I’m sure there are those who feel this was a good movie – great time-pass – but I felt it was terrible. Partly because of its over-reliance on slapstick and on actors (Salman & Govinda) who are incapable of anything else (imagine someone like Akshay Kumar in either of the main roles and you may understand what I mean). And more because, with a little more thought and care, it could have been fantastic.
The characters are shallow, uni-dimensional and flawed. The plot stretches our imagination, credibility and patience and is full of unnecessary characters (like chotta don, or Lara Dutta’s son or Puneet Issar’s character or even Katrina’s father). These guys needn’t have been there – the movie would have been simpler, more focused without them.
Govinda is no longer the same – there are splashes of humour, but its drowned in too many forced moments. The spontaneity from his ‘Ankhein’ days is sadly missing and his face / body reflects his passing years. Salman is his usual self – great if you’re a fan, terrible if you’re not - again not losing any opportunity to showcase his pectorals. Katrina and Lara Dutta actually don’t do that badly – both look good, act well but are constrained by their weak characters.
If you’ve seen Hitch (good film despite its filmi ending), you’ll weep through the movie as I did, wondering what could have been…
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Mr and Mrs Iyer
Religion is probably the most abused phenomenon in India today. What should be a personal and spiritual experience is instead used to cloak personal prejudices, hatred, ‘a might is right’/ ‘mob rule’ kind of approach and an easy way to inflame people to do unspeakable atrocities.
Mr & Mrs Iyer, Aparna Sen's 2002 release, showcases an interesting story of a growing friendship between two diametrically opposite people amidst the all too familiar carnage of communal frenzy and bigoted prejudices. Its another provocative film, and I’m enjoying watching them at home on DVD, enjoying pondering over the questions they raise.
Meenakshi Iyer (Konkona Sen Sharma) is an orthodox, Tamil woman, married, traveling on her own (with her one year old son) by bus to Jalpaiguri to catch a train to Calcutta, where her husband awaits her. Raja (Rahul Bose), a Bengali photographer, who is also on the same bus, turns out to be a friend of a friend of her father's and is asked to take care of her / help her through the travel. Their bus is forced to stop midway (along with several trucks) when communal riots flare up nearby. A hindu mob visits their bus as well, looking for muslims to butcher. To save Raja, who is a muslim, Meenakshi pretends he is Mr Iyer. The rest of the story revolves around how they and the different passengers fend for themselves, how they try and find ways to return home.
The whole bus journey, prior to the mob coming in, lasts about 30 minutes and is a fascinating study of how different people pass their time. It is so real, so normal that its almost boring until you realize you’re smiling as you observe the individual foibles and character traits of the different passengers.
Meenakshi is as pure a Tam Brahm as you get – vegetarian, unwilling to eat something cooked by a stranger as you never know what caste he may be, living a secluded / dull homemaker existence, wrapped up in her cocoon which includes her one year old son, Santhanam. Raja, is the photographer who travels to exotic places, lives life on the fly, a complete cosmopolitan. When he tells Meenakshi he is a muslim, she is taken aback and replies ‘I thought you were a Bengali’. He looks at her quizzically and replies ‘Yes, I am but I also happen to be a muslim’ with body language saying ‘whats the problem here’.
Konkona Sen Sharma is outstanding in the movie – it’s a virtuoso performance in her mom's movie, where she behaves like a true Tam (the body language, the intonations are amazingly real). Proof of her great performance is that we were constantly reminded of our very good friends who are also Tam Brahms. Rahul Bose is his typical understated, expressionless self – it suits only certain types of roles and this is one of them. Good performances from the rest of the cast as well and a special mention of the soundtrack – composed by Ustad Zakhir Hussain. Soothing tunes that seem to enhance the madness of the mobs and their artrocities.
I know the partition was a terrible life changing experience for many of us, but the sooner we can put it behind us, the better. The movie is full of remarks like ‘why don’t these muslims go to Pakistan where they belong’ and the sad reality is that a lot of Indians still continue to feel this way. Learning from other cultures suggests that we will not be cleansed of such thoughts till a generation which has not witnessed or been scarred by the event, become the decision makers in the country’s political and socio-economic landscape. I somehow doubt it, I think the older generation has managed to pass on their prejudices very well and its going to take longer till we realize we’re all human beings with a right to practice different faiths / different traditions, to just be different. And the sooner we find a way to make religion less of a badge, less ostentatious and more personal, more private, the better…
Its not easy watching, some sequences are very disturbing and like RDB, I doubt I’ll watch it again. However, the relationship between Mrs Iyer and Raja is beautifully handled (I was reminded of ‘Bridges of Madison County’ a bit) and I’m delighted to have ‘discovered’ this little gem in my DVD collection…
Mr & Mrs Iyer, Aparna Sen's 2002 release, showcases an interesting story of a growing friendship between two diametrically opposite people amidst the all too familiar carnage of communal frenzy and bigoted prejudices. Its another provocative film, and I’m enjoying watching them at home on DVD, enjoying pondering over the questions they raise.
Meenakshi Iyer (Konkona Sen Sharma) is an orthodox, Tamil woman, married, traveling on her own (with her one year old son) by bus to Jalpaiguri to catch a train to Calcutta, where her husband awaits her. Raja (Rahul Bose), a Bengali photographer, who is also on the same bus, turns out to be a friend of a friend of her father's and is asked to take care of her / help her through the travel. Their bus is forced to stop midway (along with several trucks) when communal riots flare up nearby. A hindu mob visits their bus as well, looking for muslims to butcher. To save Raja, who is a muslim, Meenakshi pretends he is Mr Iyer. The rest of the story revolves around how they and the different passengers fend for themselves, how they try and find ways to return home.
The whole bus journey, prior to the mob coming in, lasts about 30 minutes and is a fascinating study of how different people pass their time. It is so real, so normal that its almost boring until you realize you’re smiling as you observe the individual foibles and character traits of the different passengers.
Meenakshi is as pure a Tam Brahm as you get – vegetarian, unwilling to eat something cooked by a stranger as you never know what caste he may be, living a secluded / dull homemaker existence, wrapped up in her cocoon which includes her one year old son, Santhanam. Raja, is the photographer who travels to exotic places, lives life on the fly, a complete cosmopolitan. When he tells Meenakshi he is a muslim, she is taken aback and replies ‘I thought you were a Bengali’. He looks at her quizzically and replies ‘Yes, I am but I also happen to be a muslim’ with body language saying ‘whats the problem here’.
Konkona Sen Sharma is outstanding in the movie – it’s a virtuoso performance in her mom's movie, where she behaves like a true Tam (the body language, the intonations are amazingly real). Proof of her great performance is that we were constantly reminded of our very good friends who are also Tam Brahms. Rahul Bose is his typical understated, expressionless self – it suits only certain types of roles and this is one of them. Good performances from the rest of the cast as well and a special mention of the soundtrack – composed by Ustad Zakhir Hussain. Soothing tunes that seem to enhance the madness of the mobs and their artrocities.
I know the partition was a terrible life changing experience for many of us, but the sooner we can put it behind us, the better. The movie is full of remarks like ‘why don’t these muslims go to Pakistan where they belong’ and the sad reality is that a lot of Indians still continue to feel this way. Learning from other cultures suggests that we will not be cleansed of such thoughts till a generation which has not witnessed or been scarred by the event, become the decision makers in the country’s political and socio-economic landscape. I somehow doubt it, I think the older generation has managed to pass on their prejudices very well and its going to take longer till we realize we’re all human beings with a right to practice different faiths / different traditions, to just be different. And the sooner we find a way to make religion less of a badge, less ostentatious and more personal, more private, the better…
Its not easy watching, some sequences are very disturbing and like RDB, I doubt I’ll watch it again. However, the relationship between Mrs Iyer and Raja is beautifully handled (I was reminded of ‘Bridges of Madison County’ a bit) and I’m delighted to have ‘discovered’ this little gem in my DVD collection…
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Rang De Basanti
I’m going to break a rule and talk about the story here – the assumption is that even if you haven’t seen the movie, you would already be aware of the plot (as I was before I saw it this week). Also, this is going to be a long review as the movie provokes a lot of thoughts.
The Story
Sue (Alice), inspired by her grand-father’s diary, written while he was a jailor to Bhagat Singh and co, comes to India to make a documentary about them / their role in the freedom movement. Her friend in India, Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), introduces her to her friends circle - DJ (Aamir Khan), Karan (Siddarth), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor). Part of the modern, westernized youth of India, they are hardly aware of the freedom struggle or its heroes and definitely do not share the same ideals. Relcutantly, after much persuasion from Sue, they agree to act as the revolutionaries in Sue’s documentary along with a fiery saffron brigade youth politician, Pandey (Atul Kulkarni). As they read the diary and the script, they begin to think about their country, their mission in life (or the lack of it) and gradually they begin to immerse themselves in their characters parts – reality and their screen parts almost begin to blur into one.
Suddenly, the death of their friend Ajay (Madhavan), an ace pilot in the air force and Sonia’s fiancée, in a plane crash, jolts them back to reality. There is a corrupt defence minister, a scandal affecting the MiG’s that Ajay was flying but the official response is swift and brutal, instead branding Ajay as a impetuous learner pilot, brushing aside any questions and crushing any sign of protest ruthlessly with force. Seeing no alternative, they kill the defence minister, but even that does not bring the issue of corruption to the forefront, with ‘foreign hands’ being suspected of the murder and the usual platitudes / paeans of praise being sung for the 'honorable' minister. They announce their hand in the murder and their reasons during a radio broadcast and decide to surrender to the cops, but are instead killed by the corrupt machinery.
