Film Review - Dharam Sankat Mein

Losing My Religion

Film: Dharam Sankat Mein

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Nasseruddin Shah

Directed by: Fuwad Khan

Duration: 2 hrs

Rating: * * 1 / 2

What would happen if one fine day, you discover that you were born in a different religion from the one you are professing? That is the basic premise of cinematographer turned director Fuwad Khan’s Dharam Sankat Mein which is officially a remake of The Infidels (2010) where a Muslim discovers that he was born to Jewish parents.

In this case, it is Dharampal (Paresh Rawal) who is more of a cultural Hindu who constantly questions many of the rituals and specially Godmen. His family are big fans of Neelanand Baba (Nasseruddin Shah) who like the Messenger of God, makes an entry on one of those heavy duty envious bikes and lives up to his name – everything from his attire to posters are blue. “Kya who filmein bhi neeli dekhte hain?” an appropriate question is asked.

When Dharampal opens his late mother’s bank locker, he discovers that he was adopted and his biological parents were Muslims. For someone who is not particularly fond of religion, he is a bit shaken up and traces his father who is ill in an old age home. The maulvi (Murli Sharma) tells him that he has to become a Muslim in terms of knowing the basic tenets of Islam before meeting his father. The man who can help him do that is his neighbour (Annu Kapoor) a lawyer. He teaches him the nuances of pronunciations and other mannerisms and some of those scenes are quite amusing. 

Dharampal is sandwiched between the two religions – his family insists he become a part of the godmans cult while on the other hand, he has to go out oh his way to learn another religion of which he knows nothing.

He studies Islam just so that he can meet his father and that reason is not very convincing. But it is just used as a device to challenge the common notions of religion and the screenplay does a commendable job of being equal opportunity offender. At the same time, it also plays it safe in many ways and doesn’t really push the envelope although you can’t fault the film makers for that - given the heightened sensitivity on matters of religion (the film apparently suffered at the hands of the censors), it is hard to deliver the envelope forget push it, never mind if the origin of the phrase had got noting to do with a literal envelope. Questioning beliefs is possible but faith is still a no-no.

The actors are in top form – Paresh Rawal is a seasoned actor and Annu Kapoor gives him good company. Nasseruddin Shah does justice to his flamboyant character. All said and seen, Dharam Sankat Mein deals with an important subject and nevermind if it is not entirely satisfying, it is still is a positive step towards better cinema. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 12th April 2015

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Film Review - Finding Fanny

Five's Company

Film: Finding Fanny (Engish version)

Cast: Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Nasseruddin Shah

Directed by: Homi Adajania

Duration: 1 hr 42 mins

Rating: * * *

First things first, even though the film has conventional actors, Finding Fanny on almost all counts, it is diametrically opposite to the mainstream Bollywood films that are released. To be clear, this film was shot in English and dubbed in Hindi subsequently.

Clocking well under two hours, it is crisp, funny, and quirky and gives a lot to cheer about. The basic plot itself doesn’t have a great deal to harp about but it is the ancillaries that lift the film and the devil still lies in the detail.

After an impressive debut with Being Cyrus, Adjania disappointed with Cocktail which was a run of the mill Bollywood product. Thankfully, he is back to where he belongs, on the road less traveled.

Set in a fictitious and idyllic village in Goa called Poccolim, there are five central characters in this story. Angie (Deepika Padukone) a widow lives with her mother-in-law (Dimple Kapadia), a bossy woman who is also the first lady of the village. Don Pedro (Pankaj Kapur) is a painter and a man with apparently good tastes who has moved to this village and his eyes are firmly on Rosy. Arjun Kapoor plays Savio, another gent who has returned to his land after a break. Once upon a time, he almost had a thing going with Angie. 

That leaves us with Ferdie (Nasseruddin Shah) who had professed his love to Fanny almost half a century ago via snail mail but discovers that the letter never reached her. Together they all set off on a trip to find Fanny.

