High on life…

…That’s exactly what Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) is. A ‘bromantic’ film extolling the free spirit of living – the need to break out of the complacent cobwebs cocooning our existence, seize the ‘now’, and just breathe!

All comparisons to The Hangover and Dil Chaahta Hai do injustice to the film– Yes, there are the three amigos, out on a road trip to celebrate a bachelor party – but then that’s it. The Hangover was over the top, slapstick humor and Dil Chaahta Hai was not only a lot funnier but frothier too, with a reasonably fast paced script.

ZNMD runs deeper, and slower - to be honest, there are parts where you end up questioning the editor’s competency – but the unhurried execution also brings with it a sort of placidity and tranquility that is quite impactful. It has its really hilarious light moments – but is not an all-out laugh riot - the story tries to make space for some mature introspection on the journey of life and the confusion of growing up – with its effervescence and its vicissitudes. ZNMD does touch your heart – no escaping that.

The movie is replete with symbolism ingenuously weaved in with the story line - The letting go, the breaking free, the loss of fear, the baggage of yesterday, the beauty of today, the uncertainty of tomorrow…

In fact, the movie’s key emotion is a line from one of its songs…

“chaahat ke do pal bhi mil paayein

duniya mein yeh bhi kam hai kya

do pal ko to aao kho jaayein

bhoolein hum hota ghum hai kya”

(If we get but only a few moments of love

In this world, isn’t that enough?

For these few moments, let’s lose our selves

And forget the sadness of life)

The cast couldn’t be more perfect. Hrithik Roshan is at his sexiest best – I mean there is more to him in the movie than just the drop-dead gorgeous brawn physique, but his screen presence is simply awesome. Farhan Akhtar as the brattier brat with a poetic underline is so super convincing and believable. Abhay Deol is charming and classy, and does make a distinct mark among the trio. I simply loved the way each character stood on his own…they were so real, likeable – just like you’d be with your close buddies.

The camaraderie they share grows on you as the movie progresses – it seems so natural – the restrained reunion to the intense emotional bonding.

The leading ladies, Katrina and Kalki, do not have too much of a role and they just fit in without overdoing their parts – thank god for that :D!

The music is good but not very exceptional. The songs go well with the movie and are quite pleasant to the ear. Love the Senorita number…Check it out here…

The cinematography of the movie is simply superb – the wondrous beauty of Spain caught so well on camera, with Farhan Akhtar’s (Jaaved Akhtar rules!) poetry or rather shaayari as a perfect companion to the vast and limitless expanse of the water beneath and the deep blue sky above...

“Pighlay neelam sa behta hua yeh samaan

Neeli neeli si khamoshiyaan

Na kahin hai zameen

Na kahin aasmaan

Sarsaraati huyi tehniyaan, pattiyaan

Keh rahi hain ki bas ek tum ho yahaan

Sirf main hoon meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein

Aisi gehraiyaan

Aisi tanhaiyaan

Aur main sirf main

Apne honay pe mujhko yaqeen aa gaya”

(This moment flows by like molten sapphire

Deep Blue silences

No Earth below

No Sky above

The rustling branches and leaves

Saying that only you are here

Only me, My breath, My heartbeat

Such depth like this

Such loneliness like this

And me only me

I now believe I exist)

Leaving you on that note, with a 7/10 for this one. Go watch it for the love of life :)!

(P.S. I really want someone to make a tasteful movie on women having a fun reunion and reliving their old friendships. Don’t you think we women are also nostalgic about our girly gossips and all the fun we had growing up with each other – what say?)

[Image Source: Google Images]

Delhi Belly: Shit (and a whole load of it) Happens

From the initial rushes of it, Delhi Belly didn't look like my kinda movie (It still doesn't qualify as one :D). Too boorish, hard hitting, loud and need I say very uncouth.

However, the 'I am screaming to be heard and seen' attitude in the promos and the songs did the trick. The marketing of the movie as a path breaking genre in Indian cinema that today's youth could identify with and then the endless controversies on the use of expletives - made me sit up and take notice. You cannot ignore DK Bose doing the rounds on all music channels - news channels included too!

And off I went with a friend to a Sunday morning (9:50 AM) show of Delhi Belly - the most abusive start a morning can ever get. So what's the verdict? Well my initial opinion remains unchanged - too boorish, hard hitting, loud and need I say very uncouth.

