Bajirao Mastani : Visual Opulence !

#BajiraoMastani : With arguably the longest disclaimer in the history of hindi cinema , Sanjay Leela Bhansali makes it pretty clear at the beginning that his magnum opus is not a factual representation of the life of 18^th century Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao Balaji Bhat (1700-1740)  , rather it is based on N.S. Inamder’s celebrated novel “Rau”.  From there on, brace yourself for everything that is typical of Bhansali, the grandeur, the scale, the set, the melodrama, the music, the colour, the canvas, the costume, the self indulgence, the drama and of course the dance.

And amidst all these opulence, it is the story that suffers. Subtlety has never been Bhansali’s forte, but trying to recreate “Devdas” while telling the love story of legendary warrior who has remained unconquered in forty one battles is a faux pas, too difficult to be ignored.  So “ Pinga ga pori ” is forced into the narrative to bring the effect of “ Dola re”. While the later had a context in the narrative, the former in fact reduces the conflict and affects the narrative. Wait there is more “Babuji ne kaha Gaon Chod do , Sab ne Kaha Paro ko Chod do” moment. Only the Babuji is replaced by Aai here. Thankfully Tanvi Azmi’s character as Radhabai , Bajirao’s mother, has been fleshed out and she gives a powerhouse performance as a matriarch .

  

However in spite of its inherent flaws, Bajirao Mastani is a breathtaking visual tapestry.  The fountains, the chandeliers, the glass palace, the costume creates magic.  Sudeep Chatarjee’s cinematography is poetic and deserves a standing ovation. Music and background score transports you into a world of its own. Ranvir Singh is pure class. He makes the character of Peshwa his own, even picks up the Marathi accent and gives a delightfully power packed performance, probably his best till date. Priyanka who gets to play a character that goes through different emotions is scintillating. She gives an outstanding performance every time she is in frame and even outshines Deepika in scenes where they are together.  Deepika has a sizzling entry. Yet for an actor who has been in a zone for quite some time now playing each character with aplomb, she gives a slightly inconsistent performance. At almost 2 hours 40 minutes and with a very long melodramatic climax, the editing pulls down the pace and exhausts a bit.

Alright then, in a world where Visual Opulence can be renamed “Bhansali”, Bhansali has a new syndrome called “ Devdas”  and where history starts with “ Disclaimer” I will go out with 2.5 out of 5 for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Labour of Love “ Bajirao Mastani” . Go indulge yourself, the “Experience” may not be authentic yet it’s worth savoring!

Tamasha : When the Mind is without Fear

There is a race out there, a race that has no meaning, yet every damn folk is part of it. Millions are caught in the rut, living a pretentious life, a life that is fast losing its inherent meaning. In a robotic, corporatized world, where you get judged by the minute, there is an inner self that is getting suffocated deep inside, yet powerless to liberate itself.  Gone are the days “When the mind was without fear” – in a modern, materialistic world the mind is tuned to take instructions only. In a world obsessed with pragmatism and success, spontaneity has faded into oblivion.  The inner struggle is so evident, the angst is so palpable, hence the escape to Corsica. Such a poignant and powerful story. And Imtiaz Ali decides to use “Tamasha” to portray it.

Imtiaz who depicted the soul stirring journey of Janardan to Jordan in “Rockstar” decides to tell the story of Ved’s self discovery in Tamasha. Forced to choose an average, ordinary life, labelled as a well behaved man Ved, probably discovers the full potential of his true inner self when me meets Tara in Corsica. Yet he thought that was momentary and resumes his mundane, normal, robotic life once he is back in India, till he meets Tara again, years later. His discovery is gut wrenching for him and fascinating for us, as we continue to live in a cocooned world, in a pre defined way, scared to take the plunge.   However Imtiaz chooses a weird narrative, partly magnificent and partly monotonous to paint the canvas. The opening scene, at almost twenty minutes, is too long and fails to connect with the audience .Much of the first half is lost in capturing the picturesque Corsica without any effort to flesh out the characters. But post interval the film picks up pace and decides to delve deep and gives us some brilliant moments.

Ranbir and Deepika’s Chemistry is enigmatic. Deepika , it seems , is on a roll. She effortlessly gets into the skin of Tara displaying us her myriad moods. Ranbir is back with a superlative performance. Watch out for his monologues in front of a mirror, where he speaks with his inner self or for that brilliant scene where he shares with his family his own story, the story of a life he wants to live. Irshad Kamal’s lyrics are partly haunting and partly playful. Unfortunately the songs have not been used properly. Ravi Verman’s cinematography is beautiful. It is the editing that slows down the pace of the film and it veers in all direction.

Ironically a film that talks about what life “could have been” if we dare to take the path of self discovery, ends up being a film “that could have been so much more”! I will go out with 2.5 out of 5 for Imtiaz Ali’s “ Tamasha” – go be a part  of the journey of self discovery , it may not be entirely fulfilling , yet who knows, it may  fascinate your soul to take the plunge !

