution should be a lesson to film-makers, even those who are directing for over years but still fails to show any spark. The film gives ray of hope to all of us, that making an honest effort is more important than success or failure. After all leaving NASA to make a film on this uncharted territory speaks volume about the person. Pain also got ample support from his technical team. Eric Zimmerman's cinematography is brilliant. The way he had captured the forest terrains helped the audience to visually stretch back to the era of 1920s. With ample support from teams of Production Design (dependable SamirChanda), Costume design (NeelanjanaGhose) and Art Direction ( AmitRoy) the realistic feel of the freedom struggle is aptly created, reliving those days of uprising. Aldo Velasco's editing deserves mentioning. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music flows with the narrative."Ishaan" -nice composition and with the tragic history behind the song one can't help but to admire the spirit of the director who is an inspiration to many.It's difficult to move ahead with life after such a tragedy.

The film boasts of some finest actors of contemporary cinema. ManojBajpayee fits in as MasterDa and again surprised us with his abilities. NawazuddinSiddiqui is getting is due after a long struggle and showing meteoric rise with meaningful cinema. After GOW, Siddiqui sparkled as Nirmal Sen in this film. He is one of the rare actors of current cinema who can emote with his whole body. RajKumarYadav as Lokenath Bal and Jaideep Ahlawat as Anant Singh are superb. All these four seem to carry the energy of GOW (though Chittagong was shot much before GOW). Delzad Hiwale should be given standing ovation for his portrayal of Jhunku who is awestruck by Masterda and gradually becomes part of the revolution. His transformation from a shaky rich kid to a rebel with a cause has been textured with perfection. Another find of this film is Vega Tamotia who played the role of Preetilata has flawless expressions. Veteran Barry John adds human value to Wilkinson who is serving the queen and at the same time is empathetic to Jhunku. Vijay Verma as older Jhunku leaves good impression. Dibyendu Bhattacharya (last seen as chunni in DevD) is brilliant as Ambika and should get more opportunities in future. Overall the huge supporting cast are as fine tuned as the leading cast.

With people's apathy towards our own history more such Chittagong needs to be made so that we can at least feel pride in something which has been long lost with corruption. Chittagong also reflects triumph of human spirit at every level. Chittagong also boosts such independent film makers to come with their own style and start a new wave in Hindi cinema.Kudos to Anurag Kashyap,Pranay Roy for supporting this brilliant independent cinema which was made 3 years back and got subdued by the biggies of the business.

Immediate Box office might not be huge; but it will go down in the history as a brilliant film that fought all odds to get release.It also shows a new angle to freedom struggle, scanning unknown characters from the page of history books to reality. The film is a must watch for cine-lovers, history-lovers and all who wants to know about bunch of fearless,self-sacrificing young souls who can inject ray of hope to the new generation & helps in becoming strong, righteous characters.

English Vinglish (2012)

A Satisfying Experience

[7 October 2012]

The essence of few stories lies in its simplicity portraying characters from our day-to-day lives and their struggle. English Vinglish is one such beautifully woven simple concept with which audience can identify themselves.

English Vinglish is the story of Mrs Shashi Godvale,a regular home-maker from an upper middle-class household whose life revolves around doing the regular household chores. Alongwith homemaking she keeps her passion for cooking intact and within the homely set-up started a small scale business by making laaddoos. Her potential never gets the due diligence from either her indifferent husband who seem to get charged up only in bed, or her daughter who is ashamed of her mother's lack of English knowledge. It seems her lack of sophistication has even crafted the gap with her husband. She is more connected to her little son and her caring mother-in-law. Under circumstances she lands up in New York for her elder niece's wedding and eventually in an English tuition class and the story follows how her life changes thereafter. Learning a new language is symbolic of a key to regain her long lost confidence and self-esteem.

