City Lights (2014)

My Ratings: 4/5

After the National Award winning film Shahid, (director) Hansal Mehta and (actor) Rajkummar Rao comes together with yet another promising film – City Lights.

The dazzling lights in the big cities are often tempting from a distance but on a closer look one notices the dark shadows they cast that can easily swallow the weak and the naive along with their little expectations.

Deepak Singh (Rajkummar Rao), his wife Rakhi (Patralekha) and their sweet young daughter – lost and fragile yet desperate to try their luck in the city of Mumbai.

In this film we get to see a glimpse of the ugly side of Mumbai, the famous city of dreams that ruthlessly crushes the dreams of the poor and the helpless only to feed the riches. People are cheated manipulated and humiliated, pushed to their limits until they fight back and demand their existence.

City Lights is uncomfortably raw; it makes us look at poverty and despair from disturbing proximity.

A remake of the British film Metro Manila, City Lights is a superb effort to tell the story of the ordinary – their lives, their wishes and their endless limitations.

Brilliant performance by Rajkummar Rao – I personally think he deserves another National Award for this act. The portrayal of a naïve Rajasthani villager – the accent, the body language, the tone, the expressions – he was just perfect.

Patralekha, the debutant actress also did a pretty good job but the surprise package in the film is Manav Kaul who plays the superior of Rajkummar in the film. A very powerful actor – so natural and spontaneous.

The director Hansal Mehta has done it again. It seems that he has perfected the art of telling stories of ordinary people in a simple, realistic fashion which is kind of rare in Bollywood. He along with his cinematographer Dev Agarwal has deliberately set a dark tone for City Lights to get the gritty feel of poverty and hunger. A wise decision.

Well edited by Apurva Asrani and of course with the backing of Mahesh Bhatt (in production and marketing levels) the film has evolved into a fine piece of cinema.

The only problem is the songs in the film; actually it’s not that the songs are bad but I think they are over-used. It can be irritating at times when every emotional scene is underlined by heavy doses of mediocre songs in the background. Then again Jeet Ganguly could have done better.

On the whole a very emotional film; it certainly makes you reach out for the central characters – to warn them, to protect them from this cruel world (or rather the cruel city).

It’s not advisable to miss this film.

List of Legendary Actors who also directed films

Did you know that so many of our favorite actors are directors as well? May be all are not as glorious and successful as Charlie Chaplin or Clint Eastwood but some of these Hollywood actors who also directed films deserves a pat on their shoulders.

Let’s see how many of these movies have you seen which are directed by these legendary actors.

Actor turned Director                Popular films directed

(Note: many of the actors have directed more films than mentioned here but i have listed only the popular ones)

Kirk Douglas                                  Scalawag (1973), Posse (1975)

Richard Burton                            Doctor Faustus (1967)

Diane Keaton                                Unstrung heroes (1995)

Billy Bob Thornton                    Sling Blade (1996)

Danny DeVito                              Throw Momma from the train (1987)

John Wayne                         The Alamo (1960), The Green Berets (1968)

Liv Ullmann                                     Sofie (1992), Faithless (2000)

Barbra Streisand                         Yentl (1983), The prince of tides (1991) 

Paul Newman                                 The glass Menagerie (1987)

Bill Murray                                       Quick Change (1990)

Alec Baldwin                                      Shortcut to Happiness (2003)

Ed Harris                         Pollock (2000), Appaloosa (2008)

Denzel Washington                      The great Debaters (2007)

Ethan Hawke               Chelsea Walls (2001), The Hottest state (2006)

Forest Whitaker         Waiting to Exhale (1995), Hope Floats (1998)

Sylvester Stallone                     Rambo (2008),The expendables (2010)

Jodie Foster                              Little man Tate (1991),The beaver (2011)

Ben Stiller                                   The Cable guy (1996), Zoolander (2001)

Ralph Fiennes               Coriolanus (2011), The invisible woman (2013)

Jack Nicholson                        Goin’ South (1978), The Two Jakes (1990)

Morgan Freeman                       Bopha! (1993)

Drew Barrymore                       Whip It (2009)

Antonio Banderas        Crazy in Alabama (1999), Summer Rain (2006)

Nicolas Cage                                  Sonny (2002)

Angelina Jolie                               In the land of blood and honey (2011)

Anthony Hopkins                      Dylan Thomas: Return Journey (1990)

