4 Ace directors. 4 short stories. One
common cause- TRIBUTE TO THE 100 YEARS of INDIAN CINEMA! Indian Cinema has
really come a long way. From the first motion picture Raja Harishchandra to
Black, from the first talkies ALAM ARA to Barfi, from Muhgal-e-Ajam to Jodhaa
Akbar, the 100 years of cinema has yielded some of the finest thought
provoking and entertaining films.
The most progressive trend that Indian
cinema experienced was in the early 50's which continued till late 60's with
film makers like GURU DUTT, BIMAL ROY, VIJAY ANAND bringing out some of the
most progressive films that Indian cinema has witnessed. From the 70's to late
90's continued a trend of regressive films but the new millenium promises to
take Indian cinema forward.
*KARAN JOHAR*
The movie starts off with a short story
directed by Karan Johar. This story has a mind numbing shock appeal and it
catches the attention because it is here that we see Mr. Johar working his way,
out of his comfort zone!! Karan's story handles the topics of Homosexuality and
Bisexuality.
KJo has been accused of being far too
regressive in his selection and portrayal of subjects in his movies. With KANK
and MNIK, KJo did try to get out of the mould which he had been typecasted in
but he could not pull it off convincingly.
But with this story, he has delivered a
shocking-ly good presentation. In order to show shades of progressiveness in
his cinema, he does, at times, rely completely on creating uncomfortable
situations and awkward silences. And it works!
It is almost impossible to see a son
bash up his dad in a Karan Johar movie!! Or for that matter how many times
would you imagine a KJo directed movie filmed on
railway over-bridges and slums rather than plush European locations
or to see Randeep Hooda and Saqib Saleem get on each other passionately!
Johar does put across his point
convincingly but you will have to give it up for Rani Mukerjee! She is able to
convey so much through her eyes that it becomes unbelievable after a
point of time.
Randeep and Saqib perform sincerely in
their roles.
There is also a sense of nostalgia in
this story. I wish i could have a music room like the one Randeep has in the
movie. Filled with collection of the classic songs of the years gone by. And
yes, by this short film, KJo also pays tribute to one of the finest yet the
most underrated musician that Indian cinema has ever witnessed- Madan Mohan!
*DIBAKAR BANERJEE*
Dibakar Bannerjee adopts a short story
written by one of the greatest legends of cinema, Satyajit Ray. His is probably
the best story among the 3 others and with a director of the class of Dibakar,
one can rest assured of absolute cinematic brilliance!
The story catches the happenings of a
day in the life of a theater artist caught up in a struggle to keep his body
and soul together. There is s much attention being paid to detail that it
leaves an immediate amazed response every time the audience takes notice of it!
There is very strong emotional
undercurrent that flows throughout the story but is made to erupt in the final
moments of the story!
There is Nawazuddin Siddique who plays
the lead here and boy, he will make you rise from your seats and applaud.
Applaud the genius that you witness on screen, for the sheer energy that Nawaz
extracts out of the character and for the last 3 minutes of the short film
where there is no dialogue or background music and Nawaz, with his superlative
acting abilities narrates whatever transpired throughout the day to his
daughter!
*ZOYA AKHTAR*
Zoya Akhtar's story has a protagonist
who wishes to dance like the way Sheila (Katrina Kaif) does when He grows up
against the wish of his father who wants his child to pick up more masculine
habits! The story is very sensitive and it is handled effectively, but only in
parts.
Some portions look
totally unbelievable whereas some portions are filled with simple and
sweet moments. Altough Zoya tries to establish the sentiments of joy and
freedom by making the child dance out to the tunes of the Sheila Ki Jawani but
it turns out really disturbing to watch!
On a simple note, the film makes a
point about parents forcing their dreams on children. Importantly, her story is
a strong psychological snapshot on the impact that filmy passion has on the
minds of an individual.
It also tries to delve into the topic
of sexual confusion that the child faces and this is where a seemingly
enchanting tale experiences short falls.
*ANURAG KASHYAP*
This story is a simple ode to
the super-stardom that is experienced by the film stars and the effects on
a simpleton who visits Mumbai just to fulfill his fathers last wish! Anurag
Kashyap is in full form as the scenes that he establishes are filled with wit
and yet again, no one beats this man when it comes to shooting on real
locations. There is so much to feel for the lead actor as he starts off his
journey to meet BIG B and his experiences with the city called MUMBAI!
There are scenes which are simply
brilliant-
1) The protagonist finding a place to
sleep in the city.
2) The train journey wherein you can
feel that yes, only people from UP can talk like that.
3) The scene where the
"martbaan" carrying the "murabba" eaten by BIG B breaks. It
almost brings out tears!
The story has a very innocent appeal
yet it fails on many counts. One simply fails to understand the motivating
factor behind the protagonist struggling so hard to let BIG B have a bite of
the Murabba.
But you tend to forget this flaw for
the simple reason that it is a tribute to the small-town fan whose
aspirations are driven by the larger-than-life Bollywood hero, typified here by
the magic of Big B. This is Anurag at his best, defining what
superstar madness is all about.
There is a brilliant song which plays
out in this story. Though with many positives, this story falls way short of
expectations, stretches for long periods and as a result the impact that was
intended, never quite gets established.
BOMBAY TALKIES opens up in a
brilliantly designed opening credits sequence. It carries the aura throughout
and keeps the audience hooked on to the silver screen till the intermission.
Karan Johar and Dibakar Banerjee are at their best as they bring out the void
in the lives of people and their tryst with melancholy!
It is post interval that the movie
beings to fall apart. Zoya and Anurag's story had substance but it does not
come out properly on screen. Kashyap's story is in fact a big letdown as there
is nothing interesting the main frame of the story and as a result the efforts
have been made to make the scenes more impactful.
The dialogues penned by Niranjan
Iyengar (KJo), Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap are good but Javed Akthar's
dialogues (Zoya Akhtar's story) fail to provide the desired impact.
BOMBAY TALKIES comes loaded with
varied subjects to celebrate the simplicity of Indian Cinema.
Do watch to witness a progressive trend
in film making and to experience the celebration of cinema.
Rather than being an extravaganza to
pay tribute to the stars of the Indian Cinema, Bombay Talkies pays tribute to
spirit of cinema. The spirit which echos, "The show must go on."
*3 STARS*
