Year 2013 | So Far Disappointing | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends,

Thanks for overwhelming response to our previous edition – Crime and Mafia Special. It turned out to be one of most successful special editions based on hits and time spent by readers. We, from the bottom of our heart, thank you for love and compassion.

We have seen more than three quarters pass by this year and when compared to 2012, it has been disappointing for most of us. Special 26, Kai Po Che, Jolly LLB, Go Goa Gone, Fukrey, Raanjhanaa, Bhaag Milkha Baag, Madras Café and The Lunch Box were among honorable mentions. Ship Of Theseus and BA Pass did well for indie without entering the mainstream zone. The last quarter has too less to offer. Shahid, Ram-Leela and Bullett Raja might add to this list.

Ten years ago, this year would have been considered to be a path-breaking year for content. The country has moved on from 90s and early 00s. Year 2012, made us watch some brilliant films – few all-time best. Year 2013 have been a poor successor. Probably the only silver line is success of The Lunch Box and Kai Po Che. Kai Po Che is one of few examples where filmmakers made a better film when compared to book. I don’t remember many such exceptions. Lunch Box’s success mean a lot to growth and acceptability of indie in this country.  

Anyways, things ahead are always better.

Love

Sujoy Ghosh

Anatomy Of A Coincidence | Part 02 | Under Lens

KM Nanavati comes to know about his wife Sylvia’s affair with his friend Prem. They were cheating while he was away on long assignments. Nanavati realized that their relation damaged beyond repair. Only natural progression was a separation. Despite of all this he wanted his wife to be happy and a security for children. He decided to take the matter in his hand.

Prem, however, was interested in a fling than a relationship. He didn’t had any ambition to marry Sylvia. He stated that categorically to Sylvia. Having casual relationships was not an alien concept for him. But when Nanavati came to know about it the equations changed. Nanavati asked him if he wants to honor the relationship or not. Prem responded with a ‘No’. Nanavati was not ready to accept that as an option. He killed him.

Much like Lt. Manion, Nanavati surrendered with a cool demeanor which was in his favor when the trial began. He was not deemed to be a danger. His uniform and Parsi background also helped him. Sylvia also stood by him. He regretted her affair with Prem and knew that Prem never inteded to marry her. It was a proud defense personnel against a lecherous backstabber. Jury was prejudiced and Nanavati was found not guilty by Jury. Case was referred to High Court.

That was the last time Jury decided fate in a court trial in India. Case was identified as an example where Jury was misled by external factors and were not able to hold tenets of justice. The issue became political. Sindhi community backed Prem as Prem was a Sindhi and they believed that killing was unnecessary. Parsi community backed Nanavati as he did it to keep his honor intact. This trial became a milestone in Indian judiciary and questioned constitution on many points. It also affected the political dynamics and cinema of yesteryears.

Jabbar Patel | Statesmen

Not many people are good at making a politically sensitive film without glitter. Jabbar Patel is one of few filmmakers who have achieved this and he has done it many times. Umbartha, Simhasan and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar are few fine examples. Apart from films, he has done some incredible work in theatre as well. His play by Vijay Tendulkar - Ghashiram Kotwal – is considered to be one of the finest in Marathi Theatre.

Born and brought up in Maharashtra, he was a pediatrician. His interest in theatre led him to establish an experimental theatre group Theatre Academy. One of his most popular and acclaimed play was Ghashiram Kotwal which was first staged in 1973. It established him as one of the big names in Marathi theatre. He followed it with Teen Paishacha Tamasha in 1974.

Theatre was not able to contain his ability to visualize spectacle. He stepped up to make films. In 1974 he made Samna. Cast boasted of reputed names like Mohan Agashe, Shreeram Lagoo and Smita Patil. He repeated them in many other films as well like Jait Re Jait, Umbartha, Simhasan etc. In 1995, he was awarded Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for feature Mukta.

Year 1998, biggest film of his career came. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar based on illustrious life of Dalit leader and founder of Indian constitution. Backed by national authorities and NFDC, the film starred Malayalam superstar Mammootty who came up with performance of a lifetime. The film raised eyebrows of certain sections but protests were subdued. Film won many national awards and lifelong acclaim for Dr. Jabbar Patel.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Ram-Leela | There But Not Quite | Music Review

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director turned composer is back with his new album after 3 years, and yet he has stretched to give 10 tunes. Yesss, you read it write, the album is too long and hence bear with me if the review grows lengthy too. Anyways, while reviewing Guzzarish in same forum, I said, SLB’s music lacks variation and this album has once again stamped my belief.