Dustin Hoffman                          Quartet (2012)

Keanu Reeves                              Man of tai Chi (2013)

Tom Hanks                                     That thing you do! (1996)

Johnny Depp                                 The Brave (1997)

Robert De Nero      A Bronx Tale (1993), The Good Shepherd (2006)

Al Pacino                                             Chinese coffee (2000), Salomé (2013)

Kevin Costner          Dances with wolves (1990), The postman (1997)

Mel Gibson                                        Braveheart (1995), Apocalypto (2006)

Sean Penn                                          The pledge (2001), Into the wild (2007)

George Clooney                            The ides of March (2011) 

Ben Affleck                                        Argo (2012), Gone baby gone (2007)

Bollywood films inspired from Hollywood (20+1 List)

Creativity starts from imitation. The perfect examples are the numerous Bollywood films inspired from Hollywood movies or from cinema around the world.

But getting inspired is also an art – not everyone can take inspiration to a different level of success.

Here is a list of Bollywood films inspired from Hollywood or World Cinema (most of them are successful in their own way).

Lets see how many of you have seen the original versions of these famous Bollywood films!

    Bollywood films inspired             from         Hollywood/World Cinema

20.           Chachi 420 (1997)                                             Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

19.            Ghajini (2008)                                                                  Memento (2000)

18.            Zinda (2006)                                                                           Oldboy (2003)

17.           Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)                            French kiss (1995)

16.            Satte pe satta (1982)             Seven brides for seven brothers                                                                                                                                               (1954)

15.            Sajaan (1991)                                           Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

14.            Bheja Fry (2007)                                           The dinner game (1998)

13.            Jodi no. 1 (2001)                                             We’re no angels (1989)

12.            Ek Ajnabee (2005)                                                    Man on fire (2004)

11.          Hum hain rahi pyar ke (1993)                              Houseboat (1958)

10.          Kaante (2002)                                                      Reservoir Dogs (1992)

9.             Aitraaz (2004)                                                                 Disclosure (1994)

8.             Murder (2004)                                                                Unfaithful (2002)

7.             Ghulam (1998)                                             On the waterfront (1954)

6.             Musafir (2004)                                                                        U Turn (1997)

5.             Life in a metro (2007)                                      The Apartment (1960)

4.             Murder 2 (2011)                                                          The Chaser (2008)

3.             Guzaarish (2010)                                                  The sea Inside (2004)

2.           Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995)           Kramer vs, Kramer (1979)

1.     Dil hai ki Manta Nahin (1991)             It happened one night (1934)

and finally

+1         Kahaani (2012)                                                              Taking Lives (2004)

 

Fading Gigolo (2014)

My Ratings: 2.5/5

Fading Gigolo desperately tries to be funny and sensitive at the same time …

When you see the trailers or get curious about the casting of a particular film, unconsciously in a way you tend to anticipate about how the film should be. But it’s not necessary that your expectations will be rewarded all the time. For me Fading Gigolo is such a breach of expectation.

John Turturro, mostly famous for his roles in the Coen brother’s films like Miller’s Crossing and Barton Fink is playing the lead in Fading Gigolo (he is the gigolo on hire). More importantly John Turturro has written and directed the film as well!

Woody Allen takes the second lead. He is Murray – the funny blabbering old man who turns into a pimp and happily sends his lonely friend Fioravante (John Turturro) to the rich and horny ladies for cash.

Some of these affluent ladies are worth mentionable – the sexy Sharon Stone and the voluptuous Sofia Vergara. Lucky Fioravante had the opportunity to have a threesome with these two hotties but alas he couldn’t enjoy the experience – because the poor bugger was in love.

That’s where Venessa Paradis comes in. She is playing Avigal, the widow of a Rabbi with whom Fioravante (John Turturro) hopelessly falls in love.

Will his love be returned or Fioravante will remain lonely and sad … and by profession a part time gigolo forever?

The answers to the above questions are all there in the film but I think the real question should be – is the film worth watching?

Honestly for me this slow paced movie (though often contains sparks of genuine emotions) overall doesn’t come out that entertaining.

Fading Gigolo starts with a funny and amusing note (much like a Woody Allen film) but gradually shifts into a thoughtful emotional drama about love and loneliness. It’s a task to be funny and intellectual and sensitive all at the same time – not impossible but very difficult.

Acting wise everyone did their job pretty well – but no one is outstanding enough to be mentioned separately.