The Review
First : The movie is extremely well made, beautifully crafted, I don’t think Rakeysh Mehra (the director) puts a foot wrong in the whole movie. The acting of each and every character (I thought Aamir was outstanding but then so was everyone else, its almost unfair to single him out), the songs, the cinematography (especially the way they capture the heart and flavour of North India) is brilliant. The movie manages to combine the past and present and also rural and urban India all together without confusing us or losing any authenticity.
Second : Few things provoke me more than visuals / stories of the British Raj. Blame it on my sheer inability to reconcile myself with that shameful part of our history – how we let a few people from so far away, take advantage of our foibles and rule over us. How could we have been so stupid ! Any shots of the British ordering Indians around or mistreating us invariably makes my blood boil and I get an even worse reaction when I see Indian soldiers, acting on orders of the British, attacking other Indians. Why ? I had to be restrained from walking out during the first 30 minutes or so of Lagaan and here too, there are parts where I just couldn’t bear to watch…Lala Lajpat Rai get beaten, Jallianwala Bagh etc. If you're like me, be prepared to suffer...
Third : Unlike most movies which sit on the fence, this one makes choices, its characters are sufficiently provoked by the apathy and imperfections of the system to stop the usual idle intellectual debate and actually do something about it. They actually decide to take law in their own hands, to murder someone. They come to this option gradually, naturally, almost logically - its not a classic Bollywood hero seeking revenge and beating up / killing the corrupt neta. Its realistic enough for you to be able to put yourself in their shoes.
Fourth : I disagree completely with the choice made by the central characters – taking law into their own hands / killing the minister etc. Almost every terrorist in the world today is fighting for some cause. If his cause succeeds / comes to fruition, he will become a freedom fighter, else continue to be a terrorist – it’s a fine line. Bhagat Singh is a freedom fighter today only because India gained independence. Hamas is a terrorist organization because Palestine hasn’t. There are some distinctions - killing of innocent people vs killing people in office etc, but they are very intellectual distinctions - both get the death penalty in most nations.
Fifth : However, I agree with the ethos of stop cribbing and do something. There are lots of other things the characters could’ve done – gone to a news channel / kidnapped the minister and made him confess / gone to the air force and found a ‘smoking gun’. There are always options / things you can do, to help make your country better. And in today’s day and age, with the power of media / internet etc, it’s a lot easier to make an impact.
The movie is amazing because it engrosses, charms and provokes you, makes you think, choose a side. And it is laced with extremely funny moments, very strong characters and haunting music / lyrics.
I’m a great believer in the ‘starfish story’ – where a young man on a beach finds thousands of starfish stranded in the sand and starts throwing as many as he can back into the water. An older man walks by and questions what the young man is doing and asking him what difference it will make since there were too many starfish for him to throw back. The young man responded simply by saying that at least what he was doing made a difference to the starfish that made it back to the water. Too often we don’t do something but sit and complain. The beauty of this film lies in the fact that at least its a call to action if not a call to arms. We need more films like these.
The Story
Sue (Alice), inspired by her grand-father’s diary, written while he was a jailor to Bhagat Singh and co, comes to India to make a documentary about them / their role in the freedom movement. Her friend in India, Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), introduces her to her friends circle - DJ (Aamir Khan), Karan (Siddarth), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor). Part of the modern, westernized youth of India, they are hardly aware of the freedom struggle or its heroes and definitely do not share the same ideals. Relcutantly, after much persuasion from Sue, they agree to act as the revolutionaries in Sue’s documentary along with a fiery saffron brigade youth politician, Pandey (Atul Kulkarni). As they read the diary and the script, they begin to think about their country, their mission in life (or the lack of it) and gradually they begin to immerse themselves in their characters parts – reality and their screen parts almost begin to blur into one.
Suddenly, the death of their friend Ajay (Madhavan), an ace pilot in the air force and Sonia’s fiancée, in a plane crash, jolts them back to reality. There is a corrupt defence minister, a scandal affecting the MiG’s that Ajay was flying but the official response is swift and brutal, instead branding Ajay as a impetuous learner pilot, brushing aside any questions and crushing any sign of protest ruthlessly with force. Seeing no alternative, they kill the defence minister, but even that does not bring the issue of corruption to the forefront, with ‘foreign hands’ being suspected of the murder and the usual platitudes / paeans of praise being sung for the 'honorable' minister. They announce their hand in the murder and their reasons during a radio broadcast and decide to surrender to the cops, but are instead killed by the corrupt machinery.
The Review
First : The movie is extremely well made, beautifully crafted, I don’t think Rakeysh Mehra (the director) puts a foot wrong in the whole movie. The acting of each and every character (I thought Aamir was outstanding but then so was everyone else, its almost unfair to single him out), the songs, the cinematography (especially the way they capture the heart and flavour of North India) is brilliant. The movie manages to combine the past and present and also rural and urban India all together without confusing us or losing any authenticity.
Second : Few things provoke me more than visuals / stories of the British Raj. Blame it on my sheer inability to reconcile myself with that shameful part of our history – how we let a few people from so far away, take advantage of our foibles and rule over us. How could we have been so stupid ! Any shots of the British ordering Indians around or mistreating us invariably makes my blood boil and I get an even worse reaction when I see Indian soldiers, acting on orders of the British, attacking other Indians. Why ? I had to be restrained from walking out during the first 30 minutes or so of Lagaan and here too, there are parts where I just couldn’t bear to watch…Lala Lajpat Rai get beaten, Jallianwala Bagh etc. If you're like me, be prepared to suffer...
Third : Unlike most movies which sit on the fence, this one makes choices, its characters are sufficiently provoked by the apathy and imperfections of the system to stop the usual idle intellectual debate and actually do something about it. They actually decide to take law in their own hands, to murder someone. They come to this option gradually, naturally, almost logically - its not a classic Bollywood hero seeking revenge and beating up / killing the corrupt neta. Its realistic enough for you to be able to put yourself in their shoes.
Fourth : I disagree completely with the choice made by the central characters – taking law into their own hands / killing the minister etc. Almost every terrorist in the world today is fighting for some cause. If his cause succeeds / comes to fruition, he will become a freedom fighter, else continue to be a terrorist – it’s a fine line. Bhagat Singh is a freedom fighter today only because India gained independence. Hamas is a terrorist organization because Palestine hasn’t. There are some distinctions - killing of innocent people vs killing people in office etc, but they are very intellectual distinctions - both get the death penalty in most nations.
Fifth : However, I agree with the ethos of stop cribbing and do something. There are lots of other things the characters could’ve done – gone to a news channel / kidnapped the minister and made him confess / gone to the air force and found a ‘smoking gun’. There are always options / things you can do, to help make your country better. And in today’s day and age, with the power of media / internet etc, it’s a lot easier to make an impact.
The movie is amazing because it engrosses, charms and provokes you, makes you think, choose a side. And it is laced with extremely funny moments, very strong characters and haunting music / lyrics.
I’m a great believer in the ‘starfish story’ – where a young man on a beach finds thousands of starfish stranded in the sand and starts throwing as many as he can back into the water. An older man walks by and questions what the young man is doing and asking him what difference it will make since there were too many starfish for him to throw back. The young man responded simply by saying that at least what he was doing made a difference to the starfish that made it back to the water. Too often we don’t do something but sit and complain. The beauty of this film lies in the fact that at least its a call to action if not a call to arms. We need more films like these.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Iqbal
I wish there was a way to make sport-centered movies less predictable. That is probably the only flaw in this simple, rural, heart warming tale of a deaf & dumb boy who dreams of making it to the Indian cricket team.
Nagesh Kukonoor, (he later on made Dor), once again weaves his magic and transports us to a small village in south india, where Iqbal spends his time amongst his buffaloes, all named after his favourite bowlers, practising cricket and trying to find his guruji. Girish Karnad takes him under his wing for a while but later caves in to star-power / deal making / richer students and throws him out. Iqbal now turns to the village drunk, Naseerudin Shah, an ex-cricketeer and finally persuades him to become his coach. What happens next ? Will he make it, will he fulfil his dreams ? What do you think ?
There are only two sports movies I can recall which gripped me from start to end – one was Tara Rum Pum and the other was Chain Kulli ki.
No…just kidding of course, they’re both disasters….one was Lagaan and the other was Remember the Titans (starring Denzel Washington, I seriously recommend this relatively unknown film). Both revolved around sport (cricket and American Football respectively) but dealt with much bigger issues (the British Rule and the Black-White racial relations respectively). The sport, while important and central, becomes a means and not an end – it therefore keeps the suspense going as there is a plot bigger than the sport itself.
Iqbal features two brilliant performances – one by Shreyas Talpade in the lead role. He has a blank face that becomes the perfect canvas for the array of emotions and feelings that pass through his character’s mind. He is endearing, spontaneous, persistent, frustrated, kiddish, mature all almost at once. The other is by Shweta Joshi, who plays his sister and main source of communication to the outside world. She doesn’t have that much screen time but is outstanding in her matter–of–fact, yet emotive delivery. Prateeksha Lonkar and Yatin Karyekar deliver very solid, real performances as the parents, often at war amongst themsleves, Naseeruddin Shah plays a nice cameo as the drunk/coach, while Girish Karnad makes us hate him as the wheeling dealing coach – proof of his good performance.
There is a beauty in the movie, there is a lesson, there is emotion and simplicity. In some ways, I think this is more inspiring than Guru – you can see the effort that goes into making his dreams a reality, the disappointments, the frustrations that have to be taken in one’s stride. I only wish there was a way to make it less predictable – I have no ideas, no suggestions to offer, but that would have truly been the icing on this otherwise very lovely cake !
