Saturday, October 31, 2015

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! 

Thursday, October 1, 2015

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!