Review of Angoor

Angoor (1982)
Ample Grapes Of Humour
9 May 2011
Gulzar's hilarious adaptation of Shakespeare's 'The Comedy of Errors' offers ample laugh out loud moment. Gulzar's poetic writing is loaded with humour and he gives this superb adaptation its own unique touch. He successfully avoids the usually melodrama (that flooded in most Bollywood films) and I liked that he doesn't waste too much time in needlessly elaborating the story. For example, the separation of the twins and how they were raised is told in a simple dialogue (which is adequate). Very quickly, after introducing the charming characters, Gulzar quickly moves to the double trouble confusion and he does it with wit, sarcasm and loads of comedy.

It's also well-made on the technical side. The cinematography is very good and the way the images of the actors are juxtaposed (to show the twins in one scene) is well conducted. There are a few songs but they are well utilized and the lyrics are magic (thanks to a great poet's touch).

Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma are turn on their comic flair to the maximum. Their abilities in comedy are very well known and this is a prototype in their careers. A lovely Moushumi Chatterjee, cute and vivacious Deepti Naval and funny Aruna Irani lend excellent comedic support.

Not only does 'Angoor' prove that Gulzar can tackle comedy with class but also that he is one of the most versatile directors today. This is one of India's finest adaptations of a Shakespeare work.
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