Not That Special

We are a country of a billion people and considering each person has at least one interesting story to tell, we live among a billion untold stories. Our films are not known to look for inspiration from the real world as our film culture has born out of selling a distant romantic dream and the wishful thinking that distances us from our reality. Therefore, when a film like

Special 26, based on true events from within us is made, the excitement is obvious. Rare and fascinating alright, the film is not a well packaged product and although brilliant in sparks it never lights a fire.

A group of four individuals, who pretend to be from the CBI, conduct raids all over the country and loot the politicians and businessmen off their ill gotten money. And since it is black money, the victims aren't willing to complain. However, when the real CBI hears of this, the enquiry begins -- just in time for the biggest con that the fake CBI are about to pull. In short, the plot has immense potential and the story just cannot be a dull affair, which it isn't.

However, the screenplay is not consistent and fails to raise the story to the magnitude that it deserves. Ajay (Akshay Kumar) having a romance going on the side is an unnecessary wastage of screen time; the absence of which would have made no difference; the absence of which was the main reason why A Wednesday is so crisp and perfect. The plot unfolds in a very point by point manner and brings nothing new into the telling of this story.

The climax of the film is derivative and although based on a true story, the haphazard manner in which it is narrated, dents the overall impact of the film.

Akshay Kumar is himself, as usual, but the character he plays, Ajay, required that typical performance which only Akshay Kumar can deliver. Anupam Kher, collaborating once again with Neeraj Pandey delivers a great performance and similarly, Jimmy Shergill, who too continues his partnership with the A Wednesday director, does a great job in his supporting role alongside Divya Dutta. Manoj Bajpai continues to impress in what is his second coming into the film industry with Gangs of Wasseypur. Chittagong and Chakravyuh; Kajal Aggarwal, in her lifelong role as the eye candy in Singham and now this film, is an unnecessary recruit.

Special 26 is what can be called a TV movie and the treatment that the content has got, makes it look like a decent three-part TV series. The screenplay is the weakest link in the film and if it was written any differently, maybe it would have not been such a letdown. However, as they say, 'ifs' and 'buts' only make good arguments, they don't make good films.

Rating - 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 9, 2013

Peachy but Preachy

After receiving a tremendous response for his previous films, Natarang and Bal Gandharva, Ravi Jadhav brings Balak Palak to the big screen, a film which tells a story that someone needed to tell. Having recreated the life of a legend in Bal Gandharva and having boldly narrated the struggle of a folk artiste in Natarang, the prodigal son of Marathi cinema digs deep into yet another matter of contemporary parenting concern - how to deal with curious teenagers?

The story revolves around the pubescent curiosities of four teenagers, who stand at the doors of a new experience, which requires one to leave innocence behind. In a crisp and focused narrative, the film covers a lot of aspects involving the matters of sex education, curiosity and the dynamics of a parent-child relationship. Set in sub-urban Mumbai of the 1980s, the film throws light on the typical, cultured, middle-class mindset and quite rationally unveils the transactional relationship paradigm that exists within the family. However, this delicate issue is treated in a very light vein. And nowhere does the humour interfere in the deep and observant presentation of the subject at hand.

We have seen a lot of Marathi films set in an archetypal sub-urban chawl but few get it right. Balak Palak paints a great picture of the culture and the period through its distinctly designed characters. The four teens Bhagya, Avya, Dolly and Chiu, played by Madan Deodhar, Rohit Phalke, Shashwati Pimplikar, Bhagyashree Shankpal, along with their friend Vishu (Prathamesh Parab) are characters that are perfectly designed to take the narrative ahead.

Apart from that, the minor characters like the nosey neighbour Pednekar Kaku (Vishakha Subhedar), the colony elder Kadam Kaka (Kishore Kadam) and the adult video store owner (Satish Taare), all add a little something in creating the setting too. The characters each have a different sense of humour and sensibility which blends very well with the plot.

What the film would have done without, is what many Marathi films get wrong. They start off by trying to tell a story, which they do very well until the end where it becomes necessary for them to give out a message. It shows a lack of confidence the maker has in his audience, which probably would understand the underlying message. There is no need for the characters to have a dialogue among themselves, like Sesame Street puppets, in order to convey a moral. A subtle hint or an open end without the final words being spoken would take the film to a whole new level.

Having said that, a part of what can only be described as the Marathi New Wave; Balak Palak is one of the remarkable films of the day not only in terms of the content, but also its execution. For decades, Marathi cinema has been known for quality content that lacks the proper treatment, but that paradigm shift is a welcome change. Balak Palak is a tightly knit story, based on a fairly unexplored subject that is treated with consistency, not only in terms of its narrative, but also its imagery, cinematography and editing.

If you are a proud Marathi manoos, or just a cinema-holic, this is a good film to watch. If you are a parent at that stage of your life wherein you need to have "the talk" with your child, take them with you and watch it. Have a good laugh, learn a little something, and come out with a great experience. This is good ol' cinema.

Rating - 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on January 6, 2013