GARVI GUJRATAN...PLAY REVIEW

http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/01-garvi-gujaratne-rang-rakhyo-gujarati-play-preview.asp

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (3-4 AUG'13)

Sat 3rd August

Tunni ki Kahani (Hin) (Dir Gopal Tiwari) Prithvi Theatre Juhu, 12pm

Ok,Tata,Bye Bye (Eng/Hin) (Dir Rabijita Gogoi) Prithvi Theatre Juhu, 6 30 and 9pm

Mele Undir (Mar) (Prod by Astitva Production) NCPA Expt Nariman Point, 6 30pm

Sun 4th August

Tunni ki Kahani (Hin) (Dir Gopal Tiwari) Prithvi Theatre Juhu, 3pm

Ok,Tata,Bye Bye (Eng/Hin) (Dir Rabijita Gogoi) Prithvi Theatre Juhu, 6 30 and 9pm

Broken Images (Eng) (Dir Alyque Padamsee) St Andrews Bandra, 7 45pm

2 to Tango 3 to Jive (Eng) (Dir Saurabh Shukla) Sophia Beach Candy, 7pm

Dear Father (Guj) (Dir Uttam Gada) Chavan Nariman Point, 7 45pm

Shivacharitra ani ek (Mar) (Prod by Natak Company - Pune) NCPA Expt Nariman Point 3pm

Ek divas Mathakade (Mar) (Prod by Natak Company - Pune) NCPA Expt Nariman Point 6 30pm

FINALLY I AM LISTED ON IMDB

Thank you DC Bhai for this!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5819276/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

PLAY REVIEW - AAV TARU KARI NAKHU

http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/30-aav-taaru-kari-naakhu-gujarati-play-review.asp

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (27-28 JULY'13)

Sat 27th July

Tuesdays with Morrie (Eng) (Directed by Meera Khurana) Prithvi theatre Juhu 6 and 9 pm

The Vagina Monologues (Eng) (Directed by Mahabano Mody Kotwal) Canvas Laugh Factory, Lower Parel 6pm

The Frying Pan (Eng) (Directed by Murtuza Kutianawala) St. Andrews Bandra 7 30 pm

Sun 28th July

Tuesdays with Morrie (Eng) (Directed by Meera Khurana) Prithvi theatre Juhu 5 and 8 pm

The Vagina Monologues (Eng) (Directed by Mahabano Mody Kotwal) Canvas Laugh Factory, Lower Parel 6pm

History of India (Eng) (Dir Vir Das) Manik Sabhagraha Bandra, 7pm

Bhelpoori (Hin/Eng) (Dir Rocky S) Mysore Association Matunga, 7 45pm

Fools (Eng) (Dir Meherzad Patel) NCPA Expt Nariman point 7pm

Ji Jaisi Apki Marzi (Dir Nadira Babbar) Godrej Dance Academy (NCPA) Nariman Point, 7pm

Big Fat City (Eng) (Dir Mahesh Dattani) Sophia Auditorium Beach Candy, 7pm

Blame it on Yashraj (Eng) (Dir Bharat Dabholkar) St. Andrews Bandra, 7pm

SHIP OF THESEUS

Well! What do you say? Sometimes excellence leaves you so spellbound that you silently wonder. Ah! what was that...how is it possible? how come!!!...You are left too numb to express. That is why it takes me almost 30 hours of silent wondering before I can write.

Ok so the Ship flags off with the story of a visually impaired young girl who is an excellent intuitive photographer. She is quite comfortable being there. Being visually impaired and yet being excellent at exploring how beautiful the world is. Then she undergoes a surgery and now has 'vision' but unfortunately doesn't quite know what to do with it. Then we are left at that and the ship takes us to another shore all together. Story of a Jain monk fighting against the use of animals for laboratory tests and the ill treatment they are subjected to before they are experimented on. The fight here goes on to a very different level when he is diagnosed liver cirrhosis. He must take the medicines whose roots lie in the same lab or else die. Then we go into the life of a stock broker who has undergone a kidney transplant. By chance he lays his hands upon a big racket of illegal trade of kidneys. 

