I’ve seen this one movie many times since it was released, the latest being when it came up on TV recently. Highly impressive, that too for a debutante director!
The Pitch...
It explores in depth the true-to-life college politics in Allahabad University. It is certainly not a college caper with stinking rich teens playing basketball in colour-coordinated designer sportswear. This is so real it will hit you hard!
The Cast…
Watch out for the performances. The unmissable one is Irfan Khan as “Ranvijay Singh”, the menacing student union leader. Then there is the character of “Bhadri Shankar Pandey”, which is the surprise package (just watch how the guy behaves and moves like a genuine “bhaiyya”!!!).
The “traditional” hero and heroine of the movie are Jimmy Shergill and Hrishita Bhatt. Both have come out with fairly good performances. Jimmy’s angst in the second half is as arresting as his rebelliousness against his father in the first.
Intro to the plot…
Jimmy plays Anirudh Sharma or Anni, a college-goer into extra-curricular activities such as play acting. Hrishita plays Niharika, also in the same college. They fall in love, but therein ends the similarity to other run-of-the-mill movies! There is only one (inevitable) song to cater to the ‘formula’, the other songs seeming to blend in with the storyline.
The lead pair’s love story develops in the background of a vicious and deadly gang-war of one-upmanship between two rival factions in the university, who slug it out with a view on the College Elections. Those who are familiar with politics in UP (Uttar Pradesh - a state in North India) will appreciate the way this story mirrors reality, insofar as the dangerous liaisons and inter-linkages between college and state politics. The lovebirds find their lives and fates hopelessly intertwined with these thugs and their games.
The climax is set in the maha-kumbh mela in UP. That setting raises the tempo of the movie manifold without making it seem artificial. The background score during the climax also lends zest and spunk to the tempo, while giving you that sinking doomed feeling so essential in such movies. Importantly, the climax does not disappoint.
Although the movie is more than 8 months old now, and has already been telecast on TV, I wouldn’t like to reveal any more of the plot; in the interest of those who have missed it yet.
Major plusses…
The dark humour throughout the movie is excellently handled by the director, as also well enacted.
The dialogues are spontaneous and natural, but that doesn’t take away the power behind each word! So many ‘fundas of life’ are spouted in such a lucid manner that you are bound to miss some if you aren’t alert enough. These dialogues also are the key contributors to the dark humour mentioned above.
The situations are natural. The screenplay is so taut that nothing is left to ‘happenchance’ or ‘fate’. The audience does not have to make an effort to believe the happenings and events on the screen.
The different storyline and the unconventional handling make this movie my ‘Movie of the year 2003’.
Some inanities…
There are a couple of spots in the movie when one felt Jimmy (twice) and Hrishita (once) could improve on their dialogue delivery and / or expressions.
Final words of wisdom…
This is a low-budget movie which has picked up purely by word of mouth. It could have done with proper publicity. This movie packs a punch, and the discerning will love every bit of it. Don’t miss it.