Friday, September 26, 2008

Mumbai Meri jaan: deserves applause!



I was surprised to find that this movie has been written about quite emphatically on IMDB. I thought I may be one of the very few who loved it (as it doesn't fall in the commercial bracket)...for the simplicity and honesty with which it has been made.

All the characters in the movie are very well thought about. The main character of the movie has to be Paresh Rawal's and believe me, he is in his finest touch here! This has to be rated as one of his best, falling only next to Hera Pheri... Let it be his dialogue delivery or his portrayal of an apathetic constable who has surrendered to the ways of life, he has done it so beautifully that I think he deserves a national award for it!
His dialogues although funny, reflect the point of view of a common man so very well. The one that I cannot forget is when he says, "meri tho zindagi guzar gayi, tum apni jawani mein kuch alag karneka sochogey ke nahi"... with the kind of honesty that only he can express...

KK's character has been explored very well too. The sequence where he finds fault in Muslims even when they listen to "desh bhakti" song reveals how deep rooted and how blind the hatred can get. (I could relate to that dialogue really well. It actually made me laugh...I've heard my dad say that so many times...Only if I can make him watch this movie..!)

The way Soha's plight (a reporter in the shoes of a common-man) has been portrayed is really praise worthy. It shows the insensitivity of our media and to what extent they can go in the name of TRP.
Madhavan does well as a common man who 'thinks' he can bring about a difference...
And of course, Irfan Khan is excellent in the role of a poor tamilian 'lost' in Mumbai!
Although there are so many characters in the movie, you'll never once feel that any of them are a misfit. They all have been thoroughly explored.

There hasn't been such a good movie made in Bollywood for a long time with such thorough characterization of true to life characters. This movie is one of the latest classics and I think every Indian should watch it. Although Mumbaikars would instantly feel at home, it is relevant to the rest of the country as well and every Indian will be able to relate to it. And with all the bomb blasts around us, the timing of the movie has been immaculate.

It is one of those movies that will stay with you long enough after you have left the theater. And the way it ends, you can only smile about it. And if you are as touched as I am, you wouldn't mind standing and applauding for it either.

1 comment:

Ekanthapadhikan said...

I fell in love with 'A Wednesday'. After reading this review I've made up my mind to watch this one too. More than anything, the casting looks quite impressive!