Titli : A gut wrenching Flight

#Titli : There exists two India. One that is suave, progressive, an India that is surrounded by malls & multiplexes, that drives Mercedes, which talks about digitization, enjoys the benefits of economic liberalization, promotes or at least pretends to endorse feminism. And then there is another India , that struggles everyday to meet two ends, that takes pride in patriarchy , where relationship tend to become dysfunctional . While we may carelessly ignore it, yet both the places co- exist. Several obnoxious slum windows in many cities open straight into the skyscrapers built just opposite to them. Beneath the superficial harmonious co-existence lies the vulnerable aspiration of many who want to escape away from a ruined present and create a better future.

Growing up in the latter India, just a bit away from an India that seems shining, Titli’s constant effort   was to break away from his family and the world of crime. His quest is for a life with dignity and his dry eyes capture his quest hauntingly. But is it just about escaping from a weird family or is it also about letting go the morbid values he has inherited from them or from the society he has been part of. Is the quest just for escaping   to a better world or to become a better human being? In his pursuit to lead a better life and accumulate money for it, he too manipulated and allowed himself to be exploited till he realized the transformation could not be complete unless the “means” to achieve it is right.

In spite of a bit over indulgence Kanu Behl’s direction is scintillating. He brings out the gut wrenching chemistry of a disjointed family that leads its life in an absolutely unapologetic way. In the struggle for survival, in the world of aspiration, remorse doesn’t have a place. While his elder brother Bawla cries, Titli listens to it indifferently and his wife sleeps peacefully. There is an emotional vacuum everywhere. Relationships are based on needs. Titli takes his wife to meet her love Prince. While they make love, Titli waits patiently in the living room- like the display furniture in the model flat he too is not part of the standard fixture!

Ranvir Shorey has given the performance of his career and Shivani Raghuvanshi as Neelu is the show stealer. Shashank Arora’s desperate eyes reflect his inner suffocation. Yet as Titli , this constant expression doesn’t do justice to his talent. Namrata Rao’s editing could have been better.

Titli is not an easy film to watch, yet it is an important film that needs to be watched. It reflects a part of society, we ignore blissfully. It is a powerful film that showcases family in a way, very few films, barring Udaan have dared to present. 

I will go out with 3 out of five for Kanu Behl’s gut wrenching Titli. Go brace yourself and fasten your seat belt. This for sure is going to be a turbulent flight! 

Talvar... Truth is stranger than Fiction !

Talvar : It s not easy to make a film on a real life case that has been under constant  public scrutiny. It is even more difficult when a book has been written and a film has already been made on it.  It becomes all the more tricky in an age when all pervading media has “cracked” the case several times over and declared the instant verdict.  Yet Vishal Bharadwaj and Meghna Gulzar decide to tread the path already traveled and yet present a compelling and unique dimension to the sordid saga. Their Talwar is as much about the double murder as it is about a system that has become dysfunctional and a society that has become voyeuristic.

The cleverly written, watertight script uses acid wit to reflect on the glaring procedural failures. It is a film with multiple layers. On one hand it presents a disturbing picture of the way media, police and judiciary functions. On the other hand it subtly forces us to think how voyeuristic and insensitive we have become. Though presented in a Rashomon style narrative, where each investigative team has a different perspective on how the crime would have been committed, Gulzar and Bharadwaj somewhere subtly lets us know where their heart lies. And that is probably the only let down in an otherwise riveting piece of work that reflects on the police procedure.

Irrfan, playing the character of Arun Kumar, the then CBI Jt. Director, is in sublime form. He plays a complex character that is going through turbulence in personal life with aplomb. To put it mildly, when he appears on screen, you can’t take your eyes off him! Gajraj Rao as the first investigating officer perfectly plays the role of an insensitive pot bellied, pan chewing cop that we come across so often. Unfortunately Neeraj Kabi & Konkona Sen Sharma, two otherwise fine actors, don’t have much to portray in Talvar.

But the standing ovation is reserved for the director – writer duo of Meghna Gulzar & Vishal Bharadwaj.They have put in quite a bit of effort in researching the subject. Gulzar comes out of a long hiatus with all guns blazing. Her direction is astute and mature. She takes up a complex and nuanced project and makes a very fine film. Bhardwaj’s writing is superb. Using black humour to drive his point he makes a scathing attack on the apathetic and incompetent police procedural, overeager media and an overworked judicial system. Watch out for the climax where the two investigating teams confront each other. While you helplessly watch the mockery and feel the pain, Gulzar- Bharadwaj’s satire also makes you laugh impromptu. And then suddenly you become aware how terrible that feeling can be; to laugh and feel guilty simultaneously.

