Raman Raghav 2.0: Supremely artistically, unleashed Monsters

On September 29, 2013, in my facebook post on Prisoner’s, Dark , Depressing and Disturbing, Oh! Yes but delectable cinema

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The World has become dark, deadly and UGLY. Just cannot wait till 11th October, to see how Anurag Ji, paints the picture of how Ugly the world has become, which seems to revisit the theme of Kidnapping in Prisoners.

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Well I got to see Ugly in 2015 and continued to be disturbed while being amazed at Anurag’s genius. A brutally honest commentary on the evolution of an insensitive civilization. It was a cerebral cocktail which blended an unbridled, scathing attack and a lament, a lament that came from the depth of the heart of true artist. Anurag, we are truly blessed. Ugly was important, relevant and poignant.

The baton seems to have been passed on to Raman Raghav 2.0. The social commentary continues. It’s been served with such fine artistry that I just watched the movie agape. The simmering restlessness has been worked to such fine perfection, that the monstrous acts unleashed are relegated to the background. The process and the product are in stark contrast, the process of film making, very nuanced, while the product is a monstrous mayhem.

Sure, Anurag, the writing on the wall is very clear; you could not have articulated it better.

Last but not the least, the other person who left me agape, was Nawazzuddin Siddiqui, who competes with the entire crew and tries to snatch away the glory. While his performance was great, I felt that this particular performance seemed to be influenced by Kamal Hassan, may be Guna. That does not take the credit away, but just a pinch of disappointment.

The movie is strictly for the discerning and not for the faint hearted.

Udta Punjab: The inside and outside of Raging Wars

Udta Punjab

The Inside and Outside of Raging Wars

In the recent Hollywood Blockbuster, A Civil War, a character observes something to this effect, When an empire is struck by external forces, it would be easy to rebuild the empire, but when it crumbles from inside, it would be difficult to reconstruct it.

Udta Punjab, precisely deals with two different wars, a war that is waged on the perpetrators of the drug peddlers,as well as the war that rages within a drug addict. The war within is always the more difficult.

The problem is real and Punjab may not be in isolation. The problem is a universal  manifestation of greed and irresponsibility.

Thematically Steve Soderberg’s  Traffic comes to your mind. While Traffic left you disturbed in addition to making you painfully aware of how real and grave the problem was, UP, makes you feel a bit more comfortable, closer to mainstream cinema.

This is not to steal any merits of this important and responsible cinema.

Chaubey borrows from many master’s like the Goa poster sequence from Amorres Perres, but manages to leave his interpretation. Chaubey is masterful as usual. The pace may not be consistent, fluctuates at times between a frenetic pace and occasionally halting, however the narrative is always focused without erring on a shred of detail.

All acting performances are top notch. Alia Bhat, exploding, reflecting her desire to be in one piece was emotionally as inspirational as the national award winning song in the tamil film “Autograph”(‘Ovaru pookalume’). I am sure that particular sequence will be watched over and over again. Shahid Kapoor actually added so much meaning to that particular sequence.

Shahid must have starved to get out of shape to get into a relatively emaciated shape. His gaunt looks, the madness in his eyes, the born again feeling and innumerable other emotions should make him a front runner for the best actor award this year. We are blessed to witness some brutal hard work both that must have taken a toll on both the mind and physique. Pankaj Kapoor would be very proud.

Expletives and Profanity at its best can muster a few laughs. If references to mothers and sisters can get the attention of the audience to grave human  issues than the price is insignificant in the scheme of things.

We are always proud of what you are trying to accomplish, Anurag. To hell with hypocrisy, This country can be better of without it. Engaging Content, is a great torrent neutralizer. I shall certainly see this movie several times over.

  

Iraivi : As poignant as it can get

Ever since I saw Iraivi  last Saturday, it has been intersecting with my consciousness continuously. Thoughts have been triggering on so many fronts that I seriously do not know where to begin.

At the outset, Karthik Subbaraj, has to be commended for coming out with a film that is different from his earlier two successful films.

Iraivi is as hard hitting as it can be. The message is there and so are the messengers, but well there is no sermon!!! That is a leap in story telling!!!

Rip, Rip and Rip. The social fabric is being ripped every second right in our front of our eyes. We may even contribute to it unknowingly!!! We meet  many ‘Iraivis’ in our day to day to lives.

It is just not enough that a man marries, but he has a responsibility to his wife and his child as well!! Alcoholism and emotional foolhardiness adds upto shackling families for generations together.

I see an ‘Iraivi’ in my house for the last twenty one years. Rani, our household maid. Earliest images of her were coming to the house in 1995 with her two years old to perform the household chores. She had three sons. Her husband was a drunkard. She had the responsibility of  raising the three sons. Two of  them were lost around 2000 to be found after a gap of 11 months. She lost her husband to alcoholism and one of  her son’s committed suicide at a later point of time. The eldest son got married recently to leave her to fend for herself with her last son. Her last son in the early twenties pursues amorous activities, continuing to agonize her.  She lives with endless debts.  Always at the edge, battling as hard as she can.   Will this Iraivi, ever come out of her ‘circle of  misery’?

I initially thought that women  of Iraivi, were probably shown very dependent on men. Probably the women seemed a bit belonging to the 70s and 80s. In fact I was reminded of Mirch Masala, where Smita Patil would confront Naseerudin Shah boldly, but when her husband leaves the village, Smita Patil would not be able to draw upon similar courage to confront Naseerudin Shah in a similar encounter. Would the women of 2016 be so dependent on men?

Well I do not think the director meant it as an affront to the ladies, as the script is a conscious effort to drive home a much bigger point.

As to the matters of heart and mind, the education or social strata may not have a direct bearing on their behaviour

Despair stares almost evenly at different women, but different choices are made. Anjali’s at lower strata of the society, is shocked, but smoothly transitions to resolve, but Kamalini Mukherjee, the educated working women is unable to come to terms with reality. Subtlety at its best.

As in Jigarthanda, Karthik sizzles in the climax. In fact the climax lingers and steadily grows on you.

You could feel a bit of Fellini, Innaritu and the good old bard, but Karthik Subbaraj with his inimitable style stands tall  and ‘hefty’.

I felt I got into a boat and allowed myself to enjoy the ride with Karthik, the boatman, taking me through a pleasurable ride. The river could have had its quota of turbulence, but the boatman was in complete control.

Frankly I did not get disturbed after seeing the film, I was refreshed and relaxed and satisfied that  responsible cinema could be in most palatable commercial format.

I was also happy to see people accepting it.

Thanks, Karthik, for respecting the audience and raising the bar!!!.

We want some more, We want some more.!!!

Iraivi

Where Art blurs content

Magical film making, a large canvas, innumerable characters, an air of intrigue typical karthik subburaj trademarks make Iraivi an absorbing watch. 

The only aspect which probably does not add up are the female protagonists who seem to be in seventies or eighties. And also not sure if the ladies from all the strata of society are represented.

The climax reminded you of avargal.

And somewhere the movie reminded you of the balachander of seventies who made movies in that period with a negative undercurrent. 

In some ways the Malayalam movies in the seventies had negative under currents.

Iraivis of today send many of the youth scampering to the tasmac bar!!!!

May be Iraivi 2 will be Iraivan!!!