Garm Hava (1973) Review by Shivom Oza – Whose Country Is It Anyway?

4/5 Stars

M.S. Sathyu’s ‘Garm Hava’, which roughly translates to ‘Scorching Winds’, is based on an unpublished Urdu short story by Ismat Chughtai. It was adapted for the big screen by Kaifi Azmi (Shabana Azmi’s father) and Shama Zaidi (director M.S. Sathyu’s wife). The film revolves around how a Muslim family, living in Agra, copes up with the repercussions of the India-Pakistan partition. 

The movie is an absolute must-watch. Any Hindi film, which borders on religion and communalism, doesn’t come close.

‘Garm Hava’ is about how the Mirza family, based in Agra, India, comes to terms with the after-effects of the India-Pakistan partition. The family, headed by two brothers; Salim (Balraj Sahni) and Halim (Dinanath Zutshi), takes care of its livelihood by running a shoe-manufacturing business in the city. However, post the partition, things start to get difficult for this relatively modernist Muslim family. Even though the Mirzas are keen to stay back in India, circumstances in the country make it difficult for them to lead a peaceful life.

So, Halim, who is a major leader of the All India Muslim League, backs out and leaves for Pakistan, along with his wife and son Kazim (Jamal Hashmi), after pledging initially that he would stay back in India to look after its Muslims.

This results in a lot of troubles for Salim, who doesn’t want to leave his home country to settle elsewhere. Moreover, his ageing mother (Badar Begum) doesn’t want to leave the place where the family’s forefathers have been buried.

One shouldn’t think of Salim as egoistic. He loved his country (India) and always hoped for everything to get back to normal. However, Salim and his elder son Baqar Mirza (Abu Siwani) cannot get a loan, or retain employees or win their clients’ trust. This situation makes it next-to-impossible for them to run their shoe-manufacturing business. Moreover, the house that they lived in belonged to Halim, who fled to Pakistan. So, the Indian government had every right to take away their mansion, which it does eventually. Salim’s other son, Sikander Mirza (Farooq Shaikh) can’t get a job, because of his religion.

Salim has a young daughter, Amina Mirza (Gita Siddharth), who falls in love with Kazim, but is left heart-broken after Halim’s family moves back. That’s one of the other important side-plots of the film. ‘Garm Hava’ realistically portrays the condition of a normal, peace-loving, nationalistic Muslim family. Although the circumstances have changed a lot since the painful divide, the film remains very relevant, even today.

To talk about ‘Garam Hava’, one can go thousands of years back in history. A particular community settles in our country over a thousand years ago. For hundreds of years, they adopt and adapt to, the culture of the natives, and give it their own touch at the same time. The two leading communities live peacefully on the same land for eons, until a foreign nation squanders it all away. Yes, pre-partition India equally belonged to the Hindus and the Muslims. It was politics that led to the creation of a separate nation, Pakistan. However, just because a few people want a separate country and government, do you impose it on everyone? Sure, all Muslims did not want to go to Pakistan. They have every reason to call India their ‘home’, as much as people belonging to any other religion do.  When you live in the same place for years, it’s really difficult to move on. That’s why; it’s difficult to understand the predicament of the Muslims at that time. Pakistan offered an alien land but a new opportunity; whereas India was always ‘home’ but it had turned hostile.

Imagine a family, which has been living in a country since time immemorial and has its roots, culture, lifestyle imbibed within the nation, suddenly being asked to move to a foreign land?

That’s the Mirza family. The politics of the film is very clear, especially from Salim Mirza’s point-of-view. Your heart goes out to every character in the story, which gets judged just because of his/her religion. There is no negative character in the story. Everybody is just a victim of circumstance, which makes the film look and seem very real. At some point, the film may make you ponder if anything has changed at all in the way that we look at minorities.

We may call ourselves a secular and a democratic country, but the truth of the matter is that there are prejudices even today. It takes a lot of gumption to stand up to the system, and while watching the film, I was glad that Salim Mirza stuck to his guns and did not relent to the political pressure. Along with the millions of other Salim Mirza’s living in India!

There are several elements in ‘Garm Hawa’ – love, nationalism, religion, betrayal, hate, greed and politics among others, and each one of them has been dealt with, finely. The cast of the film is absolutely terrific. Balraj Sahni is the pick of the lot, but everyone’s done a great job. The music of the film deserves special mention. You will fall in love with the instrumental pieces, composed by Aziz Ahmed, Bahadur Khan and Khan Warsi.

What else to write? The film is sheer genius, and you must watch it!

Shivom Oza

Chashme Buddoor (1981) Review by Shivom Oza – Don’t Call It ‘OLD’!

4/5 Stars

“The word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality”, says the dictionary. We often mistake most old films to be ‘classics’. However, the ‘something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality’ prerequisite seldom gets fulfilled.

Sai Paranjpye’s ‘Chashme Buddoor’ (1981) is one such film, which satisfies all the aforementioned parameters.

The film, which kind of embodied all genres – romance, comedy, drama, tragedy, satire and a bit of action, is what you would call in today’s lingo a ‘full-blown masala entertainer’. Although the songs do slow it down a trifle, the dialogues, performances and the writing make ‘Chashme Buddoor’ a must, must watch!

Siddharth (Farooq Shaikh), Omi (Rakesh Bedi) and Jai (Ravi Baswani) are three Delhi University students, staying together in a rented flat. While Siddharth is the studious one and spends most of his time reading books, Omi and Jai are absolutely ‘good-for-nothing’. They spend all their time chasing girls and fooling around! However, the three friends share one common interest – smoking cigarettes! They buy borrow their cigarette stock from a local shopkeeper, Lallan Miyan (Saeed Jaffrey) and never pay up, much to the old man’s chagrin!

This ‘uncomfortable’ camaraderie goes on until the three friends end up falling for the same girl – Neha Rajan (Deepti Naval) aka ‘Miss Chamko’!

The film encapsulates everything that was ‘cool’ about India during the 80s. Right from the language to the lifestyle to the behaviour, there was a good mix of the innocent and the liberal (and sometimes, the rebellious). The three main characters, played by Shaikh, Bedi and Baswani, are witty and wicked in equal measure. All the three actors manage to hold their own. While Baswani plays the foolish, crooked Jai to the hilt, Bedi shows that he is a genius when it comes to comic timing. Farooq, despite not getting to play one of the ‘funny’ guys, ends up creating his own niche of humour with his wide range of expressions and reactions. Deepti Naval had to play ‘hard-to-get’, ‘madly-in-love’, ‘damsel-in-distress’, ‘plain-Jane’, ‘glam-doll’ and what not, in the same film, and she brings out her best for this (still-memorable) character of ‘Miss Chamko’. Some of the sequences in the film are beyond brilliant, right from the opening credits to Omi and Jai’s futile wooing to Miss Chamko’s detergent powder demonstration to the light-hearted banter between the leads and Lallan Miyaan. Leena Mishra’s cameo as the grandmother is absolutely delightful.