So many things to offer. Three different stories...three different fights...three different conflicts connected and weaved in so well. What leaves you awestruck is the  manner in which they are executed. There is so much detailing so much layering so many dimensions and yet the film is a poetry. The cinematography (Pankaj Kumar) is breathtaking almost always. There are so many misc-en-scene sequences and they flow ever so lucidly. Ok there are certain shots that are out focus but it is more than acceptable. The silhouettes are meticulously worked out. Never a single frame appears lit up and that is where the real beauty is. The production design (Pooja Shetty and Rakesh Yadav) is so low key that everything looks natural and feels in place. Editing (Sanyukta Kaza, Adesh Prasad, Satchit Puranik) a film like this is such a tough job. But everything falls in place and you don't think there is a single frame extra or out of sync. Top notch!

The performances are some of the best seen recently. Aida El- Kashaf (as Aliya Kamal), Neeraj Kabi (as Maitreya), Soham Shah (as Navin) all are in perfect sync with their characters. Their natural performances enhance the film. All in the support cast pull in tight performances.

The biggest punch of the film lies in the scripting (Anand Gandhi, Pankaj Kumar, Khushboo Ranka) and off course the film belongs to its director (Anand Gandhi). Such a film cannot be completed without the vision. Everything is so detailed and yet it just happens like it just happens. Anand Gandhi deserves all the acclaim that he has been getting. The captain of the Ship this one belongs to you!

DAMODAR DEEWANO THAYO

Hi friends please read my reivew of the latest Gujarati play Damodar Deewano Thayo on the following link

http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/23-damodar-deewano-thayo-gujarati-play-review.asp

D DAY

India's most Wanted....known by many names (Rishi Kapoor) has to has to has to attend his son's nikaah in Karachi. India's RAW lays out a secret mission. The mission is to catch him alive and get him to India. Men on mission are Wali Khan (Irfan), Rudra Pratap (Arjun Rampal), Zoya (Huma Qureshi), Aslam (Akash Dahiya) and it is master minded by Ashwini Rao (Nasser).

The plot unfolds. Absolutely bang on edge of the seat opening sequence. Intercut with a song sequence picturised on Rajpal Yadav, the men on mission start their work. They are almost there but not quite. The Don is almost cornered. But not quite.

Flashback. Irfan's background followed by the laying out of each character and conflict follows neatly. Over here Pakistani officers are trying their best to convince the man to avoid attending the function. RAW is going about its planning in the most secret ways. Ashwini Rao also faces some departmental resistance. The mission goes on unofficially.

At interval we come back to the start point. Additionally Rishi Kappor manages to escape with a resolve of vengeance. 

Now there are conflicts. The Don wants to get his hand on the 4 people. Pakistan forces are after them. Indian agencies do not want them back. Packed with action and meet and characters and conflicts and drama the film engages you every single moment.

The story, the screenplay (Nikhil Advani, Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair) , the direction, the performances everything falls in place and rather seamlessly. In fact one would want to give a standing ovation to Nikhil Advani. His craftsmanship and treatment are excellence personified! Ditto for the work of Tushar Kanti Ray as the DoP. The use of low light and tones is marvellous and poetic. Another winner is the editing Aarif Sheikh . There is not a single frame in the film that is not needed and the way intercuts are used in remarkable.

The film has some brilliant moments...the lighter ones with Irfan and his family, the romantic ones with Arjun and Shruti Hasan...the terrifying ones with all the encounters. The way the song post Shruti Hasan's death is picturised and treated leaves a mark...You have to see it...it is one of the most differently executed song for a long time.... The sequence where Irfan loses his family leaves a mark editorially apart from it being brilliantly enacted. the use of mirrors is another noticeable aspect of the film.... 

Speaking about the performances...Rishi Kapoor does it once again. He hits the bulls eye. He is ever so understated and yet so terrifying. Irfan is just himself carrying each and every detailed emotion effortlessly. Arjun Rampal impreses and one feels he grows leaps and bounds with this performance. He has very few lines but his eyes speak a lot. Huma Qureshi and Aakash Dahiya impress and so does Shruti Hasan. Chandan Roy Sanyal, Naseer, KK Raina, Sandeep Kulkarni, Nissar Khan, Imran Hasnee all are in top form. 

