Have you ever sat transfixed in your seat long after a movie has finished ? Have you felt `blessed’ that you have all your senses ? Have you ever watched poetry on celluloid ? Yes, I have .... I’ve watched ’Black’.
To say that ’Black’ takes indian cinema to a new level would a gross understatement. The film will go down the annals of international cinema as the most riveting story ever told !! Martin Scorcese, Oliver Stone .... better watch out .... Indian cinema has arrived !! And how .....
I wont go into the details of the story (since it has already been mentioned by my fellow reviewers). The overpowering message the film conveys is that of triumph .... the triumph of the human spirit !!!
Technically, the film surpasses our expectations in all aspects. The sets (Omung Kumar), sound (Resul Pookutty), cinematography (Ravi K. Chandran) are out of this world ....... special mention are in order to Bela Segal (fantastic editing, which a film on this type of a subject demanded) and Monty (exceptional bckground music, which takes this film to a different level altogether and gives us this `international’ feel).
A lot has already been said about the performances - little Ayesha Kapur in her first film is brilliant, Rani Mukherjee is a revelation and Amitabh Bachchan gives his finest performance ever ( watch out for the scene in which he tries to say something to Mrs. Nair after Michelle learns to recognise `Ma’ and `Pa’’ and the scene where he reads Michelle’s letter to the family about her being `bride’s sister’ - pure magic !) Sanjeev Kumar once said ’Acting is an art .. reacting a more difficult art’ - in this context watch out for the performances of Shernaz Patel (Michelle’s mother), Dritiman Chatterjee (Michelle’s father) and Nandana Sen (Michelle’s sister). All three performances actually `add’ to the story.
Last but certainly by no means the least .... Mr. Sanjay Leela Bhansali - I wont say anything about your direction. We all know that it was your vision, your dream to make `Black’. But have you realised that you have changed the face of indian cinema forever ? That, after this, all other filmmakers would feel so inadequate? Take a bow, SLB, you have created HISTORY !!!
Now a word about the box office performance of `Black’. We all know that the film has been a slow starter .... but let us all spread the word and ensure that the film is watched by not only lovers of cinema ... but by every INDIAN !! Because, we, as Indians should be proud of the venture and ensure that it is a huge Box Office success. Because for all the lovers of meaningful cinema `Black’ needs to succeed ........ let us make it happen !!!!