And that is what Talvar does to you. I will go out with four out of five for this gripping documentary thriller. Yes, truth is stranger than fiction!

Calendar Girls... Really ?

#CalendarGirls: Once upon a time there was a director named Madhur Bhandarkar , who showed promise , made few genuinely good films, flattered to deceive for a while  till he  became a victim of “Ram Gopal Verma” syndrome.  Thus started the obsession of showing a mirror to society, through some absolutely shoddy pieces of work. The modus-operandi remains same, pick up few headlines, garnish them with some titillating scenes, and sprinkle it with some sermonising. Calendar Girls is an extension of that mediocrity.

The production quality is shabby, acting is intolerable, dialogues are so terrible; it makes you wonder if the dialogue writer was on extended dope, casting is messy and script is non existent. Most of the scenes are so unimaginative that they make the soaps on Indian telly look master class in comparison. In order to show that one of the selected Calendar girl is from Kolkata the director decides to show us yellow taxi & durga puja . Probably to make his film look contemporary, one of the character in the film constantly talks about twitter & takes selfies . Rest in peace Creativity.

As far as acting is concerned the debutantes could have easily been replaced by mannequins or to suit Bhandarkar’s purpose by Sunny Loene playing multiple roles! Suhel Seth , Kiran Kumar & Ronit Roy’s role could have been played by any dolt, if at all those characters were necessary to the script . Oh, but then we forgot there was no script in the first place! Probably during the filming of “Heroine” Bhandarkar developed a fascination for bare legs & pushed up cleavage. And that fascination still continues , however the audience has moved on and matured Mr. Bhandarkar.

At more than 140 minutes Calendar Girls is an excruciatingly painful watch. So let the Mallyas have fun with the Calendar Girls, the Madhurs make pretentious films on it, you spare yourself the torture and better stay indoor with the good old calendar.

I will go out with a very generous 1 out of 5 for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Calendar Girls. Sometimes after watching such movies I realise probably “BAN” after all is not such a bad word!

                                                                                                                     

Masaan

#Masaan  : Have you ever stood near a Masaan ( Crematorium),  where each single day number of people are brought in as bodies ,just plain life less bodies. As the funeral pyre lights up, comes a moment of vast emptiness followed by a sense of letting go. After all as one of the protagonist says in the film “Anyways I have heard everything gets sorted out after sometime “. It is the place where the skull gets crushed mercilessly in order to liberate the soul!  And what better city to depict this journey than Benaras – A city that celebrates life and death, with some sense of equanimity.

Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial debut “Masaan” is about a society in flux. It celebrates love as much as it celebrates letting go, it celebrates life as much as Death. It captures the essence of a small city bursting at its seams thanks to conflicting value system. It is the “Doms” who pile up and set the bodies on fire, they are the last stop in our march to salvation, yet the society doesn’t accept them. When a higher class girl falls in love with a guy who sets the funeral fire, she knows her parents won’t accept him. Yet, there is a new shining India, full of aspiration – so the guy is competing hard to get a respectable job, the girl is ready to run away with him, if required. There is still hope, all is not lost yet. But then life’s ultimate truth, death dawns on them. Yet life must go on....

Somewhere else in the same city, Devi, a fiercely independent and aspirational girl is paying the price for   being caught while having premarital sex with her boyfriend. She denies being apologetic and bold enough to explain her escapade as an “act of curiosity”. Her boyfriend is “Killed” ,her family is blackmailed by the cops, who are supposed to provide protection to the society . While she is mourning the loss of her lover, her father is mourning the loss of family honour. This is the dichotomy India encounters every day, this is the hypocrisy we take pride in. Yet she is not cowed down. Life must go on ....

Varun Grover’s screenplay is crisp and compelling and Neeraj Ghaywan’s direction is astute and assured. It is not a flawless film, yet considering it is his directorial debut, he has done a commendable job. No one has ever breathed life into a (Sa)Msaan the way Neeraj has .  Richa Chaddha , in spite of her inconsistency ,manages to pull off the character of Devi. New comer Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathy are absolutely brilliant. Shweta as Shallu gives an endearing performance. Vicky Kaushal is the find of this year.  And that man, Sanjai Mishra , what an actor he is . With each of his release he is exploring new facets of his acting prowess.

Masaan is a poignant portrayal of multi layered storytelling. It has so much to say, yet so many times the silence in the film speaks louder than the word.  It is highly metaphorical. It shows the conflicts in our society. It reflects the confusing value system we have been a part of.  It shows how a new generation driven by technology and aspiration are ready to move in to a new era. It reflects Hope. There is a bridge, there is a river, both of them bring people in and they also take them away. Yet life must go on.......

Forget awards , forget ratings , forget reviews , just go and be a part of the story !

Bajrangi Bhaijaan- where love triumphs !

