The first official hit of 2005.
The comeback vehicle of Mr. Controversy, Madhur Bhandarkar, who fell as hard with Aan as he rose with Chandni Bar.
The film that took the common man behind the scenes of all the glam-sham parties that hog precious space in Bombay Times.
The film that set itself apart from others like Kisna by giving the viewer what he desperately wants : Minimum Hype, All SUBSTANCE.
A movie with Uniformly Outstanding performances, Sterling Direction, Excellent Background Score, and a Hard-Hitting theme.
That’s Page 3 for you.
I feel proud saying that we have film-makers like Madhur Bhandarkar. He is an example of how people with conviction and strong belief in their concept and style can make a BIG difference. His choice of subjects and style is absolutely Stark, firmly rooted in Reality. No ding-dong songs, or dishoom-dishoom where the hero beats up goons who keep coming back for more!! Just plain pure reality served minus all the frills.
If Ramgopal Varma is an Expert on the Underworld and its activities, Yash Chopra is the King of Romantic movies, and Mani Rathnam the king of Style, then Madhur Bhandarkar should definitely be crowned king as far as Realistic Movies are concerned.
I saw Chandni Bar and by the end of it, I was left with a sinking feeling in mind. The movie left me with a broken heart. It managed to touch me. After watching Page 3, I felt the same. Only this time, the effect was ten-fold.
Page 3 is an Excellent Movie. Swades and Black may have their own share of admirers. But they just can’t match the SHEER IMPACT of Page 3. What sets it apart from all other movies is the Story/Screenplay/Direction. All the three credited to one talented person. Madhur Bhandarkar. The originality of the screenplay shines through every scene, every event that shapes up the story. The story by itself is unique, the characters are fleshed out exceptionally well, with each one of them getting ample opportunity to perform and showcase their talent.
As a result, Page 3 becomes one of those movies, where technicalities like Editing, Cinematography, Special Effects, Make-up and Costumes, Expensive and Luxurious Sets take a Backseat while Content propels the movie ahead.
Chandni Bar focused on the life of a bar girl, hence there was scope to go in depth and reveal nuances that set apart the film from any other. But Page 3 has to explore and reveal the Page 3 culture, which involves people from various strata of society, and enmesh a story that would act as a link between them. Achieving this is no simple task.
The story of Page 3 is a little difficult to explain. It’s basically concerned with the lives of everyone associated with the Page 3 phenomenon. Right from the journalists who write about these parties, to the kind of people who throw such parties, the kind of people who attend such parties, the kind of things these BIG people do in the privacy of their homes. All this and much more forms the Crux of the Story. To elaborate any further wouldn’t be fair to both my readers as well as the movie, since it will eat up valuable space and reveal everything, leaving nothing for you all to relish at the theatre.
Page 3 has a lot to offer as far as performances go, thanks to the well-written roles.
Konkona Sen proves her versatility with yet another Bravura Performance. She adapts herself amazingly well to play a Modern Woman Reporter. Her scenes with Boman Irani are among the highlights of the movie.
Tara Sharma looks good, does a good job but is hampered severely by her voice which sounds too old for her age. Otherwise she has done a good job.
Sandhya Mridul comes out trumps in her role as an air hostess who stays with Tara and Konkona and is looking to marry a rich person and lead the life of rich and famous. She has some of the best lines in the movie, and her scenes with Konkona, and the scene in the hospital are Outstanding!!
Boman Irani as the Newspaper Editor does a Marvellous Job. He looks every bit the part and acts with utmost sincerity. The sequence where he yells at Konkona during the meeting and the scene where he tries to reason with her when she says she doesn’t want to do Page 3 anymore are worth a clap!
Atul Kulkarni as the Reporter of Crime Beat is introduced in the second half, and is instrumental in taking the story forward as he involves Konkona as a member of his team. Also, his interactions with the Police Inspector are too good!
The Police Inspector, played by a newcomer, delivers a Knockout performance! His dialogues are among the most powerful and he delivers them with the kind of intensity that brought Nana Patekar to limelight in Tirangaa and Krantiveer! Check out his intro scene!
Farookh Engineer, who plays the role of a ‘gay’ make up man, who is instrumental in getting Konkona’s boyfriend his first Big Modeling assignment, does a Fantastic job. His character too is important to the script as it unravels what we’re nowadays watching on TV, the Casting Couch.
The others, like the commissioner, film stars, actresses, fashion designers, businessmen, are quite close in character development to some real life personalities. The scenes where they play a major role is during the Funeral and during the parties that are shown.
One last thing I want to mention is the Background Score. It’s just Fabulous and elevates the scenes to another level altogether. It plays an important role in setting the tone of the scenes. Especially worth mentioning is the last piece of music, as the movie ends…the piano is so soothing!
The First Scene of the movie is a BIG BLOW to the leading newspapers, since their people are seen telling a person how to become a Page 3 regular. Just pay money and enjoy having you photographed with leading personas.
The next half hour shows different kinds of parties, the kind of people who come to the parties, the Rubbish that they utter during the party, and the person they leave the party with. Just when we wonder if the movie is getting monotonous, sudden twists and turns keep us at the edge of our seat and the rollercoaster ride lasts till the very end!
There are some points that one may find a little hard to digest. For example, Madhur has shown child abuse and homosexuality in the movie. But it never gets vulgar or cheap. That’s the best thing about the movie. The subject is unpalatable, but its presentation is worthy of as many applauses/awards as possible!