I did not think Shakespeare was capable of comedy. Shakespeare?s comedies take such a toll on the mental faculties that they hardly leave you with enough energy to laugh. I?ve only read his works when I?ve had to, in school. He?s smart all right. It?s just that his language takes up too much time. After watching Gulzar?s ANGOOR, I realized that once you?ve crossed the complicated language hurdle, Shakespeare is funny.
The film is based on Shakespeare?s ?Comedy of Errors?. An excellent adaptation, the plot is modified to suit the milieu it is meant for. Adapting a Victorian comedy to make a film in the Indian social setup and doing it convincingly is really a work of genius. If I hadn?t been told, I?d never have guessed that it wasn?t an original script. The subtle nuances, which Gulzar may have used to make it a wholesome and realistic sort of a film, have done their job quite inconspicuously, as it should be done.
Starring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in a double role, Angoor is the story of two sets of twins separated while they?re still infants. Both the Sanjeev Kumar twins are named Ashok and both the Deven Verma twins, Bahadur. (the beginning of the absurdity which is Angoor!) Both the Bahadurs are servants to both the Ashoks. One of the set of Ashok and Bahadur are married. Ashok is married to Sudha (Moushami Chatterjee), Bahadur is married to Prema (Aroona Irani) and they live together with Sudha?s sister Tanu (Deepti Naval). The unmarried set comes to Mumbai where the other set resides, for a business deal.
The plot revolves around the couple of days that everyone spends in utter chaos when the set of twins get mixed up and keep having confusing encounters with each other, resulting in all of them believing the other to have lost it. The hilarity of that confusion which takes place has to be seen to be believed.
At this point, at the risk of sounding clichéd, I have to say that humor has gone out of Indian cinema. Trust me, they don?t make comedies like this any more. Unlike most of the contemporary comedies, this film does not rely on cheap mismatched costumes to make their characters look funny. Nor do they kick your stomach with stale slapstick one-liners. It is situational comedy that gives this film its grandeur.
As Chaplin once said, ?We must laugh in the face of our tragedies, or go insane.? Humor springs up in the most unexpected of places.
Often, in the middle of a fight, we find our opponent doing or saying something insanely ridiculous, out of anger of course, and we burst out laughing. At many points in the film, I have burst out laughing merely at the helpless and frustrated expressions of the actors. In this, Sanjeev Kumar wins hands down. Exaggeration does account for humor sometimes but in acceptable doses. We often come across weird characters in life. Or to put it more correctly, we often come across weird characteristics in others and ourselves.
That is what provides the much-needed laughter in our lives. What makes this film hilarious beyond belief is that so many weird characters have been thrown together in an even weirder situation. The madness of the situation provides paramount potential for comedy. A potential exploited to the very limit.
Characterization is a very strong point of the film. Each character, major or minor, has been carved out with an eye for detail. The genius of Gulzar shines through here more than anywhere else in the film. Even though the twins look exactly the same, talk in the same voice with the same looks on their faces, the characters are different people. Subtle hints create the differences. One loves mooli parathas while the other cannot stand them; one is a simpleton while the other is a daring wit of a scoundrel and so on.
The female characters in the film are not your stereotype head-covered silent lambs. They scream, shout, fight, are silly and intelligent. They give in to whims just like their male counterparts. And are just about as crazy as the others. Moushami playing the wife of one of the Ashoks is hilarious in her simple ways. The unmarried Ashok is obsessed with reading thrillers and believes himself to be the target of gangs, Don Quixote style!
The performance of all the actors is phenomenal. Every character is so believable that after watching the film it is difficult to dissociate. Sanjeev Kumar?s frustrated expressions are spectacular. Deven Verma is at his very best. The confusion comes across on his face in the best way since he has to control his urge to throw a fit, being the servant. All the others have done an excellent job as well.
Music is not something this film can boast about. But one doesn?t really feel too disappointed. This film needs absolutely nothing except itself.
I feel the temptation to quote some of the funniest bits but I shall resist. You may have either seen it (the majority must have) and if you haven?t, I do not want to spoil the experience by giving it away. If you are a sucker for comedy and still haven?t seen this film, you haven?t seen anything at all. It had me in splits the first time. I have watched it several times since, and I still laugh.
There?s one more thing I really like about this film. I like the way Gulzar has paid homage to the Tragedy King (sorry but I couldn?t resist that, no offence to William Shakespeare) The film starts and ends with a portrait of William Shakespeare. In the end when all is well and all the family is reunited, the mother wonders out loud, who would have thought this could happen? The film ends with an animated portrait of Shakespeare pointing at himself and winking at the audience. A great way to end a great film.