#BajrangiBhaijaan : Not often you get a chance to spot “Eid Ka Chand”, not often you get to see Salman Khan not behaving like Salman Khan in a Salman Khan movie, not often you go to watch a Salman Khan movie which is not Bhai Porn , not often you enjoy a Salman Khan film where he doesn’t take off his shirt to display those beefy biceps , not often you need a review for a Salman Khan film, not often you find  a Salman Khan film which has a script. Bajrangi Bhaijaan for a change has a script, however manipulative and oversimplified it may be, and characters who are relevant and who get to play a part.

The film opens with a beautiful shot of the snow capped Himalayan Range taken leisurely and almost makes a statement on the predictable and slow pace at which the story is going to unfold.  The first half is set at a languid pace exploring the life of Pawan Kumar Chaturvedi played by Salman , his meeting with Shahida/Munni , a six year old speech impaired girl from Pakistan who has been separated from her mother during their journey to India and Pawan aka Bajrangi’s effort to ascertain the identity and root of Shahida . Salman effortlessly slips into the role of a too good to be true Hanuman Bhakta Bajrangi , who never cheats , who doesn’t lie.  Khan, known for his larger than life, on the face portrayals, plays a simple, subdued character this time around and pulls it off rather nicely. He is endearing and vulnerable.

The story picks up  pace and the drama builds up  as Bajrangi and Munni enter  Pakistan and director Kabir Khan introduces Nawazuddin Siddique as the Pakistani reporter Chand Nawab. Nawaz steals the show with his amazing acting and impeccable comic timing. The story becomes predicable yet interesting as the cat and mouse chance begins between the Pakistani authorities and a determined Bajrangi out on a mission to reunite Shahida with her parents. Harshali Malhotra as six year old Shaheeda is absolutely stunning. She doesn’t get to utter a single word till the last scene, yet her eyes communicate effortlessly through the length of the film. She seems effortless in her performance and unaffected by the presence of Salman and Nawaz.  Kareena Kapoor plays her part well.  The supporting case of Sarat Saxena , Om Puri and  Rajesh Sharma does a wonderful job.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan celebrates the triumph of humanity over religious and parochial intolerance, albeit in an over simplified and sugar coated manner. At 160 minutes it is a bit too long, with Kabir Khan’s attempt to pack it with emotion; it will require you to take your handkerchief along. Yet it is a well written film that has its soul at the right place. In a strife torn world, manipulative love provides the much needed succour than manufactured hatred.Go have your share of honey dipped goodness then.

And rating –Well, do they even matter for a Bhai Bhakt!

Asha Jaoar Majhe .. Labor of Love

In an age of instant connectivity, where love needs to be explicitely expressed several times in a day to be understood Aditya Vikram Sengupta's‪#‎AshaJaoarMajhe / ‪#‎Labouroflove celebrates ethereal love. The husband hangs the clothes to dry in the morning , the wife removes them in the evening. They eat the cake from the same bakery. The husband paddles the cycle faster so that he can meet the wife just before she leaves for work. The wife carefully keeps the food for her husband. Such mundane activities. And labour of love explores the extraordinary love, in these ordinary everyday activities , which we so carelessly ignore. Set in the backdrop of a recession hit world, Asha Jaoar Majhe is a real tribute to the essence of love.

                             

It celebrates the silence in an age where noise reigns. The cinematography is poetic & surreal; the attention to detail is almost obsessive. In one particular scene the camera pans on the cycle wheel as it keeps on moving at a break-neck speed. An allegory to the modern world where everyone is running at a pace beyond their control. The world where survival is a question & losing is not an option , sanity can rarely prevail !

With a languid pace & no dialogue it is not an easy film to watch . But if you manage to sit through , in the last scene , which has touch of Ray , you would realise the entire movie was a build up for the sublime ending. Asha Jaoar Majhe is a poetic story presented with a painter's sensibility. Watch it if you possess the patience to appreciate the quintessence of Love.

P. S. -Watched it last week & as the end credits rolled the audience stood up and clapped . In Kolkata there were 2 shows in the 1st week & the whole week it ran houseful. Reiterates the faith in the power of Good Cinema & an ever evolving audience.

2015- Bollywood So far ....

Last weekend of June and that eventually marks the end to the first six months of releases for twenty fifteen at the movies. As monsoon touches down on most part of the country, let’s look back to find out the impact the winter and summer had on bollywood. As far as content and variety is concerned this year’s releases resemble a beautiful tapestry replete with myriad hues. So we had few edge of the seat thrillers, some sensitive films that touched the heart, couple of witty rom-coms and few bold indie releases. While #Masaan brought laurels on international platform, regional language films like #Court  , #Killa (Marathi) and Labour of love/Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali) breached the language barrier and garnered acceptability across, reiterating the fact art has no boundary.

