Change Your Image
vijay220-950-483712
Reviews
Haider (2014)
Haider is a film not simply to watch but feast on it.
Haider set in Kashmir of 1995, when the paradise was burning and people were either leaving their homes or dying or going missing. Vishal Bhardwaj chooses to tell his interpretation of Hamlet in that background. Hamlet is known for his dilemma, his delays in taking revenge, his feigned madness, his soliloquy and his sense of loss and futility of it all
Vishal interpreters these in our own cultural context.
The story is of a middle class family caught in the turmoil of planned murder, greed for power and betrayal. A doctor treats a wounded terrorist and his world turns upside down. Betrayed, caught by the army he goes missing. The film traces the journey of his poet son searching for his father; finding the traitors and taking revenge. The film begins at his burned down house and culminates in a graveyard strewn with dead bodies.
Pankaj Kumar's un-touristy camera saunters into the life of Kashmir never shown before. People walking in narrow lanes, a woman in her kitchen and half-widows languishing in wait for the turn of their missing husbands. Gulzar said that Vishal has 'captured the history of Kashmir'.
Vishal completes his trilogy on Shakespeare with Haider, after Maqbool and Omkara, with his tried and trusted crew. The actors honoured his faith and have inhabited their characters deeply; deep to the core. The scene where Shahid returns home, after his father disappears, and finds his mother sitting by the window, glowing, giggling to the foolish singing and dancing of his uncle stands out. Shahid watches them and expresses his disgust with tears, sadness and anger. Shahid as Haider oscillates between his personal grief and a desire for revenge. Must he murder to avenge a murder? He loved his father but he loved his mother more. In the end, he listens to his mother. That is a change from Hamlet, the play. Shahid would be remembered as Haider a long time.
Shraddha, as Arshia, is in the role of Ophelia. She plays a journalist. She loves Haider. Haider too loves her but there is not much place left in his heart for her as it is consumed with hatred towards his uncle and mother. His mission is revenge not love. The love making scene with Haider and Arshia is filmed with much sensitivity. The room is glowing with wood fire and the love between them flickers, leaps up like an unbridled flame and slows down with Arshia getting a premonition of violence leading to death. Death of people, place and things they hold close to their hearts. She brings an unspoilt, eternal virgin beauty of Kashmir and a Kashmiri girl.
Tabu excels in her character as Ghazala, Haider's mother, Gertrude, the queen in the play. She essays the mother, the wife, and also a woman longing to be loved. Vishal's challenge must have been whether to portray Ghazala, as a queen devoted to her king and a loving mother of Haider or as a co-conspirator with Khurram, the uncle? You got to watch Tabu bring out the layers in her character. To some extent, Haider is her movie as well. Only Tabu could do justice to role of Ghazala. In one scene where she is sitting in front of a mirror and Shahid stands behind her admiring and kissing her on the neck. She is aware of her sexuality which in fact adds fuel to Haider's drive for revenge. The whole Oedipus complex thing gets a new definition. Tabu should come out of Hyderabad more often.
Kay Kay brings a whole new dimension to the role of Khurram, Claudius in the play. He is charming and he is evil. His love for Ghazala is true so is his lust for power and money. Kay Kay has come out absolutely brilliant with his performance. Like most of Shakespearean villains, Khurram is not an absolute villain. His conscience pricks him a couple of times.
The entry of Roohdar, Irrfan Khan is fantastic. He plays the Ghost from Hamlet. He comes from nowhere but you are sure of one thing that his arrival would now push the story to a fast lane. And it does. Roohdar's character has scar on his right eye and he is lame – a hint that he has a story of his own. Irrfan is an actor par excellence. The way Vishal has placed and played out Irrfan's character in the film speaks of his craft and vision as a director. Hat's off to you, sir!
Music has Vishal's thumb print on it. The song Bismil is choreographed in a fresh way and it takes the narrative forward. The second song that is grim yet beautifully filmed is the Gravediggers' song.
Dolly Ahluwalia brings out the stunning beauty of Ghazala and Arshia with brilliant ensemble of colours, maroon, blue and red standing out against the stark white of snow. Haider naturally wears dark shades to go with his internal conflicts.
Haider is a film not simply to watch but feast on it.
Ankhon Dekhi (2013)
Rajat Kapoor's Ankhon Dekhi is another milestone in his journey.
Truth can make you happy, miserable and also make your pants wet before it sets you free. Rajat Kapoor's Ankhon Dekhi is an excellent film with a slice of life. It's a brilliant portrayal of an ordinary man's journey to find his own existence. Sanjay Mishra, the lead protagonist is in a network of relationships as a father, brother, husband, neighbour and travel agent. A small family incident triggers a thought in Bauji's (Sanjay Mishra) mind that he would not take things at face value and would only believe what he experiences- discovering his own truth. He questions anything and everything that comes his way which creates situations for humour, satire and moments of profundity. He lives in a congested house in old Delhi lane. The excellent camera work gives you a worm's view of life, relationships and reality. You almost smell the air, taste the food and see the damp, well-lived walls.
Bauji's first discovery is that truth is beautiful. He says to his office boy 'You are beautiful. His name is Satya. Things in life around him begin to appear in different hues and flavors. In one scene, Bauji is checking his specs and is surprised at his own short-sited view. The story travels from ordinary to divine to absurdity as Bauji deconstruct his own life. It is his personal journey. He even rebukes his lazy followers to embark upon their own path of discovery.
