Bombay Talkies

Last Friday (26^th April 2013), I was watching The Front Row with Anupama Chopra.  It was the 1^st anniversary edition and the one that previewed Bombay Talkies with its four directors.  During the show, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee were waxing eloquent about Karan Johar.

Yes, you heard me right.  Two of the finest directors that Indian cinema has ever seen were raving about probably the most commercial director this country has ever seen.  One, whose movies can be classified as a cheap Rom Com at best.  One, whose movies are seen by most people because their wives drag them along.

 

Karan Johar grabs you in the first minute with, “Chhakka nahin hoon. Homosexual hoon.  Na Chhakka hona galat hai.  Na homosexual hona.  Lekin yeh tujh jaisa haraami nahin samajh payega” (I am not a eunuch.  I am a homosexual.  It isn’t wrong to be a eunuch or a homosexual.  But a bastard like you will never understand that).

 

Now I don’t want this review to be another one where people rave about KJo.  But I would be unfair if I were to say that KJo wasn’t the biggest surprise.  Superb piece about a young gay man - Avinash.  First, his struggle with his father.  His friendship with the boss – Gayatri (Rani Mukerji) and his attraction to her husband (Randeep Hooda).

 

Dibakar Banerjee then takes over with a slow start to his segment that allows you to kind of catch your breath.  The story of a lower middle class man (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his love for the arc lights.  His wife, daughter and pet emu called Anjali.  Most importantly, his mentor on stage – Bapu (Sadashiv Amrapurkar).

 

Then Zoya Akhtar who tells us the story of a young boy, Vicky who would rather dress up like a girl and dance to Sheela Ki Jawaani.  The finale is by Anurag Kashyap. A story about a young man trying to fulfill his sick father’s wish of meeting Amitabh Bachchan and get the Big B to eat home-made Murabba (Pickle – for lack of any other word).

 

The thing that strikes you most about Bombay Talkies is the freedom with which everyone has performed.  The direction is the best I have seen in quite a while.  A few things could have been changed but the overall picture is so good that you may not even notice it.

 

The performances are stunning.  Rani Mukerji has given it more than what she normally gives.  Randeep Hooda is outstanding.  And so is Saqib Salim.  Nawazuddin Siddiqui lives upto his reputation of being the finest find from Bollywood in this millennium.  And don’t miss out on Sadashiv Amrapurkar’s 5 minute role in Dibakar’s part and Ranveer Shorey in Zoya Akhtars part.  Superb!!!

 

If ever there could have been a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, it had to be Bombay Talkies.  My simple mind could never have come up with this idea.  So, I doff my hat to whoever thought about it.  And needless to say, to 4 directors who have given us a movie that is definitely the best movie released this year in Bollywood.  8 on 10.  Don’t miss it.

 

Watch the trailer on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njzTBH8mZLU