The movie aims to be an epic love story set in Gujarat and the music also has the traditional folk touch to it. The album opens with the title track, ‘Ram chahe leela’ with a bang !! A kick-start to the album, and the gossip of Piggy chops dancing to its tune as an item girl is definitely going to keep it in chartbuster race. The contemporary lyrics blend with folk music, add to the spice. Indian Idol gal, Bhoomika Trivedi does her debut with this song, and is pretty confident, wishing her all the best.

Next in queue is ‘Lahu munh lag gaya’, Sahil Hada is just OK, trying little too hard. The Gujarati folk music is good and instrumental arrangement is well synched. Followed by ‘Ang laga de’, the sensuous number. It opens with Aditi Paul’s perfectly balanced voice and seductive notes, and at once promises to be one of the best in album. The song duration is approx. 6 mins and though it sounds pretty decent, it remains to be seen whether it’s visually appealing too!

Sahi Hada appears again, this time with ‘Poore Chaand’. I need to admit here that at first, I considered it least promising in the album. But, its one of those which grow on you. Considering SLB’s fixation for moon, this can be expected to produce some great chemistry between Deepika & Ranveer. With all this we are back to, HDDCS ‘Dholi Taro’. Yes, the song, ‘Nagada sang dhol’ seems to be a sequel. In this dandiya season, its definitely going to set some dance floors on fire. The disturbing factor, is the lyrics, ‘dhaiyan dhaiyan dhum’, c’mon everyone knows how a dhol sounds.

Here comes my personal favorite in album, ‘Laal Ishq’. Arjit Singh, Aashiqui2 & YJHD fame, is making it a habit to get the best tunes. The subtle and effortless singing, with the tinkle of temple bells gives it a soothing feel. The track is well grounded in classical music and though it treads over six minutes, this one is sheer beauty! This is for ones in love.

‘Ishqyaun Dhishkyaun’ the fun element in the album in the voice of Aditya Narayan. The lyrics are too juvenile and totally different from album’s mood. But SLB proves himself again, the music still remains the same and does not go along with happy go lucky lyrics. The only duet in the album, ‘Mor Bani’, is a traditional Gujarati song. Next in line is, ‘Dhoops se’, with Shreya Ghoshal to bring it to life. She once again proves why she can be compared to music veterans of the industry. An emotional and passionate song.

Album ends with, ‘Tattad tattad’, being used for film’s promotion. This one has nothing much to offer other than Ranveer’s  body show.

Verdict – SLB has improved but lacks variety to its hard core, and really can’t warranty the kind of commercial elements that could have ensured a chartbuster status. But still we appreciate this attempt at the traditional folk melodies, in the world of ‘Chikni Chameli’ or ‘Anarkali disco’. Rating – 3/5

Written By: Neha Jain

Witness For The Prosecution | Don't Tell The Ending | The Critique

Bill Wilder was a genius. His sense of dark comedy was sometimes considered to be way ahead of contemporaries. His film Witness For The Prosecution adapted from Agatha Christie work is a fine example. Like most of Christie’s work, WFTP is full of drama and twists and is remembered for rated highly as a courtroom drama in league of Anatomy Of A Murder.

Sir Wilfred Roberts is ill and advised against taking up on any criminal lawsuit. However, he reluctantly picks up case of Leonard Vole who is charged with murder of an elderly lady for property. His relationship with her is also in the grey area of immorality.  However, he has the strong backing of his wife who is ready to provide an alibi. Vole pleads not guilty. Roberts places his points strongly and slowly proves points raised by prosecution dubious. However, his efforts are thwarted by appearance of Mrs. Vole for the prosecution. Roberts, ailing, needs to fight against odds for something he is not sure worth fighting for. what happened? Well, we are not allowed.

There are two outstanding performers -  Charles Laughton who plays Sir Wilfred Roberts and Tyrone Power who plays a role of a criminal Leonard Vole. While Charles brings in the wittiness to the story with quirks, Tyrone is able to break his on-screen persona of a hero and plays role of a grounded person with great ease. Marlene Dietrich and Elsa Lanchester play their part well.