The cast is predictable as Rajat Kapoor's regular ensemble but that they each have lived up to their calibre and reputation. Performances are brilliant and real. Kapoor doesn't preach; he just lays bare the challenges of one's journey of self-discovery. The cost of finding the truth is high and sometimes appears as selfish as Buddha leaving his wife. Bauji's startling questions stop you to ask yourself, who are you? What have you become? What is your personal truth? What you are looking for is right around you. All you need is to discover it employing your own sense and sensibility. The lazy and the lost ones give up easily and rely on other people's perspective. But the search could be dangerous and disturbing as well. Watch the end of the film.
Rajat Kapoor has given his best performance as Rishi Chacha. Seema Pahwa is wonderful as Amma. It's sad that she doesn't get roles to showcase her talents. Maya Sarao as Rita is excellent. There are several characters and each one stays with you. Rajat has done a brilliant job as writer director.
The plot loses its path at times but the acting keeps the audience engaged. The pace in the first half is a bit slow but picks up speed post the interval. Excellent camera-work, the tactile background score makes you almost feel the life of a middle class family with your fingers tips.
Ankhon Dekhi is a high tea in your day. The taste and experience stay with you for a long time. A must watch.
Queen (2013)
The Queen of Hearts
Queen is a bold, beautiful and an inspirational coming of age film. It's journey of a timid, self-conscious small town girl to self- discovery in a magical, mystical and even weird world. Kangana, like Alice in Wonderland sets out from a familiar setting to an enchanting world. Kangana rejected by her fiancé runs away from the sadness of her family to a solo Honeymoon. An unusual story line handled by Vikas Bahl with a lot of conviction, art and much restrain. The art in directing a coming of age movie is how to show to transformation of the protagonist. Vikas Bahl chose to understate it in a slow manner giving much room to the audience to interpret the story. The film is a road movie traveling from Delhi to Paris and Amsterdam and returns to Delhi. Kangana's transformation is subtle and heart-warming.
Delhi: Rani is a sweet, obedient middle class girl, destined to become a housewife. She is preparing herself for that life. She studies Home Science, a mundane subject. But later in her journey, this mundane subject rescues her from a difficult situation. Her fiancé Vijay, played by Rajkummar Rao, cancels the wedding at the last moment. He has done justice to his role but kudos to him for coming out in support of Kangana.
Paris: The plane taking off. She is going to find her wings. Rani visits a nightclub. It's her first taste of freedom. She dances to a Hindi song. She removes her sweater as if removing her protective family shell. The Hindi song in Delhi would have meant nothing much to her. Here, in Paris, it liberates her. A little high on wine, she comes out and dances in front of the cab driver who is busy texting. One layer of inhibition shed. I loved her gig. A fantastic performance. Later, she gets drunk and narrates her story to Vijay Lakshmi. She tells who was she and what happened to her. She cries, she laughs and she dances and she begins to see a new world. She could be a part of that new world. In one scene, Vijay Lakshmi takes off her bra. It was a symbolic honeymoon and also prepares the audience for what to expect in Amsterdam. Rani is ready for more.
Amsterdam: Sharing a room with men. Earlier in the film, Rani's grandmother said she found her husband while sharing a tent at the refugee camp. The hostel room worked very much like a 'refugee camp'- people finding shelter from their own sadness, anger and disappointment in life. Before leaving Amsterdam,all four friends leave a part of their soul, search and pain in that room. Rani leaving her wedding card was a clue to the climax.
Oleksander (sikandar) says he is angry with rampant drillings for oils and expresses his anger in his paintings. She says "I want to do something." He asks her "what is stopping you?" Later he talks about Kaka as how lost his parents in Tsunami. Oleksander says, "He has us." Rani becomes a part of 'us' and hugs Kaka. She shows love and care to one hurting person. She could do at least that much as a person to person. It releases Kaka from his pain and he leaves his parents picture on the wall.
Marcello (the restaurant owner) character is what script writing textbook call 'a divine intervention' to help the protagonist achieve his/her goal. He appears out of nowhere, plays a mentor and assists her, challenges her to come out of her comfort zone.
Rani passes the test successfully and realizes that she didn't need a safe place just to exist. She needed to live a life. She finds life and herself too. In the very next scene, she meets with Vijay, her fiancé and she sides with her friend asking Vijay to meet him the next day. He was no more important to her, another clue as what would happen at the climax.
She meets her friends at the Rock Concert for the last time. They dance, hug and say goodbyes. She is there alone but that was totally opposite of how alone she was in the beginning of the movie or on the plane. She continues to dance as to celebrate herself, her new self. The best scene of the movie. The transformation was complete and all she needed was to introduce herself to the world.
Delhi: She returns to Delhi with her new life offering her two choices, either to live like Vijay Lakshmi who is free spirit but rootless. Brilliantly played by Lisa Haydon. Or get married and live a life like her mother-in-law, deeply rooted in culture, tradition and mundane routine. She decides to live her own life, develop her own roots and fly on her new found wings. Climax. Rani hugs Vijay in gratitude without any anger for being rejected. His rejection helped her find herself, and see the world and make a sense of it like Alice in Wonderland. Rani on the outside remains the same but on the inside she is a new person. It's out and out Kangana's film. She is brilliant so is Lisa Haydon. She is a perfect contrast to Rani. Hangama Ho Gaya was an excellent choice to end the movie.