Sydney Sheldon - Master Of The Game : Analysis by Chinmay Birje

Amongst all the favorite novelists of mine, Mr. Sidney Sheldon occupies the top position. He is not just my most favorite novelist, but also my Role Model. As mentioned in my ‘Personal Statement’, Mr. Sidney Sheldon has been a creative influence for me. I have grown up on his writing and it was the key factor behind my wish to become a writer myself. He is the man who needs no introduction..Widely known as a Master Storyteller. One of the Bestselling Novelist in the English speaking world with a large body of work to his credit. Having successfully attempted various mediums of Storytelling like Films, TV, Theatre, it’s the ‘Novel Writer’ in him which makes him one of the best in the business. Out of 18 odds novels he wrote, my personal favorites are Master Of The Game, Bloodline, The Doomsday Conspiracy, Tell Me Your Dreams, The Other Side Of Midnight, Memories Of Midnight & his fascinating Autobiography      ‘The Other Side Of Me’ (also, a treat for any aspiring screenwriter). All of them are equally dear to me. But as I have to answer about only one, I would like to discuss about ‘Master Of  The Game’… A highly successful novel by Mr. Sheldon. It can be called as an Epic Novel, as it covers a time period of about 100 years…3 Generations and a large number of primary characters. Frankly speaking, there is nothing different in ‘Master Of The Game’ than any other works of him. On the contrary, it can be described as a classic Sidney Sheldon novel..having all the elements one expects from him.. Thanks to some of the comparatively inferior works by Mr Sheldon, his writing has also been criticized as a potboiler or pulp fiction..But, I personally don’t agree at all.. His writing has a certain class, an elegance and yet it’s very simple. Taking an example of ‘Master Of The Game’, we see, the impeccable crafting of the plot, well defined.. well grounded characters..strong conflict.. and a power packed…fast paced drama.. All of which is a sign of good writing..I am not an expert to analyze his writing.. but these are the observations I’ve made as a student of script writing.. Of course, in the second read after enjoying the novel as a reader. Master of the game is a compelling read, as we keep turning pages after pages trying to find out ‘What Next’..? It’s an engaging Family Saga. Starting from year 1883 which culminates in 1983 with the re-union of MacGregor-Blackwell family. Told in flashback, the Novel depicts those 100 years of their family members..The story of foundation of mighty Kruger-Bent’ Business empire which is spread all across the world.. A compulsive read which explain why it’s said that behind every fortune there is a crime… The most appealing thing about the novel is it doesn’t portray it’s protagonist(s), (mainly James MacGregor & Kate Blackwell), in a complete white light in spite of the fact that they’re supposed to be Hero/Heroin of the story, burdened with the challenge of fighting ‘so-called’ villains..We see them doing evil…Un ethical things.. But at the end, we realize, even the ‘Heroes’ are nothing but flawed human beings.. ‘Master Of The Game’, in certain terms can be compared to ‘Godfather’ too. Because, it’s also about preserving Family Honor and it’s integrity.. It boldly depicts all the conflicting human emotions like Love, Lust, Pride, Envy, Jealousy, Loyalty, Betrayal..etc.. and it does it effectively. I deliberately choose to be vague instead of discussing plotline and events in details simply because that would be like stepping into an unending territory.. The reason I like this (or any other by the same other) book is, it’s a clear example of how a writer can be a real ‘Master Of The Game’..who knows all the tricks of the trades and can hold his readers attention till the end..and even when you are finished with the novel, the characters and their stories linger in your mind.. ‘Master Of The Game’ is an ideal example of it.

