I watched Maqbool recently and I think Vishal Bhardwaj has done justice to Shakespeare?s all time classic Macbeth.
Same as Macbeth, Maqbool is a poetry of pain and agony echoing in all directions. Evil and sinister things have taken the place of all that is good and just. Events flow with a poetic pace and each character bears the burden of his own pain and guilt.
The guilty conscience of Tabbu, the internal conflict of Maqbool, his murderous chase of ambitions - all create a wonderful effect on the viewers. Maqbool is ambitious, and he is guilty. His ambition is at war with his guilt, and from this conflict springs his story. Still, Maqbool’s external world is important to his story as it expresses his internal world.
All the artists do justice to their characters. Irfan Pathan as Maqbool proves how fine an actor he is. Tabbu is good as always. I particularly liked Pankaj Kapoor as Jehangir Khan. His growling voice may appear to be inspired by Merlin Brando in Godfather but the effect it produces is simply mesmerizing. All the scenes picturized on Pankaj Kapoor are remember able. However I think two very good actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri are wasted in ordinary roles.
In all, the movie Maqbool is a first rate classic. The strength of the movie are it’s strong characters and some very fine performances by the characters. The movie slows down a bit at places but doesn’t lose a grip over the audiences. It’s a job well done by a first time director as Vishal Bhardwaj.
I’ll suggest Maqbool is a movie worth watching for all lovers of quality cinema.