Despite of the appealing star cast, the overdose of Jewish humor, the occasional touchy moments and the presence of Woody Allen the film falls short somewhere in the run.

A onetime-watch maybe – only if you are a big fan of Woody Allen.

Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2epX4tXfic

Apur Panchali (2014)

My Ratings: 4/5

Apur Panchali is a Bengali film (in Bengali language) fortunate enough to get a release in Mumbai and of course I didn’t miss the opportunity.

Last year I watched a film Shabdo directed by Kaushik Ganguly and since then I try not to miss any of his films. In Apur Panchali the director has once again proved his mettle – his unique concept and innovative execution brings back our belief in Bengali Cinema.

Child actors are famous even before they are old enough to spell the word ‘fame’. But how many of them can retain their fame till adulthood? Do people really care what happens to them?

Kaushik Ganguly showcases this issue as the backdrop of his film Apur Panchali as he reveals the life story of the most celebrated child actor of one time  – Subir Banerjee, who played the part of young Apu in the  film ‘Pather Panchali’ directed by Satyajit Ray.

Now as the story goes, a young film-student Arka (Gaurav Chakrabarty) is responsible to contact the long forgotten child actor Subir Banerjee since a German award committee has decided to invite him to Germany in order to felicitate him as the most famous child actor of all times!

Now isn’t that great news? Young Arka is super excited.

But when he finally meets the middle aged, temperamental Subir Banerjee (played superbly by Ardhendu Banerjee), we (the audience) along with Arka are surprised to see that the once world-famous child actor now doesn’t even want to admit that he had any connection with films or acting whatsoever.

Subir Banerjee is living a lonely, middle-class life far from the stardom of the glamorous film world. He even refuses to accept the felicitation letter and gets irritated whenever the name ‘Apu’ or ‘Pather Panchali’ comes up!

Now that’s unexpected and bad news especially for our friend Arka – who needs to work hard to convince this grumpy, ill-tempered man to make him see some sense.

What is the reason of Subir Banerjee’s aloofness? Did he ever want to become an actor? How different was his real life when compared with the reel life of Apu as shown in Satyajit Ray’s next two sequels of Pather Panchali?

These questions and much more are answered in this sensitive, emotional drama Apur Panchali.

Kaushik Ganguly’s decision to use the original Pather Panchali footage along with the present story-line easily creates a nostalgic mood that works in favor of the director.

But on the other hand the constant usage of such classic footage from a Satyajit Ray-directed film gives the audience an unnecessary chance to compare Apur Panchali with the original masterpiece.  You know it’s unfair but then again you cannot help it.

Parambrata Chatterjee, Parno Mitra and Ritwick Chakraborty – all of them have given matured performances. Kaushik Ganguly as usual makes his presence in a small but sensitive role – a special appearance.

Film Editor Bodhaditya Banerjee have done a great job – very well planned and flawless editing throughout the film.

Indraadip Das Gupta’s music is pleasing to the ears – well balanced and appropriate.   

Overall Apur Panchali is a quality film very well written and presented. I will highly recommend it to anyone with a passion for movies.

Bengalis – a must watch; even if you are not a Bong but love Satyajit Ray films especially Pather Panchali – go for it.

Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxKylESYoa0 

Children of War (2014)

My Ratings: 4/5

Children of War is one of the most sincere films I have seen in the recent times.

I won’t recommend this film for children or even adults with weak hearts since Children of War showcases some of the most visually disturbing images of rape, torture and genocide ever seen in Indian Cinema.

But most importantly Children of War voices the truth.

The film successfully recreates the horrific crimes orchestrated by Pakistan over the Bangladeshi (Bengali) people in the pre-independence era of Bangladesh in 1971.

For nine months the common people of Bangladesh (then-East Pakistan) were tortured and denied of their rights to form a separate democratic country. Surprisingly the world turned a blind eye to this genocide until India took it personally and overpowered the Pakistani troops (in more sophisticated words: kicked their asses big time) along with the help of Bangladeshi resistance force (Mukti Bahini).

Children of War makes us revisit those horrific pages of history and acknowledge the sufferings of those innocent lives of Bengali people lost in the battle for the independence of Bangladesh.

The film has a soul of its own that connects to you – hats off to the first-time director Mrityunjay Devvrat for making Children of War so real.