Gauri Shinde's directorial debut needs to be applauded for the sheer treatment of the film. She wrote a dignified script which never crossed the line becoming overtly-dramatic. Her skill lies in passing a relevant message without getting didactic. The film re-iterates the importance of woman in our lives. In fact it is dedicated to all the middle-class housewives who are never valued in their own household in this patriarchal society.Mrs Godvale showcases pathos of all such women who are dying under the burden of inconsequential existence even though they have significant potential unexplored. Shinde's script does justice to all the characters. The characters are simple and relatable. Mr Godvale is never depicted as a wife beating devil or an infidel husband. He is just a regular working professional who has lost interest in her wife due to cultural differences and sadly that's the scenario of most arranged marriages (still) happening in our country where the wife is not at par as husband in terms of social strata. Such a marriage becomes a compromise, unsigned deal where physical proximity is rampant but the mental bonding is like searching meaning in a RohitShetty film.

The English tuition reminds us of famous yesteryear serial "Zaban Sambhalke" where genius Pankiaj Kapoor played the Hindi teacher. There we had hybrid of cultures which created hilarious sequences due to their differences but by the end they got united under the umbrella of a common language. The setting is similar here and the students here are well-edged characters who help in elevating the pace of the film. With mixture of various cultures the experience that comes out is satisfyingly hilarious. Using the back-drop of the tuition class Shinde throws subtle hints on different issues like Indo-Pak peace, tolerance towards homosexuals and understanding them etc. She even used this medium to hint on the hypocrite mindset of male dominated Indo-Pak society as they verbally attacked the French student for openly admitting his soft corner towards Shashi. The relationship between Shahshi and the french student Laurent reminded of relationship shown in WoodyAllen's films. As she converse in Hindi and he reciprocates in French, there seem to be exchange of bouquet of emotions even though they are alien to each other's language. That's the power of feeling and mutual respect which Shashi wanted from her husband. Shashi & Laurent relationship remained as sweet and subtle as the rest of the film. The film can be summarized in one statement of Godvale where she sadly exclaimed that she doesn't need love; she needs Respect. It seems majority of the woman of India is speaking through her and with watery eyes I remember my own mother.I had even lost the opportunity to hug her and openly express my love for her which I never did while she was there beside me 

Technically the film is well edited by Hemanti Sarkar. The scenes never looked dragged. Utekar's cinematography added the feel-good factor without swaying into K Jo style of escapist extravaganza. Amit Trivedi's music is, as always, rocking. He manages to surprise with every film and his music syncs with the mood of the film, never looking like a separate music album unlike most music directors' scores. Swanand Kirkire is a gifted lyricist and he proved his mettle yet again.

And special mention to casting directors (Rita & Sean Powers) who came up with some brilliant and off-beat cast for the film. Sridevi is plain brilliant as Mrs Godvale. I was never a Sridevi fan but was amused by her potential which I felt was never utilized to the fullest barring few films. She looked confident and underplayed her role to suit the character. Adil Hussain as her husband is expectantly efficient and did justice to his NSD degree. One of the finest actors, I sincerely hope this film opens more doors for him. Experienced French actor Mehedi Nebbou was fantastic in the role of Laurent and expressed with his eyes. His equation with Sridevi deserves mention. Priya Anand is spontaneous as Shashi's niece who instills confidence in Shashi's character. Cory Hibbs is rocking as the English teacher. The whole bunch of actors as the students of English tuition are superb. Rest of the supporting cast are all splendid especially the adorable kid who played Shahshi's son. Amitabh Bachchan is present in a meaningful cameo in the flight scene.

Overall English Vinglish is a simple and linear yet effective,a touching story of majority housewives of our previous generation. While we are heading towards a more independent society we sincerely hope the mindset towards our woman changes so that we can Really be Proud of our culture and parampara.Hope the time is not far away with more Godvale's understanting their worth and fighting to earn back their dignity rather than letting oneself to be a subject of sympathy.

OMG: Oh My God! (2012)

A rightful War against Blind Faith,superstition & rituals

[4 October 2012]

Karl Marx quoted "Religion is the opium of the people".He tried to say Religion is not the disease, but merely a symptom.It is used by oppressors to make people feel better about the distress they undergo for being exploited.As a child I had grown seeing people trying to find solace in laps of some idol or subjected to some uncanny fear revolving around idols or god-men. I tried to understand difference between rituals & religion. This remained unanswered during my growing years.Omg addressed those tactfully without taking any diplomatic or biased stance on the subject. Adaptation of Gujrathi play "Kanji virudh Kanji" which is inspired from an Australian film "The man who sued the God",the story revolves around the life of a businessman Kanjilal Shah who is an atheist and ironically his business is that of selling idols of various gods.Being a person with strong self belief he is never naive to fall prey to the traps of rituals & superstitions.In one dreaded night Kanji's shop got demolished due to earthquake and since it is "act of God" as per the Insurance terms he is deprived of the claim amount.Shattered and angry he registers a case against God to get his money back.Since God's address is unknown he files case against the God-men, saints as they are supposedly agents of God- and thus begins a hilarious ride as one understands the true meaning of religion.

