Another example of the fact that low budget films can be high in content. For Madhukar Bhandarkar, Page 3 appears to be a title that’s pun oriented - its his 3rd delivery that hits the bulls eye, after Chandni Bar and Satta. Hey, do we have the modern day version of Amol Palekar film genre?!
Page 3 is an honest depiction of another life, in another world. Lived by people who have only the like-minded to look upto - a mixed breed of sheen, glamour, morally corrupt, ambitious, desperate, rich lot, for whom, fake fame is oxygen. It would be limiting one’s view to say that the whole of the lot is like that, but then, most of them are.
The beautiful thing about Page 3 is, that the storyline connects to a very socially relevant insight - that, you may love or hate the system, but you are a part of the system. So, our protagonist, who is a down to earth, middle class simple woman, is also a regular part of the Page 3, covering people who make no meaningful sense to her. She is doing a job, and she does that well, with a clinical detachment. No aaj ki aurat out to change the system in a caricature manner.
Thankfully, the end is not subjected to typical Bollywoodism, by showing the guilty being caught and punished. Even the protagonist, who joins back as the Page 3 reporter, leaves you with a sense of introspection - wondering whether she quit or carried it on as ’job’.
The film doesnt rely, or say, pay attention to exquisite filmscape, defining camera angles, or any purposefully injected technical aberrations, often induced these days to improve the look of the film. Thats because, the film has enough shades, plots, relationships within the content to flesh out a realistic film that connects. It shows not cliched characters, but a mulititude of professions and thought processes. The so true to life relation between Sandhya Mridul and Konkana Sen as roomies deserves a special mention.
Great perfornmances and theme has been backed by great music and the songs. Kitne Ajeeb stays you for long long time. And it touches a chord each time you listen to it.
Quite clearly, the theme was a metro-centric one and so, a very focussed film was made, without the fear of =if it will appeal to all or not. Page 3 is indeed a slap on the Page 3 society, that has become a coveted world for showing skin, and bathing in booze (most of the TIMES - pun intended on all leading dailies).
But like underworld films are accused of glamourising the D Company, could Page 3
will be serving as a beneficiary to the people it talks about. We don’t know. For the positive effect, if any, on the media -about fallouts of putting endless zonked out cleavages, day after day, to boost their readership, we don’t know either.
But yes, while Page 3 might be attracting more reviews here, the real Page 3 might laugh it off, over another shot of tequila!