They have another companion with them and that is Rosy’s beloved cat and the episode involving the feline provides a few laughs (Wes Anderson's recent masterpiece The Grand Budapest Hotel also involves a cat who suffers a somewhat similar fate)

It’s not just Ferdie who is looking for something or someone. Angie at some point realizes that she is in love with Savio and even though he reciprocates, he can’t spell it out. Don Pedro constantly remains in hot pursuit of Rosie, only she appears to be the one who is unattached but that is because of her past.

The film is sprinkled with humor and some clever lines which keep it going but the screenplay hits a few roadblocks particularly in the latter half when it becomes a road movie. There is not much of an attempt there to push the envelope and you can’t read too much in the characters or their motives. 

But there are far more positives than grievances – the film is gorgeously shot by Anil Mehta and the interiors of Goa have never looked better on screen.

Interestingly, there are no landmarks of Goa in the film (which otherwise is the norm) and most of it is in the countryside. I also particularly liked the way they have largely used mid shots and close ups in the first half and yet made it look so beautiful and appropriately convey the flavor of the village.

The background score which was very apt and the quirkiness of the characters is reminiscent of those Eastern European films, Kusturica’s Black Cat White Cat would be one. In what seems like a continuity error there is a scene involving blue can white can.

The actors also help to elevate the film – Dimple Kapadia as Rosy is superb, note the scene how her expressions change in those few shots after she sees what Don Pedro has painted her as. Nasseruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur are too good to let such roles go waste. Arjun Kapoor fits the bill and Deepika adds yet another feather to her cap, as Angie she sparkles.

All in all, Finding Fanny offers something you don’t get to see often in the weekly Friday releases.

Published in The Navhind Times on 14th Sept 2014
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Film Review - Dedh Ishqiya

Sight For Sore Eyes

Film: Dedh Ishqiya (with English Subtitles)
Cast: Nasseruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi
Directed by: Abhishek Chaubey
Duration: 2 hrs 32 mins
Rating: *  *  *  *

Once in a blue moon you get a film that is delightful, has a good story, excellent dialogues, is very well acted and also very witty - in other words, it has the X factor. During times when, forget the sequel, even the first part of most films is unbearable, Director Abhishek Chaubey who delighted us with Ishqiya (2010) doesn’t disappoint. The surprise element may be missing but be that as it may, Dedh Ishqiya is more than just one and half times better than most of the weekly stuff dished out every Friday.

The devil as they say, lies in the detail and since a lot of attention is paid to it here, it is this element that will enamor you. It has been a while since we saw some chaste Urdu (or Hindustani as it is known in cinema) on the big screen. Darab Farooqui, Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey have done a marvelous job as far the writing is concerned - the dialogues are seamless, not a single line looks out of place.

Last time around, the lingo was Bhopali but this time, we are in Uttar Pradesh, where Khalujaan (Nasseruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) are back to their antics. After stealing a necklace they part ways only to meet again in Mahmoodabad in Awadh at one of those crumbling mansions where poetry sessions are still the in thing. The host is Begum Paro (Madhuri Dixit) a widow who is looking for a suitor. Her woman Friday is Muniya (Huma Qureshi) who is also in the thick of things and Vijay Raaz plays a politician who is first in the queue to become the Nawab of Mahmoodabad. In one of the many hilarious scenes, he kidnaps a poet curiously called Noor Mohammed Italvi, whose mummy is Italian and father is an Indian.

Love, heartbreak, deception, double crossing – its all there to make up for the second half which includes a shoot out filmed at a fairly deserted railway station, with Begum Akhtar’s Wo jo hum mein tum mein karaar tha playing the background. 

And who would have thought that someday we would hear Begum Akhtar (Hamriatariya pe aao is also brilliantly used) and Yo Yo Honey Singh in the same film!  

There are some hilarious scenes like the all night stand off between the two warring sides and some funny lines like the one where a U.P. don (Salman Shahid) says “Batman ka naam suna hain? Agar Joker mar gaya to saala Batman kya karega? Ghar baith ke aataa goondega?”  There are evocative scenes as well where the Begum calls Khalu by his name (Ifthekar) and he replies by saying that his first name never sounded so good.

The writers have also pushed the envelope as far as portraying the relationship between the two prime characters is concerned.  

