Anurag Kashyap is one of today’s rare film directors, who strongly believe in unconventional, cinema. After a power packed Black Friday, and mixed responses from No Smoking & Dev D, this time Anurag comes up with another impactful project Gulaal.
Set in a modern-day Rajasthan, the film revolves around youth, ragging, politics, power and betrayal, depicted in a cynical, dark, yet powerful style.Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) a simple, honest student, who comes to Jaipur to pursue law, seems the wrong guy at the wrong place right from the beginning.
He shares his room with Rananjay (Abhimanyu Singh), who’s a spoilt brat and a slave to alcohol, sex etc. Things becomes worse when Jadhwal (Pankaj Jha) a college goon and his group of bullies – rag, humiliate him and take his case very badly. He meets Anuja (Jesse Randhawa) a professor who’s also a victim of ragging along with him, and they bond well.
Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) a local leader hates democracy. He’s declares himself the torch bearer of the ‘Rajputana’ movement and strongly feels that the ‘monarchy’ is the only way the nation could progress. Bhati (Deepak Dobriyal), Dukey’s right hand convinces Rananjay to contest college elections on their party’s behalf. He’s pitted against Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) another law student, who’s actually Rananjay’s illegitimate sibling. She also has an obsessive elder brother Karan (Aditya Srivastava).
Thereafter, begin a series of treacherous mind-games, in which Dilip at first gets indirectly and further directly involved.
Some notable scenes:-
When Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) meets Rananjay (Abhimanyu Singh) for the first time.
The ragging scene.
Dukey Bana’s (Kay Kay Menon) speech about democracy, patriotism and the history of Rajputs.
Confrontation scene between Abhimanyu Singh and Aditya Srivastava(Karan) .
When Raj Singh Chaudhary confronts Kay Kay Menon towards the end.
Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastav, Abhimanyu Singh, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Piyush Mishra Deepak Dobriyal, Pankaj Jha come up with natural, flawless and brilliant performances. It’s difficult, rather unfair to single out anybody in particular. All the actresses Mahi Gill, Jesse Randhawa and Ayesha Mohan are first rate, however, Mahi’s performance stands out. Anuraag Kashyap’s hard hitting dialogues, philosophical quotes, and funny one-liners wrapped in sarcastic humor are the highlights of the film. Even the most clichéd phrase of Indian cinema “Mere paas maa hai” is aptly used in one of most hilarious sequences of the film.
Songs (both music & lyrics by Piyush Mishra) are excellent, gel with mood of the film. ‘Ranaji’ by Rekha Bhardwaj, is the best of the lot. Mishra’s inspirational version of Sahir Ludhiavni’s “Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye from Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa” is interesting. Infact, Mishra’s character (Prithvi Bana), is the narrator and voice of the film. Overall, ‘Gulaal’ is a satire on our entire system, and disturbing in parts. It’s another brave, successful venture by Anuraag Kashyap, whose obsession with dark cinema continues with this film. He’s on his way to become the king of unconventional Indian cinema.