Anurag Kashyap has this unique ability and talent to surprise you with
quirky ideas and innovatively conceived elements to see and present things
differently on screen. Who else would think of using a popular actor in a portrayal
of a male singer mimicking female counterpart in local orchestra (Yashpal
Sharma in GANGS OF WASSEYPUR)? Or that breathless all ‘huffy-puffy’ police
chase in BLACK FRIDAY revealing chawls and bylanes of Mumbai slums the best way
anyone could; or for that matter, the 10-minute long ‘FIR’ sequence in UGLY
where cops show great insensitivity towards a possible case of kidnapping of a
minor. Sadly, his latest magnum-opus BOMBAY VELVET falls short of that distinctive
touch of the filmmaker and then, what it does to its audience can hardly be
described as surprising, or amazing, or even impressive at par his past low-budget
yet highly-visionary films.
Finding a solid base in historian Gyan Prakash’s writing work MUMBAI
FABLES, Anurag brings back an era that looks terrifically vintage of greater
visual appeal and also, terribly cliché in holding its fort of being a classic
love saga. A street fighter Johnny Balraj [Ranbir Kapoor] with hopes and dreams
to die someday being ‘a big shot’ is on the rise as the Bombay of 60’s becomes
the literal ‘land’ of opportunities. Land-shark Khambata [Karan Johar] needs
someone handy and powerful to set up his empire and the ambitiously vulnerable Balraj
is his best bet. Initial success gifts him the love of his life Rosy [Anushka Sharma]
- a singer who’s forced to dance on the tunes of a manipulative Press owner
Jimmy Mistry [Manish Chaudhary]. Soon, the flashy world of opportunity starts fading
out to the shady game of greed, power and ambition.
With an eagle-eye in detailing, Anurag recreates the Bombay of 60’s with
one of the best production-designs in Bollywood. The disappearing trams,
vintage cars, graphically achieved landscapes, costumes, brilliantly envisioned
set-designs; everything in the frame justifies its mark and meaning for being
placed there. The club-singer is a recognized Geeta Dutt fan. His chauffer [Vivan
Shah] also doesn’t miss to flaunt his so-called ‘pehchan’ with Chic Chocolate-
a noted trumpeter with the famous music-director duo Shankar-Jaikishan. These minimal
references work but what don’t work are the puzzling plots and subplots. They keep
coming to you to earn your precious attention and interest in the film but in a
perplexed way and disinterested narration that you are left in disbelief as
what is happening and why? The screenplay also is a bumpy ride. Songs and the
fascinatingly refined jazz music do some serious kind of damage-repair.
On the performances, Ranbir is precise, measured and totally
in-character. His role on paper might sound in correlation with the character his
grandfather Raj Kapoor played in SHRI 420 but Ranbir’s is a lot stylish and
modern. Anushka, most of the times, is there on stage to lip-sync the
club-numbers but whenever she’s off-stage, she manages to pull it off well.
Karan Johar handles only one scene well that deserves a mention. His uncontrollable
laugh at Balraj’s poor English language skills! For the rest, it is
forgettable. Manish Chaudhary is first-rate. Satyadeep Mishra is the only actor
who never ever disappoints you. Kay Kay Menon is regular.
At the
last, BOMBAY VELVET has striking likeness of Martin Scorsese’s and other films
of that style. This could well be Anurag Kashyap’s tribute to the filmmaker but
is certainly not the best in his kitty. Watch out if you don’t know who Anurag
Kashyap is, and you might come out praising him. For fans, it is a
disappointment despite being not-so-bad! [2.5/5]
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