The best part about the film is that it’s not the nostalgia which will make you smile. The humour is such that it would have worked even in 2013. So, you wouldn’t necessarily laugh because you got reminded of a certain era. You would laugh because you found the scene really funny!

The music of the film by Raj Kamal is the only aspect which may not work for today’s audience. Most songs do slow down the film. The songs are good, but in isolation and not within the screenplay. One song that really goes with the theme of the film is ‘Pyar Lagawat’.

Other notable aspects of the film include the terrific parody featuring Baswani and Naval, Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha cameo and the amazing restoration work done on the film.

Sai Paranjpye’s genius is written all over ‘Chashme Buddoor’. It’s a must watch (on the BIG screen)!

Shivom Oza

Jurassic Park (3D) Review by Shivom Oza – Timeless!

4/5 Stars

‘Jurassic Park’, directed by Steven Spielberg, grossed over $900 million worldwide when it released in the year 1993. It became the highest-grossing film of all time, until it was surpassed four years later by ‘Titanic’. 20 years later, the film is back albeit in 3D.

You may have heard of the adage, ‘Form is temporary, class is permanent’. Films, which use computer-generated imagery (CGI) extensively, come out in dozens and scores in this day and age. Most of them rely purely on technology and often neglect the ‘writing’. ‘Jurassic Park 3D’ even after 20 years looks as stunning as ever. Moreover, the well-etched characters and the immaculate screenplay only add to this picture-perfect ‘nostalgia’ trip.

John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), a billionaire entrepreneur, has built Jurassic Park, a theme park on a tropical island near Costa Rica, populated with cloned dinosaurs.

Hammond invites ‘experts’, palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and botanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) to certify whether the park is safe. Attorney Donald Genarro (Martin Ferrero), who represents Hammond’s investors, invites mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), on his part, to recce the site. The three experts along with the lawyer and Hammond’s two grandchildren embark upon their tour of this exquisite, yet eerie, theme park. One of the employees at the park attempts to steal dinosaur embryos in return for a huge sum of money. In the process, he shuts down all the electricity in the park. This mishap, which allows with the menacing, and thankfully extinct, beasts to venture out of their cages, spells BIG trouble!

Jurassic Park won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It was hailed by viewers and critics as a path-breaking film, in terms of using technology. 20 years later, it still strikes you with its delightful imagery. Certain clichés mostly associated with the 90s will definitely make you reminisce about the good, old (sans internet, mobile phone) days. The film, with/without 3D, remains a must-watch! ‘Jurassic Park 3D’ is way better than most action/sci-fi/fantasy fare that is dished out these days. Some of the scenes, notably 'Raptors in the Kitchen', 'Nerdy's Plans Go Awry', 'Tyrannosaurus Rex', 'They're Flocking This Way' and 'When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth', post 3D, remain as spine-chilling as ever!

For those who were lucky enough to catch the film on the big screen way back in 93/94, why not do an encore! And for those who’ve only experience this legendary film on their television sets, don’t miss this opportunity!

Shivom Oza

Les Misérables (2013) Review by Shivom Oza – That Little Bit Of Magic!

4/5 Stars

‘Les Misérables’ is a 2012 British musical film, adapted from the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, which in turn was based on Victor Hugo’s French novel, ‘Les Misérables’.

What does cinema mean to you? Would you watch a musical (mind you there are no dialogues, just songs), which is 2 hours 37 minutes long, purely because you love films? Do you believe that cinema has the ability to make you a better person? Do you believe that films change lives, or to put it a bit more mildly, your day? ‘Les Misérables’ does that. This grand, elaborate lyrical presentation strikes a chord, and how!

Circa 1815, convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is released on parole by prison guard Javert (Russell Crowe), after serving a nineteen-year sentence. However, Jean escapes the parole and lives a comfortable life elsewhere, using a different name. Nine years later, he is caught by Javert. This time, he escapes yet again, albeit along with a factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried).

The plot spans 17 years and is set against a backdrop of political turmoil, which in the film culminates in the June Rebellion of France.

Claude-Michel Schönberg’s soundtrack, comprising 30-odd songs, is ‘enchanting’. Be it the introductory hard-hitting number ‘Look Down’ (Chain Gang, Javert and Valjean) or the ethereal rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ (Fantine), the magical ‘A Heart Full of Love’ (Marius, Cosette and Éponine) or the heart-numbing ‘Javert’s Suicide’ (Javert), all the songs in the film are beyond brilliant.

Even better than the music and lyrics are the performers; in Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne, the line-up is magnificent. Special mention for the hilarious track, featuring Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, who infuse this melancholic film with lighter moments. Watch out for this electric (and eccentric) duo in the film. Another noteworthy performance was by the gorgeous Samantha Barks, who plays Éponine. Her rendition of the tragic ‘On My Own’ is certain to make you watery-eyed. The music is just one of the terrific aspects of ‘Les Misérables’.

What about the visuals? The magnificent sets, the beautiful camerawork (stupendous cinematography by Danny Cohen) and the spellbinding costumes take you to that country, to that era! The aerial shots are one of the best that you will ever witness on the big screen. Who needs gimmicks like 3D, 48 fps, when you can produce such marvellous visuals, without much ado? The music of the film may be transcendental, but the visuals are not much far-behind on the mystical front!

The film has been divided into four segments. One includes Javert’s own story, second is about Fantine’s tragic circumstances, third deals with the conniving innkeeper couple, Thénardier and Madame Thénardier (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter steal the show, quite literally!) and the fourth is the love-triangle between Marius, Cosette and Éponine. Towards, the end, the segments take place in the backdrop of the French Rebellion. So, after all the romance and the tragedy, the latter half of the film manages to encapsulate patriotic fervour as well! The cast/performers of the film have done a brilliant job of singing and emoting at the same time. Moreover, all the songs have been performed live on-set, so you may as well lavish more praise on their efforts.

Tom Hooper, who already has an Academy award for Best Direction (‘The King’s Speech’), has come up with another Oscar-worthy effort!

Actually, won’t matter even if he doesn’t take the trophies back home! This film is an achievement in itself.

Tom Cruise had said this at an award function once, something on the lines of ‘what is cinema? That little bit of magic!’ ‘Les Misérables’ is that, and more.

Shivom Oza

BOM (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – A Film That Questions The Establishment!