Love & Loyalty : Sanket Ghag

The heat bounced off the roads, and caused a mirage of wavering images. An occasional dog would lope by its tongue hanging out so far it was touching the ground in an effort to keep cool. Tar melted on the streets. Nothing stirred, no birds, , not much  people . It was too hot to make the effort to walk from the front door to the car. The sun beat down like a hot oven with no breeze to lighten its fiery breath. And after the argument with my mother my head was getting more heated up. I walked down road hiding under any shade I got from trees or bus stop or even the shops along the road. I walked for 5 mins and it felt like I was walking for hours together. The sweat on my face was slowing drifting from the forehead to my cheeks. I walked more 5 mins and took shelter in small shop along the road, bought a bottle of chilled mineral water and splashed on my face; I was trying to cool down my body and anger too. As I stood there for a while trying to cool down , I saw an old lady; she was in her late 70’s stood along the road side under the scorching sun shooing away the dog who was walking besides her. The wall fan in the shop swung his head towards me ,the breeze and the cool water on my face gave me a heavenly feelings. I closed my eyes and the argument with mom flashed in front of me. I quickly opened my eyes and shrugged the thoughts and started walking down the lane. The old lady was still trying to shoo the street dog away but the dog wasn’t moving an inch . The old lady looked at me as I passed by. Her face was wrinkled her eyes had sunken in, her lips were dry and had few teeth in her mouth. Her silver scanty hairs were tied into a bun. The clothes she was wearing had patches on it. As I moved ahead I heard a low decibel voice. I again looked back at her . She was waving at me.  I thought for a brief moment and walked towards her. I had predetermined thoughts that she would ask for money or food like any other beggar but I still walked towards her

“Son can you help me please” the old lady spoke in a soft and low voice

Without thinking I put my hands in back pockets and took my wallet out and dug my hand inside.

“No No No.. I don’t want money” she waved her shivering hands

I looked blankly at her “ What help do you want then” I asked

She looked at the street dog who looked so weak, one could easily count his  rib bones,  he looked like a dog who was not feed for week  together . “Can you please scare this dog away, Every time I shoo him away he again follows me back”

I felt guilty of myself that not every poor looking man or woman is a beggar. As I picked up a stone the dog started walking backwards, and as I  was abt to throw the stone he ran away quickly. I looked back at the lady she dint looked happy but still smiled and thanked me. I took her to the shop which I had just visited and made her sit there. I offered her juice to which she plainly denied she just asked for water. I brought a chilled mineral water and gave it to her. Just then my phone buzzed, My mom was calling me I received the call . She was trying to convince me to come back home and complete my lunch which I had walked leaving it halfway. I just disconnected the phone without replying. I turned back  the dog had again reappeared   and was sitting beside her feet looking at her. I picked up the stick and was about to hit the dog , he again ran away quickly .

“Why is the dog following you again and again?” I asked the old lady

“10 yrs back once when I was returning home from market a small pup followed me , I had bread in my market bag I removed one and gave it to the pup, and then onwards this became a routine , That pup grew into a dog and stayed around my house. I always gave him something to eat. My husband passed away one year back and then onwards my kids started ill treating me. They treated me so bad that I myself left my house six months back... They dint even come looking for me. And Now I don’t have anything to feed this dog but he still keeps on following me... How do I make him understand that I can’t feed him anymore? Can you please do that for?  Can u make please make him understand this???”

 I stood there with choked feelings for some time!!

The old lady stood up and started walking and the dog started walking with her.  My phone buzzed again and it was my mom.

Analysis of Classic Films & Writers: Chinmay Birje

There are so many top notch screen writers & screenplays that I admire very much. From Indian luminaries like Abrar Alvi, Salim-Javed, Sachin Bhowmick..and contemporaries..such as Jaideep Sahni  & Anurag Kashyap to their Hollywood counterparts like Robert Riskin, Earnest Lehman, I.A.L. Diamond, Charlie Kauffman & Christopher Nolan..etc..etc.. My list of favorites is very long and it’s very difficult to compare and rank them. But, still if I’ve to choose Top 3, I would go with the names which haven’t been mentioned in the list. Because according to me, they belong to a totally different class even in terms of admiration…and can be easily termed as an Institution themselves. They are as follow.