So I regretted going? NO.

Inspite of all the muck and the fuck that I genuinely don't appreciate on screen - I mean there is an extent to which you can throw shit (quite literally) at the audience, and I sincerely believe that punctuating every word with all the known and unknown abuses in Hindi and English (Tamil was also used :)) may not necessarily be required in order to connect with the so called "today's youth" - YET, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Both of us were in splits - laughing are guts out even as every few minutes we would look at each other and shake our heads disapprovingly of the irreverently burlesque happenings on screen! And to be really honest that's all there is to the movie - 1.5 hours of constant LOL and ROFL and LMAO moments that make this almost slapstick comedy genuinely hilarious!

The plot is racy and the 90 minutes are well packaged - a complete paisa vasool for all the RBCs one would generate with such hearty laughs. The screenplay is flawless in execution and the actors have scored a perfect 10 with their comic timing and dialog delivery. The song tracks bring in great pace and feel to the movie even as you wished you hadn't seen the stinking loo with the rickety flush and the dirty pot holes of old Delhi that are such an eye sore.

Delhi Belly takes realism to a new abstracted level. (I am sorry if the sentence reads oxymoronic, but I know you understand what I mean ;)). The seemingly obvious, very probable, expected and logical situations are hurled around with a perspective that brings out so much filth, and surprisingly, so much humor - that much as I would have wanted to dismiss the movie as a crash course on swearing and shitting, I sit here highly amused recalling the scenes...

(...And in brackets, yes it's going to take a while till I rebuild an appetite for orange juice, and of course, street food.)

[Image source: Google images]

Darrrling…7th khoon kaunsa tha?

Yes, before I get into commenting on the movie, I really want to know which was the seventh murder or sin that is referred to in the title - the intermission (after 3 husbands) says “4 more to go” and yet the second half shows only 3 kills! I am not exactly dumb but a little confused here...

At the risk of spoiling the plot a wee bit for those yet to watch the movie – 6 husbands are murdered. The seventh husband is Christ but he is not a victim as such – so not Suzanna’s sin really – Then does she kill herself – is suicide the seventh sin she confesses to? Or is the director just trying to be a smart aleck leaving the audience with a talking point!

Those who have watched the movie, please care to explain and those who haven’t please care to watch and then care to explain :D. Why should I be the only one losing on my Sunday peace?

7 Khoon Maaf is sort of a black comedy that charts the lethal pursuit of love by the main protagonist – Suzanna. While she has the option to step out of the relationship in each of her marriages, she chooses the more macabre way to end her woes – murder of the husbands. Priyanka Chopra is compelling in her portrayal as the psychotic dame with blood on her lips – disillusioned in marriage, hopeful in her cheery optimism, and dexterous in the execution of the murders.

The director has been largely successful in making a film that is shrouded in macabre from the beginning to the end. The excellent camera work is a must-mention!

The dialogues bring out the shades of grey in each character fairly well and in a sense lead you to the fatalistic finality of the dark plot that Ruskin Bond has quite eerily put together. Having said that, the first half remains more engaging and racy than the second.

All the men have done a good job in giving Suzanna the key motives for murder – fine performances.

The background score fits well with the morbid theme providing the audience with that creepy anticipation; and the hugely popular Darrling is so apt and addictive! (I just can’t get over it. YouTube link here)

What of course is lacking in the movie is the fact that it remains hugely unconvincing as far as the story telling goes – the ready availability of accomplices, the all too obvious traps planted – and the whole logic that a single woman would be wedded to the choicest of scoundrels in one lifetime is a little skewed!

Thus, making the movie a could-be-super-engaging blood thriller - but nor does it fall to the depths of an insipid mediocre flick. This one’s quite deftly crafted and though is bone-chilling only in parts, it is watchable.

If this movie is not a crowd puller, blame the orthodox Indian masses. 7 Khoon Maaf does not cater to any of the regular expectations that the audience have from a Bollywood release. It does not try to engage the emotions of the viewers – it leaves you out in the cold – the horror unnerves you but there is no overt attempt at evocation of feelings of empathy or sympathy.

In that sense, there is no realism – there is an emotional disconnect, which lets you watch and appreciate the story at a creative, fictional distance.

(Image source: Google Images)