Come.. Celebrate Cinema

Cinema, movies, films, Bollywood, picture, night show, box office, blockbuster, super-duper flop, hero, item... Words that instantly bring images flashing to my eye. As far back as I can remember the movies have been a huge part of my life without even realising it. Right from the time as a two year old toddler when I walked into Victory cinema on East street to watch Rahul Roy strum his guitar and sing "Saason ki zaroorat hai jaise...." to growing up wanting to live the lives of the "hero" and win the girl by singing and dancing to taking your first girlfriend to watch the latest hit of the time. Cinema has been a part of me as much as it has been to each and everyone of us.Few of us can say otherwise. Today I say all this because of late I have found myself criticise and pan the industry asking it to be more then what it is, when suddenly Bombay Talkies hits you out of the blue and brought all those memories flooding back to me. The movie is an ode to 100 years of triumph and the grief of the greatest entertainment factor to a nation of a billion and this is my tribute to the beauty of this masterpiece

Bombay Talkies
Rating: this one is not to be rated. It is a celebration, lets not get it jumbled in numbers :)

As most of you are already aware, this movie is 4 segments by 4 different film-makers, and boy are their styles different. Prepare to be blown away by film making that takes guts and at the same time keeps you glued to that chair. Without further ado lets get to it!

*spoilers ahead*
Ajeb dastan hai yeh:
Karan Johar: what does that name tell you? let me guess.. bubble gum romance, extravagant sets, sad scenes followed immediately by "khushi ke asso"... The moment I heard KJO was doing a segment i was like "why??!" That was till I saw the real Film maker in him and tell you the truth I like what I see!! You wonder what was holding back all these years. What a way to bring homosexuality to the silver screen. At a time when everyone just refuses to talk about something that is seen as unclean and taboo, Karan took the beauty film music from a by gone era and weaves a deft story about forbidden love. The pain reflected is real and so are the characters. what a job Rani, Randeep and newbie Saqib Saleem pull off..(fun fact: Saqib and Huma Qureshi from Gangs of Wasseypur are siblings)... and that song... "AJEB DASTAN HAI YEH, KAHAN SHURU, KAHAN KHATAM..."  hauntingly beautiful towards the end....

Star:
Dibaker Banerjee
My most awaited segment of the movie. two words: Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Of course the fact that Dibaker Banaerjee was handling this segment was just too mouth watering to resist. No matter what I say we should feel blessed that a talent like Nawazuddin was discovered and not lost in the crowd. You almost feel that this could have been his story to some extent. Purandar is a drifter. He doesn't seem to be interested in a job. Wants to be his own man and his failure is reflected in the EMU (yes it really is one) he has stuck outside his house. He has a family to support but he seems to just go along with his wife's earnings. Even in the eyes of his daughter he is a loser.He happens to get to a shooting set of a Ranbir Kapoor movie and get cast as an extra without even trying. Then comes the beauty of the film. He is a natural actor but has never applied himself to it. he envisions his former acting guru in the brilliant Sadashiv Amrapurkar. The symbology of him sitting in a trash and the Emu walking around isn't lost on Purandar as he is made to realise that life isn't about getting it handed to you. You have to fight to earn it. What I admire most about Nawazuddin is his ability to absolutely change his body language and movement with his attitude. He had me smiling all through the interval marvelling at another piece of genius from a future movie legend.

Sheila ki Jawani:
Zoya Akthar
I always expected this to be the lightest of the lot. I was SO WRONG! Where the hell did they get that kid! What a natural! (Although as a side joke I really don't know what will happen to him if he is in a boys school.) The age old question as long as there have been parents is : What will you be when you grow up? this is a boy who wants to look like Katrina Kaif, walk like her, talk like her but mostly he wants to be a dancer just like her! His dad wants him to play football and become a strong boy. Your heart aches with the boy who knows what he wants at that age but its not remotely possible. Think about yourself at that age. The triumph of a child's dream always makes you punch the air. the underdog is always the favoured one. and boy does this kid dance! I say again, where do they find this kinda talent? Zoya has done a wonderful job with the kids and specially with Sheila Sharma.

Murraba:
Anurag Kashyap
The master of anti-climax was given the climatic segment. Ironic doesn't even begin to describe this tale of battling the odds and doing the almost impossible. For someone who has only heard tales of the Magnificent Bachchan from his dad, this was further proof that there is can only be one Angry young man. period. Even the tribute to him by way of song is so overwhelming, you wonder how on earth will a man travel all this way to just to fulfil his ailing father's last wish: make Bachchan have a bite of murraba?! Just when things seem so bleak and impossible, when things are most bleak with no end in sight, we are greeted by his giant presence. You cannot hold back and your hooting with the other hundred odd viewers. the AC multiplex is transformed in the single screen cinema hall of yesterday in a second once VIJAY DINANATH CHAUHAN comes on screen. What a moment when he bites into the murraba. I don't have the heart to go further into the story and give out the anti-climax of sorts, you will just have to make do with going and watching the movie. That scene with AB remains with you even after the movie is over. Of course nothing taken away from yet another brilliant Anurag Kashyap find: Vineet Kumar Singh.

The credits have the customary song with all the stars of the induustry, you name it. That song was the only downside for me but that's ok. the visuals kind of made up for it.

This movie feels like our movie. A movie of the fans, for the fans and by a bunch of fans if you think about it. I hope this remains as a landmark to inspire future generations just like the previous ones did for us. I sleep happy tonight aware that Indian cinema is still safe and secure in the hands of these geniuses! The magic of movies is alive and kicking! lets go for the next 100 years!