 

A) Billy Wilder : Unarguably one of the best Film Makers of all time, who was also an exceptional screenwriter. A real versatile Writer-Director who successfully attempted virtually all the cinematic genres. Ranging from Film Noir (Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity) to Hard hitting Social dramas (The Lost Weekend, Ace In The Hole) to W.W. II Thriller (Stalag 17) to Romantic Comedies (The Apartment, Avanti, Irma la Deuce) to Literally Adaptation (Witness For The Prosecution) to Screwball Comedies (Some Like It Hot, One..Two..Three..)..etc..etc. But, amongst all of them, my personal favorite is Sunset Boulevard. Co-Written with Charles Brackett & D.M. Marshman. A Timeless classic about the tragedy of faded silent screen star. A poor soul whose life continues to go downhill due to her delusional and self destructing fantasies and in the process also destructs the life of a hack screenwriter who accidently gets ‘involved’ with her. The quality I admire the most about Sunset Boulevard’s screenplay is in spite of being a Film-Noir by essence, in terms of content, there is much more than shadow play and gun shots. It offers you a deep insight into the dark corners of human psyche. Norma Desmond is not a fictional character, but a representative of personalities who are ineluctable byproducts of the glamour and grandeur of Showbiz. The stars who are idolized and worshiped by millions of fans (like us) during the period of their success, but then cruelly abandoned and discarded once the limelight is gone. Which not only brings the impending doom for them, but also destructs the lives of people who care for them. This statement (may also be called as premise) of ‘Sunset Boulevard’ made in (1950) is still relevant, and that’s what is makes this screenplay so special. Another thing I admire a lot is that, apart from the 3 central characters, The Star, The Screenwriter and The Butler, also the ‘Grand Mansion’ of the Star itself becomes a Fourth Character..A setting carefully incorporated into the screenplay which contributes up to a great extent to highlight the delusional world Norma Desmond lives within.

Told with an unusual framing device (perhaps ridiculous).. of a ‘Dead Man’ narrating his flashback, the screenplay grabs your attention right from the opening sequence, and keeps you engrossed till the end. The screenplay which can also be called as Satire on Show Biz is a good example of how the screenwriter is in command of its characters and Premise. A lesson repeatedly emphasized in the screenwriting classes. That’s why I feel the film is a good study material too. And lastly, Sunset Boulevard contains all the classic elements one can expect from Billy Wilder Screenplay. Strong characters, intense drama, witty dialogues and of course memorable one liners… which are not there just for the sake of claps but, come across as the integral part of characterization and drama..My favorites are ‘I am still big..it’s the picture that got small..’ ‘We didn’t need dialogues, we had faces then..’ & the cherry on the cake, ‘All Right Mr. De’Melle, I am ready for my Close-Up’. That’s the beauty of Sunset Boulevard which makes it one of my most favorite screenplays. It’s Billy Wilder at his Best.

 

B) Woody Allen: This is the man who has made me laugh till death. A Maverick Director, Writer, Actor, Musician..etc..etc.. But out of all these, it’s the Screenwriter I feel who is always in the front in his works. He is not just my favorite screenwriter but also my Role Model. Possibly, the most ingenious screenwriter in the Hollywood, if not the best. No wonder he has won maximum number nominations in ‘Best Screenplay Category’ of Academy Awards. A Master of Comedy, a genre I am personally close to. The Best thing I like about his writing is he deliberately defies all the ‘So-called’ rules and norms of screenwriting. And yet, his screenplays are highly interesting, engaging and entertaining. His writing has taught me a very important lesson that, nothing else matters as long as your screenplay connects with the audience. That’s the key of good screenwriting. My most favorite screenplay of his is his masterpiece, ‘Annie Hall’. A Semi-Autobiographical film Co-Written with Marshal Brickman. About a Neurotic New York gag writer cum standup comedian who constantly struggles with the relationships with women, and also with himself. The screenplay is full of zany, absurd elements.. There are Page long V.O.s., In the middle of the scene, Woody breaks the fourth wall and starts talking to audience, To win an argument with a guy, he magically produces a celebrity from behind the movie poster...Revisits his childhood in ‘Wild Strawberries’ style.. During foreplay, his girlfriend’s spirit walks out of the body and has a conversation.. etc. etc.. The list goes on..

Every time, I think about Annie Hall, I ask the question to myself. How does one imagine this sort of things while writing a screenplay? Annie Hall is a classic example of experiment, originality and fresh Ideas. I admire its screenplay because it demonstrates that even a simple story can be told in very interesting manner. Apart from the trademark witty humor and hilarious one-liners we find in Woody Allen screenplays, I feel Annie Hall is truly the Best Woody Allen Film. Because it not only entertains but also marks his transition from ‘Zanny-Slapstick’ comedy writer (Bananas, Sleeper) to the writer of serious & intellectual comedies that we witness in his later works like ‘Manhattan’ ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘The Purple Rose Of Cairo’,’ Mighty Aphrodite’ and  ‘Deconstructing Harry.  All Of them I admire for their screenplays.

