A well-done rant on commitment

Film: Shuddh Desi Romance

Director: Maneesh Sharma

The title, Shuddh Desi Romance; and the fact that the 27 kisses in the film have been overtly publicized might trick you into believing that this is some kind of a gooey, romantic film. However, Maneesh Sharma surprises yet again by bringing something new to the table, with a subject that has been beaten to death by our very own Hindi film industry - commitment.

Raghu (Sushant) has cold feet before his marriage to Tara (Vaani) and his doubts strengthen as he meets Gayatri (Parineeti) on the baarati bus. He runs away from the marriage and then falls in love with Gayatri. However, the two confused lovers have their own trust issues and face similar problems as they plan to get married. A series of coincidences follow which see the tables turn, and exposes the flaws in every character.

A decent screenplay, apt background score and visuals to match the mood, make Shuddh Desi Romance a great product. Contemporary dialogues that gel with the setting make the overall experience more authentic. The film instantly establishes a connect with the audience, thanks to the main characters breaking the fourth wall ,time and again, and addressing the audience directly.

The chemistry between the couples is a little iffy, but forgivable. Vaani Kapoor puts up a good performance on her debut and Sushant picks up from where he left in Kai Po Che. Parineeti's character is well within her comfort zone and she pulls it off pretty well, making her actions look seamless and habitual (even smoking).

The real hero of this film, however, is Rishi Kapoor, who plays Tauji, a local businessman who provides everything from catering, to bands to hired baraatis for weddings. Surprising the audience yet again with a different role, Tauji is the innocent bystander as the three leads bring the place down.

Addressing issues like the fleeting nature of today's young mindset, the film indirectly touches upon a lot of adjacent problems like fear of commitment, indecisiveness and a general sense of immaturity when it comes to handling relationships.

Maneesh Sharma's film is a sad commentary on today's youth and their construct of romance. However, Shuddh Desi Romance does not restrict itself to commentary, and dodges the bullet of becoming too preachy. It shows a really beautiful mirror, lined with pink confetti and bokeh, which shows what the lesser-photogenic couples do in contemporary urban India.

Nothing new in its philosophy, but the ease with which the film puts forth its point without losing its humour is noteworthy. If a Hindi film is what you want to watch this week, this is the one. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA (Pune) on September 7, 2013 

Alternative history enters Hindi cinema

Film: D Day

Director: Nikhil Advani

Let us keep aside the coincidence that D Day released on a dry day, and focus on the coincidence of how Rishi Kapoor's character of Goldman resembles Dawood Ibrahim. But apart from playing it safe by not naming the character after the real life kingpin, Nikhil Advani gets his basics right. From using verbal and non-verbal codes that convince you who the man really is, D Day takes you on a journey no Hindi film has embarked upon.

The film opens with a R&AW team consisting of Wali Khan, Rudra Pratap, Zoya and Aslam (Irrfan, Arjun, Huma and Akash Dahiya) undertake the cohort mission (Operation Goldman) of striking at a wedding to seize India's most wanted criminal. The film then takes you backwards and counts down to how they all came to be in one place. Developing every character's back story without playing to the gallery at any given point, the film makes you root for the foursome.

Why D Day is an important film is that it introduces a genre in Hindi cinema previously unknown. Although we have had plenty of historically inaccurate films, cinema about alternative history (like Inglorious Basterds) has never really been made. In doing so, the film shows you things you had never dreamt of seeing.

Unlike Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and Shootout At Wadala, where we are indirectly introduced to the Bhai in the past, and unlike films like D, Shootout at Lokhandwala and others, where he is simply shown as a shadow who runs the show while safe in his house in Dubai; D Day imagines Goldman as he is today - wise and frail with age. From the red aviators that never leave his face to each and every dialogue he mouths, the film tries to give an insider's perspective on the don.

The complex flow of events is simplified, but not over-simplified and keeps you interested in the proceedings. Huma Qureshi and Arjun Rampal stick to their characters and are pretty convincing. Irrfan Khan as Wali Khan would steal the show on any given day, but comes second to a phenomenal show put up by Rishi Kapoor. Adding a little royal demeanour to his Rauf Lala from Agneepath, he (with a decent contribution of the makeup) has you convinced that you are seeing the man who has terrorised this country for over two decades.

Playing to its strengths, the film is entertaining through and through. A few action sequences are very well choreographed but there are some that appear just too choreographed and leave a scratch on an otherwise job-well-done.

Now that this weekend has you spoilt for choice, this would be a safe bet to take. Because White Houses will be blown many more times and producers will introduce their sons again, but India will only strike back once in a while. Make the most of it.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Published in DNA (Pune) on July 20, 2013

Good ol' storytelling

Film - Aurangzeb

Director - Atul Sabharwal

Double roles, mistaken identity, power struggles - all these premises have been done to death by the film industry, but every now and then, a film crops its head up with a cliched theme and delivers something fresh. Atul Sabharwal's Aurangzeb does the same.

First, the title itself is a refreshing change from the hoards of Khiladi 786s, Singhams, Ek Tha Tigers and the like. Aurangzeb, as a metaphor runs deep into the narrative and its meaning runs through and through, deeply embedded into the story. The philosophy of the notorious Mughal King, 'Kingship knows no kinship' is the basis of this unseemingly well-done thriller.

Secondly, we all know the story and are familiar with the plot where two identical people somehow find their stars lined up in such a way that one of them has to live the other's life. Be it Hum Dono, Don, Ram Aur Shaam, Seeta Aur Geeta - we know the plot too well. This is where the director's role to satisfy the audience comes into play and that is exactly what Atul Sabharwal does. He surprises you with a story you already knew.

The film opens in Gurgaon, where a certain businessman, Yashvardhan (Jackie Shroff) is running illegal businesses and the police can't take any action due to lack of evidence. However, the cops, Rishi Kapoor, Prithviraj and Sikander Kher, then find out that there is a loophole that they could cash on. Yashvardhan's son Ajay, has a doppelganger who could be planted in the system and could break it from inside. And then begins the saga of Kingship versus Kinship.

After a comparatively loose first half, the film picks up in the second where the drama and sudden twists reveal that nothing is black and white; and even within the grey, there are shades. What hooks you, then, is the unexpected skip rope that sees a lot of people change sides until finally letting you pick the side that you want to win. As scrappy as the idea of dopplegangers may be, playing two different characters in a film is quite a challenge and Arjun Kapoor proves yet again that he has the potential. A little inconsistent at the start, he makes you like him by the end of it. However, the distinction between Ajay and Vishal remains on paper and at times, the nuances of two different people are not seen. Rishi Kapoor puts up a great show with his role as the DCP, and Prithviraj does well to smother the criticism from his previous Hindi film, Aiyyaa.

All in all, if you go and watch Aurangzeb with the expectation bar set very low, you will comeback with a pleasant surprise. It is good old fashioned story telling with a decent element of drama and not too many songs to take you off course.

Rating - 3 out of 5

Published in DNA (Pune) on May 18, 2013