4/5 Stars

‘BOM’ (with taglines as interesting as ‘One Day Ahead of Democracy’ and ‘Why Ban the Holy Weed?’),  is a documentary, shot, directed and edited by Amlan Datta, which focuses on the remote village of Malana located in the Himalayas. The village “isolated from outside civilization for thousands of years has been fostering a primitive existence in harmony with nature and a unique model of democracy of consensus.” Also, it produces the best quality hashish in the world. The film tackles various issues ranging from mythology, superstitions, elections, village customs and traditions, cannabis, corruption, dichotomy of Indian polity among others. The most interesting aspect about ‘BOM’ is that it is absolutely non-propagandistic. The film does not offer any solution; instead it divulges all sides of the story and leaves it to the viewer to make his/her judgement. The film doles out more than a few uncomfortable truths. As a viewer, one gets acquainted with these harsh realities that the supposedly ‘backward’ parts of the country have been faced with. It is not an unknown fact that a country like India is filled with paradoxes. Our country inhabits the richest and the poorest, the modern and the backward, the saints and the sinners and more importantly, those possessing virtues and those possessing vices. At the beginning of the film, a character talks about there being two mountains, Mt. Virtue and Mt. Vice. In the beginning Mt. Virtue towered about Mt. Vice by quite a humungous margin. However, over the years, as the world has grown to become more negative, Mt. Vice has overtaken by a comfortable margin. It is said that the day Mt. Virtue disappears; the world will come to an end. This sequence appears right at the beginning of the film and gets the viewer into ‘introspective’ mode from the word go!

The documentary is among the best Indian documentaries made in this year (releasing in India in 2012). While it makes no judgement at the end, the vast amount of exposure it gives to this unheard village of Malana, is in itself evidence enough that something is not going right in this country. The tagline ‘One Day Ahead of Democracy’ is a poignant message in itself. Malana may seem ‘backward’, ‘uncivilized’, and ‘rural’ to us urbanites. However, what needs to be taken into consideration is whether the people of Malana have been given enough opportunities. The film makes you reflect and how! It is definitely a must-watch. By the trailers or the promotions, the film may sound as one that’s about legalization of cannabis. However, it goes on to talk about much more. Director Amlan Datta’s exceptional research, keen eye for detail and his brilliant comfort level with the villagers of Malana works wonders for this lovely documentary. The length of the film is just about fine. Long enough to encapsulate all the aspects of Malana along with the Indian democracy itself, and just about short enough to keep you thoroughly engaged.

The ‘protagonist’ of the film is Hemraj. The young man, like most other inhabitants, has spent his entire life in Malana, cut off from the other parts of the country. The people of Malana have their own culture, traditions, and ways of electing chieftains, lifestyle and sadly, their own limited means of livelihood. Most transactions in the village occur through the centuries-old barter system. They have their own system of giving out judgements and their democracy allows every individual’s opinion to be taken into consideration (quite contrary to the present state of affairs in our country touted to be the ‘world’s largest democracy’). The foundation of their civilization, popularly believed to be descendants of the Greek soldiers in Alexander’s army, is based on trust. And since, a given word is considered as gospel, the villagers have brushed aside formal education as well. The villagers have been producing the best quality hashish since several decades. Cannabis has been growing in this region since time immemorial, owing to the grace of Lord Shiva. They’ve used it for medicine, footwear, smoking, consumption etc. However, owing to disconnect with the outside world, the Malana inhabitants have never really known the true value of hashish. They have only traded with sheep wool and it is not enough for them to make ends meet. Apparently, some foreign tourists, back in the 70s, taught the villagers how to rub the cream and hence, prepare the more potent hashish suitable for the international market. This led to the recognition of the Malana cream around the world making it more like a home industry. However, the government used its muscle to bring those, who were breaking the law, under the judicial process. This leads to the government taking an active interest in the apparent ‘uplifting’ of the village. Dams are built, elections are held, bridges are constructed, and electricity, automobiles, cellular phones, educational devices are brought in, while laws relating to cannabis are still kept intact. So while Malana is opening up to the outside world, there is no real source of employment for its people besides cultivation of cannabis. Owing to their financial constraints, people such as Hemraj are forced to get involved in the illegal trade, unaware of the fact that if bought to book, they will be faced with the stringiest punishment possible. The film is about this state of doldrums that Malana finds itself in. To choose between the life inflicted upon them by the government (which, added by the corruption and the opacity in the bureaucracy, is only making it difficult for them) and their own age-old lifestyle which they have grown to become so comfortable with. Director Amlan Datta gets varied opinions from across the board. From the villagers in Malana, you get opinions from people as diverse as the 103-year-old head priest Vudeiram, erstwhile Chief Ministers of State, local politicians from the Congress and the BJP, his own brother-in-law Shanta who gives away profound thoughts about the state of affairs (albeit in a high state).

All perspectives towards the sole topic of inconvenient modernity v/s convenient age-old tradition have been brought out well. The political fervour given to the film towards the end, wherein you have excerpts from the speeches given during election rallies, do rev up the documentary a bit. The contradictions in the speeches of politicians such as Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi will definitely lighten you up. However, the sheer double standards of our politicians will give an immense amount of pain as well. India is a vast country. Cultures, geography, history, languages, traditions, lifestyles across the country are immensely different from one another. Having read up in detail about the making of the world’s largest democracy, there is tremendous amount of respect for the makers of our glorious country. At the same time, the state in which we find ourselves now is quite appalling. Most of our countrymen talk about ‘change’. People in Malana are talking about being ‘resistant to change’. Now, whether to leave people as they are, or to use force to get them attuned to the ways of the rest of the country, is a highly debatable topic. While one may think that the people of Malana should be left alone, the others may get up and say that some of their methods are actually old-world and unacceptable in today’s day and age. Now as tempted as the protesters may be to say that ‘who is to decide what should/should not change?’, it must be remembered that we are a functioning democracy. ‘Change’ can take days, months, years, decades, centuries, millenniums, or sometimes even minutes. Talking about it doesn’t really yield any results. All one gets is fake reassurances. The people of Malana are left in such difficult circumstances that the current situation can either make them or break them. Thoughts go out to this little village, lost somewhere on the enormous map of our country! Malana is the one of thousands of other such villages that has remained disconnected with the outside world all these years, and suddenly find themselves in the middle of our deteriorating democracy. The discussion is left wide open.

Hemraj’s wife Kekti has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment for trafficking hashish. She was never aware about the laws and now, suddenly she has been exposed to this strange world of ours, which truly is becoming a difficult place to survive in. ‘BOM’ is a poignant, thought-provoking film. Watch it and get enlightened.

Shivom Oza

Electrick Children (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Electrifying!

4/5 Stars

The film Electrick Children, directed by Rebecca Thomas, is about Rachel, a 15-year-old girl who gets pregnant through ‘immaculate conception with music’!

The film boasts of a wonderful concept, beautifully executed by the cast and the director. You cannot classify the film in one particular genre. 96 minutes of joyful cinema on offer - lap it up! Electrick Children was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival as a part of the 'International Competition' section.