 

C) Sampoorna Singh Kalra aka Gulzar Saab. - An Indian Screenwriter I admire the most. One of the finest gems of Indian Cinema. A well known Director, a Screenwriter and a Lyricist, but essentially a Poet at heart. He has had a parallel and yet highly successful career as a screenwriter when the titans like Salim-Javed, Sachin Bhowmick, Vijay Tendulkar were at top, scripting blockbuster films for Hindi Cinema. Even amongst them, Gulzar saab carved a niche for himself as a prolific Screenplay & Dialogue Writer.. I admire him a lot because, besides scripting his own films, he also penned down number of memorable films for other Directors like Guddi, Bawarchi, Anand, Chupke Chupke, Masoom, Chachi 420, Sathiya..etc. An achievement, very few others may have to their credit. My personal favorite screenplay of Gulzaar Saab is one of his Directorial classics. Mausam.

Co-written with Bhushan Banvali and Kamleshwar, Mausam is an enchanting tale of an old man who has been haunted by his past, and gets determined to follow the path of redemption when he revisits a place he had a special connection with, almost quarter of century ago. The Screenplay of Mausam instantly strikes an emotional chord with you. As a viewer you feel a deep sympathy for both the protagonist (who can be termed as sinner) as well as the person whose life he’s ruined. At least this is my personal experience.

Told in a ‘Non Linear Narrative’, Mausam’s screenplay engrosses you more and more as the protagonist embarks on a journey to find his ‘lost love’, by putting together pieces from the past. The classic ‘Flashback’ technique used extensively in many of Gulzar’s screenplays serves the purpose with great effect. The Nostalgic ride of the film moves your hear. Another special thing I admire about ‘Mausam’ (or any other Gulzar Screenplay) is that, being a Lyrics writer himself, he knows how and when to use Songs in the narrative. Hence they never come across as a ‘Bump’ in the screenplay. Instead, they help the narrative to proceed further.. that too in a Poetical way..which is more effective than what could’ve been achieved through ‘Scene Progression’. ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai Wohi Fursat ke din.’ or ‘Chhadi re chhadi..’ are classic examples of such use. One classic visual from Mausam which I love a lot is when we see ‘Past & Present’ in Single Frame during ‘Chhadi re Chhadi Song ‘. One of the most powerful cinematic tool one can find on Hindi Cinema..could be attributed to Screenplay in case not the Direction or Cinematography. I can’t resist, sharing another thing here. In a Biographical book about Gulzaar Saab (A Marathi book – Ganga Aaye Kahan Se by Mr Vijay Padalkar), which I’d read couple of years ago..I learned another interesting thing about Mausam’s Screenplay. Gulzaar Saab has beautifully used ‘Stairs’ in the symbolical terms. ‘Staircases’ in Mausam are the bridge between two words that Dr. Gill is torn apart between..and also his descent as a person. We see him slipping into the past when he sees those stares where he’d met his love for the first time.. and again at a very crucial point of the story, when he sees daughter of his long lost love, she is standing near the stares of her brothel looking at him downwards. Also even in the end, during an emotionally charged scene, ‘Kothewali Bai’ remarks ‘Is kothe ki sidiya maine aajtak kisi ke aangan me utarte huye nahi dekhi..’ This simple line has so deep meaning..It leaves you speechless..This is great writing.. This is the beauty of Mausam..which makes it one of the favorite screenplays of mine.

Review : Golmaal (1979) : Shital Adhikari

‘Golmaal’, the comedy film set in the late 70s creates magic from the first title song with animation showing one layer changing the colour into another layer. The concept literally reflects the lead character’s charming persona and the ability to mould oneself at any given situation. The title song ‘Golmaal hai bhai, sab golmaal hai’ also represents middle-class youngsters hoping for better future as they are stuck in their current frustrated lives. This comic love story film with subtle touches of Indian mind-set involves the audience till the last frame. Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and written by Sachin Bhowmich and R. M. Raza; ‘Golmaal’ is a classic example of Comedy cinema.

