Indian politics has become an easy target lately, to extract unforced jokes
acting as nice silvery wrapper to our hopeless angst being buried down under. So,
the consequences of sharing same ‘already travelled before’ path do come handy with
debutante filmmaker
Syed Ahmad Afzal’s political-romantic
drama YOUNGISTAAN. It shows deep promises of being a potential political drama at
the very start but sooner or later ends up as a progressive love-story trapped in
the devious, dirty and demeaning political scenario in country at present.
Carrying strong references from real life politicians, scams and political
episodes in the past, YOUNGISTAAN is a tale of transition of a young game-developer
properly planned & positioned in Japan with his live-in partner, from his
carefree life well-spend in night clubs to the inopportune flat & insipid luxury
of roaming around in the guarded corridors of India’s most influential PM
house.
Abhimanyu [Jacky Bhagnani plays it cool] is forced to sworn in as the
prime-minister of India after his father [Boman Irani in a brief appearance]
loses his battle against cancer. With all blurred and vague visions, where
Abhimanyu is struggling his hard to make him look more sensible than being just
a ‘28 years old good boy’ in the eyes of his haters, his often nagging live-in
partner Anwita [Neha Sharma] is only concerned about countless protocols that
come between the love-birds’ quality time together. Thank god, Akbar [Late
Farooq Sheikh saab] the guardian-cum-friend-cum-philosopher-cum-guide is there
with him as his PA. And more thanks and respect to Farooq Saab for making each
frame a heartfelt memorial with his presence felt like this uncomplicated idol
of minimalism is still with us captured in those moving reels. Alvida, Farooq Saab!
YOUNGISTAAN scores well in its nature and intent. It talks progressively
about live-in culture in Indian society, it talks about necessities to bring vital
changes in Indian politics, it also promises potential prospects for youth to
join politics but a scattered and unfocussed screenplay minimizes its magnitude
to a not-so-sharp and less-smart drama that spends most of its quality time in managing
between his personal problems [paparazzi and pre-marital pregnancy for
instance] and the cumulative expectations of viewers and the plot of emerging
as the unquestionably confident winner all the way. After all, who doesn’t want
to see an underdog playing superhero?? Sadly, YOUNGISTAAN lacks that orgasmic moment
and like very much our politics, remains a self-centered average Bollywood film
where promises are meant to be left unfulfilled!
As stated in a comment on Abhimanyu’s live-in relationship by a common
man in a TV interview, “28 saal ke ladke se aap aur kya expect karoge? (What
else would you expect from a 28-year old?), I would say something on the same
lines, “Ek Bollywood film se aap aur kya expect karoge?” So, don’t expect and go
for an easy watch. Politics in India doesn’t give you much to cherish but
entertains in bits and parts, so does this film! [2.5/5]
No comments:
Post a Comment