Nagesh Kukonoor, (he later on made Dor), once again weaves his magic and transports us to a small village in south india, where Iqbal spends his time amongst his buffaloes, all named after his favourite bowlers, practising cricket and trying to find his guruji. Girish Karnad takes him under his wing for a while but later caves in to star-power / deal making / richer students and throws him out. Iqbal now turns to the village drunk, Naseerudin Shah, an ex-cricketeer and finally persuades him to become his coach. What happens next ? Will he make it, will he fulfil his dreams ? What do you think ?
There are only two sports movies I can recall which gripped me from start to end – one was Tara Rum Pum and the other was Chain Kulli ki.
No…just kidding of course, they’re both disasters….one was Lagaan and the other was Remember the Titans (starring Denzel Washington, I seriously recommend this relatively unknown film). Both revolved around sport (cricket and American Football respectively) but dealt with much bigger issues (the British Rule and the Black-White racial relations respectively). The sport, while important and central, becomes a means and not an end – it therefore keeps the suspense going as there is a plot bigger than the sport itself.
Iqbal features two brilliant performances – one by Shreyas Talpade in the lead role. He has a blank face that becomes the perfect canvas for the array of emotions and feelings that pass through his character’s mind. He is endearing, spontaneous, persistent, frustrated, kiddish, mature all almost at once. The other is by Shweta Joshi, who plays his sister and main source of communication to the outside world. She doesn’t have that much screen time but is outstanding in her matter–of–fact, yet emotive delivery. Prateeksha Lonkar and Yatin Karyekar deliver very solid, real performances as the parents, often at war amongst themsleves, Naseeruddin Shah plays a nice cameo as the drunk/coach, while Girish Karnad makes us hate him as the wheeling dealing coach – proof of his good performance.
There is a beauty in the movie, there is a lesson, there is emotion and simplicity. In some ways, I think this is more inspiring than Guru – you can see the effort that goes into making his dreams a reality, the disappointments, the frustrations that have to be taken in one’s stride. I only wish there was a way to make it less predictable – I have no ideas, no suggestions to offer, but that would have truly been the icing on this otherwise very lovely cake !
Monday, July 16, 2007
Fanaa
I’m as disappointed with this movie as I am with the Copa America final that was going on in the background while I saw the film. Both spectacularly failed to live up to their hype – Brazil is up 3-0 with 10 minutes to go in the match and there has scarcely been a murmur of protest from the Argentinians. Like the mercurial, talented Pakistani's in cricket, you never know with Argentina which side will turn up – the world beaters or the club cricket version. And as far as Fanaa goes, well where do I begin ?
I think the fact that the movie grossed over Rs50cr is a tribute to Aamir Khan – there are few people in Indian cinema who can play the lovable rascal, the endearing rogue, the charming heart-stealer as well, as naturally as him. Shahrukh can do this as well but only by going over the top. Saif, despite an Omkara, primarily can work only in upper middle class, rich boy roles. But Aamir can play in all those worlds – he can play the spoilt rich kid (Akash in Dil Chahta Hai), the tapori in Rangeela or the street smart, shayari spouting tour guide in Fanaa with equal ease, equal élan. I enjoyed watching him in the movie – though here too I felt that he has started to look old, the face was a little too puffed up and the make-up struggled to hide the years.
The rest of the movie was terrible – too filmi, too melodramatic, with a plot riddled with more holes than all the cheese in Switzerland. And it wasted a lot of very good, first rate character actors in bit parts which did them no justice. Tabu, Shiney Ahuja, Lillete Dubey, Kirron Kher – all were wasted. Even Kajol deserved better – her character deserved to be richer, have more meat, more real choices. From being the weak-kneed indecisive blind girl just waiting for her prince charming (does that still happen ? do mom’s actually still tell their daughters that ?) to well, being the indecisive, I love him or I love him not girl in the second half was a bit too much to swallow.
Watch it, only for the first half shayari and Aamir – the rest isn’t worth the price of the DVD. Argentina just missed a sitter, gifted to them by the Brazilians, its definitely the club side which has turned up today. It’s a day for mediocrity, of failing to live up to hype...
I think the fact that the movie grossed over Rs50cr is a tribute to Aamir Khan – there are few people in Indian cinema who can play the lovable rascal, the endearing rogue, the charming heart-stealer as well, as naturally as him. Shahrukh can do this as well but only by going over the top. Saif, despite an Omkara, primarily can work only in upper middle class, rich boy roles. But Aamir can play in all those worlds – he can play the spoilt rich kid (Akash in Dil Chahta Hai), the tapori in Rangeela or the street smart, shayari spouting tour guide in Fanaa with equal ease, equal élan. I enjoyed watching him in the movie – though here too I felt that he has started to look old, the face was a little too puffed up and the make-up struggled to hide the years.
The rest of the movie was terrible – too filmi, too melodramatic, with a plot riddled with more holes than all the cheese in Switzerland. And it wasted a lot of very good, first rate character actors in bit parts which did them no justice. Tabu, Shiney Ahuja, Lillete Dubey, Kirron Kher – all were wasted. Even Kajol deserved better – her character deserved to be richer, have more meat, more real choices. From being the weak-kneed indecisive blind girl just waiting for her prince charming (does that still happen ? do mom’s actually still tell their daughters that ?) to well, being the indecisive, I love him or I love him not girl in the second half was a bit too much to swallow.
Watch it, only for the first half shayari and Aamir – the rest isn’t worth the price of the DVD. Argentina just missed a sitter, gifted to them by the Brazilians, its definitely the club side which has turned up today. It’s a day for mediocrity, of failing to live up to hype...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Dor
Could you forgive the murderer of your spouse ? I think thats the key question being asked here, not 'How far would you go to save the one you love?', which i feel is a more obvious question and is what is splashed across the movie posters.
I love movies that take you out of your comfort zone, present a new facet of life and are completely focused on their central premise ie don’t get distracted by songs / stars / sub-plots etc. And you are unlikely to find a movie which sets up the situation or resolves it as beautifully as Dor, a magnificient film by Nagesh Kukunoor.
Meera (Ayesha Takia) is married to Shankar (Anirudh Jaykar), a worker in Saudi and a loving husband, but from a very strict and orthodox Rajasthani family. Over in Himachal, Zeenat (Gul Panag) finally weds Amir (Rushad Rana), after a long courtship, just a day before he too leaves for Saudi Arabia for work. Soon, a couple of phone calls change their lives completely. Shankar is dead and Amir is accused of the murder, likely to be sentenced to death in a few days. We see none of this, are informed about this only by the dry monotone of an officer from the ministry of external affairs, who comes to tell Zeenat about this. He also does say, just before leaving, that there could be one way to get Amir spared. As per Saudi law, if the widow pardons her husband’s killer, then he can be freed. Only hitch is that no one knows where Shankar is from, apart from the fact that he is a Rajasthani. The address on his passport is false and there are no more leads.
All the above happens very quickly – takes no more than 15 minutes. The rest of the movie is a study in the differing forms of strength of the two lead women. Zeenat is overtly strong, a woman used to fighting to get her right and she seizes on this small chance and decides to go search the state of Rajasthan to find the widow. She soon meets a bahrupiya (Shreyas Talpade, a small town con-man and a man of many faces / accents), who decides to help her.
Meera has a more quiet kind of strength, more stoic, accepting of her terrible fate. I don’t think there is likely to be any country so unforgiving in its treatment of widows as India, particularly certain parts like Rajasthan. Not a facet of my country that I’m very proud of, I can assure you. And of course, this is interlaced with the typical bullshit talk of honour (maryada) and principles etc from the elders.
She hardly utters a murmur as she goes through the rituals of widowhood - her clothes are packed away, her bangles broken, her bindi rubbed off. She now needs permission to even step out of the house and is now forced to spend her time shut in a room, in solitary confinement, with minimal food and water. In one poignant scene, when the dadi (grandmother) comes to console her and hugs her, she softly whispers to her that this is the first time in 2 months that anyone has touched her. And all this while her father in law is more preoccupied with how the loss of his son means that he may now never get his ancestral home free of debt.
The movie though would have been ordinary had it not managed to intersperse the tragedy of the story with the beauty of the landscape, the humour (particularly from Shreyas Talpade, the bahrupiya) and some brilliant, realistic, rustic touches. I don’t think the song Kajra Re was ever danced to with more gusto than shown in the movie. Also, the acting is outstanding – both Ayesha and Gul do full justice to their very meaty roles. The supporting cast including Shreyas Talpade as the bahrupiya and even Girish Karnad as the father in law are equally solid in their portrayals. The songs enhance the movie, blend in beautifully. And the end is uplifting, making you smile, forget the tragedy of the previous reels.
For some reason or the other I kept postponing watching the movie – I would urge you not to make the same mistake. They say women are mentally stronger than men, able to go through much more versus the physically stronger gender. On the basis of this movie, you know, I would have to agree completely…I cannot comprehend or find the strength to go through the kind of existence that Meera and many millions like her go through without a murmur. This movie, a bit like Water and very unlike Baabul, helps bring this point to life.
I love movies that take you out of your comfort zone, present a new facet of life and are completely focused on their central premise ie don’t get distracted by songs / stars / sub-plots etc. And you are unlikely to find a movie which sets up the situation or resolves it as beautifully as Dor, a magnificient film by Nagesh Kukunoor.
Meera (Ayesha Takia) is married to Shankar (Anirudh Jaykar), a worker in Saudi and a loving husband, but from a very strict and orthodox Rajasthani family. Over in Himachal, Zeenat (Gul Panag) finally weds Amir (Rushad Rana), after a long courtship, just a day before he too leaves for Saudi Arabia for work. Soon, a couple of phone calls change their lives completely. Shankar is dead and Amir is accused of the murder, likely to be sentenced to death in a few days. We see none of this, are informed about this only by the dry monotone of an officer from the ministry of external affairs, who comes to tell Zeenat about this. He also does say, just before leaving, that there could be one way to get Amir spared. As per Saudi law, if the widow pardons her husband’s killer, then he can be freed. Only hitch is that no one knows where Shankar is from, apart from the fact that he is a Rajasthani. The address on his passport is false and there are no more leads.