The USP of this film was the climax. The publicity and the screening… and also the legend was built around the iconic climax of this film. If you watch it, don’t tell the climax even to your best friends.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Wisconsin v. Mitchell | The Grey Area | Hammers High

In 1988, Mississippi Burning, a film based on murder of three civil rights activists in Neshoba County in Mississippi was released. This movie was a strong statement against racially motivated hate crimes in US and other places in the world. It showed them how society renegades humanity and degrades into a mass to stinking flesh.

However, in a string of events  which were rather ironical, movie led to a hate crime in Wisconsin and then led to a landmark decision in American Civil Rights history. A group of Afro-Americans, allegedly drunk, were discussing the film. There was a sense of angst in air. Todd Mitchell instigated them and as a result they beat up a young white kid in his pre-teens - Gregory Reddick. Reddick’s only fault was his skin color. Mississippi Burning triggered something it stood against, a tragedy. Reddick was brutally beaten and left in the middle of the road. Attackers presumed him to be dead. After sometime, Reddick was found unconscious by Police. He remained in coma for four days and slowly recovered.   

In an interesting trail of events, this case became a precedent to First Amendment after the case went to Supreme Court. Circuit Court sentenced Mitchell for four years as his crime was racially motivated. It was appealed. Supreme Court ruled that a state may consider whether a crime was committed or initially considered due to an intended victim's status in a protected class. More details on the court case could be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_v._Mitchell and other link present on the page.

Crime & Mafia | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends...

'As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster'

This famous quote from Goodfellas highlight how much cinema fancy crime. Obviously crime is a reality and a dreadful thing for society at large but there is something very sexy about it. It cannot be defined. It can be understood only when you hold on a .38 Colt Diamondback in your hand. Something like a forbidden fruit.

This edition, a Crime & Mafia Special, focusses on cultural impact of films woven around crime and mafia. We also investigate an important real life case of Reel catching up with Real as promised in our privious edition. We are looking forward to your opinion. Do keep us in loop.

Love
Sujoy

PS: Ali, my boy, Happy Birthday.

Not Everyday Story | Interview With Ahishor Solomon | Golden Podium

Recently we got a chance to do an interview with Ahishor and it was a perfect film to talk about in our Crime & Mafia Special:

01: As the promo suggests, John Day offers thrill. Tell us more about the film?

AS: It is more of a drama/thriller infact....it is basically about these two men, a simple honest god fearing man, and the other is a nihilistic corrupt violent man, let’s call them a saint and the beast....a particular event sets them out on a journey where eventually their paths cross. And they take a bit of each other... the movie doesn’t draw a line between good and evil but blurs that line... no one is a born saint or a beast it’s the circumstances that bring out the worst or and at times the best too ... John Day is a violent film, it is about people who are doomed and damned, there is no hope no solace but only destruction....read it somewhere "when you seek the path of revenge you dig two graves, one of your enemy and one of your own.

02: Thrillers are tricky to conceive and write. As a scriptwriter, how you develop an idea into a thriller on paper?

AS: The plot of the film is loosely inspired by a foreign film. But the core idea of the film occurred to me when once in my home town I witnessed a grotesque sight. A man biting a man throat in retaliation to the savage beatings. The image stayed in my mind only to realize that "with in every man there is a beast hidden and behind every beast there is a story"... yes that the core of the film... the writing took me a long time... drafts after drafts along with time, the script became more layered and characters more complex....what I shot is the 10th draft.

03: How was the experience of directing theatre legends like Naseer Sa'ab and Shernaz Ji?

AS: Fabulous.

04: How did Strings came on board?

AS: They were in Mumbai and a friend of my producer Anjum Rizvi met them and spoke to them about the film... he had seen it the other day on the edit... they liked the story of the film and expressed their interest to do a song... we met and clicked pretty fast... I think they are good at their work. Would like to use them again in my future films.

05: What will be your message for upcoming filmmakers

AS: Be at it...some day you will get a chance just like I did.

Team TRM wishes Ahishor best for his forthcoming ventures.

Little Caesar | Blast from Past | The Critque

In a pre-Godfather era, the war for the best gangster films is a three way struggle – Scarface, The Public Enemy and Little Caesar. Frankly, the comparison is inevitable but unfair. Each of them is a masterpiece in its own right. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, film made a star out of Edward Robinson.

Small time goon Rico come to Chicago for a better life. He joins a gang. His boss has mellowed down by time but he is ready rage. He kills the commissioner and becomes hero in echelons of underworld. Slowly he controls his gang. He loses his friend Joe who accompanied him to Chicago for a more respectable life. His growth is literally unheralded and he becomes Little Caesar of Chicago ousting other big fishes. Joe proved to be his Achilles heel and Little Caesar is exhumed in probably one of the most riveting climaxes of the age.