Very rarely you see an action film where you feel that action was a part of story and the film was not only an overdose of bullets and blood. Very rarely comes a film in which every single song playing in the foreground or a background has a story to tell. Very rarely these days comes a film where the background score carries the mood of the film without yelling at the top of the voice.

The vision, the story, the purpose, the team everything comes out right this time.

HAPPENINGS IN GUJARAT

AHMEDABAD

Sat 20th July 2013
Bhamasha (Hin) (Dir Manoj Shah) 8 30pm Convention Hall (Event organised by JITO group)
Sun 21st July 2013

Hu Chandrakant Bakshi (Guj) (Dir Manoj Shah) 8pm Rangmandal 

GUJARAT

Please watch the national award winning Gujarati Film 'The Good Road'

For details 

https://www.facebook.com/FilmGujarat

http://www.nfdcindia.com/thegoodroad/

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (19 - 21 JULY '13)

Fri 19th July 2013

The Big Fat City (Eng) (Written and Directed by Mahesh Dattani) 7pm NCPA Expt Nariman Point 

Sir Sir Sarla (Hin) (Dir Makrand Deshpande) 6 and 9 pm Prithvi Theatre Juhu

Sat 20th July 2013

The Big Fat City (Eng) (Written and Directed by Mahesh Dattani) 7pm NCPA Expt Nariman Point 

History of India (Eng) (Vir Das) 7 30pm Nehru Centre Worli 

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang (Eng) (Directed by Saurabh Agarwal) 6pm Canvas Laugh Factory Paladium Mall Lower Parel

Chaar Small (Hin) (Trishla Patel) 6 and 9pm Prithvi Theatre Juhu

Sun 21st July 2013

Dear Father (Guj) (Paresh Rawal) 3 30pm Nehru Centre Worli

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang (Eng) (Directed by Saurabh Agarwal) 6pm Canvas Laugh Factory Paladium Mall Lower Parel

Chaar Small (Hin) (Trishla Patel) 5 and 8pm Prithvi Theatre Juhu

The Good Honest Road

A new film is to be out on 19th july in the major cities of Gujarat. What's about it? It's a gujarati film which recently won the National Award for the Best Regional Film. The Good Road. 

Written and Directed by Gyan Correa, the film revolves around two children, with different social and cultural background and apparently different destinies. The film is shot in the intoxicating desert land of Kutch, the largest district of India

. 

Recently, I read a few reviews of the film on the internet. Not a single of them good. It's bad to that extent that the artist community of Kutch is severely hurt by the film. They feel that Kutch and Gujarat are being portrayed in a wrong way. That the film hurts the beautiful culture of Kutch, spreads a wrong notion of Kutch to the rest of the country. One of them even commented that whichever film portrays Gujarat in a bad light always wins a National Award. People are disappointed. They cannot digest the expletives that fill most of the film. They dislike the performances and they dont like that there are only two professional actors in the film, the rest are not professionals. They consider the film emotion-less, with non-actors' expressionless faces right down to the blank feeling-less screenplay. 'Nuff said!

I saw the film around 3 to 4 months back in a private screening for the first time. Obviously, as a 'responsible and sensitive' Gujarati, I too thought that how would the regular gujarati audience, who loved the previous two Gujarati blockbusters 'Kevi Rite Jaish' and 'Saptapadi',  accept such a bold, honest-to-earth, full-of-expletives Gujarati film. But I figured that if the audience accepted (and loved) Yo Yo Honey Singh's vulgar songs, make the producers earn crores in a week with films like Kya Supercool Hai Hum, it can probably think a little wider and accept this film too.

I dont say that the film is perfect. It has its flaws and loopholes. Performances,yes, they are less effective because of the non-professional cast. Some of the strong moments just pass away without notice because of the mild performances. Some dialogues do not sound good, like when the pimp explains the little girl what is expected out of girls in that brightly-coloured whorehouse. It comes out as too strong for the sensibilities of the general audience. 