While all these were happening in the theater, #Drishyamfilms came up with a wonderful and welcome step of promoting and producing films with substance, giving wings to the aspiration of many directors who chose to tread on the path less traveled. And this is a significant step towards encouraging good cinema and bridging the gap between art and commerce.  Not only this, Drishyam in collaboration with the prestigious Sundace Institute will also conduct the screen Writers’ lab for India. With few exciting releases lined up, the future only looks brighter.

All right then, my pick from the bollywood releases so far this year that you should watch, in case you haven’t yet  

Piku: The sheer simplicity of this endearing story about the relationship between an aging father and his young daughter makes it my top pick.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns: In case you thought it is just a witty film with brilliant dialogues, go back and watch it again. It is a serious take on man-woman relationship and the mirage called marriage!

NH10: A powerhouse performance from Anushka , exposing a world we all know exists , yet don’t accept.

Margarita With a Straw: Dealing with Cerebral Palsy this film will win your heart with its honest portrayal of real issues.

Dum Lagake Haisa : A beautifully written , simple story about the most difficult issue with women , their weight and the most important part in an arranged marriage , settling down !

Dil Dhadakne do- No one exposes the facade associate with the rich upper class the way Zoya Akhter does it. Though it is not her best work, yet, it raises some very tough questions about the Indian Family and dares to bare it all.

Baby , Badlapur & Hunterrr also make it to the list and worth a watch .

And finally inspite of their several weaknesses, if you love cinema go and watch Bombay Velvet and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy. You will learn as much from its grandeur as you would from the makers over indulgence leading to the story falling apart. After all learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do, isn’t it?

Tanu Weds Manu Returns - It has Swagger & Kangana is the Queen

#TanuWedsManuReturns :Jodi Picoult in her celebrated novel “My Sister’s Keeper” defines imperfection beautifully. “You don't love someone because they're perfect. You love them in spite of the fact that they're not.” Anand L. Rai once again goes back to his familiar territory of small town India with his familiar actors and a familiar topic “Love” and the futility of finding perfection in Love. And in spite of several flaws at script level “Tanu Weds Manu returns” forces you to fall in love with its imperfections with some superb acting, quirky dialogues and a story-line that starts where a normal bollywood film ends.

If pace, rather lack of it, was a concern in the 2011 Tanu Weds Manu , the sequel starts with a fierce vindictive pace . The first half just breezes past with an exciting story line, lots of promise, some inspired acting and the gumption of the director to stay away from the beaten track. Four years into the marriage Tanuja Trivedi & Manoj Sharma, two diabolically opposite individual, land up in a mental asylum to seek marriage counselling. While the idea, opposites attract, has been much romanticized, can they survive and continue living together is still a question mankind has no definite answer to. Leaving Manu at the mental asylum our “Desi Batman” returns to her root in Kanpur to continue from where she left.

Rarely, very rarely in the history of hindi cinema a leading lady has played a double role where the only similarity is their look. Kangana as Tanu and Datto has created two distinctly different characters. They are as different as cheese and chalk. It is an ode to not only her enormous acting prowess but also to the extraordinary effort. Deepak Dobriyal as Manu’s friend Pappi improvises from where he left in 2011. His timing is superb and he has stolen almost every scene where he is present.

It is the last thirty minutes where the film loses its plot. The director who had been maverick in the first 90 minutes challenging convention, suddenly decided to play for the audience and convenience. And this is where the story becomes predictable and a bit boring. How I wish instead of following the “they lived happily ever after” path director Anand and script writer Himanshu would have chosen instead to trust an evolving Indian audience!

In spite of its flaws Tanu Weds Manu Returns is hilarious film celebrating the finer nuances of small city life and the confusion in Love in a society in flux. It has the swagger and mark my words Kangana continues to be the Queen. I will go out with 3.5 out of 5. This comedy sure will bring the temperature down.

Piku..

#Piku : Long ago ,before noise became the norm,  there was a Hrishikesh Mukherjee & Basu Chatterjee school of cinema that taught life lessons through simple stories , beautiful narrations , believable acting & mellifluous music .  Almost half a century later director Shoojit Sircar & writer Juhi Chaturvedi decides to revisit the old school. And they make their intentions amply clear with a simple Title “Piku”. It is a simple story of relationships told with lots of heart and humour. It is a story that unfolds in every house hold with an old parent or grandparent. It is a story you & I have been witness to all along.

The Narration:

A cantankerous hypochondriac old man, his thirty odd year old daughter and a single businessman who comes in touch with the father-daughter duo. Sounds familiar? What if the story revolves around the old man’s eccentricity and constipated bowel movement?  Eh! Sounds like a shitty story? This is where writer Juhi Chturvedi & Director Shoojit Sircar’s genius elevates a simple everyday poop story to deliver the philosophy of life, to depict real yet beautiful human relationship, celebrates feminism , makes you laugh and weep and ends up making an endearing film. Mind it, Piku is an extremely difficult film to make at screen play and direction level precisely because of the simplicity yet absurdity of the subject. It could have so easily ended up being crass and boring .Yet walking on a tight rope the screen play – director duo manages to pull it off and how ! The beauty of Piku lies not in the story but the way it has been narrated.