Apart from strong performances by actors – especially Robinson who caught public attention after this film and Fairbanks Jr., the film was revolutionary from cinematography aspect. The New Year Eve robbery scene is still studied in lengths in classes. Little Caesar is also remembered for the catch phrase ‘You can dish it out, but you got so you can't take it no more’ and the climax utterance ‘Mother of Mercy! Is this the end of Rico?’.

Ranked at #9 on AFIs list of Best Gangster Movies is definitely a must watch for people who love classics.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Anatomy Of A Coincidence | Part 01 | Under Lens

April 27^th, 1959 -  Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a reputed commander in Indian Navy kills his friend Prem Ahuja.

July 01^st, 1959 - A movie based on a 1952 bestseller is released. Lieutenant Frederick Manion kills restaurateur Barney Quill.

Two totally unrelated events had their own share of co-incidences. In the movie, Anatomy Of A Murder which was based on novel by the same name, a small town attorney Paul Biegler played by James Stewart takes on two attorneys prosecuting his client. His client pleads non-guilty on account of temporal insanity. Barney Quill takes advantage of his wife and he murders him in rage. Movie allows the plot to remain in grey area as viewer is made to believe that it is possible that Manion killed Quill in an irresistible impulse, the other scenario where subtle witness doctoring led to fooling of Jury is equally possible.

Decorated officer Lt. Manion who kills a person with dubious record and character and has molested his wife is deemed to be guided by an irresistible impulse to kill and Jury finds him non-guilty. The USP of the movie lies in the trial and the way motive of the murder is used as a trigger to temporal insanity. With few evidences and high emotional voltage Biegler is able to set up the case. He slowly invalidates the solid evidences provided by the prosecution and establishes his case on a weak but emotional foundation. The case is less about establishing a fact but more about establishing it in front of Jury.

Approximately two months back, a similar incident happened in the other part of the globe – in Bombay, India. -  Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a commander in Indian Navy kills his friend Prem Ahuja under similar circumstances but for different reasons.

Haji Mastan | A Template For Indian Gangster | Under Lens

It’s difficult to tell how many films Haji Mastan influenced. One can always count a few at the top of his mind, the number and popularity in reality would be close to Al Capone’s influences. May be a less or a more. Haji Mastan, a controversial figure of Bombay of 70s and 80s, has been a template for on-screen gangsters; especially the one with Anti-hero touch. Two films which proudly claim influences are – Deewar and OUATIM – critically acclaimed blockbusters made in different eras.

Deewar is among the best performances of Amitabh Bachc

han. Many iconic scenes from this movie still define the 70s of Bollywood. ‘Mere paas Maa hai’ must have been referenced more than ‘Kitne aadmi they’. The USP of Deewar was the rise and poetic fall of a smuggler. With tragedy in heart and abuse tattooed on wrist,  Amitabh Bachchan literally spoke with his eyes in many scenes. Haji Mastan was not only referenced in mannerism, he was paid a tribute of sorts. Amitabh Bachchan made note of this numerous times in different interviews.

Ajay Devgan playing Sultan in OUTIM is very close to real Haji Mastan story, more than any other film. Not only rise and fall of Mastan is shown (except the death part) in a dramatic way, film highlights the larger than life persona of Mastan in real life that earned him friends in all circles. His relationship with Sona and empathy for downtrodden is also underlined in bold. 

Many films like Agneepath, Company, D, took subtle references from life of Haji Mastan. Some of them were inspired by lives of other gangsters of that era but took the liberty to take cues from life of Haji Mastan to make character more benevolent. One fine example is Nayagan. Nayagan was based on life of Varadarajan Mudaliar however some references can be attributed to Haji Mastan. Interestingly, Varadarajan and Mastan were very good friends. Well, that’s a long story.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Parinda | Underbelly Of Mumbai | The Critique

Who exposed Mumbai’s underbelly to entire world? Was it RGV? No, it was Vidhu Vinod Chopra. FTII graduate Vidhu made a name for himself with award winning short films and critically acclaimed Khamosh when he decided to shun his comfort zone and explore the darker alleys of Bombay in its true shade. Landmark film Parinda starring Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dikshit was the outcome.

