Life In a Metro-A Delight
Life In A Metro’s success gives us a ray of hope that with a brilliant idea and script it is not impossible to grab the attention of the Masses and the Class, writes Pranjal Medhi
A still from the movie
That’s why when we move into the theater looking at a poster which says Life In A …Metro, we expect the exaggerated version of the above mentioned characteristics. Despite being obvious, one becomes really curious about the fact, what’s new this film got to offer us. Of course the Director has proven his mettle with significant films like Gangster. The lead cast also leaves a fair impression, when we read names like Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Shilpa Shetty (specially after Phir Milenge), Nafisa Ali and Dharmendra (After duds like Kis Kis Ki Kismat).
The Story revolves around the close encounter of life with Sex and Money, leading its way to the intra and inter-personal relationship which provides a ground for conflicts. We go back to the age old formula of “Survival of the Fittest” and the crux of the story remains, “Who Survives despite the odds and cons in a Metro”. An Interesting screenplay, woven with efficient acting (though a little predictable) by all the actors creates an enjoyable narrative. The Characters are well developed, though one or two of them are not so necessary for the script and narrative.
The story of Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali feels redundant despite the logicality and rationale. Kay Kay Menon in the role of a male chauvinist comes across quite unnervingly real. The Director takes away the credit in creating the role in such a conviction. Shilpa Shetty’s role of a suppressed housewife, trying to defy the social norms, comes across as her best performance. Director’s reason behind her acceptance of her infidel husband could have been her mental status, which is effected by a lot of factors like social, economical and psychological. These also seems to be playing a role in her decision making process.
Kangana Ranaut’s character had the possibilities of performance, but her performance is not impressive. Shiney Ahuja plays an important role of the eternal-lover with his Devdas look, with the three days stubbles on. After Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi and Gangster expectations were quite high and he does not disappoint the viewers, although the performance is not very different from his earlier ones. Sharman Joshi, after Rang De Basanti also comes in a very confident, professional package. His story reminds me of a play I had seen long back in Delhi. It was called SHORTCUT. I am too sure the plot of the play was lifted from the same French play, where this KK, Kangana Ranaut, Sharman story gets inspiration from.
One track that leaves us with some lighter moment is the one with Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma. Their Chemistry works undoubtedly, no need to mention their brilliant performance. Surprisingly these actors are known widely mainly for their serious roles so far. But this film proves their mettle as versatile actors and director’s ability of the tight script and brilliant direction. Both the characters are real in terms of city-life and its people. What appeals the most are the scenes where Irrfaan and Konkona sit on the rock over a beer and Irrfan asks Konkona that why she refused to marry him. Its complemented by the scene where he takes Konkona to the rooftop and teaches her to release all her angst by screaming harder.
Another Noar-ish scene where Shiney takes Shilpa to his friend’s place, reminds me of the cramped spaces depicted in Chungking Express.
Refreshingly melodious numbers by Pritam, become an integral part of the narrative. Especially the “In Dino” haunts us even after coming out of the theatre. The style of the song picturisation was interesting, where we have an encounter with the Music Director and the lead singers stylishly. The film’s success gives us a ray of hope that with a brilliant idea and script it is not impossible to grab the attention of the Mass and the Class. We can not confine or define it as a small film anymore, where the definition of “Small Film” itself is an obscure object. The film raises the bar of Indian Hindi Films with better content and form.
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(10 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
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welcome Pranjal, it feels great to read your post, reminds of the same old hostel days.
I watched Gangster only yesterday, a very well made film. This fellow has a class. Especially his last two films definitely give us a reason to look forward to Fridays.
cheers!
Hi Pranjal,
A really wonderful review,you should write more often. Theres only one point I’d like to add pertaining to the Dharmendra-Nafisa angle. I think people of the earlier generation (simply put older folks) liked that angle the best! My parents, many of their friends, uncles autnts etc.makes me think had we been 30 years older maybe we would have viewed that subplot differently. But As things stand, I find the Dharmendra sub-plot the weakest and an unnecessary drag!
Keep up the gud work.
As always you’re right Aniruddha, Dharmendra played a character that existed some three decades back, who was a lover boy but got trapped in the struggle for a good life. What we find a bit overdone, was overdone in an effort to catch up with the long drawn years of separation.
hey Anu, i must thank you for the feedback. in fact, i think the track seems a little rdundant may be because of our generation gap. If it is meant to show old age homes as the growing phenomenon of metro life , then perhaps the logicality does impress. But then again..Why Nafisa Ali. She hardly appeared as fit candidate. but , I agree to your point.
Good work buddy. But such an irony - I’ve not yet succeeded in my repeated attempts of making it to a theater to watch this movie. Hope to catch it up soon - specially after reading your post. Cheers!!!
Hey Pranjal,
Good review! I agree with you that films like ‘Life in a Metro’, ‘Parzania’, etc have pushed the boundries of mainstream Indian cinema to an extent where the line between ’small films’ and ‘big films’ is blurring day by day. The empowering narrtives that have been offered to the viewers have put a question mark on the so called mega narratives and their impact! films like life in mtero and Parzania have also proved that so called ’serious cinema’ is not meant only for ‘intellectuals’ and can have larger impact!
keep it up! there is a good writer in you…let it come out! Dearcinema rocks!
dear pranjel,
it was a nice piece….even i found dharmendra and nafisa ali track out the place, but anyway cinema being a subjective medium everyone will never agree what the director wants to say in the film..even the use of the musical band throughout the narative i founf little disturbing, the ideal way of using the band could have been restricted to the begining and the end of the movie ..anyway it was a brilliantly excuted and very tightly edited movie.anurag basu once again after gangster has shown to the world his talent and how capable he is in telling a story visually stylised and fluid .besides good story, screen play, dilaogues, and performance there is one more factor to watch ‘metro” that is briliant cinematography by bobby singh.metro’s cinematography reminds me to the europen style of cinematography where realism meets the gloss in the name of cinematic liberty.
cinema being a director’s medium, anurag basu has shown his deep aufait with the medium.undoubtely metro’s and many other small budget films’ success have changed the terminolgy from commercial and offbeat cinema to only good and bad cinema.now only good cinema is going to exist, bad cinema has to take a back door exit if not today tomorrow for sure.
pranjel you have shown one more talent in you, a good writing and good understanding of cinema……..
keep it up
Hi Medhi,
Great work…Keep it up…I am back in India and will definately watch the movie once….
Anupam Bordoloi
Hi there
Good review. Enjoyable read.
Paranjal,
your peice in indeed brilliant
Even i feel that showing the musical band, was a failed experiment.It looked forcily insertsertion,due to repeated visibility of the band, the cinematic flow was getting affected majorly. Nafisa-dharmender episode, was very touching, but Dharmender was a very wronf casting for the same. nafisa was brilliant, but Dharmender doesnt fit in the role at all. but a brilliant film.
Thanks , Beig bhai,
keep a watch on the reviews and keep commenting.. we need very active readers here.
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