Umesh Shukla's film makes a strong case against blind faith.The film has message for both the ends of the spectrum – the atheists as well as the believers.The makers of the film has diluted on the complexities of the play to take it to the mass.Even the executions occasionally drift towards melodrama and become loud but then the end justifies the means.The film is meant to reach a larger audience and the often didactic mode of the film strikes a chord.Bhavna Mandalia's dialogs are spot on with ample support from Shukla's screenplay which leaves an impression in many scenes specially the court room sequences and Kanji's interactions with God.The film rightfully highlights on the fake god-men and how they manipulate the weakness and fear of ordinary men for their own benefits.Referring to holy Gita, Bible, Koran the film points out that God believes in equality but the big ashrams and temples will let beggars die under natural calamity but never allow them to enter. In the talk show sequence Kanji reflects on the corruption within such organizations.Subtly referring to Tirupathi he tells how all the Hairs taken are smuggled to foreign land for monetary gains.Even the so called social service done by all such temples and ashrams are just to convert their black money into white analogical to a Gutkha(raw tobacco) company building a cancer hospital (referring to a dialog in the film).He continues how religion makes one bewaas(helpless) or aatankwadi(Terrorist). The film doesn't attack any particular religion but speaks in a general tone.In one scene we find a Hindu priest, a Muslim Malawi and a Christian priest fighting within themselves about superiority of their "individual" god,while sadly god himself(brilliant portrayal by Akshay kumar) hopelessly looks at the ignorance of the people.The god-men are either shown ignorant and egoistic or intelligent and manipulative.During the climax, God himself tells Kanji that God is omnipresent and the knowledge of divine truth lies within every human which is written even in the holy books but sadly people don't have the time to read them. Over the years they are manipulated and genesis of rituals happened.Sadly even the educated mass falls prey to this over years.A large portion of violence and in-division are existent due to the distorted concept of religion.In one of the heart warming scene we find people are queuing to pour milk over some stone and the whole milk is going out through the drain while a poor hungry fellow looks helplessly at it.Such huge amount of resources are wasted or misused in the name of blind faith.God exists in all of us.To worship him one doesn't need to go to temples and waste crores of money on idols; but one should help people as Swami Vivekananda said "Jibe prem Kore jei Jon Se Jon sebiche iswar" (Bengali) (Those who loves and serves the people are serving the God).

Paresh Rawal again proves his competency as an actor and his Kanji will make his position strong among the stalwart actors of the nation.He uses his whole body to emote various emotions.Mithunda is another brilliant actor who can play a disco-dancer or a saint with same conviction. His portrayal of a knowledgeable effeminate saint who uses religious believes to lop off their money is brilliant. He does brings laughter with his gestures and at the same time makes us vulnerable and guilty at the thought of existence of such fake-god men traveling in BMW and speaking of humble existence. Govind Namdeo as the Hindu saint was loud and predictable. He did justify the character he played but could have toned down a bit.Akshay Kumar was restraint and calm which made the audience connect with him as God.Probably this is one of his best performances till date.Om Puri was effective in a small role of Muslim lawyer.The supporting cast were adequate.The characters were too one-dimensional and caricaturist at times but then probably the writer was more concerned on delivering the message than developing them. Low in production value the camera and editing were just about OK.Music was irrelevant in the film though "mere Nissan" song had some strong lyrics and apt visuals that would stay with the audience.The dance song "Go Govinda" was unnecessary.

On the whole this is not a path breaking cinema like Wasseypur or technically excellent like Barfi but it has a strong relevant message that needed to be told and they have done it in a commendable manner to reach to an wider audience.It is a must watch-one.