Rachel (Julia Garner) is a Mormon girl who has been cut-off from any form of modern technology by her overtly conservative family. However, on her birthday, Rachel chances upon a rock 'n' roll tape. She listens to a track called 'Telephone' on the tape and soon, she gets pregnant! Now, she believes that it was an immaculate conception by music. Her fundamentally religious parents reprimand her for being irresponsible and are about to force her into an arranged marriage. Rachel has no choice but to run away from home. She drives down to what she calls 'Electrick' Las Vegas. Her brother Mr. Will (Liam Aiken), who was also suspected of impregnating her and was asked to leave the house, had been sleeping in the same vehicle that she drove away. So, you had these two, who dress unconventionally, talk in a certain manner, are ignorant about any form of modern technology and do not swear, smoke and drink, in the middle of a city that's renowned for all the above. Rachel starts looking for musicians believing that she will eventually find the father or her unborn child, the singer of 'Telephone'. Will and Rachel start hanging out with this guy called Clyde (Rory Culkin) and his friends. It's amusing to watch the two 'pure souls' let their hair down in the city.

While Rachel is relatively more subdued, Mr. Will goes berserk (even landing up in a jail at one point of time). Rachel, who keeps looking for that musician, marries Clyde in what was the shortest ceremony of all time. Clyde, who is perpetually high, takes it seriously too. The film has a mix of everything, comedy, drama, religion, love, drugs, music! And at the same time, no particular genre takes over the entire film. In essence, the film does have an unbelievable premise but the execution is so wonderful, that you are most certain to overlook the 'plot-holes'.

 The three young actors do a splendid job. Aiken, who plays Mr. Will, had a tough role to perform. On one side, he was the conservative, non-swearing, timid person back home, but a visit to the city changes him completely. That transformation was absolutely delightful to watch. Julia Garner steals the show completely. Her unassuming charm, her impish smile, the innocence on her face and the almost-flawless body language, escalate the film to a completely different level. Rory, who plays the the dope head Clyde, gives a 'buzzing' performance too. Natural performers, these three!

Apart from the wonderful concept of the film, the screenplay and dialogues too worked wonders. Although, the cinematography Mattias Troelstrup is breathtakingly beautiful, at no point does it get indulgent. The story moves along briskly and credit for that should be given to the writer-director Rebecca Thomas and the editor Jennifer Lilly. The dialogues are bound to crack you up. The best part about the film is that no matter however grim the situation is, the comic relief is always there. And, yet you can gauge the seriousness of it all. There are biblical connotations towards the end, but still the film does not lose its 'fun' flavour.

Is this ‘meaningful’ cinema? No. If you need to, can you take a meaning out of it? Yes. In either of the cases, you'll leave the cinema hall with a smile on your face.

Shivom Oza

Holy Motors (2012) Review by Shivom Oza - Awe-striking, Awe-inspiring, Awe-some

4/5 Stars

The film, Holy Motors, directed by Leos Carax, competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It revolves around a day in the life of Monsier Oscar.

Denis Lavant is terrific as the maverick Monsieur Oscar. Not often do you find an actor, who embodies such versatility in his range. The make-up department deserves special mention. Direction and writing par excellence! The film was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival under the 'Rendezvous With French Cinema' category.

Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant) is man of many moods and faces. He is shows as someone whose 'profession' is to transform from one character to another. So, he is shown as a businessman, an assassin, a beggar, a monster and even a mutant (somewhat!). It is never made clear through the running of the film as to what Oscar's motives are. He is chauffeured around by an elderly, gentle lady who is doing her job of keeping her master safe. The two move around Paris running one assignment after another. The so-called assignments range from amusing to absurd. You have Oscar and a woman shown fornicating, albeit with their latex body suits on. There's another sequence wherein Oscar is supposed to kill a former accomplice Theo. Following the stabbing, he makes Theo's corpse appear exactly like him so as to make it look like his assassination. However, it does not go as planned and what you have is two Oscars lying on the floor in a pool of blood. There's one particular sequence in which Oscar is shown playing the accordion, and subsequently being joined by an orchestra. This particular instrumental is stupendous and the way it has been shot is mind-blowing. The story of the film is not linear. There are different interpretations that you can extract out of this French masterpiece. However, at no point does the film get tiring. It does get confusing, albeit pleasantly confusing! If that's an emotion!

The performances given by the lead actor and the rest of the supporting cast are marvellous. The make-up is out-of-this-world. The cinematography deserves special mention as do the special effects team.

Don't take this film too literally. Sit back, relish the proceedings. Once the film's over, give a long thought about what it's trying to convey. It has many connotations - political, man vs machine, religion v/s science. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as someone in the film says. Apt for the film itself!

It's a different kind of film alright, but it is one that you should watch!

Shivom Oza

The Hunt (2012) Review – Wonderful Subject, Terrific Execution!

4/5 Stars

The film from Denmark, directed by Thomas Vinterberg, revolves around a 40-year-old man who is wrongly accused of child molestation.

The Danish film was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival under the 'World Cinema' category. The plot is gripping and the subjects discussed (which have been dealt with subliminally) are important, and well portrayed. Performances by the cast are brilliant and the writing-direction is simple yet sparkling.

40-year-old Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is already going through a rough time post his divorce, when he is falsely accused of sexually abusing his best friend Theo's daughter Klara. How he  comes to terms with the humiliation of being targeted as a child molester, along with losing the trust of his near and dear ones, including his son Marcus and new girlfriend, and ultimately strives to get justice is what ‘The Hunt’ is all about.

The story deals with various subjects on different levels. Be it child molestation, trust issues, judgemental societies, mindless conjecture, character assassination etc. All of these subjects have been portrayed in a manner which mirrors the state of the society that we live in. We tend to come to conclusions easily and these convictions make us form judgements about the 'suspects' and we do not hesitate before harming them in any way. This is the reality, and that is what the film talks about. It also deals with the perceptions of the wronged individual. The helplessness that emanates from the protagonists face is impactful, intense and terrifying. Actor Mads Mikkelsen delivers a superlative performance in the film, as does the rest of the cast.

The screenplay of the film was brilliant. The way the audience is kept guessing right till the climactic moments in the film is exemplary. There are moments in the film where you may not agree with what's happening on an idealistic level. However, if you give it a deeper thought, you will find that so many instances incorporated in the film portray reality. The protagonist is beaten, abused, humiliated and 'wronged' time and again, but you keep hoping till the end that redemption will come. The film does not consciously project this hope and optimism. ‘The Hunt’ is all about the bitter truth. One which everyone eventually has to come to terms with. It does not have a convenient ending, but one should remember that not all endings are that.

Must, must watch film. It's a Danish film subtitled in the English language. Get hold of it anyhow and watch.

