Let's start with a PJ.
Q. What would "Da Vinci Code" be called if Neha Dhupa and Abhay Deol act in it?
A. Last Local Chalice.
Jokes apart, this is a brilliant movie by a first-time director. A comparison with "Pulp Fiction" or Coen Brothers genre is probably unavoidable, but I found it more in line with "Get Shorty". The story, also written by the director, could easily be one penned by Elmore Leonard. Very few good "cult" movies are made in Bollywood, the last one I liked was "Waise Bhi Hota Hai Part 2" in 2003.
This movie does not have a single frame shot at daylight; has an array of strong, unknown character artistes; two rival South Indian dons (one played by Deepak Shirke - immoral for playing the "Hakla Seth") and a hilarious Nana Patekar mimic as an auto-driver who spends thousands after the bar girls. If any of these sounds interesting to you, do not give it a miss. If not, wait for Karan Johar's next!
2) Bheja Fry -
PJ - in Bengali, this movie would be called "Wet Bhaja". (Bheja = Wet in Bengali)
Yeah, it is lifted from a French movie. So what? One of the very few three-dimensional films ever made, it independently criss crosses (a) a story, (b) situational humor and (c) intentionally frustrating or annoying the audience. The best possible weekend stress-buster without inviting anyone for dinner!
3. Parzania -
This is one of the few films that, rather than let you escape from reality, drags you to face the bitter truth in all its minutiae. A must-watch movie if -- you hate Narendra Modi and the general bastardization of Indian politics by the so-called "Hindutva". You will find more reasons! Never before was one Indian film so unabashed in its portrayal of such an open secret.
- you like Narendra Modi or Praveen Togadia. You will give the other side at least one chance to explain.
- the last image of Sarika you recollect was from a certain frame of 'Vidhata'. Clearly, the ex Mrs Kamal Hasan is the best green eyed actress in India right now. Cannot wait to see her more in the coming days.
8 comments:
Deepak Shirke playing AB's dad and mouthing "Bhaktawal Sheth" to Danny in Agneepath..Priceless!!!
~DS
Oops...the film was Hum, not Agneepath
~DS
Who are you, DS?
Only the Masters of the Universe know the roles of Deepak Shirke!
And he was there in Agneepath as well... "Yeh ladka aaj chingari. Bada hoke hum sabko zinda jala dala to kya karenge?"
Oh boy! DS is Deepak Shirke :D
Nothing describes Deepak Shirke better than his character name in "Khhuda Gawah" -- Kaalia Danger. Not trying to be racist or things like that, but it is difficult to think of a better name once you see him moving onscreen.
My alltome favorite Shirke role is "Ishq". It was HILARIOUS!!
Dipta that was like - "Dekho, Socho, Samazho, aaj ye ladka chingari..kal bada hoke samako jala diya to kya karega" (accompanied by a HUGE open mouth expecting a severe beating in near future).
I have to say this, Deepak Shirke plays a gangstar in ECKLL with an eye for "Chiknas". So, he gags and ties up Abhay Deol, and goes to a treadmill to warm himself up before the action. Freaking awesome..This scene deserves a very special mention in movie history, just as much as that train scene in "Sholay".
I think Parzania has very little to do with Pravin Togadia or Narendra Modi or their brand of politics. The film has no politics. Its message is simply the devastating consequences of the politics of mindless violence for the innocents. This can happen anywhere, in any country under any political system. Narendra Modi is just one example. The name of the movie, Parzania, is a fictional place where there is no pain or violence and only happiness prevails. The wrenching contrast with reality everywhere today only serves to highlight the childlike innocence that is destroyed everyday by human greed - in Gujarat, Bombay, Kabul, Kigali, Darfur, Baghdad, Haiti or a dozen other places. To look at Parzania merely as an anti-Modi message is to ignore the universal tragedy at its core - innocent people are increasingly vulnerable every day, and only when they stand up and speak out for themselves, like Parzan's mother does at the end, will there be any hope. The message is that Parzania the place is a fictional utopia, but the way to Parzania lies through victory over our own fears. You cannot live in fear and hope to see Parzania.
That's an interesting viewpoint Yenji. However, being a staunch Modi-hater, I conveniently ignored the "big picture". Gujarat is still so much in memory, it was difficult to think from a neutral perspective.
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