For the first time I had not read about this movie before going to see it, had not searched for it on google, no research on IMDB, nothing. I was as blank, as a canvas. And what a painting the movie left on me when it was over, literally and otherwise. Bombay, my city, my home, has never looked so intense and so deep before. There was the chaos that I've grown up with, but there was this depth that I have failed to appreciate and to recognize. Maybe one of the most beautiful things that has been said about this movie is said by its producer, and actor, Aamir Khan, "The movie is like an artistic painting on celluloid" And that's it. That is how beautiful this movie is. If you're someone who appreciates photography, who loves the play of colors, the confluence of ideas and poetry, this movie will touch you. It's almost like an art film yet not. It's a very different genre of film, and it got under my skin. I'll attempt to be less vague about it and give you slight hints and a feel of what it was like... bear with me if this sounds poetic or even flowery, the movie makes me feel that way. :)
The movie begins with a very Bombay concept, rains. Just hearing the sound of the rain against the window of a taxi floods you with memories, I could almost smell the rain while hearing that sound. It was perfect! And funnily there is no place else where the rain sounds like that.
There's a mix of video footage in the movie, with some shots shot with a DSLR video quality and the rest in normal digital filmmaking, that change and mix adds to its beauty too.
Four characters, all different personalities, backgrounds and perspectives, are somehow intertwined with each other in a very different manner... Munna - played by Prateik (son of Raj Babbar & Smita Patil) is a dhobi. He does some other odd jobs as well, but inside he wants to be something better, something that the city of dreams should be able to fulfill... Shown to have very subtle character traits, beautiful screenplay, not too many dialogues, but a lot of expressions, gestures, mannerisms. I loved how his portrayal of a slum life is brought out... The way he goes to take a bath in the middle of the night, the cloth which he uses to shield his room as a curtain, the fact that when it rains he must leap on the roof to cover it with a plastic banner... the spaces, the feel of his person... it was all too well done.
Shai - played by Monica Dogra (who is also a singer with her partner in the band Shaa'ir & Func, something I found out after I came back home and googled her) is an investment banker from NY on a sabbatical, and an avid photographer. Jyotika Jain has clicked all the b/w stills that have been shown to have been clicked by Shai and if she has an exhibition near you, go and see it. Amazing clicks, and most likely shot on roll than digital (as explained by a friend of mine). Stunning shots! Shai's character and her journey of understanding Bombay and its people helped by Munna forms a base for their relationship... Though at times her slightly overtly drawly voice was a little fake to absorb and even the mood didn't demand it... but otherwise the portrayal of their time together was again very real.
Arun - played by Aamir Khan is an artist. He's shown to move houses in Bombay, till he comes to stay in this Mohammed Ali Road locality in an old building. The was they transform that home from being in tatters and in ruin, to becoming a warm, artist's home is similar to Wake Up Sid but more mature. It's not as bright as it would be with a woman staying in that house, but it is tastefully done. His paintings in the movie are again simply gorgeous. I wish I could afford to buy one of them for some of the walls in my home....His character is probably one of the least flushed out characters in the movie, very few dialogues, just expressions and actions, His persona is that of someone I would fallen in love with. Slightly old, with little tuffs of white hair, calm, vague, a person who is moved by the feel of things, deep, and restrained...
Yasmin - played by Kriti Malhotra (is also a style consultant for MTV and other channels!) is a woman who used to stay in the flat that Arun has just moved into. She tells her story and her view on Bombay through tapes. A very pretty woman, it is interesting to see the kind of things that she would notice in the city, her outsider's view on Bombay brings a good dimension to the movie... There's this sort of a lingering feeling about her character that makes you think of the thoughts behind her smile even after it's over...
The movie progresses through these four characters and the intermingling of their lives. I think what this movie did extremely well was the blend of the background score with the excellent photographer and sharp editing. It's very different from anything I've seen before, and coming from that city, this movie touched me in a very different way, I don't know how well a job I've done with this review, because I'm not sure if I can emote what I went through, and I don't know if you'll feel for this movie as much as I did. I know that this was more about what I feel and less about the movie, but then again I think my reviews are highly subjective anyway... :) So i loved this movie, and I'm hoping that they come out with the DVD soon, and even better, I'm hoping they release some sort of a book which compiles the stills of this movie because I'm going to buy it, no matter the cost.
Kudos to the entire team, and Kiran Rao for such a brilliant performance. You can choose to watch the trailer of the movie here
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