This blog is stemmed out of my recent viewing of METRO and Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom (well – maybe another blog for that). Oh God…this Blog is turning into a Movie Blog…
Well..well…nevertheless..
First METRO – this is fresh in my mind as I saw it only yesterday..
The feeling I get after seeing this movie is depiction of a penchant desire to be part of the supposedly ‘wanted’ and ‘in’ species developing in the so called cities.
Am I being very, very harsh and cynical about the movie? Not really…but..when the movie winds up, what I am left with is a mish-mash of a lot of presumably ‘in’ and ‘today’ things all put together in one 3 hour pack ( or was that 2 and a half hours..?)
Somethings like the gay track are so very predictable. What is with the gay aspect nowadays anyway? It seems to be popping up in every other so called ‘urban’ and ‘meterosexual’ movie. Either it has become so prevalent a concept that it is bound to pop on celluloid as well (I don’t see it though…maybe I am plain blind!) OR it’s the latest fad.
Whatever be the case – it is getting a little too boring. It’s the same like many of the passing phases our Movies have had. A time when the hero went off to Kashmir in every movie, then came the phase of a bichda hua mother-son milaap in every other movie, then we had the Mumbai underworld glorified everywhere or the most infamous item song popping up in every other film that hit the screens. Somehow, I feel now it’s the gay scene. People all around..at least in the movies seem to be gay and happy
You must be wondering – hey, that was just a small aspect – why make such a big ado about nothing. Well, my idea here is that there were these numerous predictable bits and pieces mish-mashed together – it left the taste of a mocktail in my mouth. Mocktails do taste very good and I like them too and hey they are expensive as well. But mocktails are that – mish-mash of different blends giving a unique ‘mixed’ or ‘mocktail’ taste. So, it’s not like your usual ‘Orange juice’ which is so very ‘orange’ and predictable and ‘safe’ I must say. You take an Orange juice and you know what you are getting.
Well --- you take a Pinnacolada or a Virgin Mary and you still know what you are getting if you are the usual mocktails type – but, hey, one must agree that they come with that extra burden of being expensive, awe & novelty of a beautifully shaped glass and awkwardness of not knowing what to do with that lemon ring or sprig of leaves or better still that salt coated on the glass rim! So, you get what I am saying – it’s good, you like it…but, somehow it does not make you very comfortable.
Its novel, interesting, little unknown, dear on the wallet, looks quite appealing and there it is --- luring you. But, given a slightest chance – how I would love to go back to my basic Orange juice – sasta and tikauu.
These new movies about urban relationships make me feel exactly like that. They generate the inquzzitiveness for something supposedly of these times, make me feel a little ancient and tell me in the face that hey – if you like these – you know where you are heading AND if you don’t like these – you are so uncool.
Now, keeping aside this unending charade of what I ‘felt’ overall – let me get to some brass-stacks.
What I liked FIRST and most was the music – extremely good! There was the Rock effect very much there – Kudos to Pritam (I somewhere read that the music has been lifted – the feeling kept popping up all through the movie and spoilt my appreciation of Pritam. Well – anyways – I love his music – so, I decided not to pay attention to that not so good piece I read somewhere. You shouldn’t be believing everything the magazines write in any way)
SECONDLY, the actors. I don’t know how Konkona manages to make her mark each time/every time – it’s amazing. I anyway like Shiney – so there he goes with full marks from me. I thought he should’ve had more to do in the film.
And Irfan – well I actually don’t like his looks, his puffy eyes and that demeanor are very much like the character he played. But – what amazing talent…WOW!
Nafeesa – well she’s so amazingly elegant – though I think she doesn’t really act so great.
And Dharmendra – well I didn’t like that part of the casting AT ALL.
The movie was in true terms a CASTING COUP of sorts – every actor fit their respective roles perfectly. But, Dharmendra – well, not that he didn’t play his part well. But, I don’t want to see Dharmendar in that kind of role – looking so vulnerable and weak! Not done!! He is anytime better off chasing goons and hurling expletives at them or going back a little – that amazingly handsome guy romancing the leading ladies of that era.
THIRDLY, Anurag Basu. In spite of my harsh reaction to the story-line (or lack of it) and all the other not so good things I have just written – we must give credit to this man. He has what it takes. The capability to visualize multiple tracks, glue them together and present so simplistically needs a creative head. He has definitely managed to catch the pulse of today. So, Kudos to Anurag!
In a nutshell – my take –
As a movie – good, great music, lovely performances, cool/urban feel, enough dope to discuss over coffee tables.
As a story – felt like a Subway salad on one end – pick your pieces and mix them together. And a mocktail on the other – cool, expensive and maybe not something your Mom makes in the kitchen daily!
As an influence – makes you think, given a multitude of characters – urges you to try and relate with one. If you don’t really – urges you to do a retro-fit and try and feel you ‘belong’ by getting a most-close comparison. Is that good or bad – well depends on your state of mind actually.
At the risk of being judgmental, I would say – these stories are best left so – as stories.
They are far too complicated if run in real lives. Hey, you have an Anurag Basu who has it all cut-out in his mind and unravels it on canvas for you.
But, our Lord up there – well – He doesn’t let out his secrets so quickly does HE!! Not in 3 hours for sure!
So, I think Mankind would do a lot of good to itself by following more conventional, straight roads and stick to plain & simple Orange juice!
AMEN!