The film revolves around middle-class boy Ramprasad Dashrathprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar). Ramprasad is waiting for his results and is in search of a better job. He has a younger sister Ratna (Manju Singh) who is studying M.A. The siblings don’t have blood-relatives other than their close family friend, Dr. Mama (David). Dr. Mama suggests Ramprasad to go for an interview at ‘Urmila Traders’. Bhavani Shankar (Utpal Dutt), the Proprietor of this firm is a friend of Dr. Mama. Bhavani Shankar specifically dislikes youngsters for enjoying sports and other arts more than work. He also hates men with modern clothing style and no moustache. Ramprasad can be easily accepted by Bhavani Shankar as Ramprasad already has a moustache. He appears for interview in desi Kurta-pyjama and poses himself as a simple-minded man. He not only impresses Bhavani Shankar but also secures a special place in Bhavani Shankar’s heart.

On one day, Ramprasad lies about his mother’s illness as he wants to go to Hockey test match. Unfortunately, Bhavani Shankar also goes there and sees Ramprasad in modern clothes enjoying himself with his friends. On the next day, Bhavani Shankar shares this incident with Ramprasad and wants to fire him from the job. Ramprasad plays a trick of having a twin brother, Laxmanprasad; who is exactly opposite, irresponsible and without moustache. Bhavani Shankar is greatly surprised but trusts Ramprasad as he knows Ramprasad’s inability to lie and even offers a job to Laxmanprasad out of love and respect for Ramprasad. The job is to teach singing to Bhavani Shankar’s only daughter, Urmila (Bindiya Goswami). While playing two different characters, Laxmanprasad aka Ramprasad falls in love with Urmila and the situation gets critical. He also brings fake mother Mrs. Srivastava (Dina Pathak) to play the part of sick mother. Unable to tell the truth, Ramprasad keeps on playing the game of lies. The film entertains throughout as Ramprasad tries to overcome the risky game.

The Writer of this film has done an outstanding job. First, He uses the title song to make us understand the ‘Real’ characterisation of Ramprasad. The first scene in which he comes home late night for the first time, the writer shows us the caring and mature relation Ramprasad and Ratna share. When Ramprasad comes home with his results, Dr. Mama gives us a slight resemblance of playful minds between Ramprasad and his dead father. When we see tense Ramprasad  all ready for his interview outside Bhavani Shankar’s cabin, writer chooses not to start the interview scene with Ramprasad being in the cabin. Instead, he lets us see two other participants getting shunned by Bhavani Shankar; and thus increases our excitement and involvement for the interview of Ramprasad.  Bhavani Shankar’s daughter, Urmila’s introduction scene is intelligently played too. As we expect the daughter to be the same as her father; the writer surprises us with different outcome. Also, this scene helps to enhance Bhavani Shankar’s character more. Until this scene, we see Bhavani Shankar in hard-spoken, rude, stubborn manner; but, the scene with his own daughter makes him caring person and hidden art lover. Also, the small scenes helping to highlight the big scenes is the writer’s exceptional quality. When Ramprasad is about to get fire because of the Hockey match incident, the writer inserts a small scene Of Bade Babu who has a habit to remove the hair of his nose. The direction for this little chunk is good too. The director starts the scene with the receptionist’s reactions to Bade Babu’s weird doings. And later, the scene develops with laughter reducing the tension before an important scene between Ramprasad and Bhavani Shankar. Also, The makers keep pressing on the moustache and the audience keep waiting for the big fallout.

This film has some great one-liners like “Jiska naam Bhavani Shankar ho, woh toh paida hote hi buddha ho gaya”, “Kaun Kambakht kehta hai ki Hitler mar gaya” and so on. Amitabh Bacchan’s guest appearance is wisely placed. It helps to show Ramprasad’s lack of knowledge of drama; who successfully delivers the best performances for the twin brother’s part later in the film. Deven Verma Playing himself in the film as Ramprasad’s childhood friend makes the drama seem more authentic.

