Kai Po Che : A movie made with a heart

 Nothing fascinates India the way religion, politics ,cricket  and cinema does . Abhisek Kapoor decides to take the first three as ingredient to cook an absolutely delectable dish. At the turn of the millennium, the nation went through three defining moments – one underlining the fury of nature- the Earthquake that rocked Gujarat in Jan 2001- another, a shameful incident that brought forth the sick psyche of a section who tarnished the image of a secular & peace loving nation – the Godhra Carnage, the third one, the snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat by the Indian cricketers, that inspired the nation and gave it the confidence to dare to win.

                                  

  Based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel, “Kai Po Che” is a byproduct of deft direction, crisp screen play, astute cinematography, remarkable casting and absolutely magnificent performance. Set in the backdrop of the three defining moments it projects the trials and tribulations that the friendship of three male protagonists go through.But it is not only about their bonhomie but also about the aspiration to succeed. While the first half captures the friendship with lazy elegance, post interval the script picks up pace with sudden turn of events.  Kai Po Che beautifully projects the emotions, be it the dream to win, the frustration of failure or the confusion of what to do, all of us must have gone through at some point or other. Its protagonists are easily identifiable; hence it connects with the audience.

Rajkumar Yadav is the actor to watch out for. As a simple, matter of fact Govind he adds an awkward charm to his character. Sushant Singh Rajput as an emotional Ishaan portrays truck loads of confidence and a casual coolness that will blow you off your feet. Amit Sadh as Omi gives an intense performance, where as Amrita Puri with her vulnerability and beauty steals your heart.

However Abhishek Kapoor deserves accolades for turning a mediocre novel into a fantastic film with his skillful direction. The characters have been crafted carefully, to give each one of them equal screen presence, which doesn’t often happen in a multi starrer. And finally Kai Po Che is not because of Chetan Bhagat but in spite of him! I will go out with 3.5 out of 5 for this appetizing movie that leaves you with a bittersweet feeling that will stay with you for sometime.

Special 26 : The Con is On !

Neeraj Pandey raised the bar with his directorial debut “A Wednesday” in 2008, only to come back in 2013 with another intelligently directed cat & mouse thriller. If his earlier movie questioned the system and was much up front, this one is much subdued in its tone. His protagonists change from – “Common Men” to “Con Men”. Set in the back drop of late eighties and inspired from real life incidents “Special 26” shrewdly and wittily depicts the run & chase game between CBI and a gang of con artist who pose as CBI or Income Tax officials and rob corrupt politicians and businessmen.

What stands out in this creatively crafted cinema is the focus that has been given to detailing, be it the peculiar behavior of employees of powerful Govt organization like CBI or capturing the essence of different cities like Jaipur,Delhi or Kolkata where the conmen travel to entrap  their targets. Akshay Kumar , after a series of mindless roles finally gets to play a substantial character and gives a controlled and laudable performance. Manoj Bajpayee once again repeats what he does best, to put life into his characters. Rajesh Sharma & Kishore Kadam gets into their characters and gait, like a fish takes to water.  But one performance that deserves a standing ovation is of Anupam Kher’s. He gives an absolutely adorable portrayal of his character that underlines what a versatile artiste he is.

The script also subtly takes a sarcastically wink on the political system and the idiosyncratic functioning and set up of Govt offices. However couple of places where Neeraj fails is the unnecessary romantic side track between Akshay and Kajal Aggrawal. It only drags down the pace of an otherwise swift script. He was bold enough not to add any romantic angle and still deliver a stupendous film in 2008, wish he would have been as bold this time around. Also the director fails to extract much from Divya Dutta. Considering the amount of talent she possesses, she is wasted in the movie.

None the less Special 26 is a film that will keep you glued till the end, take you back to those sepia colored 80’s world and con you into falling in love with the Conmen. I will go out with three and half out of five.