After watching the film, I asked its cinematographer Amitabha Singh - "sir, I have lived in Kutch for 17 years. Does this kind of prostitution really exist there?" He said - "Yes. In fact, what we have shown is much milder than the reality. Truck drivers are the main clients of the highway pimps there. The condition is much worse, but we couldnt show the exact reality. It is very hurtful." 

It may be possible that we, the audience, sitting on the cushioned seats of the expensive cinema hall judge the film based on the reality of what happens to people who cannot afford to go to an expensive cinema hall with a biased unexperienced eye. Most of us, I mean kids of this generation, have never seen what poverty and helplessness really is. We would not understand why a truck driver has to remain away from his home for months together to earn little money so that he can support his family. Poverty is as old as Time itself. Eventhough I am completely against prostitution, I sometimes cant help thinking- 'why is it the oldest business in the world?'

I have worked with Amitabha sir, Priyank Upadhyay (the cleaner guy)has been my classmate in college, Pankaj Jhala (the evil Jadeja) is my uncle and I know, for sure, that the above mentioned people will never opt for a film which doesnt have a strong message or for a film which would propagate wrong message to the audience or to say 'fool the audience.' The film does have good moments and good cinematic moments I mean. As an audience, I was proud to see my homeland Kutch aesthetically shown. 

I wouldnt write anymore about it. The story - you have to watch the film for that and decide for yourself. Not everything that the newspapers and the critics write might be true. All the best! Sayonara! ) 

THEATRE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE MISSED (2)

Jo Ame Badha Saathe To Duniya Laiye Maathe

Gujarati Play

Written and Directed by: Saumya Joshi

Presented in a Bhawai style, Jo ame badha.....is a story of a lady...it is a story of dreams...it is a story of needs...it is a poignant tale which has a humane soul...where the protagonist's (Jigna Vyas) only dream in life is to go to the US. She has a talent and that talent presents her an opportunity..to go to US as a cook....Excited and confident she qualifies till the last round of the interview...she is almost finalized to go...but then there is a twist...her sacrifice....then a thought that reflects to an effect that 'if you have to choose between a dream and a need...the need must win'...Protagonist sacrifices...another needy woman goes through.

What is strikingly different apart from the fact that there for once is a gujarati play with a story...it doesn't resort to the color blinding hues and box sets for a set design it has a commercial story a unique treatment and scintillating performances by the trio of Pratik Gandhi, Jigna Vyas and Malhar Thakkar.

Saumya Joshi - already a director to reckon with..the director who has given gujarati stage plays like Welcome Zindagi and 102 Not out does it once again. What is commendable is the honesty with which the play has been written (by Saumya Joshi himself) the characters have been etched the narrative has been chosen...every thing is just right

But Alas...this gem of a play didn't quite get the results it deserved. If you get a chance you have to watch it.

A RARE GEM!

Jail! What is the first thought that comes to your mind? Criminals, crime, police? When one would sit down to imagine how life in jail would be, how would one perceive it? Certainly not very positive.

Director Aseem Sinha (A graduate from FTII specializing in editing, an editor to innumerable award winning films), in his 53 min documentary 'Who killed my childhood' raises an issue very few would have imagined and treats it with utmost honesty and positivity. 

Women prisoners are allowed to keep the children with them in the jail till the child turns 6. Many a times an expectant mother is convicted and the child is delivered while she is serving a sentence. What would happen to the child's future. Suppose a woman has to serve a life term or a ten year term will her husband keep waiting for her to return. Will the family raise the child? Most of the times the reality is NO. 

In such cases the jail tries to provide an environment where the child can be nurtured. Classes where they learn ka,kha ga..trips to exhibitions etc for worldly exposure to name a few. It is not a rosy world out there. 