Indraneil Sengupta, Raima Sen, Tilotama Shome, Victor Banerjee, Farooq Sheikh – all did a good job but the man who steals the show is the evil Pakistani commander Pavan Malhotra – brilliantly wicked.

In the film Malik (Pavan Malhotra) who is in charge of a Pakistani war camp believes that if enough Bangladeshi girls (war prisoners) are raped and made to bear Pakistani children then the idea of revolution for their separate country will eventually die down. So under his observation women of all ages who are dumped in that war camp are routinely raped and tortured till they become pregnant with the so called ‘children of war’.

We also experience the story of a brother (Riddhi Sen) and sister (Rucha Inamdar) who has lost everything of their own including their parents – their only aim is to reach India where they can be safe. But can they survive till the end of their journey?

On the other hand there is the journalist (Indraneil Sengupta) who is forced to take up a gun instead of his pen to fight back against the injustice and also to search his wife (Raima Sen) who is imprisoned in the war camp of Malik.

The film tells us such tales of intolerable human suffering that somehow make us feel guilty – guilty of being proud of our over-glorified human existence.

Children of war is a film everyone should watch – not only because it’s a very well-made film but also to have a better understanding of the world history.

And then you only wish that history doesn’t repeat itself … ever.

Film trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xWa-pBtdQ

 

 

Hawaa Hawaai (2014)

My ratings: 4/5

Cinema can be categorized in many genres and then listed, rated, criticized and even appreciated. Personally I relish to do all the above whenever I get the time and opportunity. But sometimes after watching films like Hawaa Hawaai I feel films shouldn’t be discussed at all; they should only be experienced.

Well, on second thought I WILL discuss Hawaa Hawaai with you all … of course I will.

Amole Gupte (the director) and Partho Gupte (the child actor), the father-son duo who made news with their earlier film Stanley ka Dabba have done it once again.

Their latest release Hawa Hawai is soulful, sincere yet a simplistic film that successfully captures innocence (believe me it’s the toughest thing to capture in cinema).

Roller skating is the new sport in town and Arjun (Partho Gupte) the young assistant-chaiwala dreams to be a champion skater.

And why not – after all Arjun is lucky enough to be coached by Lucky Sir, the most passionate skating teacher in the block (played superbly by Saqib Saleem). This teacher-student relation (Eklavya-Dronacharya combo) is very well portrayed throughout the film.

Probably the most important element that connects the audience with the film is the purity in young Partho’s smile. The kid gives us one of the most matured child-artist performances ever in the history of Bollywood– never going over the top, always the right balance of emotions.

Undoubtedly the credit goes to the director Amole Gupte who have not only made his son act so well but also managed to get wonderful performances out of the four kids who are the best buddies of Arjun in the film. These talented group of kids pump life into the film.

Hawaa Hawaai often tries to make certain statements regarding several issues of our society which we are habituated to overlook on a daily basis.

The director intentionally shows us parallel shots of kids from higher sections of the society going to school where as other children who cannot afford the price of education are utilized as child labors in different sectors of our society. The comparison is subtle and effective.

A few other concerns like ‘drink and drive’, problems of getting admitted in the hospital for the poor, farmer suicides are also addressed in the film but fortunately not in a preachy way.

The last bit of the film though highly predictable (especially the skating competition part) is unnecessarily dramatized  but other than that a superb film.

Meaningful music by Hitesh Sonic, great casting by Jitendra Rai and once again brilliant performances by every single person in the film.

Hawaa Hawaai is a film that will inspire you and lead you closer to your passion.

Watch watch watch.

Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8WEqUvoJw4

Best of Bollywood 2012 and 2013 (10+1 list)

Best of Bollywood 2012 and 2013

written by Souranath Banerjee

Best of Bollywood 2012 and 2013 is the list of some of my most favorite Hindi films (in Hindi language) in the recent times.

Kind of a flashback of the last two years and if you have missed any of these films (though i very much doubt it) no need to feel guilty. Watch them as soon as possible and you will be forgiven.

This list is especially for my friends who are foreign based or foreign to Bollywood films and many a times ask me to suggest some meaningful Bollywood cinema … well, this list is all you need.

10. Kai po che! (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdXD5YIEhuA

Kai Po Che poster

Very rarely it happens that a film turns out to be better than the book it’s based on.

Rajkummar Rao, Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh have given their best performances – after ‘Rock on’ this is again a great film by director Abhishek Kapoor.