All the above happens very quickly – takes no more than 15 minutes. The rest of the movie is a study in the differing forms of strength of the two lead women. Zeenat is overtly strong, a woman used to fighting to get her right and she seizes on this small chance and decides to go search the state of Rajasthan to find the widow. She soon meets a bahrupiya (Shreyas Talpade, a small town con-man and a man of many faces / accents), who decides to help her.
Meera has a more quiet kind of strength, more stoic, accepting of her terrible fate. I don’t think there is likely to be any country so unforgiving in its treatment of widows as India, particularly certain parts like Rajasthan. Not a facet of my country that I’m very proud of, I can assure you. And of course, this is interlaced with the typical bullshit talk of honour (maryada) and principles etc from the elders.
She hardly utters a murmur as she goes through the rituals of widowhood - her clothes are packed away, her bangles broken, her bindi rubbed off. She now needs permission to even step out of the house and is now forced to spend her time shut in a room, in solitary confinement, with minimal food and water. In one poignant scene, when the dadi (grandmother) comes to console her and hugs her, she softly whispers to her that this is the first time in 2 months that anyone has touched her. And all this while her father in law is more preoccupied with how the loss of his son means that he may now never get his ancestral home free of debt.
The movie though would have been ordinary had it not managed to intersperse the tragedy of the story with the beauty of the landscape, the humour (particularly from Shreyas Talpade, the bahrupiya) and some brilliant, realistic, rustic touches. I don’t think the song Kajra Re was ever danced to with more gusto than shown in the movie. Also, the acting is outstanding – both Ayesha and Gul do full justice to their very meaty roles. The supporting cast including Shreyas Talpade as the bahrupiya and even Girish Karnad as the father in law are equally solid in their portrayals. The songs enhance the movie, blend in beautifully. And the end is uplifting, making you smile, forget the tragedy of the previous reels.
For some reason or the other I kept postponing watching the movie – I would urge you not to make the same mistake. They say women are mentally stronger than men, able to go through much more versus the physically stronger gender. On the basis of this movie, you know, I would have to agree completely…I cannot comprehend or find the strength to go through the kind of existence that Meera and many millions like her go through without a murmur. This movie, a bit like Water and very unlike Baabul, helps bring this point to life.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
The director and crew were probably on ecstasy, the current recreational drug of choice of the A-list celebs, through most of the making of the movie. There is a sequence during the title song, for example, where they have different characters join a dance competition, including someone dressed as a chef, another dressed as Elvis and a third (my favourite) who was dressed as Dharam (as in Dharam-Veer, the Dharmendra / Jeetendra classic ‘kitsch’ film). They dress Amitabh up as a vagabond with a jacket that’s brighter than a rainbow and grey dreadlocks. They have Abhishek and Bobby Deol ride a motorcycle with a side-car, wearing police helmets, singing ‘Yeh Dosti’ (from Sholay) through the streets of Southall, a rather unique way of following their respective Dad’s footsteps.
However, sadly, apart from a few brief moments, the ecstasy doesn’t translate to the audience. A fairly tortuous first half drags interminably and even though it makes way for a fairly interesting second half, by then the movie is doomed, most viewers including yours truly have lost patience.
Basically its about two people meeting at a railway station, both are waiting for the same train, they start chatting, share their respective ‘love-story’s’ (as it turns out both are waiting for their fiancee’s) and then takes us through some very predictable and other slightly predictable developments. Sounds interesting ? It really could have been…
Somewhere within the storyline, there is the seed of a great film, but unfortunately the director picked style vs content, focused more on the stars vs the characters, inserted too many useless songs, too many sub-plots (the India vs Pakistan angle is one example of a completely unnecessary sub-plot) to really sustain the movie. In fact he also gave the characters too many quirks – like Abhishek’s accent / demeanour - which makes them unrealistic.
There is an effort to be fantastical, have larger than life, over the top characters but the director is not able to pull it off, make the whole film gel. And apart from the title song, none of the others help – they really pull the movie down, break even the limited interest in the story.
Abhishek and Preity still walk away with some credit for me – they do their best, show us glimpses of why they’re superstars (and Preity really should patent her dimples – unbelievably cute !). Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta are wasted, even though towards the end they get a chance to strut their stuff. Amitabh is reduced to mouthing the lines of the title song on railway platforms. Apparently the director or producer is a close friend. That, though, only partially explains it. I would have expected all of stars to have shown more discernment. I would love to hear what they truly think of the finished product.
I predict another flop as we still await the first superhit of 2007.
However, sadly, apart from a few brief moments, the ecstasy doesn’t translate to the audience. A fairly tortuous first half drags interminably and even though it makes way for a fairly interesting second half, by then the movie is doomed, most viewers including yours truly have lost patience.
Basically its about two people meeting at a railway station, both are waiting for the same train, they start chatting, share their respective ‘love-story’s’ (as it turns out both are waiting for their fiancee’s) and then takes us through some very predictable and other slightly predictable developments. Sounds interesting ? It really could have been…
Somewhere within the storyline, there is the seed of a great film, but unfortunately the director picked style vs content, focused more on the stars vs the characters, inserted too many useless songs, too many sub-plots (the India vs Pakistan angle is one example of a completely unnecessary sub-plot) to really sustain the movie. In fact he also gave the characters too many quirks – like Abhishek’s accent / demeanour - which makes them unrealistic.
There is an effort to be fantastical, have larger than life, over the top characters but the director is not able to pull it off, make the whole film gel. And apart from the title song, none of the others help – they really pull the movie down, break even the limited interest in the story.
Abhishek and Preity still walk away with some credit for me – they do their best, show us glimpses of why they’re superstars (and Preity really should patent her dimples – unbelievably cute !). Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta are wasted, even though towards the end they get a chance to strut their stuff. Amitabh is reduced to mouthing the lines of the title song on railway platforms. Apparently the director or producer is a close friend. That, though, only partially explains it. I would have expected all of stars to have shown more discernment. I would love to hear what they truly think of the finished product.
I predict another flop as we still await the first superhit of 2007.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Shrek 3
Another great film – I’ve liked all 3 in this series and they still continue to find ways to make you laugh really loud…
The story here is not the strong point – I think the first one excelled here & the second one was also a notch higher. However, you still have a very lovable ogre accompanied as always by the annoyingly lovable Donkey and the suave Puss in Boots. And the jokes are still exceedingly funny…
What I find amazing (in Disney cartoons and Pixar films) is the way they are able to layer the films – the way a 6 year old and a 36 year old are able to watch the film together yet find different parts funny, relate to different jokes. Jungle Book, Finding Nemo, Antz and Shrek have all had this uncanny ability and I continue to be in awe of them.
I’ve met people who tell me quite disdainfully that they don’t watch cartoons. And then they give you a superior, once over look, which says ‘its for kids’. I wish they would watch an animated movie like Shrek 3. It’s a great movie and I would have to be reminded that its a cartoon.
The story here is not the strong point – I think the first one excelled here & the second one was also a notch higher. However, you still have a very lovable ogre accompanied as always by the annoyingly lovable Donkey and the suave Puss in Boots. And the jokes are still exceedingly funny…
What I find amazing (in Disney cartoons and Pixar films) is the way they are able to layer the films – the way a 6 year old and a 36 year old are able to watch the film together yet find different parts funny, relate to different jokes. Jungle Book, Finding Nemo, Antz and Shrek have all had this uncanny ability and I continue to be in awe of them.
I’ve met people who tell me quite disdainfully that they don’t watch cartoons. And then they give you a superior, once over look, which says ‘its for kids’. I wish they would watch an animated movie like Shrek 3. It’s a great movie and I would have to be reminded that its a cartoon.
Pirates Of the Caribbean 3 (At World's End)
I think they’ve lost sight of what really made the first one successful. In the original one, there were a few, extremely endearing characters, a simple but gripping storyline and some brilliant one-liners.
This has now been replaced by a very complicated yet predictable story, a plethora of characters, none of whom are developed, and an almost obsessive focus on special effects – they fly in thick and fast, and for me, they become boring after a while. Oh ! and they forgot the one-liners. Even Jack Sparrow becomes boring, they dress up Keira Knightley in weird costumes and Orlando Bloom – well, you can't figure out whether he is a good good guy or a bad good guy.
I know i'm likely to be in a minority but I never saw part2 and I wish I hadn’t seen part 3.
This has now been replaced by a very complicated yet predictable story, a plethora of characters, none of whom are developed, and an almost obsessive focus on special effects – they fly in thick and fast, and for me, they become boring after a while. Oh ! and they forgot the one-liners. Even Jack Sparrow becomes boring, they dress up Keira Knightley in weird costumes and Orlando Bloom – well, you can't figure out whether he is a good good guy or a bad good guy.
I know i'm likely to be in a minority but I never saw part2 and I wish I hadn’t seen part 3.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Fool N Final
A terrible, slapstick version of Snatch, Guy Ritchie’s brilliant second film. They’ve taken the broad elements of the film, mangled them almost beyond recognition, added some unnecessary love interests (ie cute young things like Ayesha Takia and Sameera Reddy), some even more unnecessary melodramatic situations, some very terrible last year jokes (mostly between Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever) and worse of all, inserted 4-5 ‘desperately trying to be cool’ songs.
However, there is a set of people who were enjoying this film thoroughly in the audience.
They say you can Fool all of the people some of the time, and for three hours the producer / director maNaged in this apology of a movie. Unfortunately they’re having the Final laugh, all the way to the bank.
