किल्ला (मराठी): दोस्ती, ज़िन्दगी, और सिनेमा! [४/५]

उम्र का कोई निश्चित पड़ाव हो जहां पहुँच कर लगे कि अब आप बड़े हो गए हैं, ऐसा दावा कोई नहीं कर सकता! हालाँकि १८ साल की उम्र संवैधानिक रूप से आपको बालिग बना सकती है पर सच तो यह है कि ज़िंदगी ने हम सभी के लिए एक अलग चक्रव्यूह की रूपरेखा पहले ही सोच रखी है। कभी-कभी बारिश की चार औसत सी दिखने वाली बूँदें भी आपकी बेजान-बंजर रूह तर कर जाती है, तो कभी सरकंडे की आग पर भुनी मछली का पहला अधपका सा स्वाद ही काफी होता है आपको उम्र के उस दूसरी तरफ ठेलने के लिए! अविनाश अरुण की 'किल्ला' हम सभी 'बड़े हो चुके' बच्चों को किसी बहुत चमकदार तो नहीं पर असरदार टाइम-मशीन की तरह हमारे उस 'एक साल' में ले जा छोड़ती है, जिसकी धुंधली सी याद अब भी जेहन में किसी ढीठ किरायेदार की तरह जम के बैठी है।

११ साल के चिन्मय [अर्चित देवधर] के लिए कुछ भी आसान नहीं है. पिता को खोने का खालीपन बचपन को कुरेद-कुरेद कर खा ही रहा था कि अब माँ [अमृता सुभाष] के तबादले से उपजी नयी अजनबी-अनजान जगह की खीज़। चाहते न चाहते हुए भी चीनू को दोस्तों की एक दुकान मिल ही जाती है, उसके नए स्कूल में। बीच की बेंच पर बैठने वाला वो मस्तमौला-घुड़कीबाज़-शरारती बंड्या [पार्थ भालेराव], सबसे पीछे बाप के पैसों से सजा-सजाया युवराज और एक-दो 'हर बात में साथ' साथी। कोई याद आया? एक पुराना सा सीलन लिए नाम तो जरूर कौंधा होगा, आखिर हम सब हैं तो एक ही मिट्टी की पैदावार। 

'किल्ला' एक मासूम, पर उदास मन की संवेदनाओं का सहेजने योग्य दस्तावेज़ है। नए परिवेश से जुड़ने की मजबूरी और न जुड़ पाने की कसक चिन्मय के रवैये में जिस तरह नज़र आती है, खुद को टूटने से रोक पाना बड़ा मुश्किल हो जाता है। माँ की भी अपनी उलझनें कुछ कम नहीं हैं। नौकरी में बड़ी कुर्सियों पर बैठे लोगों के दबाव और अकेलेपन की कचोट के बीच पिसती अरुणा फिर भी अपनी पनीली आँखों में काफी कुछ बाँधे रखती है। दीवार पर गालियां लिखने और समंदर से केकड़े पकड़ कर बाजार में बेचने की शरारतों के बीच चिन्मय का अकेले पड़ जाने का डर तब खुलकर सामने आता है, जब मूसलाधार बारिश के बीच उसके दोस्त उसे एक भयानक से दिखने वाले सुनसान किले में अकेला छोड़ आते हैं। 'किल्ला' को 'किल्ला' होने की ऊपरी वजह शायद तभी मिलती है पर यह फिल्म उससे कहीं बढ़कर है. फिल्म खत्म होने से पहले कई बार अपना अंत तलाशती नज़र आती है, और अंत में जब खत्म होती है तो एक नयी शुरुआत की उम्मीद के साथ!

'किल्ला' मेरे लिए किरदारों से ज्यादा लम्हों की फिल्म है. छोटी-छोटी झलकियों में सिमटती-आसमान में खुलती खिड़कियों से झांकती एक बड़ी फिल्म। एक हलकी सी मुस्कान, एकटक तकती आँखों का रूखापन, लहरों के थपेड़े सहती एक बंद मोटरबोट, बारिश में दीवार से लगी एक साईकिल, एक भिगो देने वाला 'सॉरी' और पीछे छूटता बचपन, जो शायद ही कभी छूटता हो! अमृता सुभाष बेहतरीन हैं. अर्चित देवधर चिन्मय की बारीकियों को परदे पे एक सधे हुए अदाकार की तरह बखूबी उकेरते हैं. पार्थ भालेराव को 'भूतनाथ रिटर्न्स' में आप पहले भी देख चुके हैं, 'किल्ला' में एक बार फिर वो आपको गुदगुदा कर लोटपोट कर देंगे।