A story of friends and friendship beautifully told.

9. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3PZbL8JGYQ

gangs of wasseypur poster

Anurag Kashyap at his best, Gangs of Wassypur is an epic story of violence between two families.

A raw desi masala tale of revenge and betrayal that takes three generations to come to a resolution.

Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Piyush Mishra … entertainment unlimited.

8. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT–NbNqiHE

paan singh tomar poster

A biographical drama on the life of the famous Indian athlete Paan Singh Tomar who turned into a decoit in his later days.

The film won that years’s National Award in the ‘Best Feature Film’ category and Irfan khan won the National Award for the ‘Best Actor’.

Tigmanshu Dhulia gives us probably the most unique and brilliant film of the year 2012.

7. Shanghai (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNbGmjD2_qQ

shanghai posterThe best political thriller of Bollywood till date.

A remake of the Greek director Costa-Gavras’s political drama ‘Z’ or rather adopted from the same novel written by Vasilis Vasilikos Shanghai keeps up to it’s promise.

Yet another feather on Dibakar Banerjee’s cap – superb performances by Abhay Deol and Emraan Hashmi.

6. Kahaani (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1wEeuAosNM

kahaani poster

Kahaani which literally means ‘story’ is indeed one of the best mystery stories of that year told by director Sujoy Ghosh.

Vidya Balan, the helpless pregnant lady desperately searching for her husband in Kolkata – a search that gets too dangerous and ends with a twist to remember.

If you haven’t seen this film yet you are missing something.

5. The Lunchbox (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK3R0rvnlPs

The LunchBox poster

Arguably the perfect choice for the Oscars from India last year (though the Gujarati film Good Road was sent instead).

A terrific film – simple yet crisp and full of soul.

Top rated performances by Irfan khan, Nawazuddin Sidiqui and Nimrat Kaur – what an extraordinary debut film by Ritesh Batra!

4. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u71swQ4ksgI

bhag milkha bhag poster

Another biographical film adds to this list – Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s take on one of India’s all time legend athlete Milkha Singh.

A brilliant film that received the national award for ‘Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’.

Farhan Akhtar bagged almost all the popular awards as the Best Actor – splendid performance.

3. Barfi! (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ijur-W6vW8

Barfi poster

Barfi! was the film India sent to the Oscars in 2012.

Salute to the director Anurag Basu for such wonderful concept and direction.

Ranbir Kappor and Priyanka Chopra have given their performances till date.

A fun filled film that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

2. OMG: Oh My God! (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nUwpoTrWFk

Oh My God Poster

In such a religiously frantic country like India you have to give credit to the film that raises its voice against religious corruption and that too in such an entertaining manner.

A common man who dares to take God to the court room!

Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar’s superb performance and Umesh Shukla’s direction – a real OMG film in a good way.

1. Shahid (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p8LyAte-M8

shahid poster

You can guess a film’s worth when that film has won National Awards in both ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Actor’ category.

Very recently saw the film and i was a spellbound.

Hansal Mehta has evolved into a fine director and Rajkummar Rao – what natural acting man!

Watch it. You won’t regret.

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch).

+1. Ship of Theseus (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5JW92zk32s

ship of theseus poster

Won the National Award for Best Feature Film – this film is truly an unique experience.

Three different stories brilliantly woven into one, arty and matured, intelligent and honest.

Anand Gandhi has paved a new path to sophisticated cinema and raised the bars for the other film-makers.

The success of this particular film proved that the so called Bollywood-audience only craving for hard-core commercial masala films is only a myth. Lets hope and wish for a better future of Bollywood in the coming years!

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com.

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

My Ratings: 3/5

The film Million Dollar Arm is based on a true story. A story dipped in desperate ambition; a story coated with emotions and beliefs; a story that unexpectedly changed the lives of two teenagers from India for good.

After Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire this film is probably the next most successful Indian tale told by the foreigners.

And it seems that Oscar winning music director A.R.Rahman is definitely a common factor whenever Hollywood decides to take the Indian route.

Million Dollar Arm is a biographical sports drama about an American sports agent J.B. Bernstein (played by Jon Hamm in the film).In the verge of getting broke J.B. Bernstein had this brainwave to train young cricketers (bowlers) from India into professional Baseball players (pitchers) for the major baseball league in the US.

What an idea Sirji !

