Wow! Just what I could have said after seeing the star cast of the movie. Kay Kay Menon, Irfan Khan, Maddy and Paresh Rawal were ensembled for this movie of a very small budget. This movie deals with the lives of 4 common people after the bomb blasts.
IT HAS TO BE NOTED THAT this movie does not target any religion or community and is not an attempt to show who was responsible for the July 11th. 2006 Serial Train Blasts in Mumbai, but is an attempt to show how the lives of the 5 protagonists change after these bomb blast and how does each one of them look at the post blast scenarion.
Plot
1st character is Suresh( Kay Kay Menon), life for him takes a u turn as he eye-witnesses the casualties of the blast. After that he starts looking at every Muslim as a terrorist. The restaurant where he usually used to vile away his time with his friends was also owned by a muslim. A guy called Yusuf used to come there every day and he was missing since the day of the blasts. He goes enquiring about Yusuf to his house only to learn from his mother that Yusuf has a history of getting absconded without informing. This deepens the suspicion in Suresh’s mind about Yusuf. One day while sitting at the restaurant he sees Yusuf sitting across him. Yusuf and he start a convo and then Yusuf offers him "Prasad"( not assmasala) which he got from Shirdi Sai Baba. he told Suresh that he was off to Shiridi just a day before the blasts happened. They sit and talk and develpe a relation. . [b]denlty . everything comes to a hault . and . [/b]
2nd Character Nikhil Sharma( R. Madhavan), is a guy who has a happy family, a father, a mother and an expecting wife. He was in the same train where the blasts happened. His friends Ashish loses a hand in the blasts which turns Nikhil Speechless. Nikhil starts realising that its not safe anymore to travel by train. He decides to board a taxi until about 7 days later his wife gets admitted into the hospital for her delivery and he has to reach there. He forcefully has to take the train again bcuz of the traffik jams and the distance by road. . He sits in the train and is bare scared. Suddelny . [b] train comes to a halt . and .[/b]
3rd Character - Madrasi Appa( Irfan Khan) - A local chai wallah at the streets of mumbai who is a silent person but is a happy person. He haas a habit of going to a mall and putting on expensive perfumes by imitating to test them for buying. One day he takes his wife and kid along and the mall manager throws them out as he was noticing Appa for a long time doing this. Appa feels humiliated until one day he decides to call up the mall and give a bomb threat. Suddennly there is panic in the mall and appa enjoys it. The appa does the same thing to many other malls. Until one day he sees an Old man getting a heart attack bcuz of his fake threat in a mall, This is when he realises that what he has been doing is wrong. He waits outside the hospital where the old man gets admitted and offers him a flower once he sees him being discharged . [b] suddenly . everything on the road comes to a haul . and . [/b]
Rupali Joshi( Loha Ali Khan) - A TV news reporter who uses the situation of the victims so well that her programs garner out of the roof TRPs almiast everytime she is on air. She loses her fiance in the bomb blast and they very news chanell which she works uses her as a "Show Time Commodity". She then realises and she is getting the dose of the same medicine that she has been giving to others. She realises it and is thiking over it as what happened . suddnly . everything comes to a hault . and . [/b]
Tukaram Patil( Paresh Rawal), a Head constable in Mumbai Police, is a very casual person, He just knowsd to follow orders and he has had a successful career as the constable. He is totally satisfied as he was gonig to retire in about 7 days from his duties. Comes in his Jr Kadamb, who is a young constable and is very agressive and emotional. The efforts of Kadam taken towards getting hold of the ones who are responsible for the blasts. Kadam’s sincerity changes Patil and he concludes with an Outburst that he actually has been a bad officer and a dis honest police man. He goes out after his speech . [b] everything comes to a hault .[/b]
Plot ends
The 5 stories can relate to anyone of us. It can happen to any of us. Its so real that u start feeling that a particular character is of your neighbourhood. That is the best point of the film. Its Realistically Real.
Direction - The more I say would be less. So I ll sum it up in one word - Exceptional .
Performances - Each and every person has done a brilliant job. There is no performance which is not worth a mention.
KK does the part of the Suresh with ease. His expressions through his face and body language are awesome. Super performances - 5/5
Maddy is exceptional. Watch for him in the scene when he goes to meet Ashish in the hospital and both of them don’t say a word yet express so much. It almost got my eyes moist. 5/5 fror maddy too.
Irfan Khan as Appa is just out of this world. His outbirst in the dark when the old man get’s a heart attack is the best act of an Outburst seen in a long long time. Classic. 5/5
Saif ali khan is good as Rupali Joshi. She does really well. If she doesnt go her brother way then Saif might run out to be a good actresss.( this Saif was written purposely.) 4/5
Paresh Rawal again excels in a role which isnt a comedy role. Rawal as Patil is just brilliant. His conversation with KK in the van is awesome and his retirement speech definitely puts us under thoughts. 5/5
Overall - The movie is brilliant. It shows the life after the blasts in a deep manner. Its gets into these common people and brings out the person in them. .
Finally . Aye Dil Mushkil hai jeena yahaan . zara bach ke zara bach ke yeh hai Bumbai meri Jaaan, . not only Mumbai . but Poora Hindustan meri Jaan
Rating - 4.5 out of 5. Brilliant .
I just could go writing more and more about the movie . but had to stop somewhere .