There are films just for passing time or having a good time, and there are films that linger in your mind because of the story, the storytelling and the characters you happen to love, hate or sympathize. Gangster falls in the second category.
Mahesh Bhatt’s story is about Daya Shankar (Shiny Ahuja), Akash (Emraan Hashmi) and Simran (Kangna Ranaut). Daya is one of India’s dreaded gangsters, Akash is an undercover cop and Simran is Daya’s love interest. A different story, inspired by Abu Salem-Monica Bedi, well told by the director in two hours flat.
At the centre of the story is Simran, the hapless girl who can gift her life to her love but destiny always has different plans for her. All she gets in love is a handful of happy moments and endless pain. She puts an end to all this by ending her life after settling the score with Akash, the traitor who ruined her life and took her love (Daya) away in police custody. For most part she was torn between her first love Daya with who can’t give her a normal life and Akash who promises to fulfil her dreams and give her a life that she wants. Daya left her to living a lonely, alcoholic life in Seoul, Korea. It’s then that Akash stepped into her life and won her over. The crisis started when Daya reached there and witnessed it and after remorse vowed to Simran to give it all up and live a common man’s life there and after a few days Simran knew she was pregnant with Akash’s child. The story has a tragic end where none of them lives.
The screenplay by Anurang Basu, the director (Of Murder fame) bring alive the three different characters. While Akash is a commonplace man. Daya is silent and intense and speaks mostly through his eyes. Balancing them is Simran who has been gifted more sorrow than happiness by destiny. Simran’s characterization is brilliant.
On performances, Emraan delivers. Shiny impresses with his restrained, understated performance. He has been given few lines to speak but that hasn’t dwarfed him on screen. It’s Kangna who becomes the character seemingly effortlessly. The sadness in her eyes, the rare smiles , all fit the bill perfectly. This hardly looks like her debut, so mature is her performance. A highly promising find by the Bhatts. The only sore thumb is her slightly struggled Hindi. Her voice should have best been dubbed. There’s nothing worthwhile to say about others, except the actor who played the dumb Aslam, Daya’s friend in the gang. A natural performance.
The setting in Seoul gives the film a fresh look and feel. The natural beauty is eye candy. The cinematographer brings the best out of the virgin locations.
Pritam’s melodious music elevates the film. Sayeed Kadri’s songs are rich and Pritam does full justice to them. High points are Bheegi bheegi by James and Ya Ali the qawali song. Bheegi bheegi is a remake of an Bengali hit of 70s’ called Prithibita by Mohiner Ghoraguli, Kolkata’s first Bangla band. Will you believe James, the iconic singer of Bangladesh (Part of Nagar Baul, his band), didn’t know Hindi at all before he recorded the song? This memorable song is three Bengalis’ joint efforts- Anurag, Pritam and James.
Sound clarity is at par with the best in Mumbai. But must even the small sounds (Like hanging up a telephone) be made so unnecessarily powerful? Had they been at the right level, it would compliment the silence used brilliantly in the movie. On this pretext the background music has done the needful.
There are some continuity jerks and poor detailing. Like how in Korea Akash and Simran ride bike without helmets, or why is there a plate of chips opposite Simran on the table in the restaurant while she is sitting alone. One also questions why neither Daya nor the police officer hurts when they are shooting in an encounter facing one another or how the doctors can recover the bullets from Simran’s body without anaesthetizing her. But the director deserves to be excused for telling the story well and making the film work with just three characters.
It’s difficult to believe that Anuraag has fought back from leukemia and completed the film. His zeal for life is visibly translated on screen. Anuraag, you deserve a big hand.