'साल की सबसे अच्छी मराठी फिल्म' के लिए राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार का तमगा लिए, अविनाश अरुण की 'किल्ला' ज़िंदगी की किताब का वो पन्ना है जिसे आप बार-बार पढ़ना चाहेंगे। वो भूली हुई डायरी, जो आज भी हाथ लग जाए तो आप सब कुछ छोड़-छाड़ के बैठ जाएंगे, उसके कुछ किरदारों से दुबारा उसी गर्मजोशी से मिलने के लिए! जरूर देखिये, सिनेमा के लिए-दोस्ती के लिए-ज़िंदगी के लिए! [४/५]

MISS TANAKPUR HAAZIR HO: The Great Indian ‘Tamasha’! Silly, Impractical but Satirical! [2.5/5]

A rape victim has been identified. The accused is a young man and a promising prospect for his family. The victim belongs to the most influential and dominating man in the community. The police are forced to register an FIR and act responsibly in the case. The victim has to go through all the extensive grilling sessions e.g. medical examination and physical appearance in the crowded premise [in exact sense] of the court. Sounds regular and routine newspaper headline? It was before a Television Journalist decides to bring it on big screen in form of a motion picture; only twist in the tale is the rape victim here doesn’t belong to the human race and is a ‘not so helpless’ buffalo. You will learn the ‘not so helpless’ part later while watching it at your own.

MISS TANAKPUR HAAZIR HO is a dramatized version of some true but bizarre events in the outskirts of a Haryanvi speaking region. Outlined as a social satire, film marks the début of Vinod Kapri once a media professional. No wonder, he chooses the weirdest and the strangest news material to bring out the darkest side of today’s illogically insensitive society; but in a quite entertaining way. It’s silly, impractical, rarest of the rare but satirical to the core. Yes, the bland and colorless toilet humor and the coldness towards rape victims do record a serious damage to its promised picture-frame of a meaningful cinema still, it is a good effort.

The powerful ‘Pradhan’ of Tanakpur [Annu Kapoor] has a young wife [Hrishita Bhatt] half his age at home seeking love, care and compassion in a young man from the neighborhood [Rahul Bagga of MASTRAM]. Soon, his findings about the relationship turn into an ugly game of power to eliminate the man in question. The cops [Om Puri] and the law-enforcement professionals also start acting and sounding illogical within the given parameters of their job-profile. At stake is the worth of our incompetent system that hardly shows any signs of empathy and understanding. India is an ideal and a perfect setting for such ‘Tamasha’. This is a world where dresses are held responsible for rapes and not the men behind it.

Vinod Kapri scores marks at various levels. His grit and guts to weave humor possibly in every frame don’t stick to only the sharp and piercing dialogues Haryanvi is famous for or in the crude characters but also with a prominent usage of quirky sign-boards and quotes painted on walls. Film if falters intentionally or involuntarily, in handling of rape-victims. Some of the remarks made on the victim by various sections of the society are as painful as the inhuman two-finger test. The film severely and frequently tints itself as a bizarre entertainer, mostly because of the ridiculousness in the plot. After all, how often we hear, learn or read about such unimaginable cases? So, when the lead female character expresses her inactiveness and helplessness against the influential powers to the buffalo towards the climax; you too feel the intensity and relate to the proposed end.

Of the performances, Kamlesh Gill as a rough and ready vocal-tank Bua is spot-on. Veteran Sanjai Mishra looks over-enthusiastically powering in every scene even though the script has less to offer him. Restricting Ravi Kishan to what script demands from him and not throwing his weight all around is another milestone achieved [Pun intended]. Rest all including big names like Annu Kapoor and Om Puri do it in a measured mode. Hrishita and Rahul hardly impress.

MISS TANAKPUR HAAZIR HO comes from a brutal reality of a world which most would not find relatable and realistic enough, yet it manages to hit the bull’s eye with just an affirmation that all of it is based on real events. Watch it, because that’s what we do most of the times whenever something like this happens around us! [2.5/5]     

ABCD 2 (3D): 157 min long ‘Dance India Dance’ episode! [2.5/5]

Most of the times, you have to have seen the first part before opting to go for a movie-sequel. Well, most of the times! Written & directed by Remo D’souza, ABCD 2 (3D) doesn’t actually ask you to tick that box first but yes, you have to be a television junkie who keeps watching dance reality shows even on repeat telecast. The weathered formula for a TRP seeking episode is applied here utterly and unimaginatively to set the box-office ringing. And it succeeds, until just diving into stretching it too much to uphold your excitement on brilliantly performed dance-steps. More than calling ABCD 2 (3D) a dance-film, I think we should settle it with the term ‘dance-drama’ considering it has dance and (Melo) drama both in equal and strong measure.

