I know, I know, u cant have a more clichéd and worn out title than mine for this review, but thats what comes to mind after watching Moksha.
Moksha is about a disillusioned young lawyer. He’s lost his all his hope and drive after seeing how everyone worships money and is not interested in changing the world. But along comes the heroine and after one lecture from her, he’s back on his feet (girl power!!). They take a vow to stick together in this struggle, and whoever falters would be punished...severely. He decides to bring about a change...but Mr. Rich Boy does not find it that easy, because none of the loaded people around him are willing to spend a dime on what they view as a mad idea. He’s praised for his idealism but does not get the monetary support that he needs. Therefore, he decides to play Robin Hood, and steal from the rich (by robbing a bank, where his father, who also refused to help him, has an account) and give to the poor (by setting up an institution which wouldn’t charge the poor for legal services). His girlfriend goes along with the idea initially, but when she realizes that he’s dead serious, she starts discouraging him. He looks at her love for him as cowardice and loses his temper. They part ways, and he decides to carry on with his plan anyway. But when he reaches the bank on the day of the planned robbery, he finds out that someone had warned them already and there are cops all over the place.
...his girlfriend betrayed him, she faltered...and she needs to be punished. The penalty that had been decided upon earlier was death. The film cuts to a court scene where the hero is playing defendant AND defense attorney. He has been accused for the murder of the heroine…
Bollywood films are usually all about the right mix...the ’masala’, a formula which everyone adds their own touch to and churns out every other week! Moksha, though not the best movie or poles apart from the rest, is very promising...it is different from your usual run of the mill movies. I loved the camera work and the colours, which for once were used to signify different periods and moods, rather than just for the sake of it. I felt like I was watching a film made by an artist. The movie is shot sometimes in colour and sometimes in black & white…or rather, gray. And that’s what it speaks about…the grayness of life…how people are not just good or bad, that the distinction between evil and piety does sometimes get blurred, and how the people who want to make a change can also get confused and carried away and how the one’s who don’t want to make a change have their reasons. The hero, on one hand, wanted to help the poor, yet he wasn’t strong enough to work hard for it nor was he patient.
It was a movie which could be interpreted in many different ways…which I really liked.
On the other hand, I hated Manisha Koirala for her ridiculous dress sense, her thunder thighs and her character, which would mostly giggle or go “aaah”. She seemed like a bimbo throughout, the only time where she stood out was when she blasted the hero and made him realize that he was as weak and as bad as the rest.
I liked the guest appearances, it showed how a person has various influences in his life and it was realistic in terms of how he turned to different people.
It’s a slow movie, its not as good as it could have been, it’s flawed, the director sometimes jumps from one scene to the next, there is no constant flow, but I guess that why I liked it...it’s a start in the right direction. It’s as if an artist is telling a story and not a veteran storyteller. Kudos to the director for trying!
p.s: I am not sure whether to reveal if he murdered her, or she committed suicide and whether he is acquitted or convicted. I’ll update this page if you guys want to know the ending.
p.p.s: As far as Arjun Rampal is concerned, he acted really well, he didn’t underplay or overplay the role. Plus, he looked hot as hell!