There can be negative influences. It is a jail after all. Quarrels, spats etc are bound to happen. So after 6 years of age child is shifted to a more conducive atmosphere such as a 'Child Welfare Centre'. But what happens to the bond between the mother and child. Is there a resolution. The child is neither convicted nor a criminal so it should not be kept in jail. But then it comes at the cost of separation from mother. Unfortunately there is no answer right now not only in India but world over.

Where the director scores is that the focus of the documentary never shifts. It is moving yet insightful. Yes it is the tellers choice here to highlight the positives but still the very sensitivity of the subject and its handling engages you and makes you feel for the plight of the mother as well as the child.

The documentary is produced by Public Broadcast Service Trust (PSBT). 

BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG!

1960 Olympics, Milkha Singh (Farhaan Akhtar), the star of India flutters at the last moment...loses the 400m race. A brilliant low to start with! The Government of India, wants him to go to Pakistan for a peace sport event. Milkha refuses. Representative (KK Raina) along with his ex coaches played by Pawan Malhotra and Yograj Singh (Yuvraj Singh's father) take a train from Delhi to Chandigarh to meet and convince Milkha because Milkha doesn't want to go to Pakistan. Why? Wait!

Iqbal ( a boy's personal struggle), Chak De India ( A coach and a teams struggle),Rang De Basanti (by the very same director) have a conflict. In Iqbal it is the father and a politically inclined coach who are Iqbal's road block. In Chak De it is the smothered impression of once India's best hockey player and an underdog team. In RDB it is the resistance to accept cook ups and false stories that leads to a revolution. In Bhaag Milkha...Milkha doesn't want to go to Pakistan...Why? Wait wait...

In the mean time we see attempts to make audiences laugh forcefully with a Jawan who has a falsetto voice, and one would wonder what was Prakash Raj doing in this film..Some training sequences give you a reminder that Nana Patekar waali Prahaar was so much better. Then they remind you of  Paan Singh...agar aap ko yaad ho dedh saal pehle ek film ayi thi jisme film ka mukhya kirdaar iss liye daudna shuru karta hai kyunki usse khurak (diet) zyaada mile. Then off course the action shifts to a sports ground...but Aamir Khan and Mamik and Deepak Tijori and their cycles looked so much better in the iconic JJWS (Jo Jeeta wohi Sikandar). But Milkha won't go to Pakistan.

Ok there is a small backstory that young Milkha was forced to come to India as most of his family was killed in now Pakistan. Luckily he finds his sister (Divya Dutta) in a refugee camp. The less the said about the track of her marital life the better. Oh and off course there was a love interest for whom Milkha would fill the madka and take it along from his gaaun all the way across the railway tracks along with Sonam Kapoor. Surprisingly though the railway station is clearly seen in the back ground a train never passes or crosses never a whistle is heard. Or maybe in 1950's and 60's the trains didn't blow whistles or maybe Delhi was not a busy station back then or whatever. At the same time in a perfrect day scene, not dusk nor dawn nor night I heard night cricket. My ears were ringing perhaps. And yes Milkha doesn't want to go to Pakistan! Why?v Humme bhi interval ke baad hi bataya gaya.

Ok back then Milkha would wear designer paghdis with polka dots or small checks or design and yes may be people in his village wore only yellows because huge sheets of yellow cloth was always drying in the background. Maybe a research expert would tell. And yes bollywood ho aur gaane naa ho. Maybe the music and the songs would sound good in an album but here it does nothing but add some 10-12 mins to the length of the film. 

Ok half an hour or may be even later post interval the film picks up..the conflict is established and we come to know that Milkha's family was butchered during the partition and hence he wouldn't want to go there. Accepted. But then Mr Prime Minister - Jawaharlal Nehru (Dilip Tahil) whispers something in his ears and says some 2-3 lines about what a soldier should be and bravo the conflict is resolved.

Milkha goes to his home and cries and cries. But with all the tears it fails to create the impact that a simple scene between Farhaan and Naseeruddin Shah created in Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara (All these comparisions because things seem to be borrowed and forced). 

Milkha creates records and wins the race in Pakistan and a somebody who is already a hero becomes a hero again. It is like creating a news out of Dhoni hitting sixes and winning India matches...wouldn't it be a bigger news if Ishant Sharma were to achieve the feat??

