Been meaning to write about two movies that have been on my mind for past few months and after watching both the movies more than once I can assure you that they are worth all your time. They being: Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal and Shyam Benegal's Welcome to Sajjanpur. Only common factor between them is Shreyas Talpade (yes, both movies are really that different yet magnificently charming) who imho, is a very fine actor and have a feeling that Bollywood may not be giving him sufficient or right opportunities to exploit his true potential. I admit that it is my biased opinion. May be if Big B and King Khan decided to abandon the B-world there would be less greed from audience to see larger than life portrayals and movies. Trust me, I do not have anything against them but in my limited experience, I never got a sense that they are playing a certain character which is a part of the whole ensemble but it feels the exact opposite, its the character playing them. Something to the effect of: there is this whole movie on one side and there is this big star in it who is playing one major role in it, and that big the disconnect can be(exceptions might apply but haven't been convinced enough). In essence they always end up being larger than the characters they play. The best quip that I have heard about Shahrukh Khan is from Naseeruddin Shah: "I like Shahrukh but not his acting."
Back to Talpade, he played a teenager village boy from a poor family, Iqbal Khan whose grit and determination is only to play cricket and to shine in it as a fast pace bowler. At first, one may argue that one with such dismal background and in addition who is handicapped too (deaf and dumb), any aspiration seems unachievable or rather ambitious. But the way , story unfolds itself, and the way its crafted, it leaves you mesmerized, extremely moved and albeit convinced to a dream that every Indian boy carries (almost all), to play cricket and be part of that blue uniform team. Each role has its significance in the movie and so beautifully played so as to only embellish in such a way that his/her absence will render the ensemble unpolished.
In Welcome to Sajjanpur, Shreyas plays Mahadev Khuswaha, who makes his living, reading and writing letters of uneducated people of his village. And as the story unfolds, it takes many twists and turns and leaves you tickled at times while provoking to think at other times. Movie stays a light comedy throughout and yet manages to deliver some nuanced experiences and raises some deep issues of social fabric.,along the way. Shreyas's simpleton grin is unmatched for. And his personal moral struggle showcases many shades of honesty and dishonesty (sometimes) and his getting past with all that eventually to realize his dream to become a writer is a journey you wouldn't want to miss.
p.s: this post is written in a very haphazard and piecemeal manner so you might find some rubbish sentences and typos, please ignore, I plead.
Back to Talpade, he played a teenager village boy from a poor family, Iqbal Khan whose grit and determination is only to play cricket and to shine in it as a fast pace bowler. At first, one may argue that one with such dismal background and in addition who is handicapped too (deaf and dumb), any aspiration seems unachievable or rather ambitious. But the way , story unfolds itself, and the way its crafted, it leaves you mesmerized, extremely moved and albeit convinced to a dream that every Indian boy carries (almost all), to play cricket and be part of that blue uniform team. Each role has its significance in the movie and so beautifully played so as to only embellish in such a way that his/her absence will render the ensemble unpolished.
In Welcome to Sajjanpur, Shreyas plays Mahadev Khuswaha, who makes his living, reading and writing letters of uneducated people of his village. And as the story unfolds, it takes many twists and turns and leaves you tickled at times while provoking to think at other times. Movie stays a light comedy throughout and yet manages to deliver some nuanced experiences and raises some deep issues of social fabric.,along the way. Shreyas's simpleton grin is unmatched for. And his personal moral struggle showcases many shades of honesty and dishonesty (sometimes) and his getting past with all that eventually to realize his dream to become a writer is a journey you wouldn't want to miss.
p.s: this post is written in a very haphazard and piecemeal manner so you might find some rubbish sentences and typos, please ignore, I plead.
4 comments:
I too liked both the movies... Did you watch Dor? I think it is a Nagesh kukunoor's movie as well.
Fine movies, both of those. There is a welcome emergence of a genre of movies like these (Black Friday, Aamir, A Wednesday are some of the others), that offer a great alternative to the regular Bollywood fare; with non-mainstream actors and stories that are more representative of the times. Am glad certain directors are taking the path less-trodden.
Hey Sunitha!! Yes, Dor is another wondrous movie by Kukunoor. Who would have thought that he will take such giant strides after Hyd.Blues.
Niranjan: Now am troubled with restlessness as I haven't seen Black Friday and Aamir, thanks. But very true, what you say.
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