“Aanewala Pal jane wala hai” and “Golmaal hai bhai, Sab Golmaal hai” are easy to remember but difficult to forget songs. Amol Palekar and Utpal Datt’s performances are brilliant. The war between orthodox and modern and the chemistry between Amol and Utpal fixes the eyes of audience to screen only. Other actors played their parts wisely. Music by R.D. Burman is one of the masterpieces of the Indian cinema.

                I can surely say that this beautiful work of art by Hrishikesh Mukherjee will surely dominate the audience for a very long time...

 

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE:Review:Kunal Deshpande

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE:

Released on 6^th September’2013 during festive occasion of GANESH CHATURTHI deals with the increasing and serious fear of commitment in relationship among the youth.The film has a backdrop of Jaipur city and marriage ceremonies.Story revolves around the life and relationship confusions of three characters Raghuram(Sushantsingh Rajput),Gayatri(Parineeti Chopra) & Tara(Vaani Kapoor).

Raghu is a tourist guide in Jaipur who also helps as a hired fake guest in marriage ceremonies arranged by Goelji(Rishi Kapoor).On way to his own wedding venue,he meets Gayatri who has also joined the group of Goelji as a fake guest.Raghu is very much confused on his decision of getting married and confesses the same to Gayatri.He also gets attracted to Gayatri by the independent way she leads her life.They get into a long conversation and also get physically attracted in the journey.This gives him the guts to escape from his marriage leaving his would be bride Tara in an awkward situation.

Two weeks later Raghu and Gayatri meet each other in the markets of Jaipur.Things start working in between them and they start dating each other eventually getting into a live-in relationship.As time proceeds they feel like getting married to each other and again arrives the fear of commitment in both of their minds. But this time Goelji make Raghu understand to believe in marriage constitution and Raghu finally makes up his mind to get married to Gayatri.But to his and everybody’s surprise this time Gayatri runs from the venue leaving behind Raghu in a shocked condition.

Some days later when Raghu is again on his way to a wedding venue as a fake guest,he meets Tara & realizes that it is her cousin’s wedding ceremony.He has a guilt feeling for his earlier behavior but surprisingly at this time Tara approaches Raghu with an intention of taking revenge but they get attracted towards each other and get into relationship. Finally Raghu makes up his mind and decides to propose her for marriage and at that very moment Gayatri re-enters his life. Gayatri’s re-entry again leaves Raghu in a confused state of mind and develops the same fear of commitment.

What is the outcome of this confusion? Does Raghu succeed in proposing to Tara or does he prefer to go back to Gayatri or as usual he runs away from this situation. The audience should watch the film to enjoy this confusion.

The film is directed by Maneesh Sharma who has earlier directed Band Bajaa Baarat and Ladies V/S Ricky Behl.According to me the writer(Jaideep Sahni)& the director succeeds in  creating the environment of North Indian marriage ceremonies like earlier we experience in Band Bajaa Baarat.One of the minute detailing to mention is the guy rubbing his ass with a knife and using the same for cutting potatoes.

Surely the film reflects the mindset of youth & the confusion between the thin line of attraction and love.Youth enjoy live in relationships but when it gets to commitment they try to escape from it as they have the fear of loosing their freedom. The writer director has taken the liberty of not including the family members of all the three main lead characters. In a cultural city like Jaipur, marriage ceremonies cannot happen without their families getting involved.Raghu is an orphan but the same liberty cannot be digested in case of other two female characters.This in a way gives the characters the freedom to escape from the marriages.Tara’s reaction when Raghu escapes from marriage is very much composed which makes her character matured enough but then her approach to Raghu for revenge lacks conviction.One cannot get convinced,when Gayatri leaves Raghu in their marriage ceremony and later when he again comes in front of her she gets attracted to him and provokes him to leave Tara.It seems that the writer-director suddenly got confused where to take the characters post interval.

Editing by Namrata Rao is nice ,Cinematography by Manu Anand is beautiful.The song “GULABI” is worth mentioning. Sushantsingh Rajput portrays his confused character of Raghuram flawlessly,Vaani Kapoor is refreshing and performs at ease.Parineeti Chopra portrays her carefree attitude well.Her performance resembles a lot with ISHAQZAADE’s character.100% marks to Rishi Kapoor for Goelji’s character.