Light, Camera, Action

More than four decades after immortalizing Bhaskar Banerjee in Anand, Bachchan embraces the same name albeit with an “O”. As an aging, selfish, whimsical, annoying yet adorable Bhaskor Banerjee, ever concerned about his health, Amitabh Bachchan is simply magnificent. His comic timing and body language is jaw dropping. Mark my words; you would search for those old parents or grandparents of yours in Bhaskor Babu. With a Bravura performance, Bachchan reiterates why he is the ultimate thespian in Hindi film industry.  

Deepika as Piku is astounding. If in Ramleela she marked her arrival as an actress, with Piku she has consolidated her position as one of the finest actresses of our generation. With each release her acting prowess is growing by leaps and bounds.  As a modern girl  who is strong yet fallible, who is independent yet longs for support, as a girl who feels driving liberates her yet she enjoys being just a co passenger her eyes speak louder than her words. She doesn’t act, she just reacts the way you and I do. Do I need to explain any further!

Irfan is the final cog in a casting coup. He is superb as usual. He is a perfect foil to an eccentric Bhaskor and moody Piku. Moushumi Chatterjee & Jisshu Sengupta plays their parts well.

And the Background Score

When was the last time you watched the black and white opening credits roll with a sitar & sarod playing in the background? Anupam Roy’s music is distinctive.  It has a sense of calmness and equanimity around it. It integrates so beautifully with the story and becomes a part of the narration.

The Father- Daughter relationship in Piku makes you fall in love with the eccentricity and simplicity of life .It touches your heart through the bowel. After all emotion is all about motion!  Alright then ,do yourself a favour this weekend, take your folks out to watch Piku , watch them as they discover the Bhaskor Banerjee in them , cherish those  moments with smiles on their lips and moist eyes and as you walk out of the theatre give them a tight hug. And for those asking for stars, I bet you will come out celebrating life.

The Well

Badrinathpur was a small, sleepy village situated miles away from the city. The dense green foliage and surrounding hill probably insulated it from the malice of modernity. Cultivation was the predominant occupation. The needs of the villagers were basic and they were yet to be exposed to the world of want. There was a small school in the village. The kids used to study in that village school before stepping into their father’s occupation. Hrishikesh babu was the only teacher of that school. Being the most educated person of the village he was revered by the villagers. He was also the head of Badrinathpur. 

Life was going on as usual. The villagers would work in the paddy field during the day, in the evening they would congregate near the village temple. Hrishikesh babu would tell them stories from mythology, the villagers would recite religious chants, sing songs, make merry and then they would retreat back to their houses happily. Sunday used to be day when everybody used to come together to the center of the village. There was a huge banyan tree. This writer was told the tree is more than a century old and a witness to all the decisions that has been taken in Badrinathpur. Hrisikesh Babu used to sit under the tree, listen to villager’s issues and provide solutions, suggestions or pass on verdicts.

It was another Sunday. Rather a special Sunday, summer was approaching, the village needed another Well. Everyone was ready to raise request for another Well to Hrishikesh Babu .People kept on waiting for him to join. But when he didn’t reach they got worried. It was quite unusual for him to be late. He usually is a stickler for time.  When it approached noon and yet Hrishibabu didn’t come the villagers decided to go to his house to check if everything is all right. On reaching his house they found it locked from inside. They knocked on the door without getting any response. Everybody was getting worried and impatient. Finally the seniors of the village decided to break the fragile door open. On entering the room, they found him sleeping peacefully, without a care about the world. He didn’t respond to their call. There was a panic ridden silence. Giriraj, the village Vaidya, who was standing outside, rushed in. He checked the pulses, his face turned pale. Hrishibabu was no more. Everyone was shocked. There was a sudden emptiness, people’s eyes welled up. They didn’t know what to do. In all these years it is Hrishikeshbabu who has provided them with solutions in situations like these. And now suddenly he is no more. They didn’t know what to do, whom to go. Hearing the sad news people from nearby villages also rushed in. Almost an hour passed by. Giriraj stood up and told the masses, the last rights needs to be performed. Ashim, Hrishibabu’s son, was summoned. He reached by evening. After completion of all rituals the cremation took place close to midnight. 

                                             

Next couple of weeks it was a strange sense of sadness that grappled the village. Everyone missed the guiding force in their life. There were no more listening to mythology or singing songs during the evening gathering.  The village seniors realised, they must appoint the new Head soon. They felt being the most educated person amongst them Ashim was the right person to lead them. Having completed his education in the city, he would also handle the school. They went to Ashim with the proposal, though initially hesitant to take up the responsibility, he finally agreed. He knew how much the villagers respected his father. He realised his father would have loved him to see following his footsteps.

