Monday, August 24, 2009

KAMINEY: LIKE IT OR DIFLIKE IT BUT YOU CANNOT IGNORE IT

When was the last time you came out of a film wishing you could go back in and watch it again immediately so the excitement in your stomach stays longer?

Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminey is a film you'll either love or passionately despise.

Shahid Kapur is cast as both twins, each saddled with a speech impediment. Charlie, the small-time gangster has a lisp, he pronounces every 's' as 'f'; meanwhile Guddu is a timid NGO worker who stammers when he speaks.

Kaminey is bold, stark, funny and unpredictable and that's what works in its favour. It is not the usual masala film. Sure, it's a well-made film, but there's no spoon feeding here. One has to be attentive, very attentive to grasp the goings-on and also the twists in the tale

The real strength of Kaminey is its writing. The non-linear screenplay is filled with unfamiliar twists and confusing turns that are likely to baffle you along the way; yet they're all neatly tied up and culminate in a thrilling climax which is violent and comical in equal parts.

The film's dialogue is top-notch; writer-director Vishal Bharadwaj finds a way to make the lines humorous without ever seeming to ask for a laugh.

With unchoreographed action scenes and dances, and long portions with no background score at all, it's a wildly imaginative, original offering from a fearless filmmaker who doesn't insult your intelligence.

Kaminey boasts the best performance you will see by an ensemble cast in a long time, and that includes even the bit players. Of the central cast, Amole Gupte is fantastic as the demented Jai Maharashtra-spouting gangster-politician Bhope,.

Shahid Kapur rises to the challenge of creating two entirely different characters out of Charlie and Guddu, and delivers a credible performance as each. Breaking out of his chocolate-boy image, he gives evidence of his potential when trusted with well-written roles.

Springing a delightful surprise in a smaller part is Priyanka Chopra as the feisty Sweety, who sprinkles her lines with a smattering of fluent Marathi and emerges one of the film's most lovable characters.

For an audience numbed by predictable Bollywood potboilers week after week, Kaminey might take some time to settle into; . It's not one of those lock-your-brains-at-home types, for sure. And that might not be too appealing a thought for those who swear by candyfloss or meaningless ha-ha-thons. So beware that you are intelligent enough before you enter cinema hall.

A must must watch as far as I am concerned….. Would love to hear from you.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

T20 WORLD CUP 2.0

The stage is set again and this time the battleground is England. As we get ready or the non stop action to start from tomorrow I was wondering on the importance of T20 game.

I really don't want to sound either like an old bore or a cricket snob. But at the beginning I didn’t like the idea of a compressed version of the game. I must confess, I began the T20 World Cup 1.0 with a mild sense of cynicism, which was due to my reservations about Twenty20 as a form of cricket.

Yet it's easy to see why Twenty20 has a future. It is far less demanding on the spectator: it requires much less patience, engagement, and understanding of the nuances. And it has no history or tradition to intimidate new audiences. Most of all, it is short and something is happening all the time. If you are not burdened with cricket's past and the knowledge of its finer, complex aspects, Twenty20 is pretty good entertainment.

Growing up watching cricket, I understood that Cricket, especially batting, is a combination of 3 Ts viz. Talent, Temperament and Technique. The shorter the game gets, the balance shifts from Temperament and technique towards talent. While some amount of Temperament and techniques is required in One Day Format, T20 Cricket is a showcase of talent. And to add to it… it is fast, exciting and is more often than not competitive.

Wherein Version 1.0 of T20 World Cup was surprising for the audience, people are now expecting the unexpected in version 2.0. This can never be a easy job. Ask any successful Film director…….. Its never easy to repeat a Blockbuster with another. Version 1.0 saw a bowl out …….2 major upsets ……. 2 unlikely finalists and a memorable nail biting Finals…… Could it get better ….. That is something that we get answer within next 20 days.

As of on my thoughts on the shorter version of the game well let me put it this way

Sport is about skills and possibilities. Tests provide the best platform for a full exhibition of cricket skills. Twenty20 shrinks that range. But spectator sports are also about enjoyment. People having a good time can't be such a bad thing after all.

I enjoy the contests and so does my mom …… and that’s what T20 Cricket is about…. Its about the masses ….. Class we can decide later.