To sum up (according to me)SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE is recommended to those who believe in live-in relationship & the fans of Sushantsingh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra.

(KD)rating: **

Review : Talaash (by Shital Adhikari)

                'Talaash', the thriller mystery directed by Reema Kagti is an example of a small step towards the evolution of Bollywood industry. Talaash looked interesting and enchanting in the trailers and promos. I, myself was waiting for a star-studded and much publicised release of Talaash. The film was noticed and admired by a large section of audience; but, it was equally criticised and targeted for paranormal quotient.

                ‘Surjan Shekhavat’ (Aamir Khan), a senior police inspector is assigned to solve the mysterical accident case of a Bollywood young actor. The accident happens on the coastal area of Mumbai and this area has a history of such unexplainable accidents. The case of Bollywood actor will probably close under ‘A – Final’ category. Though, Surjan is willing to go to any lengths to solve the mystery behind this accident. At the same time, he is disturbed and feeling guilty for his little son’s death; and is having problem with his wife, ‘Roshani’ (Rani Mukherjee). The silence between the grieving couple grows so deep that their relation can break at any point of time. The accident mystery starts to uncover it’s layers when the call-girl handler ‘Shashee’ runs with a cash of 20 lacks rupees and gets killed while blackmailing someone for more money. His punter ‘Tehmur’ (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) takes control in his own hands after Shashee dies. On the other hand, Surjan gets a help from local prostitute named ‘Rosie’ (Kareena Kapoor) in this intricate scenario. Besides the help, Surjan feels comfortable in the company of Rosie and the emotional bond between them tightens making them care for each other. After a while, Surjan succeeds in finding Shashee’s links to Tehmur. Now, everything depends upon Tehmur getting the cash from third party and Surjan trailing him. The story is gripping and entangling till this point; but towards the end, it takes a very different turn proving the accidents paranormal.

                I must say, whatever the story is and however it is being showed; Reema Kagti surely did the homework on each character’s mind-set and their appearance. But, a little more work on the story would have been fruitful because some questions remain unanswered. (Forgive me if I reveal any major points while pointing out the doubts) If Rosie is waiting for an ideal, virtuous man to help her take her revenge and she meets her kind of man, Surjan who is also police officer; then why she plays the game including Tehmur who may lack in all she wants. Secondly, If only Surjan can see Rosie; how is it possible for Tehmur to come in this ghostly scenario and talk to her. Secondly, There is a scene involving Rosie and Tehmur at the Phone booth stall. There should have been a reaction shot of the Booth owner watching Tehmur. Because when we understand all the spiritual connections, it could’ve made sense. And I’m writing about this directional point because the writer-director of this film is a same person. Thirdly, if Rosie only wants the death of Armaan and Sanjay, then why she speaks harshly to dying Tehmur about taking advantage and benefits when Tehmur was actually helping her in some ways.

                I felt little betrayed when story Inclined towards Spirits and Paranormal activities as I had expected different outcome. Still, I’m okay with the writer-director Reema Kagti’s version as it is her story; not mine. If we start looking at the positive points, then there are many. First few scenes of the film were ‘never seen before’ start for me. Themur and Rosie’s involvement in the film grew step by step. Even, the minor character like Shashee’s girlfriend gave insight to Themur’s cunning character. In 1 or 2 scenes, Rosie played with a white flower while she was talking to Surjan at her private spot. This white flower leads Surjan to the spot where Rosie was buried 3 years ago.  And more than that, film’s central theme of Surjan Shekhavat and Roshni’s inner troubles coming to the peaceful end is impactful. Though, It is not so easy to digest, the leading characters make u feel sad, confused, betrayed and satisfied. The writer duo, Reema Kagti – Zoya Akhtar successfully plants minor sub-plots like the use of a sim-card by Themur or blackmailing and counter-attack on Shashee.

                Reema Kagti is effortlessly perfect at her direction. One can see the layers she puts on each character. Cinematographer K. U. Mohanan beautifies each frame; specially the Red light areas. Music by Ram Sampath can hold one’s breath. Actors did the best job. They essayed each character as the script demanded. I must say, I would’ve liked the film more if it had been entirely about the thriller mystery; But the narration by Reema Kagti is also wonderful to watch.