For those interested in poetry, there is a lot to appreciate here, especially the many verses of Dr. Basheer Badr (Yahaan libaas ki keemat hai aadmi ki nahi / mujhe gilass bada de sharaab kam de)

Nasseruddin Shah in the costume and the character, reminds you of another role that he essayed, Mirza Ghalib. Needless to say, his performance is solid. After last weeks disastrous Mr.Joe B.Carvalho, it is such a relief to see Arshad Warsi do a role where he can truly showcase his talent. Vijay Raaz as the desperate lover is perfect for a few laughs. Like their counterparts, the ladies also have delivered what is expected. Madhuri Dixit’s as the dignified widow is apt and a feisty Huma Qureshi shows that she is a powerhouse when it comes to talent.

Dedh Ishqiya is sight for sore eyes. Go for it.

Published in The Navhind Times on 12th Jan 2014

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Film Review -Jackpot

                                             

From Boom To Bust

Film: Jackpot

Cast: Nasseruddin Shah, Sunny Leone, Sachiin Joshi

Directed by: Kaizad Gustad

Duration: 1 hr 32 mins

Rating: * 1 / 2

Jackpot directed by Kaizad Gustad is one of those films that try to be very clever and takes itself so seriously that at no stage does it realize it has become a parody. Even at 92 minutes including a couple of songs, it appears to be way too long.  

To be fair, the basic plot had some potential but even to spot that, you have to really stretch your imagination. Set in Goa, Nasseruddin Shah plays a casino owner with dreadful dreadlocks. He is simple known as boss. Not sure what exactly Sunny Leone’s character is designated as- she is his secretary, casino manager, woman Friday all rolled in one. 

A self proclaimed con artist Francis (Sachiin Joshi) teams up with them and hatches a rather contrived plot to buy a big chunk of land which also involves another complicated conspiracy. 

Using a non linear structure, Gustad attempts a film that makes it to the so bad-that-its good category. Wonder what prompted Nasseruddin Shah to take up this role but he shines whenever he is on the screen, as he usually does and Sunny Leone is there to fulfill the glamour quotient which she does quite well.

The odds of coming out of the theater tearing your hair are considerably high with this Jackpot. 

Published in the Navhind Times on 15th Dec 2013

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Film Review - John Day

 

                    Revenge is His                 

Film: John Day

Cast: Nasseruddin Shah, Randeep Hooda

Directed by: Ahishor Solomon

Duration: 2 hrs 5 mins

Rating: * *

John Day is a film that starts off with a promise but by the end, it fritters it away. If one were to trace a graph, it would be like a parabola. It goes up, up for a while and then the slide starts. It has an interesting premise albeit inspired by the Spanish film Box 507 (2002) but output is not very satisfactory.

  

Nasseruddin Shah plays the title role of John Day, a bank manager with permed hair trying to overcome grief in his personal life. His young daughter died a couple of years back under mysterious circumstances and his wife (Shernaz Patel) is grieving even more. While he is taken hostage during a bank robbery, it throws some clues about his daughter’s death. Day saab then takes up the full time job of investigating the matter.

The other main character is a police guy (Randeep Hooda) a very angry young man. Among other tragedies in his childhood, he was molested by a priest and as a result he is so bitter. As a cop though, he is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.

While the film keeps you reasonably interested in the first half, it still moves like a driver on a highway who refuses to move into top gear. The plot which tries to be too smart for its own good falls apart considerably, later.     

The characterization is not very assuring – yes John Day is avenging his daughter’s death but the manner in which he goes about it lacks conviction.  Same with the cop, he is a vicious guy, doesn’t show much respect for his girlfriend yet he loves her a lot and she likes to drink like a fish. Then there is lot of violence, tongues are bitten off and heads are beaten to pulp.

Though director Ahishor Solomon has lifted the story, the attempt is to do something different but it turns out  to be gravely flawed. There are no songs but Sandeep Chowta’s background score goes into overdrive at times. And what was the point of the rendition of Silent Night used during that long and pointless chase sequence?

Vipin Sharma as the investigating police officer has his moments. Randeep Hooda does full justice and makes the best of his role. Nasseruddin Shah as we know can hardly put a foot wrong and delivers yet another remarkable performance. But the rest of John Day is not in the same league.

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