Inspired by the real-life event of Fictitious Dance Group of Nalasopara, Mumbai making an incredible journey of rising from the rag to winning an international dance show; ABCD 2 (3D) follows the spirit of dance as much as shown on TV these days. Suresh [Played by Varun Dhawan] and his group of underdogs have been evicted from a dance reality show for exact-replicating moves from a famous YouTube video. To regain the lost respect in the arena; now they must enter a World Dance Championship in Las Vegas but not before convincing Vishnu Sir [Prabhudheva] to coach the team. Rest is a ‘seen before-been there’ series of dance performances in the championship mixed well with issues of different natures to make the ride tougher and trickier.

Remo D’souza doesn’t leave any stone unturned to make ABCD 2 (3D) a perfect dance film filled with its own share of dramatic subplots and emotional stories to make you go ‘Awww’ over. His mastery at choreographing dance numbers in the most astonishing way is undoubtedly at par any suggested standard, he also manages to take you through stunning visuals and spectacular cinematography but what lacks big time is the need of a good connecting story to cement all this. Subplots look placed precisely as any dance reality show does to mark a jump in TRP ratings. An unfortunate accident in rehearsal, missing mentor just before the main event, a severely ailing teammate and if this was not it, there are dedicated dance items to ignite your religious and nationalistic sentiments.

Film’s high points include your favorite ‘Dance India Dance’ stars sharing space on big screen, some genuinely well-conceived 3D shots and the hard works of its lead i.e. Varun & Shraddha Kapoor. If you could notice the camera shots not implying quick cuts on their dance, you will cherish the fact that both the stars are very dependable dancers too. Of course, Raghav Juyal aka Croc-roach, Dharmesh Sir and Punit Pathak of DID fame are there to beat your hearts faster than you think with much better and cleaner dance moves, still the Varun-Shraddha duo earn the deserving admiration. The cameos by Prachi Shah, Lauren Gottlieb, Pooja Batra and Tisca Chopra don’t do unjust.

Overall, ABCD 2 (3D) can only be remembered as a 157-min long extended episode of Dance India Dance- a reality dance show on Indian Television. If you can watch brilliantly choreographed, well-executed & passionately performed dance numbers back to back, one after the other for nearly 3 hours, this should be your bet. Watch out for the amazing title sequence performed by Illuminati UV light Group of ‘India’s Got Talent’, the chemistry between the real dancing heroes, astounding choreography and an arresting camerawork!              

HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI: A sob-sob dated story! [1.5/5]

Despite being screamed at, threatened and controlled by her egoist, rough and aggressive husband, an Indian wife can’t gather enough guts to throw away her ‘Mangalsutra’. As the matter of fact, she tries to shut her ears melodramatically with both the hands when is suggested for the same from an old lady happened to be her own mother-in-law. And when the unwanted husband makes an unexpected visit in last 5 years, she doesn’t mind giving him a warm welcome with all the comforts he can wish for. And, if overwhelmed by someone’s goodwill for her miserable life, she can easily entitle him ‘God’. And, she cries all the time. Well, this is not an overview on the condition of women in prehistoric India. This is Mohit Suri’s regressively depressing and awfully hopeless film HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI written by one of the most ‘ahead of his times’ filmmakers in India, Mr Mahesh Bhatt.

Vasudha [Vidya Balan] is a single mother working as a florist in an established hotel and waiting for her gone husband Hari [Rajkumar Rao] - a prime suspect in a terrorist-act. Impressed by her dedication at work, her new boss Aarav [Emran Hashmi] offers her a better job opportunity but soon, falls in love with the lady. He loves to help the needy. And he has a very convincing justification too, for his compassion; as if no man on this earth can show empathy towards any woman around without having a proper, emotional and dramatic back-story. Aarav’s mother too has been a single-parent for the most of her life.

Hari returns. Incidentally, he is innocent and is framed. The Indian wife has turned now in a ‘Savitri’ mode to save her husband’s life. Meanwhile, the crying has been accelerated in fourth gear. The lover has to sacrifice all to play the kind-hearted matchmaker between two poor souls. Poor not because of their misfortune but the bad regressive writing! I bet, pick any old Hindi film of 60’s titled on its main female lead and it will have more liberal, sympathetic and progressive plot than this. If the plot doesn’t engage you at all, dialogues also don’t do any better. Everyone seems to be in the race to mouth lines soaked in grave philosophy about life, marriage, man-woman relationship and what not. It’s exactly like listening to Bhatt Saab’s dreadful life-lessons at any social-forum. Melodrama is another abysmal addition that creates an unbearable situation equivalent to any Balaji TV soaps. The background score actually travels the same crescendo once when Hari gets violent over Vasudha’s love confession.  

HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI has three bankable actors in its kitty. Emran Hashmi being the crowd-puller tries his luck as a serious performer here. He took it in a literal sense, I fear. Still, he is not unbearable at all but Vidya is. She constantly posses as either the most unfortunate girl on earth or the most undeserving for all the good things life has to offer her. In both conditions, one thing remains same and unvarying; the crying. Rajkumar Rao is good. His portrayal of a sadistic, male-chauvinist and solipsist husband could have more shades but the length hardly allows him to open the wings. Narendra Jha (of HAIDER fame) reminds me of Irrfan Khan getting wasted in his earlier acting-sting in Bhatt camp. Actor of such caliber deserves more and better.

Overall, Mohit Suri’s HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI is meant to have intent to get you sunk in deep, dead world of an uncompleted-unfinished love saga but turns out to be a sob-sob dated story where nothing makes a connect, neither the pain nor the love. I know a couple of single-mothers who don’t need to put fake cards on her son’s birthday gifts in the name of separated fathers; they are the fathers. Appreciate them if you get a chance! [1.5/5]

DIL DHADAKNE DO: Parents, O Parents! A long family affair! [3.5/5]

An ideal family is a myth. Issues like gender discrimination, forceful implementations of the patriarchy power, constant manipulations over fake morality, compromises for the sake of saving relationships and a flair of hypocrisy even in the most sober looking character do lie in every family. It’s only a matter of time to experience what will surface and when. A dysfunctional family as they call it is nothing but an elaborated term for any family out in this world. Zoya Akhtar's DIL DHADAKNE DO offers you a chance for a paid visit to one of these 'dysfunctional' families.

Anil Kapoor plays the ‘self-made’ millionaire Mehra, who’s celebrating his 30^th marriage anniversary with Mrs. Mehra [Shefali Shah] on a cruise. The daughter Mehra [Priyanka Chopra] losing her surname now to her husband’s after marriage is irked with the invitation-card not carrying her name as a family-member. The son Mehra [Ranveer Singh] is trying his hard to fit in his father’s shoes. Along with some close friends and relatives, Mehras are out on loose on the cruise. Everything looks perfectly planned, well-designed, glossy, shiny and desirable until the real issues within the family start melting down all the plastics on the most beautiful looking faces on earth. The daughter Mehra wants to move in life and is now asking for a divorce. The son Mehra is blackmailed emotionally to marry the daughter of one of the possible business partners. The catch for the son Mehra is a private jet he finds his true love in. Parents, O parents!

Zoya Akhtar with Reema Kagti presents to you a gorgeous looking family you might wish to have in your next life but with the short and sour problems chances are you’re already facing in this very life. Who haven’t been preached all his life hearing the same-old struggle-story of his father from the horse’s mouth? Do mothers ever fail in ‘baby-ing’ the son even if he’s started dating hot babes? And then, there is this epic scheming side of the parents who are alive only to see their sons/daughters getting married. The best part is the Zoya-Reema duo doesn’t try to sink you in the murkiness of the situations but saves you with the quirk in dialogues and a flashy wit in the nature of the characters. Despite a certain kind of dreariness in the plot and the slacken off duration, film manages to keep you smiling for the most parts.

With a picturesque star-cast that looks like coming to a special edition magazine cover photo-shoot, DIL DHADKANE DO never actually has a dull frame. Even the brigade of supporting actors like Divya Seth Shah, Parmeet Sethi, Vandana Sajnani, Ridhima Sud, Vikrant Massey and Manoj Pahwa charmingly finds its place to rise and shine. Also Farhan, Priyanka, Rahul Bose and Anushka are branded names to come up with performances you can’t crib about but eventually DIL DHADAKNE DO finds its acting-giants in Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Shefali Shah. All of these three names have rediscovered themselves in their own way. Anil Kapoor’s performance as a suave, money-driven, self-centered, crude, controlling and calculative patriarch is terrific. Ranveer Singh surprises as well. Probably for the first time, he has brought something called subtly in his performance and it’s totally rewarding. Move over his ‘ever ready’ charged up energy assurance, here is an actor a lot more yet to be explored. Shefali Shah is brilliant and makes you wonder why Bollywood hasn’t given her yet what she deserves. Well done, Ma’am!

To conclude, DIL DHADAKNE DO suffers two major slip-ups. One being the length of the film of course and the other is the narration given by none other than Aamir Khan lending his voice to the younger Mehra of the family; a dog! Yes, you heard it right.  Now, this can be an ‘Aww’ moment for puppy-loving beauties but for the film, it does throw a fit of boredom on you. Watch out for some real ‘surprising’ performances and dialogue-driven humor! [3.5/5]