So exactly three weeks after that fateful Sunday, the villagers gathered near the Banyan Tree to anoint the heir. Ashim became the village head and the first proposal that the villagers brought to him was the requirement for another well. Ashim listened to them carefully. He told them he agreed to their view, however since this is a project that would impact many lives and involve cost they need to carefully check the viability of the same. Hence he formed a committee of four people who would examine the proposal which they can discuss in the next Sunday’s meeting. For the villagers it was something new, they have never heard of a word committee in their lifetime. Ashim explained, the four members , would speak to each villagers about the requirement of the Well, they would also survey the nearby villages to find out how many wells they have  and based on these findings they would suggest the next steps. 

Thus began the ground work for the Well. The four committee members met in the evening over a smoke. They had no clue on what they are supposed to do.  One said why is it necessary to ask each villager again about something, they already knew is a necessity. But since the village head wanted them to do this, they have to carry the order. So that next morning instead of going to the paddy field, they started meeting each of the villagers to get their view. First they went to Raghuveer’s home. Raghuveer & his wife wanted the well, but when they asked their one year old son, the kid stared at the strangers and started crying. Not being able to comprehend the answer, yet bound by the village head’s directive to take each villagers view they took the toddler’s cry for a No. So at the end of the week, on Sunday, when they gathered for the discussion, along with an overwhelming demand for the well, there were few denials as well. Thus stood up the village head with pride and justified why he wanted to take everyone’s opinion. Those few cries of dissent were sign that everyone doesn't want a well. Yet they have to go with the majority. 

So the next logical step was to identify who would undertake the work of digging the well. The villages suggested the name of Bhola, who lived in the nearby village and known to be very good in his work. In fact he was the one who dug the existing well, few years ago. But Ashim told them since it involves cost; they must try to keep it to bare minimum and must be transparent in their approach. Hence another committee was formed. This committee would meet all the interested bore well diggers, negotiate the price, evaluate quality and at the end of two weeks recommend the name of the person who should be entrusted with the work. 

While all these discussions went on, awestruck villagers were looking at each other’s face without understanding an iota of what is going on. The committee members looked equally dumbstruck. Ashim realized that it is something new to the villagers. Hence he volunteered to mentor and guide them in their quest to find the well digger.  Couple of weeks went by. Summer reached its peak. There was no sign of rain. The only well in the village was barely able to provide enough water for survival. They wanted to request the village head to quickly set up the well, but their enormous respect for him stopped them from pressing for the issue. However some of the villagers, especially the elder ones, have started discussing that someone from a nearby village must have done some witchcraft on the Village Head. One of them said “ last time the well was build in just a week, this time it is close to two months , yet we are nowhere near to the start of the process. It has to be those people from Jagdalpur village, who have done some sorcery on our young village head, so that we don’t get adequate water and suffer”. When in the next meeting Ashim told them that now they need to form a team to find the most suitable place where the well will come up, the villagers became confident that it would not be before winter that the well can actually be functional. 

While all these was going on the famous Jadunath Baba, a renowned Tantric visited Badrinathpur . Baba normally comes once in a while. He was known to be a very learned person who has always helped the villagers in their time of distress. Some of the villagers mustered the courage to approach him and share the problem. At this point for them, more than the Well , the well being of their Head  was a bigger concern. Hence one evening they went to Jadunath Baba, explained him everything and requested him to save their village head from all the negative forces around. Baba listened to them carefully, asked few questions, and closed his eyes. People sitting around him were in rapt attention waiting for baba to open his eyes and help them. 

Baba slowly opened his eyes. There was a smile on his lips. He said there was no effect of sorcery on the village head. People sitting around breathed a sigh of relief. Baba took a pause. He then said in his calm yet stoic voice that, however the village head is under the impact of a much bigger force and it cannot be cured. There was panic around. Baba asked everyone to calm down and explained, though this force is dangerous, but it is not life threatening. The village head came under the impact of it during his college days in the city. Someone asked him the remedy. Baba said there is no remedy at least in the near foreseeable future and more than half the world is reeling under its effect.

 As he stood up to go, a meek helpless voice from the mass asked the name of this brutal force – “Management Education” replied baba as he walked off.

#NH10 : Truth is scarier than fiction

#NH10: For some India thrives in its dichotomy; for many India is a land of hypocrisy. We take pride in mouthing  anecdotes from a rich cultural past where women were the centre of the universe ; our news papers every morning bring us innumerable stories of honour killing , female foeticide and brutal rape. We preach non violence and practice hatred of all sorts – religious to gender based. We are caught in a flux where the urban – rural divide has become both symbolic and shambolic. So you see a bunch of uneducated yet well to do powerful villagers brutally butchered a couple, in the name of “Honour” – yes you heard it right! 