But the film has its moments too and glory too. One would feel like standing up and applauding the mammoth effort Farhaan Akhtar has put in. He convinces you every ounce that he is Milkha. He takes the film and a wafer thin plot stretched to even thinner by the sheer length of the film on his shoulders.It is a kudos performance and deserves all the glory.There are many scenes to write about but the best would be where he stands in front of mirror and keeps on slapping himself.  Other pillars of the film are Pawan Malhotra, Yograj Singh and Divya Dutta. Pawan Malhotra who did a Sardar in Jab we Met creates effortlessly a character all to gether different. Yograj Singh suits his role to the T and delivers a commendable performance. And yes you just have to see Divya Dutta emote. She scores yet again as she does almost everytime.

THEATRE THAT SHOULD BE NEVER MISSED (1)

Kharaashein 

Hindustani Play 

Designed and Directed by Salim Arif

Produced by Essay Communicaion

Written by Gulzar

 Based on communal riots in the country at various times and various parts, this is a collage of 4 short stories and nazms penned by Gulzar. Featuring the likes of Yashpal Sharma, Atul Kulkarni, Anoop Soni, Lubna Salim, Kishore Kadam, Ganesh Yadav the stories like Hilsa, Raavi Paar, Khauff, Khuda Hafiz raise goosebumps to say the least. 

The very opening of the play with an voice over of Gulzar flags off the play like hitting a sixer on ball one and it continues to be an engrossing, enlightening, intriguing and entertaining (for those who don't necessarily eqaute entertainment with laughter and humour with comedy). Also note the minimalistic set design!

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (13-14 JULY'13)

SAT 13TH JULY

The Vagina Monologues (Eng) (Dir Mahabaano Mody Kotwal) The Canvas Laugh Factory  Parel 6pm

Surdas (Hindi) (Shekhar Sen) Iskon Juhu 8pm

Alice in Wondeland (Eng) (Directed by Choiti Ghosh) AVE 29 7pm

Bombay Talkies (Eng)  ( Darshan Jhariwala, Anahita Uberoi, Namit Das) Prithvi Theatre Juhu 6 & 9 pm

SUN 14TH JULY

Hu Chandrakant Bakshi (Guj) (Dir Manoj Shah) Nehru Centre Worli 4pm

The Vagina Monologues (Eng) (Dir Mahabaano Mody Kotwal) The Canvas Laugh Factory  Parel 6pm

The History of India (Eng) (Vir Das) Sophia Auditorium Beach Candy 7.30pm

Dinner with Friends (Eng) (Dir Feroz Abbas Khan) St Andrews Bandra 7.30pm

Bombay Talkies (Eng) (Darshan Jhariwala, Anahita Uberoi, Namit Das) Prithvi Theatre Juhu 5 & 8 pm

ON THE SETS OF DAS CAPITAL - CITY OF SLAVES

Daas capital is a film set in 1980's in Bihar. Purshottam (Yashpal Sharma) is compelled to 

make some hard choices because of happenings around him.

NATIONAL AWARD WINNING GUJARATI FILM

A big hello to all my friends, especially who are based in Gujarat. We should be proud of the fact that a Gujarati film 'The Good Road' won a National Award this year. Though I do not have at hand all the facts figures and statistics but it has been long, sorry very very long since a Gujarati film won a National Award.

The film is written and directed by Gyan Correa, produced by NFDC and Amitabha Singh. Amitabha Singh is also the DoP (Director of Photography) for this film which features Sonali Kulkarni, Shyamji Bhai Kerasia, Ajay Gehi and others.

The film is shot extensively in the beautiful Rann of Kuchh. A film that should not be missed under any circumstances. 

The film releases on 19th July 2013. Please make it a point to watch it!

ME

LOOTERA - A MUST WATCH

In this day and age, when the world is growing so much more impatient, so much more noisy, so much more color blind in every which way you imagine, comes a director like Vikramaditya Motwane with a film like Lootera.

