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Review: Kaminey
Finally Indian movies are emerging from the Ramayan trap to embrace a more realistic Mahabharat premise to base their story lines. Kaminey is the first attempt to deal with reality in a mature, matter of fact manner, says Keshav Chaturvedi.
Finally Indian movies are emerging from the Ramayan trap to embrace a more realistic Mahabharat premise to base their story lines. Vishal Bhardwaj started with aping Mcbeth giving it a distinct regional flavour.
But Kaminey is the first attempt to deal with reality in a mature, matter of fact manner. For most part, Indian cinema, led by Yash Raj toffee factory and Kjo's NRI dreams, has been a set formula based on the fundamental premise that the hero is Ram, heroine is Sita and the villain is Ravana. All the characters in between begin with a fixed script and constricted premise. They begin as good or bad and end as good or bad. But Vishal's characters are human -- nuanced and gray. And the situations are layered and complex. One of the drug dealers is ruthless, cold blooded and calculated operator yet he has great love for his wife. Corrupt police officers have great concern for each other. A young girl, liar to the core, hides all the wrong things to achieve a right end.
The story is about any other night in a metropolis in any part of the world where the lives of many - good and bad, big and small, established biggies and wannabe upstarts, wrong and not so right inter twine to create a heady mix that you would remember for long.
Tasaduq Hussain's cinematography, especially the last apocalyptical gang war actually reminds you of Apocalypse Now.
It is a director's film and has done for Shahid what Omkara did for Saif Ali Khan. Deglamourised Priyanka and her mercurial brother Amol Gupte stun you with the range of their emotions and expressions.
The entire two hours 10 minutes of taut drama is backed by some great music. The least known end credit number has the potential of lingering on your mindscape for longer than the flashier Dhan ta na.
E-mail author: keshav.chaturvedi@hindustantimes.com