On the other hand a man, who is well educated, grew up in a world surrounded by malls & multiplexes, ignores his wife’s sensible advice to jump into a mess. To do what? To teach a lesson to the villagers who had punched him. A number of onlookers stand in helplessly as few barbaric goons kidnap the couple. The police who is supposed to protect the honour and dignity of individual decides to be an accomplice to the killing in the name of honouring Manu Samhita . 

A village where democracy & law and order are farce celebrating Republic day with much fan fare. A mother becomes the architect of her daughter’s murder. Deep inside all are same. The dichotomy is just a facade. The barren National Highway that passes through cities and villages and the dark night are mute witness to this human travesty.

Navdeep Singh who in 2007 captured the barren land of Rajasthan so beautifully in his debut noir film “Manorama – Six feet under” paints a terrifying picture of the dark underbelly of the Khap heartland. In spite of small glitches in script NH10 is chilling and brutally realistic in its approach. It paints a picture of a world we know exists, but petrified to accept. At 115 minutes it is super crisp and forces you to sit on the edge and cringe in anticipation almost for the entire duration. Anushka Sharma gives her best performance till date. She throws away her conventional bollywood heroine gait to take up a role which is very challenging, and buoy she delivers it with such impact. Her transformation from fragile to a fierce woman out there to avenge is marvellous. 

Watch out for that last scene where an emotionless Anushka’s Meera waits for her injured perpetrator to stand up so that she can she can pin him down with force. Neel Bhoopalam‘s Arjun could have added little more depth to his character.

I will go out with 3.5 out of 5 for this drive on NH10. It is scary, very very scary.. Yet if you are one of those who love their share of adventure, this ride is worth taking. Remember truth is scarier than fiction. And if you decide to live in your mollycoddled world, stay put in and say three cheers for director Navdeep, Editor Jabeen Merchant and a fiery & feisty Anushka.

Badlapur : Revenge Served Cold

#Badlapur : “Dont miss the beginning” screams the promos & the tagline. Indeed Sriram Raghavan’s comeback to form trial Badlapur starts with a bang. The remarkably shot opening scene sets the tempo for the roller coaster ride ahead. Raghu’s life suddenly changes when his wife and young son were accidentally killed during a bank robbery. From a happy go lucky professional, he becomes an individual possessed by the singular passion to avenge the murder of his wife & kid. What plays on for next couple of hours is a chillingly cold and horrifyingly intense revenge saga.

On the premise Badlapur seems a simple story. But Raghavan, being a master of the genre, introduces his characters intelligently to add layers to his screen play. All his characters have different shades; you can’t classify them as simply good or bad. They are victims of the external circumstances and internal conflicts – much like a real human. In the world of noir –right and wrong are moot points.

Varun Dhawan dares to come out of his comfort zone to give one of his best performances till date. Radhika Apte plays a short, yet scintillating role. But the man from whom you can’t keep your eyes off has to be a cunning, cold and tantalising Nawazuddin Siddique. As a cheeky yet maniac and brutal Laik he steals the thunder. Anil Mehta’s cinematography has all the shades of grey. Watch out for that long shot in the first scene or the scene where Varun is returning home during a rain drenched evening. Each of them is pregnant with anticipation. The screen play is taut and wicked. Unlike Johny Gaddar , Raghavan uses violence judiciously in Badlapur – but whenever he decides to use it , it is brutal and impactful.

However with a crisper editing Badlapur could have been much more enticing. Also as a noir film it should have avoided sermonising. And yes what disappoints is the use of many talented actors including Yami Gautam who are rarely used to take the story forward.

Badlapur maynot be a Johny Gaddar or a Ek Hasina Thi , yet it is a film you will enjoy sitting on the edge . I’m going out with 3.5 out of 5.Go have your share of revenge – it is being served cold!

Happiness.......................

Sitting on the Veranada i was observing him,trying to be as discreet as I can ,lest he becomes conscious .There was spring in his step , twinkle in his eyes, an innocent yet overpowering happiness on his face. The kind of happiness I have not seen in ages on peoples faces in spite of achieving so called "success". What I have seen is momentary celebration followed by anxiety. Each success has to be followed by yet another milestone. And here someone is so happy that the gaiety of his laughter has overwhelmed the surrounding. 

Bemused ,i called him. He came. He must have been barely four or five years old. I asked you seem so cheerful , what happened .He gave me a curious look ; I realized it was a stupid question. The world of sorrow , greed , aspiration has not yet touched his pristine soul. 

He walked away slowly to come back with a small piece of toy he had made out of clay. As i observed his source of happiness , I realized I miss those days of simple pleasure , I bet i do !