As the opening credits roll, a red cloth flutters on the screen...it goes up...goes down....goes up again...keeps flying and finally settles to cover the whole screen . One tends to go in for a symbolic motif which is pretty easily interpreted. Follows an impossibly haunting song that soothes your mind while making way for a funeral - slow motion - a little boy throws flowers at a grave and runs joyously to his guardians. The human element has barged in, but the magic continues. The look of innocence in the child’s eyes says more than what rhetorical dialogue possibly could. The desolate family sit in a vintage car and take off. This little part of the movie conveys to me that each and every minute is going to be worth it. but right then, POP bursts the bubble, leaving behind thin air and little else to enjoy yourself with.
javed akhtar has a penchant for immensely beautiful lyrics, probably he is the reason I sat for three hours in front of the screen. And khalid mohamed has one for giving a promising start to a movie. where the first few minutes of fiza teased you with glimpses of a moving experience, those of zubeidaa assure you of sheer paradise ahead. But 3 ordinary hours later, as I shove my way out of the theatre among the among the outpouring crowd with their ’lovely movie ya’ comments, almost as if they’ve assumed the position of an art movie connoisseur..no offence meant guys...but I feel somewhat amused...i’m not disappointed, i’ve conveniently adapted myself to the recurring phenomenon of bollywood movies falling short of expectation. But confusion crosses my mind zig and zag before I finally decide to go home and watch ’there’s something about mary’. Not a noble plot, but at least it would heal my sore mind.
I ask - so once again you’re straying from the herd kaif, huh?
I answer- yeah..cant help it..they’ll probably ’not recommend’ this at mouthshut
I ask - maybe..but then you can choose not to write. anyways, so whats their whole point behind this movie??
I answer - no point...
I ask - then why a movie like this?
I answer - good point...but no idea.
I guess because they believe in the POWER of cinema so much that they actually think that the ’trials and tribulations’ of khalid mohamed’s alleged mother would make for a sensational experience. That they would make you fall in love with zubeidaa and make you cry when she cries, make you smile when she smiles and boost up your sinking self esteem when she does something brave. OK the last one was not too accurate. But forgive me Mr.Benegal, I too believe in the power of cinema and I tried real hard to feel sorry for our poor zubi..but my endeavour turned into hopeless failure.i couldn’t even manage a smile.i was sitting there, counting my yawns, waiting for the next piece of rehman’s captivating music.
Karisma Kapoor has acted some very good scenes, but I dont feel she really deserved all the praise she god. on the whole she has done better here than in her previous movie fiza, and I cant remember when she did a challenging role before that. Biwi no. 1? nah...
I liked Manoj Bajpai’s performance very much. poor guy, he doesnt have anything close to the aura of a prince, but carried the role well.
Shyam Benegal, primarily a painter who ventured into direction and has never looked back ever since, does bring out beauty in his direction at times.I felt captured for a few moments in the first half, but soon he let the sheath too loose. Zubeidaa stomps about here and there, and ends up on its knees - exhausted, hungry and thirsty. The highlights of the three hours of boredom are a few moments of bliss, half of them being when the theme song which touches your heart with flawless fragility and the other half some great pieces of screenplay and direction. shyam benegal’s ’love story’ hops in and out of the sea of divinity. A 180 minute long swim..a few exhilarating leaps. unfortunately, most of the time spent sinking under the water...but only if zubeidaa were a fish and not a movie, it could have saved itself from drowning.