However, there is a set of people who were enjoying this film thoroughly in the audience.
They say you can Fool all of the people some of the time, and for three hours the producer / director maNaged in this apology of a movie. Unfortunately they’re having the Final laugh, all the way to the bank.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Shootout at Lokhandwalla
Its gritty, realistic but completely pointless. I hate being misled or ripped off and this feeling was highly prominent as I was walking out of the cinema hall.
The name should’ve been ‘all shoot-outs in Mumbai’ or ‘every encounter in Mumbai from 1990-93’. The opening scene shows a PYT somberly telling us about the shoot-out at Lokhandwala – how 3000 rounds were fired, 112 people endangered, 6 gangsters killed etc. Bunkum, bakwaas ! We witnessed about 5000 rounds being fired, about 20 chase sequences through the slums of Mumbai, about 50 quick deaths and 20 really gruesome ones. And you know what ? I felt nothing for anyone, for any character on the screen. I felt no sympathy or trepidation or any other emotion as I watched one human being kill or maim each other. Because no character is developed, even for the main characters, we have no clue what they are like, what drives them, what makes them do the things they do. The movie just stumbles from one killing / one incident to another with item numbers (4 very boring tuneless songs) used in place of punctuation marks.
There is no story in the first place – and whatever little is there is completely ruined by the directors choice of narrative style – which is flashbacks intermingled with the present day scenario. This takes the suspense out completely (as you know how it ends / who lives and who dies etc) and also makes the story very disjointed / fragmented – you struggle to follow one sub-plot before the other one kicks off. We’re told about the set-up of the ATS (anti-terrorist squad) led by Sanjay Dutt (and how he recruited only the best of the best etc, based on the Los Angeles SWAT teams) and how they became a judge, jury and executioner (or in Page 3 terms, encounter specialists). We first see them battle sikh terrorists and then move on to the Mumbai underworld without warning (why would the underworld be in the domain of ATS beggars belief, but then I think the director assumed a brainless audience). Through 80% of the movie we follow the ATS chase an underworld gang led by Vivek Oberoi, who used to be a trusty lieutenant of you-know-who (he lives in dubai, has a moustache and wears goggles all the time) but is now trying to establish his own gang. This gang kills / robs / kidnaps just for fun. Plus they act terribly – Vivek Oberoi and Tusshar Kapoor have yet to learn that to be menacing, you don’t have to scowl fiercely or look constipated, you can do this quite naturally. Yet when the time comes, we’re expected to weep for them / forgive them ? Abhishek is present only in a blink and you miss him role and Amitabh in a five minute longer version of the same.
There is not one new thought or narrative style in the film and you struggle to the see point of it all. Why was it made ? What was the director / script-writer trying to say ? Why did they subject us to 3 hours of torture ? And why did good actors (the Bachchan’s, Sanjay baba, Suneil Shetty etc) agree to act in this movie. I guess some things, like the Bermuda Triangle or women’s love for shopping are never meant to be answered. Avoid this one like the plague !
The name should’ve been ‘all shoot-outs in Mumbai’ or ‘every encounter in Mumbai from 1990-93’. The opening scene shows a PYT somberly telling us about the shoot-out at Lokhandwala – how 3000 rounds were fired, 112 people endangered, 6 gangsters killed etc. Bunkum, bakwaas ! We witnessed about 5000 rounds being fired, about 20 chase sequences through the slums of Mumbai, about 50 quick deaths and 20 really gruesome ones. And you know what ? I felt nothing for anyone, for any character on the screen. I felt no sympathy or trepidation or any other emotion as I watched one human being kill or maim each other. Because no character is developed, even for the main characters, we have no clue what they are like, what drives them, what makes them do the things they do. The movie just stumbles from one killing / one incident to another with item numbers (4 very boring tuneless songs) used in place of punctuation marks.
There is no story in the first place – and whatever little is there is completely ruined by the directors choice of narrative style – which is flashbacks intermingled with the present day scenario. This takes the suspense out completely (as you know how it ends / who lives and who dies etc) and also makes the story very disjointed / fragmented – you struggle to follow one sub-plot before the other one kicks off. We’re told about the set-up of the ATS (anti-terrorist squad) led by Sanjay Dutt (and how he recruited only the best of the best etc, based on the Los Angeles SWAT teams) and how they became a judge, jury and executioner (or in Page 3 terms, encounter specialists). We first see them battle sikh terrorists and then move on to the Mumbai underworld without warning (why would the underworld be in the domain of ATS beggars belief, but then I think the director assumed a brainless audience). Through 80% of the movie we follow the ATS chase an underworld gang led by Vivek Oberoi, who used to be a trusty lieutenant of you-know-who (he lives in dubai, has a moustache and wears goggles all the time) but is now trying to establish his own gang. This gang kills / robs / kidnaps just for fun. Plus they act terribly – Vivek Oberoi and Tusshar Kapoor have yet to learn that to be menacing, you don’t have to scowl fiercely or look constipated, you can do this quite naturally. Yet when the time comes, we’re expected to weep for them / forgive them ? Abhishek is present only in a blink and you miss him role and Amitabh in a five minute longer version of the same.
There is not one new thought or narrative style in the film and you struggle to the see point of it all. Why was it made ? What was the director / script-writer trying to say ? Why did they subject us to 3 hours of torture ? And why did good actors (the Bachchan’s, Sanjay baba, Suneil Shetty etc) agree to act in this movie. I guess some things, like the Bermuda Triangle or women’s love for shopping are never meant to be answered. Avoid this one like the plague !
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Cheeni Kum
What do you say about a two and a half hour movie that just got over ? That it was beautiful ? Brilliant ? Exquisite ? Or that it reminded me of Four Weddings and a Funeral or When Harry Met Sally or even the conversational brilliance of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, though not necessarily in that order ?
This movie is a novelty for India, a movie comprising mostly of intelligent, dialogue based humour rather than on situations (like Khosla ka Ghosla) or slapstick (most of the other Hindi movies that pretend to be comedies). Amitabh Bachchan is a crabby 64 year old chef / owner of an Indian restaurant in London. The first half depicts the growing relationship between himself and Tabu, a 34 year old woman from Delhi in London on a holiday. The second half primarily depicts Tabu’s 58 year old father, Paresh Rawal’s viewpoint on the relationship. There – that’s it as far as the story goes…nothing more, nothing less…
The true brilliance of the movie lies in the life / spark infused in even the simplest of situations or the simplest of characters. Whether it’s the interaction amongst the chef’s in the restaurant, the waiter hilariously nicknamed Colgate because of his protruding teeth and the jokes at their expense (‘iske liye dimaag ki zaroorat hai, daant ki nahin’, he is gently admonished on one occasion), the sardarji pharmacist and Amitabh’s interactions with him, Amitabh’s mom’s fascination with the gym in the face of her sons obvious reluctance to go anywhere near it, his acerbic comments on his mom’s cooking (‘yeh Tihar Jail waali daal ?’), Paresh Rawal’s love of cricket and Gandhism. I can go on and on. I was in near-hysterical splits on no less than 10 occasions. I’m still laughing as I remember some of the jokes….
And I haven’t even mentioned Amitabh and Tabu – their running joke around the umbrella, the ruthless way she teases him the first time he tries to ask her out, their almost every conversation was beautifully constructed. The movie also captures amazingly well the highs and lows of falling in love. Will she come or wont she ? Will she say yes ? The mood swings, the heartache and the sheer exhilaration and joy when its all ok, when you’re with your newfound love.
I think one of the casting coup’s of the movie was Tabu. I watched this movie with a school friend of mine (Prashant) and we discussed her at length after the movie. The parts of the conversation I can print here involved her sheer beauty, her classic features (high cheekbones, eyes) and her subtleness…her understated yet enigmatic presence. She brings reality and a certain mystique to her character, makes acting seem so easy. I don’t think there is another Bollywood actress who could have done justice to her role.
However, this doesn’t detract in any way from any of the other performances in the movie. Everyone was excellent – from Amitabh to Paresh Rawal to each chef / waiter in the restaurant, Amitabh’s neighbour and his daughter (a nice sub-plot here and at last we get a real child who talks like today’s kids actually do, unlike the saccharine mumblings of the girl in TaraRumPum). The music, with the title song playing constantly in the background, the settings (even Qutab Minar looks beautiful in the movie), everything, like spices, enhance the brilliance of the dialogue.
Take a bow, Mr Balki (an admaker and first time director). The entire audience gave a standing ovation when the movie ended. Is movie main kuch bhi kum nahin tha !
This movie is a novelty for India, a movie comprising mostly of intelligent, dialogue based humour rather than on situations (like Khosla ka Ghosla) or slapstick (most of the other Hindi movies that pretend to be comedies). Amitabh Bachchan is a crabby 64 year old chef / owner of an Indian restaurant in London. The first half depicts the growing relationship between himself and Tabu, a 34 year old woman from Delhi in London on a holiday. The second half primarily depicts Tabu’s 58 year old father, Paresh Rawal’s viewpoint on the relationship. There – that’s it as far as the story goes…nothing more, nothing less…
The true brilliance of the movie lies in the life / spark infused in even the simplest of situations or the simplest of characters. Whether it’s the interaction amongst the chef’s in the restaurant, the waiter hilariously nicknamed Colgate because of his protruding teeth and the jokes at their expense (‘iske liye dimaag ki zaroorat hai, daant ki nahin’, he is gently admonished on one occasion), the sardarji pharmacist and Amitabh’s interactions with him, Amitabh’s mom’s fascination with the gym in the face of her sons obvious reluctance to go anywhere near it, his acerbic comments on his mom’s cooking (‘yeh Tihar Jail waali daal ?’), Paresh Rawal’s love of cricket and Gandhism. I can go on and on. I was in near-hysterical splits on no less than 10 occasions. I’m still laughing as I remember some of the jokes….