Lootera, being a commercial film, is not a functional way of story telling. In fact the potential in the story is fully exploited by the director. This is a story of a 'Lootera' who has come to steal all a Zamindar in Manikpur West Bengal has including a priceless murti. In the process his heart gets stolen, he wants to marry this girl but his uncle and the mastermind of all the robberies will not allow him to. The task has to be executed any how and so it happens. The Zamindar is foiled, his daughter is heart broken.

In the second half the drama moves to Dalhousie where the daughter has moved to after the Zamindar father's death and a broken engagement. Enter the Lootera again, this time to be on the radar of a cop. Chase and drama ensues, Lootera in panic shoots at his friend but manages to escape the cop. O' Henry's the last leaf takes off from here.

Where the film scores majorly is the direction. There are so many such small moments in the film that touch you. So many scenes that evoke laughter without even a line being spoken, without resorting to a cheap SMS joke. Over here the emphasis is more in between the lines rather than on the lines. And the victory here is that it is a task too tough to achieve in an age smooth and swift is equated to slow and boring because the mind has grown more restless. In fact the use of certain characters and car and car as a character has a deja vu effect...remember Udaan, directed by this very gentleman and the use of car!

The cinematography is very eye pleasing. There are certain portions which appear too grainy but overall it is a superb job. The Manikpurs and the Dalhousies are brought alive like a canvas painting and so are the characters who look so luminous. It gives a period feel as well because it has been set in 1950's. Another achievement here is the major portion of second half ...the snow clad Dalhousie! The tones and texture are amazing! Yaa friends words like  tones and textures still exist in the dictionary of film makers! Even I am surprised.

It would be of great significance to mention that the background score remains in background and yet again manages to enhance the drama. Silence does a lot of talking here...A very brave execution.

Performances are flawless, the script ie story screenplay are taut!

But above all the film belongs to the director - Vikramaditya Motwane! 

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (6-7JULY'13)

SAT 6TH JULY
Noises off  (English) (Director Atul Kumar) 11am Prithvi Theatre 
Sahi re Sahi (Marathi) ( Starring Bharat Jadhav) 4 30pm Gadkari Rangayatan
Blame it on Yashraj (English) (Director Bharat Dabholkar) 7 30pm St Andrews
Hamlet the Crown Prince (English) (Starring Rajat Kapoor) 6 and 9pm Prithvi Theatre 

SUN 7TH JULY
Hamlet the Crown Prince (English) (Starring Rajat Kapoor) 6 and 9pm Prithvi Theatre 
Maureen He and Me (English) (Starring Mini Ribeiro) 7pm Godrej Dance Theatre NCPA
Bahut Nachyo Gopal (Gujarati) (Starring Pratik Gandhi, Bhamini Oza Gandhi) 7pm NCPA Expt

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND (28-30 JUN '13)

FRI 28TH JUNE
Namaste (Hin) Premiere Shows (Ila Arun, KK Raina) Prithvi Theatre 9pm

SAT 29TH JUNE
Namaste (Hin) Premiere Shows (Ila Arun, KK Raina) Prithvi Theatre 6 and 9pm

SUN 30TH JUNE
Big Fat City (written and directed by Mahesh Dattani) St Andrews 7 30pm
Two to Tango Three to Jive (starring Saurabh Shukla) Manik Sabhagraha 6pm
Namaste (Hin) Premiere Shows  (Ila Arun, KK Raina) Prithvi Theatre 6 and 9pm
Bahut Nachyo Gopal (Gujarati) (Pratik Gandhi, Bhamini Oza Gandhi) Godrej Dance Academy NCPA 7pm

THEATRE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND

SAT 22ND JUNE

Big Fat City Premiere Show (written and directed by Mahesh Dattani) TATA THEATRE 7pm
Hu Chandrakant Bakshi (Gujarati) (directed by Manoj Shah) NCPA Experimental 7pm
One on One (produced by Rage Productions) Prithvi Theatre 6 and 9pm