Shivom Oza

Like Someone In Love (2012) Review by Shivom Oza - Iranian Auteur Works Wonders With Japanese

4/5 Stars

The Japanese film is a story about 'true' love and missed opportunities.

The story, along with the screenplay, is stupendous. Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami excels and how! The cast too, gives a wonderful performance. Wonderful cinematography and editing escalate the visual appeal of the film. 'Like Someone In Love' was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival under the 'World Cinema' category.

The film revolves around three people; A young college student, Akiko, pays for her education by secretly working in an escort service (a fact unknown to either her grandmother or her boyfriend), Takashi, an elderly academician, who happens to hire the services of Akiko for one night, but ends up becoming more of a guardian-like-figure for her, and Akiko's controlling boyfriend who mistakes Takashi of being her grandfather instead of 'client'.

A dramatic revelation is on the brink throughout the duration of the film. The tension is very much prominent but it gets embedded within the delicate visuals, the pure emotions and the flawless technicality on display.

Rin Takanashi, who plays Akiko, Ryo Kase, who plays her boyfriend, and Tadashi Okuno, who plays Takashi, are superb. The subtitling of the film is neatly done. The screenplay is first-rate. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat at times, and on other occasions lets you sit, back and enjoy the marvellous visuals, acting and music!

A very fine film made by Abbas Kiarostami. Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and smile-inducing, all at once!

Shivom Oza

The Dandelions (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Delightful Adult Comedy With Kids!

4/5 Stars

Rachel, a shy 9-year-old-girl, befriends the over-enthusiastic Valerie from her class. Both of their families bear the brunt, at least initially, of their over-zealousness.

The wondrous screenplay, sparkling subtitling (and presumably dialogue as well) and the mind-blowing performances by the cast, make ‘The Dandelions’ a must, must watch. Director Carine Tardieu makes a memorable film that should be watched and cherished. The Dandelions was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival as a part of the 'Rendezvous With French Cinema' category.

Rachel (Juliette Gombert) and Valerie (Anna Lemarchand) instantly hit it off during their first meeting. Rachel, initially a shy and a reserved girl, gets introduced to a new world (that of grownups) by Valerie. Together, they spy on their teacher, discuss her sexual exploits, use cuss words, share almost everything under the sun, and feel free to shed their inhibitions. However, Rachel has her own problems at home whereas Valerie is diagnosed with a deadly disease. Rachel's mother Colette Gladstein (Agnes Jaoui) suspects her husband Michel Gladstein (Denis Podalydes) of having an affair with Valerie's mother Catherine (Isabelle Carre). This situation brings along its own pathos-filled humour. The film tackles various issues concerning adults through the perspective of the two girls. Humour is one of the mainstays of this film with rib-tickling dialogues and sequences. Most of them, however, are filled with sexual innuendo. Still, most of you will end up finding them funny.

Superb cinematography by Antoine Monod, along with masterful editing, plays a great role in making ‘The Dandelions’ the masterpiece that it is. Every member of the cast is absolutely fantastic. The little girls are delightful. Even the actors playing the 'elder' roles are equally 'childlike', given the light nature of the film.

This film will make you laugh, smile, cry and reflect a bit. A joyous experience!

Shivom Oza

Argo (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Enlightening, Entertaining and Engaging!

4/5 Stars 

Based on a true story, ‘Argo’ is about six Americans, who although escape from being held as hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, have to find refuge in the home of Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor. The film is about the rescue operations undertaken for these six American diplomats.

The film is an absolute must-watch. The cast, that looks amazingly similar to the real men and women involved in the crisis, delivers first-rate performances. Ben Affleck gives a fine performance as an actor and shines as a director.

The year is 1979. During the ongoing Iranian revolution, Islamic ‘revolutionaries’ (or the terrorists as the Unites States refers to them as) take over the U.S. embassy in Tehran. This action is in retaliation for the support given to their recently-deposed Shah by the U.S. While sixty-odd diplomats are taken as hostages, six of them (four men and two women) evade capture and find a hide-out in the home of the Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). No one, except the State Department back home in the U.S., knows about the situation of the six escapees. They then begin to explore options of getting them out of Iran. CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a rather improbable idea. It strikes him while watching the sci-fi film ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’ that they can create a cover-up that the escapees are Canadian filmmakers, hunting for locations in Iran for a film called ‘Argo’.

So Mendez and his supervisor Jack O’ Donnell (Bryan Cranston), along with a Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), hatch out a plan to start creating buzz around this cover-up movie. They set up a fake studio for this fake film and even hold a presser to get the media to talk about it. Back in Tehran, the situation gets all the more serious as the revolutionaries find out that there have been escapees. They have been trying to put back the shredded documentation that they found at the embassy to look for vital information, the identities of the escapees in particular.

So Mendez enters Iran anyway carrying fake identities, fake film material, fake passports and fake documents. Will the six hostages get rescued? Will Mendez leave them in the lurch? Will the U.S. government ditch the seven Americans stranded in Tehran?

‘Argo’ is a superb ‘political’ film. The scenes, the locations, the props, the body language, the characterization and the costumes are absolutely circa 1979. The best thing about the film is that while it is based on a true incident, there is not too much of ‘history’ and ‘trivia’ thrown in consciously. All the important bits of information are brilliantly etched into the screenplay so there is no need to ‘educate’ the audience with needless narrations and overlaying text. The on-goings within the U.S. government, the state of the film industry, condition of the people living in Tehran, all of these aspects are portrayed in a very realistic manner. None of this takes away from the ‘suspense’ element in the story. There is no blatant stereotyping. The predicament of all sides has been handled in a very delicate manner. This film is a delight not just for its brilliant performances and gripping screenplay, but also the important bits of history that it provides.

The casting of the film is first-rate. Not a single actor/actress looks/seems unfit for the role that they play. Right from the look to the dialogue delivery to the body language, the cast gets it right! Ben Affleck is brilliant as Tony Mendez. The actors, who play the six escapees, are also superb. The best dialogues have been given to the make-up artist-producer combo played by John Goodman and Alan Arkin. Alan has some hilarious lines in the film. Most of them are take-offs on the film industry. In a tense, dramatic film, such moments provide the much-needed comic relief.

The screenplay (Chris Terrio) is engaging, realistic and has a fine mix of drama, subtlety and humor. Director Ben Affleck superbly gets it all together on the screen. The scenes are very well-written. In most of the scenes, silence has been used fantastically. Joshuah Bearman, who wrote the article ‘Escape from Tehran’, has also been credited as a writer. Overall, the film excels wonderfully in the writing department. The music by Alexandre Despat is splendid. After ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, he scores yet another winner.

One of the best films, based on real-life accounts, made in recent times. Enlightening, entertaining and engaging, ‘Argo’ is a must-watch!