And I haven’t even mentioned Amitabh and Tabu – their running joke around the umbrella, the ruthless way she teases him the first time he tries to ask her out, their almost every conversation was beautifully constructed. The movie also captures amazingly well the highs and lows of falling in love. Will she come or wont she ? Will she say yes ? The mood swings, the heartache and the sheer exhilaration and joy when its all ok, when you’re with your newfound love.
I think one of the casting coup’s of the movie was Tabu. I watched this movie with a school friend of mine (Prashant) and we discussed her at length after the movie. The parts of the conversation I can print here involved her sheer beauty, her classic features (high cheekbones, eyes) and her subtleness…her understated yet enigmatic presence. She brings reality and a certain mystique to her character, makes acting seem so easy. I don’t think there is another Bollywood actress who could have done justice to her role.
However, this doesn’t detract in any way from any of the other performances in the movie. Everyone was excellent – from Amitabh to Paresh Rawal to each chef / waiter in the restaurant, Amitabh’s neighbour and his daughter (a nice sub-plot here and at last we get a real child who talks like today’s kids actually do, unlike the saccharine mumblings of the girl in TaraRumPum). The music, with the title song playing constantly in the background, the settings (even Qutab Minar looks beautiful in the movie), everything, like spices, enhance the brilliance of the dialogue.
Take a bow, Mr Balki (an admaker and first time director). The entire audience gave a standing ovation when the movie ended. Is movie main kuch bhi kum nahin tha !
Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local
This is a movie which makes you smile quite often but very rarely does it manage to convert that smile into laughter. It tries very hard to be a comedy, to be quirky, to push the boundaries, has liberal doses of Mumbai humour and even creates a series of potentially funny situations, but it still doesn’t manage to elicit the belly-moving laughter.
Its about Abhay Deol, who misses the last local (train) at night from Kurla to Vikhroli (in Mumbai), tries to take an auto-rickshaw and meets Neha Dhupia, who is also co-incidentally trying to get to Vikhroli. The auto’s are on strike, so they decide to start walking together till they find an auto willing to go. They then encounter different situations – rain, some charsi’s (druggies), a bar, some more rain, an old friend, a card game, corrupt cops, denizens of the underworld among others. These don’t come thick and fast, its not a non-stop action movie, and while some situations stretch the realms of possibility, none are completely impossible.
So while this assures you of some good entertainment, and some good moments, I don’t think its one for the DVD collection. I think Abhay Deol overacts, doesn’t have the flair to pull off his role. You can see why they chose him – his seedha boy innocent looks – but then this doesn’t help when they want to show him ogling at Neha’s plunging neckline or dying for a beer – doesn’t fit with his dimpled smile and shy demeanour. Everyone else was ok in the movie, I think some of characters were deliberately over the top. There was this Eunuch / Pimp who was good and a character named Mangesh Bhai had his moments but most turned in average performances. The script is a bit forced, uses too much Mumbai language for my liking. The songs are ok, nothing stands out. The situations, though, are interesting for sure. You do wonder whats coming next. But even here I think the director missed a trick by showing the movie in flashback form – the opening sequence shows Abhay talking to us about what he has just been through and for me that spoilt to a degree the suspense of what lay ahead.
So, what are we left with ? As with most of the movies these days it’s a bit different. It doesn’t make you think too much, the grey cells can safely be left at home. I think a few people will go home smacking their forehead and thinking ‘what crap !’ and about the same number, probably younger profile people will go away thinking ‘wow, that was brilliant !’. But most, I think, like me will go home thinking it was ok, it was a movie that tried too hard to be funny.
Its about Abhay Deol, who misses the last local (train) at night from Kurla to Vikhroli (in Mumbai), tries to take an auto-rickshaw and meets Neha Dhupia, who is also co-incidentally trying to get to Vikhroli. The auto’s are on strike, so they decide to start walking together till they find an auto willing to go. They then encounter different situations – rain, some charsi’s (druggies), a bar, some more rain, an old friend, a card game, corrupt cops, denizens of the underworld among others. These don’t come thick and fast, its not a non-stop action movie, and while some situations stretch the realms of possibility, none are completely impossible.
So while this assures you of some good entertainment, and some good moments, I don’t think its one for the DVD collection. I think Abhay Deol overacts, doesn’t have the flair to pull off his role. You can see why they chose him – his seedha boy innocent looks – but then this doesn’t help when they want to show him ogling at Neha’s plunging neckline or dying for a beer – doesn’t fit with his dimpled smile and shy demeanour. Everyone else was ok in the movie, I think some of characters were deliberately over the top. There was this Eunuch / Pimp who was good and a character named Mangesh Bhai had his moments but most turned in average performances. The script is a bit forced, uses too much Mumbai language for my liking. The songs are ok, nothing stands out. The situations, though, are interesting for sure. You do wonder whats coming next. But even here I think the director missed a trick by showing the movie in flashback form – the opening sequence shows Abhay talking to us about what he has just been through and for me that spoilt to a degree the suspense of what lay ahead.
So, what are we left with ? As with most of the movies these days it’s a bit different. It doesn’t make you think too much, the grey cells can safely be left at home. I think a few people will go home smacking their forehead and thinking ‘what crap !’ and about the same number, probably younger profile people will go away thinking ‘wow, that was brilliant !’. But most, I think, like me will go home thinking it was ok, it was a movie that tried too hard to be funny.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Metro (Life in a Metro)
I think love is a fascinating topic if handled well. There is something amazing about all of us and our universal quest for love. Maybe its that we’re never sure when we find true love ? Or maybe, as we’re never content (true to the human spirit of progress etc), even when we’ve found our life partner / are married, we still find ways to make ourselves unhappy and search for something else. Or maybe its even that we often confuse lust with love ?
The title could easily be ‘The hunt for love in a big city’. It showcases 3 / 4 different yet interlinked storylines showing how different characters search for this elusive, missing commodity in their lives. Some are even married – but as any married couple knows, that doesn’t necessarily mean that love is still alive.
The title could easily be ‘The hunt for love in a big city’. It showcases 3 / 4 different yet interlinked storylines showing how different characters search for this elusive, missing commodity in their lives. Some are even married – but as any married couple knows, that doesn’t necessarily mean that love is still alive.
What I liked in the movie
- The depiction is very realistic. Very. When one character starts shouting at her husband, he just turns around and says ‘you must be having you periods’.
- The storyline is very crisp – the pace never flags, you don’t feel bored and it lasts only 130/140 mts
- They show a very nice mix of characters – from the BPO crowd to assistants to a housewife. The dialogues were very well written, very true to life
- The music is very good – the song ‘in dino’ is exceptional
- The performances are outstanding – Sharman Joshi, Kay Kay Menon, Shilpa Shetty, Konkona Sen, Kangana Raut were all terrific. However the one who stole the show was Irfaan Khan – he was simply brilliant. For one sequence, when he and Konkana are sitting on some rocks by the sea, towards the end, the audience literally got up and started applauding.
- All three leading ladies looked very good. I'll be nice and wont make anymore politically insensitive remarks
- The movie, despite the serious nature of the topic, doesn’t get too ‘heavy’. There are enough light moments, especially driven by Irfaan’s character (and Sharman’s in the initial part).
- Even though, one of the storylines is blatantly copied from one of my favourite classic movies (The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine, directed by Billy Wilder), they copy it / adapt to the current Indian milieu well
What I didn’t like
- I think the Dharmendra / Nafisa Ali storyline didn’t really add much to the movie. I also thought both (especially Dharmendra) overacted a bit.
- All the songs were picturised on the singers while showing the movie / characters in the background – pretty much like a music video. For me, that made the songs more like a break in the film, rather than a part of it.
- I wish they had made Shilpa Shetty’s character a bit stronger / more independent. She cried too much / was too forgiving for my liking.
As an aside, I saw this movie in Priya PVR (in Vasant Vihar, Delhi) and I thanked my stars that multiplexes are now so common in India. They’re just so much more convenient for the consumer and the screen, even if you’re in the front, is so much easier to see.
I’ve always been a fan of interlinked stories and this one is executed very well. Unlike Salaam-E-Ishq, for example, which is just about the concept / big stars, this one has more meat, more substance. And what do you know, it may make you understand / appreciate the love of your life just that little bit more.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Bheja Fry
I saw this movie at 2200 hours in Bangalore, where I saw about 150 sullen, tired, mentally exhausted people come in and leave 2 hours later happy, smiling and refreshed.
Its definitely funny, relying more on dialogue, situations and the sheer screen personality of Bharat Bhushan (brilliantly played by Vinay Pathak – who also excelled in the other great comedy, Khosla ka Ghosla). The story is truly about Bharat Bhushan’s interactions with Ranjeet Thadani (very well played by Rajat Kapoor – remember Mahesh from Dil Chahta Hai). Ranjeet is a music talent agent, married to Sheetal (Sarika) and his main stress buster is his Friday night dinner with some friends – where they usually get an idiot / non-talented person, get him to perform and amuse themselves making fun of him (without hurting his feelings, if Ranjeet is to be believed). Based on an acquaintances recommendation, Ranjeet invites Bharat to come along to his dinner. Bharat works in the income tax department, is a very sincere self-styled singer and has some, lets just say ‘unique’ habits. He comes over to meet Ranjeet at his place before the dinner and that’s when things start to go wrong.
This is not a laugh a minute movie – it takes time to build but soon you start smiling and then suddenly, almost inspite yourself, you begin to laugh. You laugh at Ranjeet’s helplessness (his back gives way), at Bharat’s well-intentioned but usually misfiring attempts to help and most of all the amazing character of Bharat himself – they don’t make them like him anymore !