Parinda is a story of two brothers – Karan and Kishan and a mafia-lord Anna. Kishan works for Anna but have managed to isolate his young brother Karan from the mess. Karan however gets involved when his best friend, a cop, is brutally in his arms on behest of Anna. He decides to finish this business. He decides to be a mole and joins Anna’s gang. What lies further is an intense tale that tests relationships and character.

USP of Parinda is the intense story and brilliant presentation. Editing by Renu Saluja and Music by RD Burman complements Binod Pradhan’s cinematography. The scene in which Anupam Kher is killed is one of the iconic impressions of the era. Nana Patekar who also contributes in story brings out one of the finest performances of his life. His adaptation of a brutal mafia lord reflected many times in coming years. The brutality expressed through eyes have no parallel. Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor too gave performances of their life. Madhuri did an apt act.

A cult classic, Parinda will be remembered long – for content, for performance and for technical brilliance. How many films have managed that in Bollywood?

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Scarface: The Shame Of The Nation | The Critique

Made in 1932, this movie literally immortalized infamous gangster Al Capone forever till there is any humanity on this planet. Remade in innumerous ways in different languages and tints and colors, Scarface made in 1932 by Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson and produced by an equally controversial Howard Hughes is considered to be an important film in the history of world cinema.

Scarface is journey of Tony Camonte from a small time goon to America’s biggest gangster. Tony works Johnny and becomes his trusted lieutenant. However, he has a mind of his own. After a point he ignores Johnny’s commands. His violent actions attract fame and police. This jeopardizes his situation and war is declared in the mafia world. There is another subplot involving his sister and his friend marrying against his wishes. This subplot becomes an integral part of the climax and brings a rude closure to his story.

Backed by Howard Hughes, crew collected the guts to achieve something unimaginable in that era. Gore and realism that haunted people, lauded and condemned at the same time. Performances are real. Hysterics and stereotypes were avoided. Paul Muni made Al Capone vulnerable and very real. His preparation reflected on screen. Script and direction were simply brilliant. Directors who made gangster movies in post World War 2 era considered this classic a textbook for their education.

Even after eight decades, Scarface is one of the most watched films of Pre-World War – 2 era and one of the most highly rated gangster movies ever made. Many consider it a breakthrough film which changed the norms of censorship and exposed double standards in name of morality. It was defiant and defined the rules. Howard Hughes will be remembered long for his stand for sake of art. In 1983, it was remade with Al Pacino as Tony Montana.  Like the original, latter got appreciation and attained a cult status as well.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Knowing Gotham | Under Lens

Why Gotham? Why was Gotham City named so? Gotham was inspired by the darker alleys of New York City however Writer Bill Finger wanted to keep the template generic so that people from any Metro can identify with his imagination. Having a fictional name for the city was logical. Amongst many names like Civic City and Coast City, Gotham attracted his attention. It was a subtle reference to New York as it was a sort of nickname for the metropolitan.

How Does Gotham Look Like? Gotham is glorified in night. It rains in Gotham and it rains hard. Its chilly. It reflects the mood of the city. Common man are terrified and cons are at loose. Corruption is rampant. There is no hope even in existence of a vigilant like Batman. The divide between rich and poor is great not comforting by any means. Buildings of Gotham are inspired by Gothic Revival architecture that rose to prominence in mid-1700s. It has a strong Catholic  overture.

Crime World In Gotham: Crime is the only thing that made Gotham so famous. Batman comes close second. There are families – Italian families Falcone, Galante, Maroni, Sabatino and others like Dimitrov and Odessa, Black Mask and their successor Great White. There are Gangs like Ghost Dragons, Golden Dragons, Penguin, Sprang Brigade etc. Also there is Arkham Asylum and casual visitors like Joker. Gordon has a dirty job to do.

On Screen Gothams: On Screen we have seen New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Newark, Tokyo, Hong Kong etc. doubling as Gotham City.

Worth Watch Mafia Films | TRM Picks

01: The Godfather – One of the most glorified imagery of Italian Mafia working in US based on bestselling novel by Mario Puzo.

02: Goodfellas – Takes storytelling to another level. Martin Scorsese film treats gangsters as vulnerable fallible men.

03: Company – Arguably Ram Gopal Varma’s best work which documents a slice of life one of the most dreaded terrorists.  

04: Nayakan – Tamil film by Mani Ratnam is considered to be one of finest film ever made.

05: City Of God – Made in Brazil, a brutal film that dares to bare all about the dark lanes of crime.

IMDb List