So according to the plan J.B. Bernstein promptly fly to India and organize a talent hunt by the name of ‘Million Dollar arm’. The search goes on for months until they find two teenagers Rinku and Dinesh (both from rural background) who can throw the ball accurately and at the desired speed. So they get selected and go to US for further training.

Eventually their bonding with J.B.Sir (J.B. Bernstein’s name shortened with respect) gets stronger and after initial failures Rinku and Dinesh do get selected to play in the US baseball league. Dreams that they have never even seen comes true.

I liked the intention of the film Million Dollar Arm but the execution could have been better in a few blocks.

For instance the casting of the two young Indian boys could have been much better- ideally someone fresh. In the film Rinku is played by Suraj Sharma (from Life of Pi) and Dinesh by Madhur Mittal (from Slumdog Millionaire) – both of them a tad too sophisticated for a rural Indian teenager (it’s not enough  just to pretend to have a language problem but it’s also about the overall body language).

I think Pitobash has done a much better job. He is so natural and has a great comic timing.

While on the topic of acting Alan Arkin and Lake Bell has to be mentioned. Jon Hamm also did a decent job playing the central character – nothing extraordinary but nothing to complain about as well.

The other thing that comes to my mind is the way India is shown in Hollywood films. The same traffic problem, Indian men being late and lazy at work, Indian food too spicy to handle, Indians moving their heads sideways as a yes …. I mean com’on you foreign directors – bring something fresh on the table.

I felt a few sequences are a bit hurried up. Especially after the initial setback when J.B.Sir tries to mingle with the boys – the bonding between them seemed a bit too sudden. It is like the director Craig Gillespie saying – now it’s time to wrap up the film so hurry up you guys and be good to each other.

On the whole Million Dollar Arm is a decent emotional film though – a one-time watch for sure.

Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiC8o7i_ZqE

Kya Dilli kya Lahore (2014)

My Ratings : 3.5/5

Courage is not only expected from the soldiers of our country – sometimes we (the audience of India) demand courageous films as well. And films like Kya Dilli kya Lahore dare to stand up to our expectations.

Shot in a single location with only two main characters, the film successfully represents the sentiments of the people of Hindustan and Pakistan right after the historic partition of India in 1947. A unique story of affection and brotherhood – where rivalries between the two countries take a back seat and soldiers choose to become humans first.

A big round of applause for the debutant director Vijay Raaz for choosing such an offbeat (non commercial) story for his first film and doing a great job with it both as an actor as well as a film maker.

The basic story line of  Kya Dilli kya Lahore  is simple yet entertaining.

Vijay Raaz in the role of a Pakistani soldier named Rehmat Ali is sent by his higher in command to get a particular file from the Indian post across the Indo-Pak border – the file that contains the map of the secret tunnel route from Delhi to Lahore. As Rehmat Ali reaches the Indian post he encounters Samarth Pratap (played by Manu Rishi Chadha), the cook in the Indian military camp who in the absence of any other Indian soldiers is the sole guardian of the post.

And then the duel begins – soldiers from the two recently independent rival countries (this story is dated back in 1948) exchange bullets and slangs in aggression, hurl each other with rebukes and insults, hold each other responsible for the violence the two countries experienced during the partition.

Throughout the film they passionately defend their countries until at some point they realize that the common people of India and Pakistan can never be truly partitioned – no political power or religious differences can separate the brotherhood between the two countries.

A bit slow at times (you better be in a relaxed mood for this film) and often the characters become emotional a bit too quickly. But overall a decent entertaining film and more importantly a fresh take on the Indo-Pak relation based subject.

Many people have compared Kya Dilli kya Lahore with ‘No man’s land’ (the Bosnian film that won Oscar the same year ‘Lagaan’ from India was also nominated) – in a way the comparison makes sense but the conflict issues and tension levels of the two films are completely different.

Rajendranath Zutshi as the overenthusiastic Barfi Singh and Vishwajeet Pradhan as the Pakistani captain have done justice to their short but crisp roles.

But for me the real hero of the film is the beautiful lyrics of Gulzar – a poetry also voiced by Gulzar himself at the beginning of the film.

I can’t help but add a few of these beautiful poetic lines-

Lakeerein hain toh rahne doo,

Kisi ne ruth kar gusse mein shaayad kheench di thi …

Inhi  ko ab banao paala,

aur aao kabbadi khelte hain

Lakeerein hai toh rahne doo…