Review : Sudh Desi Romance :Sanket Ghag

What makes life confusing? It’s when one can’t determine if things are signs for you to give up or simply a test to see if you can hold on longer.

Sudh Desi Romance is one such story set in a picturesque city  Jaipur, Where a  witty tourist guide and fake wedding guest Raguram aka Raghu (Sushant Singh Rajput)  is suffering from pre wedding jitters .On his way to his wedding venue he meets Gayatri (Parineeti Chopra) a strong willed , ultra modern independent women who is acting as a fake sister to the groom for extra cash . Already baffled Raghu is mesmerized by the way Gayatri lives her life. They both get into a long conversation during this journey and get attracted to each other physically during this trip, which gives Raghu the guts runway from his wedding stage on the last minute leaving the bride Tara(Vaani kapoor) stranded .

Few days later Raghu and Gayatri bump into each other in the city market, eventually start dating and become live in partners, alternating between suspicion trust and lust . Entering into Live-in-Relationship the two decide to give a name to their relationship and fix their wedding. On the day of their wedding Raghu again gets the panic attacks but before he could runway, Gayatri runs out on him leaving him yet again totally confused.

Soon after in a wedding where Raghu is a fake guest meets Tara , the girl he was going to tie knot with. She asks him out only to take revenge but eventually getting into a serious relationship with him  . Finally when Raghu decides to propose Tara for a marriage to penance for all this pervious misdeed with her , Gayatri re-enters his life . What does all this confusion leads to, Does Raghu proposes Tara for marriage or he gets back to Gayatri or he again runs away .It is for us to see and enjoy.

Sudh Desi Romance is the face of new changing relationship , It shows the mindset that one has to be happily married at a certain age can put massive stress on individuals resulting to take wrong decision . Director Maneesh Sharma has effortlessly presented a new age love story  by  capturing the mindset of the today’s youth in very humorous and causal way . The film speaks about the youth that understand love and commitment but are confused somewhere in between. Handling of such a deep and heavy subject of relationship in such a light and easy manner makes the film more appealing , The only speed breakers to this smooth film were when the character talking to the camera which was avoidable or could have treated otherwise . It was spoon feeding for the maturing audience.

Jaideep Shanis is renowned for his realism without letting the audience feel the weight of reality . The main characters Raghu , Gayatri , Tara , Goel or even gossiping Gupta who is just seen in one scene  are so real that you feel you have meet them before. Jaideep Shanis has beautifully woven this romantic drama in layers with various uncertainty and conflicts the young and impatient youth faces today when it comes to commitment. Also the decision to take upcoming-town Jaipur as the base where the youth faces more cultural and traditional collision with fast changing belief than the bigger developed city creates an exciting drama. The only defect I could point out was too much of coincidence of character bumping into each other and all the three protagonists were coincidently orphans, or parents not at reach which gave them the freedom to runway what could have happened otherwise??

The Cinematography by Manu Anand is worth a mention, each and every frame exhaled romance , He captured Japiur refreshingly and the inserts shots in the film were romance in their ownself  . The Editing by Namrata Rao is good but nothing exceptional. The Music by Sachin Jigar is refreshing & hummable  . The Art department T .P Abid and Rashmi Seth has also done their job very well.

As for the performance Sushant Singh Rajput gets into the skin of the confused, quirky, naughty and flirty character of Raghu very convincingly. He shows and proves that he is here to stay longer in the industry. Gayatri is as playful as Parineeti normally gets, the character was tailor made for her , she swiftly changes gear from playful to serious emotions and I specially loved the drunkard act where Parineeti creates a bubbly magic. Vaani Kappor as Tara has done a commendable job. Tara has a pinch of wild streak in her which Vaani has captured it well. Vetran Rishi Kapoor as Goel sabh  once again sprinkles the magic with his act.

Summing it up “Sudh Desi Romance” can be the flag bearer to new romantic cinemas to come ahead.

Rating 

***

(Note: Those who love Melodramatic romance this is not the film for you)