Bombay Talkies- An Attack on Commercial Cinema!

A film that shuns romance claims to pay a tribute to the Indian Cinema. Perhaps that was meant to be funny coz the cine-makers otherwise seldom bother themselves with humor. Ok and the melodrama? Dude, shun that too coz we have had a 100 years- Enough of it, but then let’s call our compilation of short stories (some of them give you the sensational feeling of nothingness, but that’s ok) a tribute to 100 years of cinema. It didn't strike us that we could release this film a day earlier and call it a tribute to Ray, for it was his birthday- we only want to show realistic cinema but then CALL THAT A TRIBUTE TO 100 YEARS OF CINEMA. But what about the “stars”? - They are an important aspect of this industry? Don't we cast at-least a considerable number of them? Ah, don’t bother, we just have 1.5 Cr, but ya, lets do an acme song roping them in and making them mouth "Bombay Talkies" in the most effectively idiotic manner... Ah, we got Jhakaas-Aamir at centre, S-SS-SS-S- SRK and Eh, Akshay to the right and left- Jhaka-sssss-eh-chievement!

Somehow the filmmakers (exclude Johar) seem to be in awe of the lower middle class lifestyle. Alright. But what's with slaughtering entertainment? For Kashyap and Bannerjee probably, every street joker is a hero! So be it, but don't call it a tribute to Indian Cinema, for Mr. Bachchan's sake!

The offbeat genre is the most prominent connectivity among the four stories. The stories are very realistic and so much that it feels like you are spying lives onscreen. No story really bores you, considering their brevity, but few possess entertaining moments, pardon the cinematic sparks.

Karan Johar depicts the life of a married couple (Rani Mukerjee and Randeep Hooda), that changes when a gay (Saqib Salim) encounters them. Johar has done a fabulous job by picking up a story based upon an unusual theme and handling it tactfully. His piece is devoid of any artificiality. Homosexuality is a joke no more. He deals with the issue with sincerity and apt seriousness. The beautiful Rani Mukherjee deserves heaps of praise for her performance. She fits in so effortlessly that the character becomes synonymous with her. Randeep Hooda, a committed actor that he is, delivers a brilliant performance. Kudos to Johar for he is the only one who actually tackles a sensitive and controversial subject, like never before. He has pushed the boundaries for bolder, liberal and more sensible cinema to set in. He makes an effective usage of the songs- Lag Jaa Gale and Ajeeb Dasataan Hai Ye. Clearly, it is the best among the four- Watch this one.

Dibakar Bannerjee tells you a tale of a common man (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his struggle in life to earn money and prove his worth to his daughter. It is a narration of a day from the man’s life. It does not have anything catchy in particular, but it’s realistic. Now, Banerjee’s account makes you question if realism alone can provide the stamp of good cinema?

Zoya Akhtar depicts a story of a little boy (Naman Jain) aspiring to become a dancer while his father (Ranveer Shorey) wants him to get into profession meant for men. Though pulled off well, it seems like a short story meant for children! Katrina Kaif as a white angel preaching you to follow your heart and dreams is cute, not more than that. Akhtar’s story is simple and realistic. Let’s thank her for playing Shiela Ki Jawaani on the big screen again!

Anurag Kashyap, a filmmaker par brilliance that he is, remains loyal to his tried and tested cinematic flavor. The story is about an ordinary man (Vineet Kumar) who tries to meet the legenday Amitabh Bachchan in order to fulfill his father (Sudhir Pandey)’s last wish. Kashyap’s tale has its interesting points well laid out. An other aspect of his story is his subtle depiction of an innocent rural man learning the worldly tricks of harmless deception. Its musical score has been well composed. This one’s another story worth the watch. But if you’re not quite an offbeat person, you are likely to catch a “realistic ache” by the time this one sets in!

So but we don’t have any of those high power tension driven dialogues either- Ah, that’s alright coz its Bombay “Talkies”!

RATING- 3 stars