Shivom Oza

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Rises And Shines

4/5 Stars

A tale about two (very) young lovers Sam and Suzy, who run away to a picturesque island, which they call ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, but a few people can’t let them be together. The film, a romantic-comedy-drama film, directed by Wes Anderson, fills you with much joy and laughter. The world out there is as utopian as it can get; so much that you wish it was real. Experience bundle of goodness in these 90-odd minutes!

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ - Never understood what the name meant in the context of the film, but it would not matter anyway. This was not just a film. It was an experience. There was not a moment when you could waive your attention away from the screen.

In 1965, on an island called New Penzance located in New England, 12-year-old Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) who is attending a ‘Khaki Scout’ summer camp, Camp Ivanhoe, led by South Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton), goes missing. Around the same time, Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), who is living with her attorney parents Walt Bishop (Bill Murray) and Laura Bishop (Frances McDormand) and three younger brothers, too goes missing with all her luggage. It seems Sam and Suzy had met the previous summer during a church performance by the latter, and had remained in touch through letters over the following year. They hatch a plan to reunite and run away together. While Shakusky brings his camping equipment, Suzy gets six books, her cat and a record player along with her. Hot on their trail are the Bishops guided by Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis). Sam and Suzy are off to a wondrous island, which they name ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. They share some very special moments on this island until they are finally hunted down by Suzy’s parents, the police and the Scout Master. While Suzy is banned from seeing him again, Sam faces the prospect of spending the rest of his teenage years in a ‘juvenile refuge’ as his foster parents refuse to take him back.

The rest of the pack from the Scout, which had been quite rude to Sam earlier, decides to reunite the young couple. The rest of the film carries on the charming flavour that inundates the initial bit. The delightfulness of the dialogues and the scenes cannot be expressed in words. 

The film belongs to Kara Hilman and Jared Gilman. The two kids are so immensely talented. The control in their performances was admirable. There was no conscious attempt to show the world that they were acting. It was just effortless.

 

Bruce Willis and Bill Murray may have aged. You may see the added wrinkles on their faces, their receding hairline and their bulging paunches, but you cannot ignore their charm. Edward Norton can still play the same role if a ‘Fight Club’ remake was done.  He may have aged by a few years but the sprightliness hasn't withered away. Amazing efforts put in by Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton (Social Services), Jason Schwartzman in a hilarious cameo (Cousin Ben) and the legend Harvey Keitel as Commander Pierce. Bob Balaban, who is the Narrator, amuses one and all with his deadpan expressions and dry humour.

The writing (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola) is beautiful. The film kept on playing out one exquisite moment after another, backed with the finest dialogue in recent times. The cast, filled with legends, stayed trued to its reputation and delivered exceptional performances. The kids, especially, made this film truly special. Cinematography by Robert Yeoman was first-rate. The writing made the film great, but the visuals made it even more special. The art direction (Gerald Sullivan), production designs (Adam Stockhausen) and set decoration (Kris Moran), elevated this film to a different level altogether. Wes Anderson of ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ fame has another film to be proud of as a director. His writing ability was never doubted, anyway. Music by Alexandre Desplat is something else altogether. Watch the credit roll, it’s pretty much mind-blowing!

This was not just the magical cinematography or the wonderful locations or the charming dialogue or the scintillating performances or the transcendental music or the astute direction or the poetic screenplay. This film was EVERYTHING. Watch Moonrise Kingdom for sure, folks. It's a brilliant film. Wait till the end credits roll. You'll leave the cinema hall with a smile. (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) Review by Shivom Oza – The Word ‘Legend’ Is Aptly Put

4/5 Stars

‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ is a historic biographical film about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who fought for the independence of India. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Ajay Devgn, the film went on to bag 2 National Awards; National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and National Film Award for Best Actor.

Emphatic performances by the cast, inspiring score by A.R. Rahman, faultless script (thanks to the guidance of Kultar Singh, younger brother of Bhagat Singh who last met him when he was 12), immaculate direction and the encompassing patriotic fervour make this film a must-watch.

Bhagat Singh (Ajay Devgn), as a child, witnessed countless atrocities inflicted on Indians by the British rulers, who had initially visited the country as traders under the guise of the East India Company, but ended up taking over. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, ordered by General Dyer, which led to the massacre of thousands of innocent men, women and children, had a deep impact on young Bhagat. He lost his faith in Mahatma Gandhi (Surendra Rajan), from whom he was greatly inspired, after he called off the Non-Cooperation Movement following the Chauri-Chaura incident. Bhagat grows up, aspiring to become a revolutionary, starting to pick up fights with the ‘Whites’ or the ‘Goras’.

Brought up in a protected household, Bhagat’s father Kishan Singh (Raj Babbar) and mother Vidyavati K. Singh (Farida Jalal), expect him to settle down in life. They want him to marry Mannewali (Amrita Rao) and handle the family dairy business. However, Bhagat believes that he is already married to the country and that getting freedom is his topmost priority.

 So, along with Sukhdev (Sushant Singh) and his other friends, he joins Hindustan Republican Association (a party formed to fight against the British’s tyranny). Along the way, he is joined by Chandrashekhar Azad (Akhilendra Mishra), Lala Lajpat Rai (Sitaram Panchal), Bhaswar Chatterjee (B.K.Dutt) and others to fight against the British and at the same time, compete with the Mahatma Gandhi-Jawahar Lal Nehru (Saurabh Dubey) led Indian National Congress for national prominence.

The story, apart from being the most accurate account of events, has been put on the screen brilliantly. Yes, the plot had its melodramatic moments, but nothing so over-the-top that it got cringe-worthy. Bhagat’s childhood scenes could have been more expressive, but thankfully, the filmmakers decided to do away with anything that would undermine the ‘legendary statuses of the freedom fighters.

The casting couldn’t have been better. Every historical figure (known/unknown) looked their part. The lesser-known freedom fighters such as Bhagwati Charan Vora, Durga Bhabhi, Gaya Prasad, B.K Dutt and the others were immaculately portrayed. Sushant Singh gives an emphatic performance in the film as the passionate Sukhdev. The scenes where he takes on the Britishers are very well written and excellently performed. He does justice to the scenes involving light hearted banter as well as the impassioned speeches. An actor par excellence, truly. Akhilendra Mishra, who plays Chandrashekhar Azad, also completely fits the part. Other freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi (Surendra Rajan), Jawahar Lal Nehru (Saurabh Dubey), Ram Prasad Bismil (Ganesh Yadav) and Subhash Chandra Bose (Kenneth Desai) looked and sounded so much like the revolutionaries that they played. These characters remind you of the freedom fighters, and that’s what serves the purpose.

D. Santosh, who plays Shiviram Hari Rajguru, is a phenomenal actor. Having showed his mettle in the recent ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’, the actor has always delivered firepower performances in films such as ‘Khakee’ and this one. The supporting cast, including Farida Jalal, Raj Babbar and Amrita Rao, deliver fine, understated performances.