SUN 23RD JUNE
Love Letters (produced by Rage Productions) Prithvi Theatre 11 30am
The Beauraucrat (produced by Rage Productions) Prithvi Theatre 5 30 and 8 30pm
Karl Marx in Kalbadevi (Gujarati) (directed by Manoj Shah) NCPA Experimental 7pm

TRIKAL - PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE

FILM: TRIKAL

DIR: SHYAM BENEGAL

FEATURING: NASEERUDDIN SHAH, ANITA KANWAR, NEENA GUPTA, ILA ARUN, KK RAINA, AKASH KHURANA, LUCKY ALI AND MANY MORE

When the film opens you wonder....why is this Goan character Ruiz Pareria (Naseeruddin Shah) speaking fluent urdu...I mean it is a realistic film so...??? But a few scenes down the line we see a few characters conversing in Portugal then a line 'Ab se ye kirdaar hume samajh me aaye aisi bhasha me baat karenge'...MASTERSTROKE!!!!

MASTERSTROKE!!!! is maybe the best way to define this film. Complex characters! An old lady Dona Maria Souzasoares (Leela Naidu) cannot accept that her husband is dead. Her daughter (Anita Kanwar) wants to get Anna (her daughter) married to Erasmo (Lucky Ali) - an eligible bachelor who has come with his parents all the way from Poutugal to seek the bride. Milagrenia (Neena Gupta) - an illegitimate daughter whose standing is no more than a servant and who is now a means through which Dona Maria tries to communicate to the spirit of her husband failing everytime. Kulbhushan Kharbanda who is the face of the spirits of people who were massacred due to Dona Maria's husband. Aurora (Soni Razdan) who is in love with a drunkard Francis and so on. The good thing here is that the complexities never end. Sometimes make you laugh at the black humor (Anita Kanwar's hysterical cries to the stupid face of her husband KK Raina) sometimes horrifying you with Neena Gupta's intense act, sometimes thrilling you because of its Pre liberation set up. You just cannot take your eyes off.

Kudos to the director and this enitre team of cast and crew who effortlessly pull off such a complex script, such complex characters with ease and humour. Music of the film is another surprise! It sounds way ahead of its time with rendations and compositions not only taking you to Goa and Portugal but also give you a sense of belonging in 2013 (and all this was achieved in 1985...almost 30 years ago). From beautiful production design to luminous camera work to the razor sharp editing to the ear soothing noise free music to delightful performances to the powerful script and direction every thing works for the film. If at all there could have been any imperfection in the film it could probably be the ball room dance sequence in the second half which could have been shorter one would feel. 

This is the film of 2018 made way ahead of its time in 1985!

HU CHANDRAKANT BAKSHI

PLAY: Hu Chandrakant Bakshi

DIR: Manoj Shah

PROD: Ideas Unlimited

WRITER: Shishir Ramawat

FEATURING: Pratik Gandhi

'Hu Chandrakant Bakshi' (I am Chandrakant Bakshi)....a monologue based on one of the most celebrated and most controversial Gujarati writer - Chandrakant Bakshi. Presented by Ideas Unlimited and directed by Manoj Shah (one of the most active director on experimental Gujarati theatre....may be one in the handful who has kept Gujarati theatre alive) enacted by Pratik Gandhi and written by Shishir Ramavat takes you through the journey of this writer, considered to be one of the most egoistic and the most loved of Gujarati writers, from his early days in Kolkata to his days in Mumbai where he wrote for a lot of daily newspapers, weekly magazines, became a professor of history at Mithibai college then went on to become the principal of Sharda college to be unceremoniously thrown of after a couple of years and then went on to become the sheriff of Mumbai. 

The narrative used here is very simple but words are woven and attitudes are defined very meticulously. It could easily have turned out into a verbose affair but the performance is engaging and enlightening to say the least.

The high points of the play include, a very effective light design (one of the best I have seen in Gujarati theatre), good use of music, minimalistic set design (the use of ladder needs special mention) and off course effortless portrayal of the character both in internalization as well as body language (here we see chandrakant bakshi from his college days to the time he must have been 50 something and had suffered a heart attack).

Worth a watch...Catch it at NCPA experimental theatre on Sat 22nd June 7pm