Dev D

One of the oldest Bollywood tales told in a very contemporary style is Dev D. Interspersed with numerous frescoes of a not-so-distant take on the original drama, this one has several twists in the tale.

I found it very enjoyable – it tugged at my heart, and it tickled me. It made me cry and it made me want to hug. It made me sad and it made me hopeful.

The educated yet rooted, rustic Paro who moved on when she realized that Dev was stuck up with himself, is played out well by a newcomer. The turn of events that turned Lynet into Chanda seemed a bit far-fetched but was inspired by truth. Abhay, who conceptualized the movie, plays Dev convincingly. The eternal loser keeps on losing and inspires disgust and fondness – you feel like reaching out to him and set him right while he keeps on dithering between life and loss.

The movie has a feminist angle – may be not intended but very subtle. The way the two women are strong about their feelings and make choices is rarely visible in cinema. Paro puts Dev in his place. She seems to derive a devout pleasure by straightening up his mess, reeking of unfulfilled desires; or did she craft an invitation to pull Dev and then push him away, avenging the rejection? Chanda checks his feelings and doesn’t make tall claims when she is told that the feelings are not for her.

And Dev finally gets his act straight, leaving me with a smile at the very end.

Good enjoyable cinema. Good audio track as well.

Chandni Chowk to China

Mindless Bollywood montage, served Chinese Noodle style. The movie puts together the latest Bollywood fad of revisiting its past along with Chinese made products in an attempt to lure a bigger market.

The story could have been set like Chandni Chowk to Cooch Bihar – but Bollywood has visited the hinterlands of Bihar forever. Plus its time to bring in the exotic. Hence off we are taken to a village next to The Wall.

You have a separated family that visits the same place a la Amar Akbar Anthony and Yaadon Ki Baraat; you get to see bandits descending on a village in the middle of a song and dance a la Sholay; you are served emotional atyachaar in the form of long dialogs along with kung-fu achaar.

You also have a myriad of Chinese products that actually work - translating on the fly and doubling up as parachutes and bullet proof umbrellas.

A neat experiment. Decently enjoyable if you leave logic behind (aren’t we all adept at that already?!)

By the way, Deepika rocks.

Sorry Bhai

This movie has zero of Sanjay Suri, a little bit of Sharman Joshi and too much of Chitrangada Singh (like her long name). Sharman has grown as an actor.

But the movie belongs to Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani. They are fun. Shabana’s character as the controlling mother is well etched out and played very well. Made me think of my mother on so many occasions.

And the movie made me miss my family. I became painfully aware of what I have lost.

Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye

The one thing this movie captured very well was the street smartness of the typical North Indian thug. And juxtaposed it equally well with the streets of western UP and the life that thrives there.

A bit confusing at times for the usual Bollywood junkie bred on deathly detailing, it isn’t great cinema but is a fun one-time watch. Abhay Deol lives the part easily and Paresh Rawal dons different characters deftly.

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Watched the movie last night. I think it conveys several messages.

The movie tells 5 tales in the aftermath of the 7/11 Mumbai blasts.

The downtrodden tea-vendor-by-the-night Tamilian sees all the glitter and gold around him but can’t reach it. There is a very thick glass wall which he can never break. If he tries to find a duct through to touch the life beyond, he is humiliated and thrown out. He is punished for no fault of his. Freedom does not exist for him. He is an alien in his own country. The architects of India’s freedom did not have this in mind when they slogged. He devises a simple plan to get even – starts making hoax calls about malls having bombs. But life does not let him have the pleasure and he soon realizes his mistake, and makes amends. Very poignant.

The beat constable and his senior take the bombing incident in very opposite manners. The younger one feels handicapped and chained by the system he represents while the elder one preaches and almost reveres the do-not-care attitude that he has lived with forever. The interaction with each other makes their relationship so strong that they end up crying in each other’s arms – one for the lost chances, and the other scared and confused about what to do with the chances that he may get.

And then there was this Hindu chap who smells a rotten egg when the Muslim boy that he had seen in his hang-out place suddenly vanishes. He finds out the other’s house, makes enquiries with his mother, follows him to a girlfriend and hence to a dead end, ignores all affection given to him by the “other” community only to realize that his quarry had been to Shirdi to visit Saibaba’s ashram. He then fights an internal duel between Hindu propaganda and the very Indian values of secularism, to emerge a winner and make friends with the guy he thought was a terrorist.

The characters are very well etched out and have been played to the perfection by the cast. A must watch!