The selection of actors for playing foreigners did leave a lot to be desired. Even the dubbing for the foreign artistes wasn’t neatly done. This is one blip in an otherwise great film.

Lastly, Ajay Devgn, as Bhagat Singh, delivers one of his career-best performances in the film. His character goes through many ups and downs in the film. He had to play, a reticent young man, a shy behind-the-scenes revolutionary, an introspective reader, an impassioned orator, an influencer, an aggressor, a hard-hearted freedom fighter and a martyr in the same film. Ajay’s performance takes you back to the 1920s and the 1930s and makes you feel like you’re a part of the movement.

The film hardly falters anywhere, technically. As already mentioned, the screenwriting has been undertaken brilliantly. A hint of sepia is prominent throughout the film to give it the ‘old-world’ feel and it works well. Brilliant writing by Anjum Rajabali, Piyush Mishra and Ranjit Kapoor, along with able direction by Rajkumar Santoshi not only makes this film historically precise but extremely entertaining as well. The court-room scenes are funny, inspiring and emotional at the same time, which reflect wonderfully on the excellence of the performances. The editing by V.N Mayekar is precise. He does leave the film a little too long at 2 and a half hours but then, that was the norm during the early 2000s. Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the art director, wonderfully recreates the 1920-1930 India. Cinematography (K.V. Anand) too, is finely executed.

The music of the film, composed by A.R.Rahman, is wonderful. Songs such as ‘Pagdi Sambhal Jatta’, ‘Mera Rang De Basanti’, ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna’ and the absolutely mind-blowing opening credits with ‘Shora So Pahchaniye’, raise the film-viewing experience by quite a few notches.

Rajkumar Santoshi makes a well-intentioned, well-presented film. Extracting wonderful performances, magical music and developing a hard-hitting script, Santoshi excels and how!

This film does not preach, it proclaims. Go Watch! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Anand (1971) Review by Shivom Oza – A Film About Death Teaches How To Live

4/5 Stars

‘Anand’, the film, is about hope in despair, about finding trust in travesty, about finding life in death. Rajesh Khanna gives one of his career-best performances in this ‘fun-filled’ tragedy of a man who lives his life to the fullest despite death looming nearer. The film also marks the emergence of Amitabh Bachchan as an actor to reckon with.

Rajesh Khanna passed away last week leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable films. ‘Anand’ remains an important part of his filmography. It not only shows how to die, but teaches us about how to live!

Anand Saigal (Rajesh Khanna), a young man from Delhi is suffering from a terminal disease (lymphosarcoma of the intestine) and doesn’t have much time left to live. He comes to Bombay (now Mumbai) to meet his friend Doctor Prakash Kulkarni (Ramesh Deo) to live his last days as well as to get treated for his disease. Doctor Bhaskar K. Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) is given Anand’s responsibility. Upon their very first meeting, Anand blows the duo away with his spirited, fun-filled demeanour. Just like the two doctors, even Prakash’s wife Suman (Seema Deo), Matron D’Sa (Lalita Pawar), Bhaskar’s love interest Renu (Sumita Sanyal) are distraught after learning about Anand’s condition. They feel even more helpless after encountering his friendly behaviour and pleasant personality.

Anand and Bhaskar forge a wonderful friendship. Anand is willing to help each and everyone around him. However, he doesn’t believe in sharing his own pains in life with anyone. Being extremely talkative by nature, Anand cannot bear being confined to the four walls of his hospital room and runs away to stay with his much-adored ‘Babu Moshai’ Bhaskar.

The film was made in the year 1971 yet; it still is immensely entertaining and relevant even in today’s times. Watching Rajesh Khanna (who passed away last week) in his elements as the sprightly, fun-loving and ever-so-enduring Anand lifts your spirits. Watching him die on-screen which has been a cinematic marvel for years suddenly becomes melancholic following his death.

The dialogue ‘Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye, Lambi Nahin’ has remained a memorable dialogue across decades. The line brings about vivid emotions within you. It is indeed heart-wrenching to hear this line from a dying man. Other instances, where Rajesh Khanna shares his ideas about life, love and death with Amitabh Bachchan are touching, and brilliantly performed.

Rajesh Khanna was going through a purple patch, career wise, during that time period and the glow on his face, the confidence in his body language showed. Amitabh Bachchan gives a sedate performance as Doctor Bhaskar. The final scene of the film, where he weeps on Anand’s dead body, is excellently performed by Bachchan. Considering that the film was made at a time when Bachchan was only beginning his career, shows that he had it in him to be the next big ‘superstar’ after Rajesh Khanna.

Salil Choudhury, the music director has given memorable numbers in ‘Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli Haaye’, ‘Maine Tere Liye Hi Saat Rang Ke Sapne’. Singers such as Manna Dey, Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar lend their voices in this simple four-song soundtrack.

The writing by stalwarts including Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar, D.N.Mukherjee and Bimal Dutta, was exceptional. The story is a simple one, a man, who knows he is going to die, refuses to give up on life. However, the dialogues (Gulzar) strike a chord and make this simple story a great one.

The director (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) extracts stupendous performances from his leading men Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Even the supporting leads Ramesh Deo, Seema Deo, Sumita Sanyal and Lalita Pawar tailor into the story seamlessly. One of the most significant scenes in the film comes when Anand wants to record Bhaskar’s voice in his tape recorder but deliberately takes time to speak so that he can create a lull period in between (knowing fully well that the tape will be played when he dies).

Another important scene that plays out during the film is when Rajesh Khanna approaches a pehelwan Dara Singh to thrash a few eve-teasing goons. It was touching to see the two great recently-deceased stars share the frame together.

It is these little moments that makes the film so memorable and a classic, in the truest sense of the word. Hrishikesh Mukherjee excellently conceives, writes and directs this wonderful film. (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Supermen Of Malegaon (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Brilliant, Not Recommended For Everyone!

4/5 Stars

First things first, this film is a documentary. So read on, if that kind of cinema interests you. Secondly, it embodies the making of a film titled ‘Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman’, which was made in the year 2008. You do not need to watch ‘Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman’ to understand ‘Supermen Of Malegaon’. The latter is an independent story in itself.

The film, one-hour-long, is about Malegaon, a small town tucked away in northwest Maharashtra. The town has been divided into two sides – one where the Hindus stay and the other where the Muslims reside. It has been troubled by continuous communal tension as well as a large part of the population is immersed in poverty.

