Needless to say, the film ends on a note of redemption but not before it shows us all the “action” to be found in a typical crime thriller. Like the name of the slum “Bhoolbhullaiya” where all the action resides; everything about Vijay (Sharman Joshi is superb) and Yaqub (Farok Kabir - raw and humdrum) is either overstated or appears unreal. You will find all popular Bollywood motifs - Maa, Dosti, Dushmani, Pyaar, Badlaa, Qurbaani - generously interspersed in the narrative.
Naseeruddin Shah, even in a ridiculously short cameo of a reformatory warden, stands out in the crowd. And undoubtedly, the best scene of the film involves the thespian - the frame shows a dejected, rejected Shah fading away into oblivion even as Vijay - once his victim - watches him with feelings of queer compassion in lieu of the retribution he’s supposed to bear. Kabir would have done much more with Shah’s time-tested talent rather than reducing it to a mere poster draw.
Atul Kulkarni as the social crusader and teacher is rather loud by his proven standards and the brevity of his role has little to do with it. Vikram Gokhale and Suhasini Mulay look extraterrestrial in the context of the film’s chosen milieu. The girls (Rukhsar and Anjana Sukhani) play inconsequential roles. The child artistes are noticeably loud in their performances. Apart from Joshi and Shah, only Zakir Hussain makes some impact.
The director’s sincerity of purpose is apparent in the choice of the offbeat subject for a feature film. Despite its glaring flaws, it’s still better than the Oscar winning deception called “Slumdog Millionare”. But that’s hardly a benchmark.
Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Sharman Joshi, Faruk Kabir
Written & Directed by Faruk Kabir
Source: IIFL
Logging you in...