Among the unique habits Bharat possesses is his desire to show his ‘album’ to everyone he meets, the way the album is wrapped in a shaadi ki mithai wala polythene, the way he shuts his suitcase, the way he calls people up (the glee with which he always informs Ramesh ‘its ringing’ is contagious), his vocabulary (shudh Hindi), his repeated references to his Dad, his forgetfulness and the way he just never loses faith / never stops trying to help…And Ranjeet, despite desperately wanting to get rid of him, just has to keep on approaching him for help as one problem gives way to another !
I think we all identify with bits of Mr Bharat Bhushan – we’ve all probably encountered people who’ve got some traits of his. Also, and I don’t know if its just me, but the one thing that for me makes this movie just reach ‘Very Good’ and not ‘Great’ is that I do not like laughing too much at someone else’s expense…I cannot make fun of idiots like Ranjeet and so there were some moments where I did squirm / did not identify at all with him.
The rest though, was pure fun. Its apparently a remake of a French movie ‘Le Dinner de cons’ but that doesn’t matter. It was almost a shame when the movie ended !
Its definitely funny, relying more on dialogue, situations and the sheer screen personality of Bharat Bhushan (brilliantly played by Vinay Pathak – who also excelled in the other great comedy, Khosla ka Ghosla). The story is truly about Bharat Bhushan’s interactions with Ranjeet Thadani (very well played by Rajat Kapoor – remember Mahesh from Dil Chahta Hai). Ranjeet is a music talent agent, married to Sheetal (Sarika) and his main stress buster is his Friday night dinner with some friends – where they usually get an idiot / non-talented person, get him to perform and amuse themselves making fun of him (without hurting his feelings, if Ranjeet is to be believed). Based on an acquaintances recommendation, Ranjeet invites Bharat to come along to his dinner. Bharat works in the income tax department, is a very sincere self-styled singer and has some, lets just say ‘unique’ habits. He comes over to meet Ranjeet at his place before the dinner and that’s when things start to go wrong.
This is not a laugh a minute movie – it takes time to build but soon you start smiling and then suddenly, almost inspite yourself, you begin to laugh. You laugh at Ranjeet’s helplessness (his back gives way), at Bharat’s well-intentioned but usually misfiring attempts to help and most of all the amazing character of Bharat himself – they don’t make them like him anymore !
Among the unique habits Bharat possesses is his desire to show his ‘album’ to everyone he meets, the way the album is wrapped in a shaadi ki mithai wala polythene, the way he shuts his suitcase, the way he calls people up (the glee with which he always informs Ramesh ‘its ringing’ is contagious), his vocabulary (shudh Hindi), his repeated references to his Dad, his forgetfulness and the way he just never loses faith / never stops trying to help…And Ranjeet, despite desperately wanting to get rid of him, just has to keep on approaching him for help as one problem gives way to another !
I think we all identify with bits of Mr Bharat Bhushan – we’ve all probably encountered people who’ve got some traits of his. Also, and I don’t know if its just me, but the one thing that for me makes this movie just reach ‘Very Good’ and not ‘Great’ is that I do not like laughing too much at someone else’s expense…I cannot make fun of idiots like Ranjeet and so there were some moments where I did squirm / did not identify at all with him.
The rest though, was pure fun. Its apparently a remake of a French movie ‘Le Dinner de cons’ but that doesn’t matter. It was almost a shame when the movie ended !
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Spiderman 3
I think this is one sequel too many and wish they had not made it all. It probes no new territory in terms of the personal life of Peter Parker (he has the same personal dilemma’s as in 2 – can he have a sustaining relationship with MJ / can he and Harry be friends). And there is nothing special in terms of the villains on offer, in fact there are too many of them and that is one of the key contributors towards its bloated 150 minute length.
There are one or two great humorous sequences – the one that sticks out involves the editor of the Daily Bugle, his secretary and some pills. However, there is not enough in the movie to keep the interest sustained – its too gory / introspective in parts to keep the kids involved and not deep enough (a la ‘Batman Begins’) to interest the adults.
I wish they had stopped at 2.
There are one or two great humorous sequences – the one that sticks out involves the editor of the Daily Bugle, his secretary and some pills. However, there is not enough in the movie to keep the interest sustained – its too gory / introspective in parts to keep the kids involved and not deep enough (a la ‘Batman Begins’) to interest the adults.
I wish they had stopped at 2.
Darwaza Bandh Rakho
Just saw this movie – a decent comedy that slipped into oblivion for some reason or the other. It’s a 2006 production by RGV Film Factory, directed by Chekravarthy.
It has a very interesting plot where a gang of four kidnap a rich heiress, seek shelter in a Gujju bhai’s house and are forced to keep him and his whole family hostage as well. One complication follows another (the father of the heiress has gone to America and so is not contactable for a start) and slowly the number of people being held hostage increases….
It’s very nicely done with great performances by a mostly ‘no big name’ cast – though it includes Chunky Pandey / Manisha Koirala / Aftab Shivdasani. The first hour has several very good one-liners (Ishrat Ali is fantastic as the Gujju bhai) but the movie does plod a little towards the end. I think they dragged it a little too long + the end does not really live up to the great start. Nice watch though if you’re in the mood for something different, especially if you’re in a group.
It has a very interesting plot where a gang of four kidnap a rich heiress, seek shelter in a Gujju bhai’s house and are forced to keep him and his whole family hostage as well. One complication follows another (the father of the heiress has gone to America and so is not contactable for a start) and slowly the number of people being held hostage increases….
It’s very nicely done with great performances by a mostly ‘no big name’ cast – though it includes Chunky Pandey / Manisha Koirala / Aftab Shivdasani. The first hour has several very good one-liners (Ishrat Ali is fantastic as the Gujju bhai) but the movie does plod a little towards the end. I think they dragged it a little too long + the end does not really live up to the great start. Nice watch though if you’re in the mood for something different, especially if you’re in a group.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tara RumPum
It’s a clichéd movie with several good moments.
It’s about RV – short for Raj Vir Singh (played by Saif), a NASCAR racing driver in the USA, who after winning 50 races on the trot, suffers an accident and then cannot stop losing. He’s married to Radhika (Rani Mukherjee), with two ultra sweet kids Champ and Princess. Money dries up, there are several problems – school fees to be paid, they lose their perfect upstate New York house, no money for food, no jobs etc. Will RV be able to race again ? Will the good times return to this once picture perfect family ? What do you think ? C’mon, take a guess…you may even be right…
There are several parallel stories – RV is a live for today / who cares about tomorrow kind of guy – buys everything on instalments, blows money on nice cars / fancy rings etc. Radhika, even though she is the daughter of a very successful businessman, is stingy (maybe ‘value-obsessed’ would be more politically correct ?), the planning type of person – for ex: was planning to be a pianist since she was ten. Also, the father (the rich businessman) strictly disapproves of RV – he has no degree, has the wrong attitude, cannot plan for the future etc. Who do you think is right ? Which way of life is better ?
There are some other niggles I had but the main one was that the kids (Champ & Princess, aged about 4 and 8 approximately) are completely from another planet – they are too saccharine / too understanding / too doll-like, so nice that you feel like shaking them up. Both have that ‘kuch kuch hota hai’ type halting way of speaking with the exaggerated gestures and it’s just too fake !
It’s about RV – short for Raj Vir Singh (played by Saif), a NASCAR racing driver in the USA, who after winning 50 races on the trot, suffers an accident and then cannot stop losing. He’s married to Radhika (Rani Mukherjee), with two ultra sweet kids Champ and Princess. Money dries up, there are several problems – school fees to be paid, they lose their perfect upstate New York house, no money for food, no jobs etc. Will RV be able to race again ? Will the good times return to this once picture perfect family ? What do you think ? C’mon, take a guess…you may even be right…
There are several parallel stories – RV is a live for today / who cares about tomorrow kind of guy – buys everything on instalments, blows money on nice cars / fancy rings etc. Radhika, even though she is the daughter of a very successful businessman, is stingy (maybe ‘value-obsessed’ would be more politically correct ?), the planning type of person – for ex: was planning to be a pianist since she was ten. Also, the father (the rich businessman) strictly disapproves of RV – he has no degree, has the wrong attitude, cannot plan for the future etc. Who do you think is right ? Which way of life is better ?
There are some other niggles I had but the main one was that the kids (Champ & Princess, aged about 4 and 8 approximately) are completely from another planet – they are too saccharine / too understanding / too doll-like, so nice that you feel like shaking them up. Both have that ‘kuch kuch hota hai’ type halting way of speaking with the exaggerated gestures and it’s just too fake !
The good moments
- Jaaved Jaafri (he’s changed his spelling) was very good at least initially, with several very good one-liners as a Gujju taxi-driver / team manager.
- A couple of the car races were real adrenalin pumping, high-voltage sequences.
- They touched on several valid issues – the importance of having a degree / planning for the future / ensuring you have things like insurance (especially medical) / not over-extending yourself on credit cards & loans, even though it was in passing.
Saif does what he does best, playing a lovable ruffian as only he can, the man with several flaws but with a heart of gold. Rani turns in a good performance but the mini-skirts in the initial bits really did not suit her. Also, her character was not developed properly, I mean what was she doing when her hubby was racing / winning all those years – where were her planning / her saving instincts ? Why wasn’t she completing her piano degree, paying off the bills, forcing Saif to also save something / invest in insurance etc ? The music was a disappointment as well – nothing that hummable and nothing that will survive a couple of months. There are too many other logical flaws but I cannot give those away without disclosing the whole movie / story (what I’ve given away above may seem like too much but you would get as much by even watching the trailer).
