MUKKABAAZ -- MOVIE REVIEW

There is a lot that honesty can do to a script. Also, there is a lot that Anurag Kashyap can do to a script. 

In what has now become almost typical of Anurag, the opening sequence in Mukkabaaz too, dipped graciously in black humour and coated with silent social commentary, blows the mind away to say the least.

I was instantly reminded of the opening sequence in GOW about people watching Kyoki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi when the TV set gets fired at. 

The original script by Vineet Singh, also the lead in Mukkabaaz, with modifications added on by Anurag, paints a picture with numerous layers, character conflicts and still keeps space for certain, and by now obvious, Kashyap antics. 

Set up in Bariely and Benaras, Mukkabaaz is not the typical and by now, run of the mill sports film. It is a love story caught amidst the loop of social divide, casteism and political ridicule, accentuated by excellent dialogues and music arrangement.

It is a film which strives hard to align with reality and hence does not give the feel-good vibe as it draws to a close. Also, this might be the mildest Kashyap film by any stretch of imagination and hence even the most accessible one. 

There is a thing about women characters and their portrayal in Kashyap's cinema space. Right from Gulaal to Dev D to GOW and even Ugly to an extent, there is visible evidence of a strong headed, focused, witty and almost conniving female characters, sometimes so strong that they become the driving force for the entire screenplay. The men though, usually, in contrast are a little dim-witted. 

Mukkabaaz is no exception. Zoya Hussain, playing Sunaina Mishra makes a wow debut. Everything about her character, right from what was plotted on paper to what transpires on screen, oozes with perfection. there are wonderful little moments where she wins a scene just by her reactions. Sample some where she tries to convince her mother about the guy she loves, or where she reacts when Shravan apologizes to her. Absolute marvel.

And those eyes are to die for. Mark my words. 

It will be an understatement to say that Vineet Singh owns the film. He is the film, he is Shravan and Shravan, Mukkabaaz. I will be insulting his genius if I say that his "act" was par excellence. This is the closest I have seen someone living the character and in the process, becoming one.

There are just so many instances that can be listed here to sing praises about Vineet but I will urge you to watch it on screen and appreciate.

Jimmy Shregil finally gets a meaty role and he too puts out his A game. And there is Ravi Kishan, who despite the limited screen time, delivers a knockout performance.

Then there is the master, the one with a cult following, the maverick Kashyap himself who makes Mukkabaaz as much his own as it is Vineet's. There are the usual cocky styled sequences where there is humour erupting out from tensed situations, the usual brilliant use of background score and music to drive the narrative at the desired pace and the sharp editing and yet Anurag manages to carve out something so unusual that makes Mukkabaaz one of the purer films that I have seen lately. 

The dialogues are absolute gems. If you happen to be from North India, you'd find them all the more amazing. There are so many layers of social commentary and political satire but all of that is cajoled into the script so smartly that at the cost of viewing it passively, one might just even miss out on them. 

Rachita Arora deserves a special mention for putting together a wonderful music album. The tracks complement the story in a way that at times you feel it is almost impossible for Mukkabaaz to switch on to the next scene without a song. 

In closing, Mukkabaaz is a rare film, made by someone who has made a name for himself by making such rare films, acted by actors who lived the characters and more importantly much like real life, Mukkabaaz does not necessarily try to please anyone. it stays true to what the characters and the story demanded and that is where it scores a home run. 

P.S--There is so much that goes in Mukkabaaz at any given instance that it definitely warrants a repeat viewing. 

BAHUT HUA SAMMAN.. BHARAT MATA KI JAY!!

**4 STARS**