’’Are her voice, and her hair, and eyes, ...’’, says John Mansfield in his poem Beauty.
Vidya Balan (Lolita), on screen, bring these lines to mind. Intelligent, innocent, naughty, sensitive and strong. Vidya’Lolita, is thoroughly devoid of glamour, yet in subtle way, leaves footprints on mind! Very unlike the striking appearances the debutants are given, this ones, a calm beauty. Ms.Balan’s eyes are her best feature and guess she knows how to use them. They sparkle and they speak! Her little training with TV Commercials, believe have done a good job, for she holds her own in the same frame with stalwarts like Sanjay Dutt (Girish), Sabasyachi (Navin Rai); and does a damned good job of it. This ones a born actress.
Saif as Shekhar has come a long way (cliche?), well, I would say, he always had the potential and essentially is a Director’s Actor. And, Pradeep Sarkar has defintely tapped it to the full. As, a sensitive budding musician and a subdued only son of a rich father; and as a lover and then a jealous lover, Saif gets under the skin of the character and plays to the hilt.
Sabyasachi as Navin Rai, is good. He is an old hand with Benagli MOvies (for those of us who remember Mr.Yogi on DD, some eons ago, they would remember him), and well, is a good actor.
Sanjay Dutt’s Girish has a small but effective role.
Vidhu Vino Chopra’s confidence in the first time direction of Pradeep Sarkar, has paid off. Production and packaging is good. N. Nataraja Subramanian’s cinematography is up beautiful, guess thats Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s forte’. Music director Shantanu Moitra creates a melody with some sixties and old world compositions, esp in ’Piyu Bole’, ’Raat Hamari’ and ’Yeh Hawayein.’ Sonu Nigam and Mahalakshmi have strong vocals and are remarkable. Sunidhi Chauhan has recreated Geeta Dutt style with Kaisi Zindgani, performed by ever youthful Rekha on screen.
Screenplay is good and adapts the actual narrative of Sarat Chandra, which was set in ’20s to 60s. The script, the screenplay, the settings, the overall production has been dealt professionally to the last details of 60s Calcutta. Amitabh’s voice opens up the narrative on the eve of Shekhar’s marriage to Gayatri (Dia Mirza, she is okay), and moves on. The pace is well set and doesnt stretch however, with climax becomes a bit tacky, like any average hindi movie, but in larger scheme of things, guess it fits. Two ways of looking at it. I personally didnt like it too much, could have been done better.