Hence, to escape this harsh reality, the people of Malegaon have a sole source of entertainment, cinema that they have cleverly coined the term ‘Mollywood’. The film focuses on the various video parlours that run around the town and provide the natives a chance to catch a glimpse of the glitz and glamour of Bollywood, inspiring them to go for 100-rupees-worth Shah Rukh Khan-like-haircuts and 151-rupees-worth Sanjay Dutt-like-hairstyles. Filmmakers in Malegaon do not aspire to be strugglers in the Hindi film industry. Instead, they want to make their own films and entertain their town folk. These people are not aware about the number of people it takes to make a film. For them, one man conceptualizes, writes, directs, edits, finances as well as does make-up for the film. They harbour their dreams of creating films by making spoofs of existing films. For example, ‘Sholay’ becomes ‘Malegaon Ke Sholay’, ‘Shaan’ becomes ‘Malegaon Ke Shaan’, etc.

However, one such filmmaker Nazir Shaikh collaborates with his team of writers (Akram Khan, Farogh Jafri and Shakeel Bharati) to make a superhero film. According to Nazir, Batman is no great shakes, and Superman is the real deal. They want to make their protagonist fly, with the use of ‘karoma’ (chroma) on a shoe-string budget of Rs.50,000, arranged from taking loans, product placement (Yes, and that too of a local dairy ‘Lalle Milk Centre’). Their Superman is a feeble man named Shafique (unfortunately, he passed away last year), who despite his limitations, aspired to become Amitabh Bachchan. The film is about how these people come together to make film, in which their leading hero can fly! Their dream is to make ‘Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman’, a film that they can truly be proud of! 

This film is about how they struggle to put this thing together, and on their course, face permission problems, financial, logistical and casting issues galore! A story wonderfully put together by the director Faiza Ahmad Khan. Add to that, the music by Sneha Khanwalkar and the immaculate editing of Shweta Venkat (both of whom have recently worked in ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’)! The film manages to capture special moments, which come together brilliantly in the narrative. Since the duration of the film barely runs to an hour, the turn of events engage you throughout. Technically, the film is flawless and does deserve all the accolades. Making-of films are not performance-based. However, a lot depends on the questions that are put forth to the interviewees in the documentary. Quite a few of them are dry-humoured and rhetoric, giving the entire documentary a fun element. Overall, the film is very well conceived, and Faiza has indeed been very fortunate having made a documentary on a film, that has received unprecedented popularity in recent times. 

Many aspiring as well as current filmmakers will relate to the situations that the people of Malegaon go through, to make their movie. Certain moments are dramatic, some are guffaw-worthy, and a handful number of them are absolutely rip-roaring. Kudos to PVR’s Director’s Rare for supporting this film, it deserves all this recognition and well, a lot more!

If you’re a film-buff, don’t mind documentaries and want to have a good time, watch ‘Supermen Of Malegaon’! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) Review by Shivom Oza – Truth Has Never Been Told So Light-Heartedly

4/5 Stars

‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’ is a cult film about two photographers who get caught in a murder mystery, thanks to a conniving newspaper editor. A tale of lies, corruption, deceit and hope, told in a most-entertaining manner.

Two photographers Vinod Chopra (Naseeeruddin Shah) and Sudhir Mishra (Ravi Baswani) try everything possible to get that one elusive customer at their newly-opened photo studio at Haji Ali. However, fate has other plans for them as they are hired by a shrewd newspaper editor Shobha Sen (Bhakti Barve) of the ‘Khabardar’ newspaper to spy on a corrupt builder Tarneja (Pankaj Kapur) and his dealings with another crooked man, Municipal Commissioner D’Mello (Satish Shah). There is another builder Ahuja (Om Puri) who also approaches D’Mello with bribe to sanction his project. What follows is a series of bribes, threats and a cold-blooded murder! The struggles that Vinod and Sudhir go through to dodge attempted attacks, bribe offers, handling a corpse and much more is what forms the crux of this cult classic.

Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Baswani are exemplary as the troubled commoners, who get trampled on their way towards a decent livelihood, by ‘elites’ such as editors, builders, policemen etc. There are so many shades to their characters – be it playing the gullible businessmen, sleazy photographers, emotional fools, tragedy-struck commoners or just hopeful citizens of this country, the actors deliver top notch performances. The supporting cast, comprising stellar actors (many of whom were unknown commodities way back in 1983) such as Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Om Puri, Satish Kaushik, Neena Gupta and Deepak Qazir excel in their roles, making audiences laugh as well as scorn at their roles! Pankaj Kapur and Om Puri play roles that are contrasting in nature yet similar in traits. Satish Shah plays the Catholic Municipal Commissioner getting everything right, from the costume to the dialogues. Satish Kaushik and Neena Gupta immaculately play the builder’s sidekicks, plotting some incongruous act or the other. However, the scene stealer is the inimitable Bhakti Barve, who plays the astute, cigar-smoking, modern, cunning, dominating and the irrepressible newspaper editor Shobha Sen. She does many things in the film – fixes printing machines, smokes cigars, kicks men, reprimands builders, threatens bigwigs and seduces men into doing favors for her. The cast shines in all the scenes of the film, and the best part is that here; the cast has not let their characters overshadow the story of the entire film. There are plenty of iconic scenes in the film that have stood the test of time and are still so funny and relevant even after almost 3 decades since its release.

When masters are at work, the audiences merely applaud. Directed by Kundan Shah, edited Renu Seluja, dialogues penned by Ranjit Barot and Satish Kaushik and the story by Shah along with Sudhir Mishra and production controller being the future bigwig Vidhu Vinod Chopra, this film comprised legends in the making. Made on a shoestring budget (7 lakhs rupees), the making must not have been as light-hearted as the film turned out to be, but a cult it did turn out to be. Kundan must have had a tough time extracting such performances out of his cast despite the unflattering financial conditions. The scenes have been precisely compiled, with not a single low point in this concisely trimmed 2 hour 10 minute film. The dialogues are excellently written, capturing the pathos and the irony of the issue at hand and providing much-needed comic relief at the same time. There are memorable scenes galore in this film, the sulking of the protagonists tired by the corruption-riddled-bureaucracy below the poorly-built flyover, bribes being given through the perspective of shadows, the murder discovery scene at the cleverly titled ‘Antonioni Park’ (inspired by the 1966 film ‘Blow-up’, hence a tribute to the director Michelangelo Antonioni) and the unforgettable scene lifted from the Mahabharata, which lifts this film to another level altogether.  There are instances of profound irony in the film, which would put the most intellectual works of contemporary times in their place. The subtle comparisons between the builders and the slums, the finer differences between right and wrong have been artistically shot by the first-rate cinematographer Binod Pradhan. There is no moment in the film that will put you off. The most startling fact about the film is that all the issues discussed are so relevant even in today’s times. The agony of the Indian common man is often represented through the song ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’. You watch a dramatic scene play out and wonder if 'anything has changed’.

Kundan Shah has done Indian cinema a huge favour by making this film. We can return the favour by watching it! 

Entertaining, profound, striking, hilarious, thoughtful, chaotic, somber, mundane, eccentric, this film is all of this and more! A MUST WATCH! 4 Stars! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza