Gangs Of Wasseypur | Pure Awesomeness | The Critique

In Bollywood, we rarely come across a movie so story driven that characters, no matter how well done, are reduced to particles. They never dominate the story. Last time, I saw such a movie it was Black Friday. GOW belongs to that league. Anurag Kashyap reinvents his brand with this epic. The way story about Wasseypur and the gangs is told, it will give you that feel of fables told by elders about mysterious world of crime. First nail well nailed.

When you hear the title, what do you think - Mafia, crime, gore, sleaze? You will find every element. At no point Anurag tries to glorify the virtues which people usually do to give a moral shade. He doesn't need it. The characters are not grey. They are like coal... black. All they care about is their life and their desires. Morality has no place as crime is so rampant that the human sensibilities tend to lose their meaning. Though each character has a moral stand at some point, the means to achieve that is not always right. Thats where the line fades away. The story is about a goon who is murderded and his son decides to take revenge. Its not about just revenge by violence, its about crushing the opposition, take away their pride and self respect and let the pain take over. This is how Sardar wants to take revenge from killer of his father Shahid. Its about rivalaries and socio-political dominance in Dhanbad and suburb Wasseypur.

Manoj Bajpai as Sardar is a pure delight. He is so perfect that it can leave goosebumps on you as you leave the theatre. Nawaz, in a short role he has, is brilliant. Richa Chadda, what a powerful bomb she is. She got perhaps the most difficult role to play and she is scores birdie. Chemistry between her and Manoj is a delight. Reemma is looking hot but not much to offer. Piyush Mishra is usual self. His control on his voice can be a case study for any artist. Its in perfect sync with his subtle character. Tigmanshu is good. As a matter of fact, each sub-plot and side character has been brilliantly devised. Another rarity.

Sneha Khanwalkar and Piyush Mishra created the music this movie needed. It not only adds to the impact of story, its perhaps the soul of the movie. Direction is freaking awesome. At moment you might find scenes a little vague only to realise later that why it was vague. Anurag Kashyap has proven a point to all mass-critics. He made a mass movie with a class. Bravo to entire cinematography and editing department. The smooth and crisp transition between different stages of the story captivates the imagination of audience. Whistles and hoots for this piece of pure awesomeness... aur haan... kahaani abhi baaki hai.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Mesmerising Moments | Editor's pen

Hi friends…

It’s difficult to choose one between Shanghai and Kahaani, two amazing offbeat movies of this year. For these two movies, an awesome Paan Singh Tomar, a promising Gangs Of Wasseypur, Barfi and expected blockbuster Talash, it looks like that we can call 2012 as one of the most outstanding years for Bollywood in recent past. But we will talk about them some other day. Today, I want to talk about these two different movies – Kahaani and Shanghai.

From different POVs, each of these two excelled. Kahaani was fast paced entertainment with awesome thriller quotient. You can’t find loopholes until you leave the theatre. You will be awestruck with the amount of energy Vidya exudes in her performance. Great detailing as well. On this point, even Shanghai earns quite a handful of brownie points. Amazing detailing in character development. But low on entertainment, high on thoughts. It let you understand about the irony in life and reality between infra development.

The one moment where Vidya works on computer (while standing) and Rana (Parambrata) looks at her with tender emotions (while sitting) as Vidya is extracting information from Police database makes me weak in knees while watching Kahaani. Perhaps the best piece from my namesake’s most successful movie. Shanghai, too, had an amazing moment. It almost brought tears in my eyes. Interestingly, it involved Emraan Hashmi. When he went to see his friend’s death body. How well he pulled off that odd scene. Remarkable. The lump in his throat. The pain in his eyes. The apocalyptic feel. He nailed it.

Next Edition will be a director’s special. Wait for it.

Love,

Sujoy

Hans Rolfe Monologue Defending Holocaust Criminals | My Take | Under Lens

When wars are fought, there are more than few people responsible. In Judgment at Nuremberg, when Ernst Janning accepts the responsibility of Holocaust and regrets the decisions made by him for the greater purpose, defense attorney Hans Rolfe doesn’t have much to say. It’s a lost battle. But then he delivers one of the finest statements in courtroom drama pictured on silver screen.

Hans Rolfe tries to put pieces in picture in right order. The decisions taken by Judges being tried were wrong if calibrated against the laws established post war. However, they were in accordance with the letters of laws established in Nuremberg with a state policy and ideology in mind. If the spirit or intent behind those decisions has to be taken into account, many more entities should face the trial and that would bring everyone in front of law.

This scene is a masterpiece. Not many monologues have this kind of impact on viewers. When Maximilian Schell raced ahead of Spencer Tracy for Academy Awards, I have a reason to believe that this scene played a very important role in tilting the trophy towards the Austrian actor. Each word is placed beautifully. The sequence of events, as stated by Rolfe, has an impact on the viewer. At some point one might consider giving a waiver to the culprits. He states the facts and puts across the reason why court should be lenient. He becomes a little aggressive and one can see the German pride in his moist eyes. He vents out his anger at the other factors which helped Third Reich and later fought against it.

Maximilian Schell had a tremendous control over his body language. As he speaks, sweat on his temple, anger in his eyes and lump in his throat evokes emotions in audience. He earns respect for his ability to justify a gross wrongdoing to the humanity and at a later point, in a rhetoric condemn this respect is highlighted. In Judgment at Nuremberg,  Maximilian Schell fought against the tide and sailed well.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Jessie Who Made Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa So Special | Under Lens

Jessie - The Way She Was: Girls are usually confused about their emotions. So was Jessie. In VTV, as the story progresses different layers of her character opens up and how well. In first phase she is a poser who doesn’t want to open up her heart. However, later we realize that she was masking her emotions for Karthik. Born and brought up in an orthodox family, she is held back by family pressure and believes that nothing can materialize between her and Karthik. However, walking on the aisle, her independent self restrains her from saying ‘I Do’. It’s a big U-turn. She profess her love and shows the element to revolt against norms. The sinusoidal paradigm shift in her character makes her the USP of movie.

Jessie – The Way Karthik Saw Her: Obsession. Fixation. Nothing else can define what Karthik does for Jessie. Love, definitely but in a very unique abrasive way. He actually doesn’t care much about what Jessie says. He feels an eternal connect, a kind of hunch which ultimately works in his favor. When he believes Jessie loves her, he is right. For an artist an imprint on canvass is something he can envision. Similarly, a true cine-obsessed young man, his love story is something he can envision and he falls for it. Is this true blue love is subject to discussion. When he follows her to Kerala, when he kisses her in train and when he fights with her brother, he remains in his element and the little bit of arrogance as well. Even when she dumps him, he is not able to throw her away from his system. That’s why it’s an obsession.

Jessie – The Way I Felt: Rarely I feel so strongly for a character who is in very clichéd circumstances. Jessie is vulnerable character. She is not only confused, she is consumed by the choices available. She is strong but not enough to snap ties with parents and live with love of her life. Her situation is the one between rock and a hard place. Her choice can be criticized, intention is pure. In VTV, she exists in two separate levels. Imaginary one where Karthik loves her and a realistic one where her parents want her to settle with a groom of Christian beliefs. Evokes a few emotions in me as well.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Sandalwood And The Ray Of Hope | Under Lens

Talking about Kannada Film Industry, it is one of the most dominant cine-industries in whole of India I believe only in terms of numbers movies being released every week... unfortunately, not in terms of quality. Every week around 2 to 3 movie would be released each movie competing with other. The Audience faces great trouble selecting best of the movies. Due to uncontrolled number of movies being released, most of the movies turn out to be box-office disasters. I strongly believe it is the peak time now to decide on the number of movies and quality of movies. Add to that most of the movies released would be re-make or re-mix movies. However even in such a pitiable situation, we cannot completely say Sandalwood is worst. We have a few rays of hope.

Yogaraj Bhat whose Mungaru Male had collected Rs. 75 Crores in Box office with investment of just Rs.1 Crore. His debut movie “Mani” which was acclaimed by reviewers had won 5 state awards. Albeit this movie is one of the masterpieces of sandalwood, it was not a commercial success. On the contrary, his 2^nd movie- Ranga (S.S.L.C), which I feel was worst of Mr.Bhat, did fairly well at box-office. Mungaru Male was his 3^rd movie followed by Gaalipata, Manasare, Pancharnagi, Paramatma... all were success at box office and each of them celebrated 100 days. On an average it is believed that all the Yogaraj Bhat movies collect at least 4 times of the investment. Though media claims that Paramatma was not great, it did make any loss for neither producers nor the distributors.

The next director under my scanner would be Soori, who came to lime light with success of Duniya which was released in the year 2007 and was a major commercial success. The very low budget movie made in about 80 Lakhs had collected around 20 crores. His next movie “Inthi Ninna Preethiya” was not successful at box office. But personally I believe that the movie was great.  His next movies Junglee and Jackie were commercial success. Infact, “Jackie” was the biggest hit of year 2010.

The other two young faces would be Guruprasad with his two commercial success low budget off-beat movies “Mata” and “Yeddelu Manjunatha”. The next would be Shashank with commercial success movie like Sixer, Moggina Manasu, Krishanan Love Story and Jarasandha. Waiting for more to come...

Written By: Sandeep Shetty

Shanghai | Just Short Of A Masterpiece | The Critique

Z is an awesome novel and so is the movie adapted from it. Shanghai is almost Z. What a sad fortune that rot in system as shown in Z suits situation in our country and what an irony that people are talking more about the entertainment value in movie than the subject being visited by the director. Hypocrites, aren’t we? Maybe to some extent Dibakar is responsible for it. He kept story to-the-point, realistic and tried to avoid not making it entertaining from B-grade cinema perspective. Good for us.

Fifteen minutes into the movie, you know the context but you don’t feel it. Its Act 2 where you start feeling the gravity of subject. Conveniently, in the name of progress, we try to take away the basic human rights of poor people who are defense less. A teacher turned revolutionary who has little control over personal self is almost killed. While his wife who seems to be estranged, keeps her calm while he is in hospital. His student who is in love with him, is hell bent on proving that it was not accident, it’s a conspiracy. A disillusioned photographer with dubious credentials can be the game changer. Lastly, an IAS who is not sure what to choose – career or duty. When he try to choose one, other lures him.

Story wise the movie has a strong case. Dialogues were kept real. They would have sounded stupid otherwise. Characterization is really strong. Accent wise Tamil character played by Abhay Deol was a little off-track but I won’t consider that a valid case. I am a bong and speak Bengali with a heavy Hindi touch due to my upbringing in Allahabad. Pace of movie can be questioned but I am not sure that it could have better or worse. Cast wise: Farooq Sheikh and Prosenjit are just too good. Their persona on screen is remarkable. Abhay Deol and Kalki played their characters as if it’s a cake walk for  them. On a second thought... it was. Emraan Hashmi... This guy has delivered goods in many of his previous movies. However the glam took away the credit. He has finally arrived with a bang.

Dibakar Banerjee has done a really good job. May be its not as good as his previous outing but still better than most of the releases we see. As a learner, I have a question: There was a subtle romantic track between Kalki and Emraan which was avoided. Why? Over to Dibakar.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Indie Rise And Ever-lasting Impact | Editor's Pen

Not many Indie movies make a good impression on people. Thanks to some good reviews and word of mouth, Love, Wrinkle-free is set to break the tradition. Why this happened? Over years, people have started watching ‘small’ budget movies. They drop their reservations and try to share popcorn over a movie with no known name. The only USP of such movies is their story. Remember Pyar Ka Punchnama. If the movie clicks with the audience, they want the tickets. Finally people can forget about stars and focus on what cinema is all about.

Last few years have been really disappointing. We have not seen many good works by superstars. Best of the lot were anchored by likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Vinay Pathak and Irrfan Khan. The trio Khans and the Kumar failed to deliver anything worth mentioning. Aamir got a 3 Idiots but was that really awesome. It was fun movie resting on shoulders of a superstar but cinema? I liked Swades more than Ra.One. I liked Phir Milengey more than Dabangg. I liked Raakh and Sarfarosh more than 3 Idiots.

Its not that I don’t like fun filled 3 hours in cinema hall. Comedies will rank high on my list of movies. Still, the comedies like what being served over big names is more crass than value. I wonder if SRK saw the final of Ra.One or not? I am not sure how Aamir missed all sms jokes we used to share in school and college? They were shamelessly used in 3 Idiots. Over all this, any day I would prefer a light movie like Chashme Baddoor. I guess I am not alone. Box Office reports of LWF cements my faith in people.

Thanks

Sujoy

Rajesh Singh On How He Saw The Mandi | Golden Podium

The word ‘Mandi’ reminds us of a classic that shattered some prevalent stereotypes. In a different context, in a different way, Rajesh Singh’s ‘Mandi’ will try to break some molds as well. Here we present a very expressive Rajesh talking about his forthcoming documentary...

Q: Rajesh, why a documentary? Considering that we don’t have a huge audience for documentaries in this country, why did you choose the difficult path?

RS: Audio-visual medium always intrigued me and capturing images with sound at its raw best is the beauty of documentary. I love the beauty of capturing the moments in the real time. Most of the time, documentary captures unadulterated expressions, which cannot be staged or rehearsed.

When we say documentary, old DD documentaries or NEWS reel come to our mind. Now documentaries are being made in an engaging and entertaining way. Most of the time we seek public broadcasting as a medium to distribute the film. With the emergence of large number of TV channels in NEWS and Knowledge category, now we have a good scope  and options of broadcasting.

In the recent past we have seen documentaries getting release in India and appreciated well by audiences. The rat race is a perfect example, distributed by PVR.

Q: What is ‘Mandi’ about?

RS: Mandi is a film on Asia’s largest vegetables and fruit market, Aazdpur Delhi. Azadpur Mandi is Asia’s largest vegetable fruit market in terms of arrival. Mandi gives the medium of earning to thousands of people. It’s an economical hub which caters the needs of the city, state, country and sometime the neighboring country. An unsaid hierarchy is formed here, all the jobs are divided which constitutes a different social structure and place individuals in a different social realms. There are porters, retailers, helpers to retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, farmers etc. associated with this Mandi. Everyone has their own reasons to be part of this Mandi. Every year thousands of people from villages or small towns come to Mandi to seek a job here.

Mandi plays a vital role in their and their families’ life. An emotional cord has been established between them and Mandi, which has its pro and cons. This attachment and detachment make what they are today.

Thus a series of questions underlies the film. How can they make a better life for themselves, their families and their children? How does Mandi affect their life and their relationship? How do the insecurities of their past amalgam with the new conflicts bestowed by Mandi?

Q: The trailer gives out a good idea about it. It will be really interesting how it comes out in the end. Where did you get the inspiration?

RS: My cameraman wanted to do this story. His friends work in Mandi and he spent good time of his youth in Mandi. He brought this subject to my attention. Initially, I wasn’t so keen to take up this subject. The way he narrated me his version of Mandi, sounded so one-dimensional and shallow to me. When on his insistence I visited the place, I realized that there was so much to this place than my plain way of approaching it.

Q: You must have faced some challenges while shooting. Please share a few.

RS: Challenges make your shooting a fun. Everyday brought a new surprise. We were the crew of two people. We shot this film in freezing winter of Delhi, there were days and nights we didn’t get a chance to take a small nap.. We didn’t want to miss any moment. Mandi operates 24 hours. Many of our scenes were shot at night and in early morning. For some days we had to change our sleep cycle. But, it was all fun.

Q: Rajesh, what inspires you in life and work?

RS: The way every moment of life and work surprises you and intrigues you to its core. Every failure in life and work motivates you to go ahead. And success gives you a reason to ask for more.

We wish Rajesh and his team success and acclaim.

James Stewart | The War Veteran And The Movie Star | Statesmen

James Stewart career saw a high when he was chosen by Frank Capra for  You Can't Take It With You. Capra had a successful record as a film maker and struggling Stewart couldn’t have asked for any more. In 1940, his success saw a new high with The Philadelphia Story. He earned an Oscar. In 1941, he was serving Army Air Corps. In World War – 2, he was perhaps the first highly billed movie actor to wear the uniform and serve the nation.

His success as an actor was perhaps the biggest hurdle. Serving nation in wars was a part of James Stewart’s lineage. His grandfathers from maternal and paternal side fought in Civil War. His father was a veteran of Spanish-American War and WWI. Despite of being underweight, he somehow managed to gain muscles just in time and get enlisted for Army Air Corps. However, due to his celebrity status, it was highly likely that he would not be sent for combat. Tides favored this assertion. However, he convinced his commanding officers and was sent in combat. He went and did exceptional.

James Stewart rose to the rank of Brigadier General. President Reagan appreciated his services and promoted him to Major General. As an actor, he never boasted of his achievements as a war veteran. A true patriot, James maintained the sanctity of the medal he won. For few years after war, his accomplishments as an actor were rather mediocre. Only notable movie was It’s a Wonderful Life which got mixed reviews, did average on box office but received acclaim over years as a classic. In 1950s, his career revived to some good extent with a few westerns he acted in. Winchester '73 released in 1950 did good business. It was a big turning point in his career. So, was his collaboration with Hitchcock.

His first movie with Hitchcock was Rope. However it was the second movie which caught imagination- Rear Window. His further collaborations were The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo. Vertigo didn’t fared well and got negative reviews. It marked the end of a great partnership on a sour note. In later years, he did many successful movies including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation and highly acclaimed  Anatomy of a Murder. After a wonderful life, he left this world in 1997. He was 89.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Anatomy Of A Murder | Clinical Frame By Frame | The Critique

Paul is a small town lawyer who gets a case which can put his life back on track. A defense personnel Fredrick is charged with murder of a local innkeeper Barney. He doesn’t deny that he did so. He just remember that he did it after he learnt that Barney raped his wife Laura. But a crime is a crime. What follows is the second act of one of the finest trial movie ever made. The court room drama of Anatomy Of A Murder is case study for enthusiasts. Directorial effort of Otto Preminger is a Hollywood masterpiece.

Why this movie works? The story, though not exceptional, is gripping enough to set a good tempo. Little details make the picture perfect. Laura flirty nature can be proven in court and might go against her husband. Her attire in court room was altered accordingly to keep thoughts under flow. The way Paul places his case and efficiently emphasizes on the ‘motive’ is exemplar. The way he goes on offence at times to make a strong impression on jury and backtrack with a silent apology and how he objects to cross examination by two attorneys at prosecution; shows the depth in script. Not very often we see a case based on laws the way they actually are. And ‘irresistible impulse’... so often used but never with such conviction.

James Stewart as Paul Biegler carries the movie on his shoulder very convincingly. Other cast including Lee Remick, Arthur O'Connell, George C. Scott and Brooks West played their role very convincingly. But the real star of the movie is the script. No two thoughts on that. Script of the movie is so strong that it creases out every little nook. The movie is an adaptation of a novel by the same name written by Robert Traver. And why it’s so well written? Well, Robert Traver is pen name of Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker. Explains a few things.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

We, The Fanatics | Part – 2 | The I In Cinema | Under Lens

Like every other film, there’s a love story at its core too. Gayatri Joshi plays Geeta – a teacher at Charanpur who doesn’t want Mohan to take Kaveri Amma away with him. Slowly, she starts understanding Mohan and falls for him. It is a love story that Gowariker treats lovingly and creates enough tender moments that are not only clap worthy but witty enough for you to crack a smile. It remains a mystery why Joshi did not sign any more films after this. May have been voluntarily but I will say this – had she been working today, she would have been one of the most fantastic leading ladies in movies.

Mahesh Aney – the cinematographer shoots Swades in a manner which is reminiscent of the great cinematographer Roger Deakins. His camera is not in a state of urgency. It stares; it looks through and looks beautifully allowing us to marvel at the nobility of this movie. Rarely has it been the case in which the inherent nobility of the script is equally complemented by the external beauty. Aney’s work is that of a born genius, a master. A. R. Rahman’s music is the stuff of dreams – Yeh Taara, Yun hi chala chal, Yeh jo des hai tera, pal pal hai bhaari – every single song is the work of such outstanding caliber that it becomes a tad too hard to pick your best of the lot. The story and screenplay by Ashutosh Gowariker and M. G. Sathya are exemplary enough to merit a mass paperback publication. I can say no more in its praise than what has already been said and written.

Shah Rukh Khan does not just play Bhargava, he literally embodies the character and becomes Mohan Bhargava. This is a powerhouse performance from an actor whose talent has been channeled in those typical lover boy roles. Shah Rukh Khan was born to play Mohan Bhargava and it can be rightfully said that this is THE performance of the decade gone by. Of the ensemble cast, each and every actor manages to leave an indelible impression on you. Be it Kishori Balal or Rajesh Vivek or Farrukh Jaffar, or Daya Shankar Pandey or Rahul Vohra – every one of them stands out in terms of characterization and solid acting. 

Swades is the kind of film that we should be proud of, not because it brings out the patriot in us but because it has something to say to everyone. It is a film which has the power to change. At least, I can say that this film has moved me like none other and made me a better person than I already was. I know I have been extremely positive about this film and haven’t been able to find any flaws whatsoever. But, I’d be really surprised if you prove me wrong and list out a single problem with Swades. There’s the classic saying – “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” This film reinstates our faith in this very saying. Every time I see this movie begin, every time I see the opening credits sequence in various languages, I can feel the gooseflesh kicking in and I can feel the pride of having been in the same era when Swades was made and released.

Written By: Gyandeep Pattnayak

Sandalwood And Some Problems | Under Lens

Unfortunately, there are few directors like R.Chandru, Jogi Prem, who are known for the successful movies making money through gimmicks.  Self-proclaimed “Kala Samrat” S.Narayana who is known for his “XEROX” movies as most of his movies would be either “Re-mix” or “Re-make”. May be he is the only person who can work in all departments of movies, yet release a movie every two months.

The worst of Sandalwood is the many good directors like of “Modala sala”, “Olave Manadara”, “Krishan Marriage Story”, “Life Istene” did not get second chance albeit their debut movies were box office success and movies were good. Infact movies “Modala sala” and “Olave Manadara” are re-made in other language. A token of appreciation.

I really hope that Sandalwood can shun posers and take a note of people who can give quality cinema.

Written By: Sandeep Shetty