It’s a movie which I think couldn’t make its mind up – it should have either tried to be an out and out action-filled thriller a la Dhoom2 / Don or a family drama about the clash of life-styles between Saif / Rani a la Hum Tum. It tries to be both and so doesn’t succeed in either.
One last point – in the final race, the whole Saif team is sporting the Indian tri-colour in their uniform ? Are they allowed to do that ? They also kissed each other in the movie - now surely thats not allowed as well ? Shouldn’t we be burning some effigies here ? Whats the world coming to if people can display their patriotism for India / their affections for each other so openly ?
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Good Bye Lenin
This is one of the movies which makes you wish you knew its original language (German), since it was so good even through the English sub-titles, that you can only imagine how good it must be in its native German…
Its about a single-parent family in East Germany a few months before the collapse of communism. The mother, an idealistic socialist / party worker, goes into coma when she watches her teen-age son get arrested. Her coma lasts eight months during which time the world as she knows changes completely – the Berlin wall is broken down, Germany is reunited, communism is replaced by capitalism etc. Doctors warn her children that any further shock can be fatal, so her son decides to protect her from all the recent developments and recreates her old world for her in her room at home. One thing leads to another, the deception soon acquires a life of its own with hilarious consequences and keeps getting bigger as the mother becomes more active (she wants to watch TV / starts to walk).
The sub-titles are brilliantly written – dripping with sarcasm and one-liners. The plot is outstanding – there are situations like the Coca cola banner which is unfurled over a nearby building / the Spreewald pickles / the mom’s birthday which are superbly tackled. You really admire the son’s determination to protect his mother at all costs and his ingenuity in coming up with solutions to all the problems – even as his sister and his girlfriend want him to tell her the truth.
Its simply compulsive watching and leaves you marveling at the creative idea behind the film… hats off to Wolfgang Becker for co-writing and directing this masterpiece.
Its about a single-parent family in East Germany a few months before the collapse of communism. The mother, an idealistic socialist / party worker, goes into coma when she watches her teen-age son get arrested. Her coma lasts eight months during which time the world as she knows changes completely – the Berlin wall is broken down, Germany is reunited, communism is replaced by capitalism etc. Doctors warn her children that any further shock can be fatal, so her son decides to protect her from all the recent developments and recreates her old world for her in her room at home. One thing leads to another, the deception soon acquires a life of its own with hilarious consequences and keeps getting bigger as the mother becomes more active (she wants to watch TV / starts to walk).
The sub-titles are brilliantly written – dripping with sarcasm and one-liners. The plot is outstanding – there are situations like the Coca cola banner which is unfurled over a nearby building / the Spreewald pickles / the mom’s birthday which are superbly tackled. You really admire the son’s determination to protect his mother at all costs and his ingenuity in coming up with solutions to all the problems – even as his sister and his girlfriend want him to tell her the truth.
Its simply compulsive watching and leaves you marveling at the creative idea behind the film… hats off to Wolfgang Becker for co-writing and directing this masterpiece.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Namesake
I know which book I’m going to read next – I haven’t read more than three in the last decade, succumbing to the more shallow pleasures of the audio-visual media (tv / movies) instead – but this one I will definitely read.
It’s a beautiful movie, very well made by Mira Nair. Its a simple, touching account of how Ashok Ganguli (Irfan Khan), meets his wife, Ashima (Tabu), takes her to New York and then, as their children, Gogol and Sonya grow up, how all of them cope with their dual identities (are they American or Indian ?). The tale is told very simply, almost like a salad without garnishing, but that only enhances the story, makes us more aware of the ripeness and flavour of the vegetables on offer.
It was very refreshing to watch this movie as opposed to the normal Bollywood potboiler. There are actual ‘pauses’, interludes when no one is doing anything dramatic, just living / being normal. It really helps us understand the central characters, but it does so effortlessly, almost without spending too much time with them. It moves quite seamlessly from one chapter to another in the lives of the Ganguli’s. It shows us a glimpse of what they are going through – whether its childbirth, the loss of a loved one or even a holiday to India - and then it moves on. It doesn’t try to dramatise the situations or try to force us to feel the emotions the characters are going through – however, the tears or laughter from those around me in the audience showed that they got through !
There are lovely little touches throughout the movie – when Tabu is in hospital to give birth (has recently shifted to USA and is still not used to their culture), she asks the nurse if she can have a longer hospital maternity dress as their standard issue is only knee length. There was the realistic depiction of the trauma that all NRI’s go through when we have to endlessly spell our names over the phone. There was the hilarious episode when a teen-aged Gogol, while on a holiday to Kolkatta, decides to go for a jog on the streets. And there was the authentic portryal of Kolkatta – complete with dilapidated buildings, the sea of eccentric humanity that infests it and its quirky highlights including the tram, the boats on the Hooghly, the brightly coloured sari’s hung to dry from the buildings, Durga Pooja etc. Also, I could easily relate to the ‘dinner with other Indian families’ where the conversation is all about India and after a few drinks, everyone starts singing (quite terribly, in most cases), very old songs.
Tabu and Irfan Khan were exceptional in the movie. Irfan makes for an extremely convincing Bengali academic, a bit lost / measured, living life his way / at his own pace and showing a remarkable ability to do or say the right thing at the right time. He may not always understand his children but he knows when to step in or let go. Tabu is the quintessential, good Bengali girl (very good-looking / she cooks / knits / is a trained classical singer etc) who maintains her own identity even while living in America. She is enigmatic (as in the above photo), yet very pragmatic. When asked by her prospective father in law, whether she won't mind moving to USA, being in the freezing / very cold winters of New York and whether she won't mind being lonely, her eyes at first betray her alarm / her fear of the unknown life ahead, but then she smiles and shyly says ‘Why, wont he be there ?’. Kal Penn, as Gogol, was very good as well, making us understand the dilemma’s that his character faced. And a special mention of Zuleikha Robinson, who as Moushumi Mazumdar, played an Americanised version of the stereotypical sultry Bengali siren with great aplomb !
I think this movie will bear several viewings quite easily – there will be new little details / many layers revealing themselves everytime we watch the movie. It raises several questions about life, the choices we make, our roots, how we bring up our kids. Yet quite amazingly, for a movie dealing in such heavy topics, it doesn’t feel ‘heavy’, it doesn’t burden you with the questions. And while it does tug at our heartstrings as we experience the Ganguli’s journey through life, it doesn’t try to take you through an emotional rollercoaster. You leave the cinema hall with a strange calm, a nice, warm, happy, peaceful feeling.
It’s a beautiful movie, very well made by Mira Nair. Its a simple, touching account of how Ashok Ganguli (Irfan Khan), meets his wife, Ashima (Tabu), takes her to New York and then, as their children, Gogol and Sonya grow up, how all of them cope with their dual identities (are they American or Indian ?). The tale is told very simply, almost like a salad without garnishing, but that only enhances the story, makes us more aware of the ripeness and flavour of the vegetables on offer.
It was very refreshing to watch this movie as opposed to the normal Bollywood potboiler. There are actual ‘pauses’, interludes when no one is doing anything dramatic, just living / being normal. It really helps us understand the central characters, but it does so effortlessly, almost without spending too much time with them. It moves quite seamlessly from one chapter to another in the lives of the Ganguli’s. It shows us a glimpse of what they are going through – whether its childbirth, the loss of a loved one or even a holiday to India - and then it moves on. It doesn’t try to dramatise the situations or try to force us to feel the emotions the characters are going through – however, the tears or laughter from those around me in the audience showed that they got through !
There are lovely little touches throughout the movie – when Tabu is in hospital to give birth (has recently shifted to USA and is still not used to their culture), she asks the nurse if she can have a longer hospital maternity dress as their standard issue is only knee length. There was the realistic depiction of the trauma that all NRI’s go through when we have to endlessly spell our names over the phone. There was the hilarious episode when a teen-aged Gogol, while on a holiday to Kolkatta, decides to go for a jog on the streets. And there was the authentic portryal of Kolkatta – complete with dilapidated buildings, the sea of eccentric humanity that infests it and its quirky highlights including the tram, the boats on the Hooghly, the brightly coloured sari’s hung to dry from the buildings, Durga Pooja etc. Also, I could easily relate to the ‘dinner with other Indian families’ where the conversation is all about India and after a few drinks, everyone starts singing (quite terribly, in most cases), very old songs.
Tabu and Irfan Khan were exceptional in the movie. Irfan makes for an extremely convincing Bengali academic, a bit lost / measured, living life his way / at his own pace and showing a remarkable ability to do or say the right thing at the right time. He may not always understand his children but he knows when to step in or let go. Tabu is the quintessential, good Bengali girl (very good-looking / she cooks / knits / is a trained classical singer etc) who maintains her own identity even while living in America. She is enigmatic (as in the above photo), yet very pragmatic. When asked by her prospective father in law, whether she won't mind moving to USA, being in the freezing / very cold winters of New York and whether she won't mind being lonely, her eyes at first betray her alarm / her fear of the unknown life ahead, but then she smiles and shyly says ‘Why, wont he be there ?’. Kal Penn, as Gogol, was very good as well, making us understand the dilemma’s that his character faced. And a special mention of Zuleikha Robinson, who as Moushumi Mazumdar, played an Americanised version of the stereotypical sultry Bengali siren with great aplomb !
I think this movie will bear several viewings quite easily – there will be new little details / many layers revealing themselves everytime we watch the movie. It raises several questions about life, the choices we make, our roots, how we bring up our kids. Yet quite amazingly, for a movie dealing in such heavy topics, it doesn’t feel ‘heavy’, it doesn’t burden you with the questions. And while it does tug at our heartstrings as we experience the Ganguli’s journey through life, it doesn’t try to take you through an emotional rollercoaster. You leave the cinema hall with a strange calm, a nice, warm, happy, peaceful feeling.
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