Remakes are not alien to the ‘Bhatt’ camp but when this giant movie
production company selected one small but beautiful British indie film ‘METRO
MANILA’ to bring on the table and later on, decided to rope in Hansal Mehta
& Rajkumar Rao of last year’s most confident social-biographical film
SHAHID to helm the responsibility to recreate; it looked like another feather
in the hat and a sure-shot winner all the way. But Bollywood never ceases to
surprise; or to disappoint in this case.
CITYLIGHTS sadly remains an average thriller with some promising scenes
that make your heart bleed in depression, bloom in well-captured moments of
togetherness and a savior in competent shoes of Rajkumar Rao- one of the few
best things about the film.
After losing his shop in local market to the loan sharks, Deepak Singh
[Rajkumar Rao] with his family is forced to migrate from Rajasthan to the city
of dreams Mumbai. The search for a better lifestyle and a good prospect of
earning his livelihood soon throw them in the gloomy, dark and depressing world
of reality. Poverty is the biggest curse one carries and one should get it off
the shoulder by any means and with all the efforts; guides his colleague at
work [Maanav Kaul in a terrific presence] in a security agency. Together they
seek the impossible looking road to redemption.
A tragic tale of dreams getting shattered and compromises taking over
the hopes, CITYLIGHTS officially borrows the plot and the screenplay for the
most parts from METRO MANILA. Kudos to the makers for giving the due credit in
the said department upfront, loud & clear! This is something you don’t see
often from the ‘Bhatts’. Even then, though Hansal Mehta does leave his mark in
adopting it according to the Indian sensibilities and emotional connectivity in
a complete manner, he certainly couldn’t refrain himself from falling into a
much-comforted zone filled with standard ingredients for a Bollywood film. The songs
that keep coming in chunks and bits, the gratuitously put love-making scenes
with ongoing smooches as if we were in another ‘Bhatt-Emran Hashmi’ association
and a completely messy-clumsy climax scene are enough to ruin the possibilities
of coming up with a deserving descendant of SHAHID.
On the positive side, it is only and only the performances that stand
out at a respectable position. Rajkumar Rao is in top form. He successfully inherits
the mannerism, dialect and the vulnerability of a small town simpleton. His presence
on screen alone is very fulfilling. Patralekha as his wife shines in her début role.
This plain Jane has the sparks of a confident performer. The veteran theatre icon
Maanav Kaul is a pleasant addition to the cast. A flawless performance is
something he would never miss to deliver. Special mention to Rashmi Singh for
her contribution in the consequential lyrics that gel well with the emotions
characters carry on screen.
SHAHID being the benchmark for Mehta, CITYLIGHTS fails to triumph over
the expectations one would have. A less honest effort to bring out deeply
depressing reality of today’s times! Glimpse can be seen but is it good enough
to even compromise? I won’t, may be because I have seen the original. Disappointed!
[2.5/5]
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