Shabana and Naseer: Tadka Fry article

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Rice Plate reminded me after a long time how a small film, with that small twist in tale could satiate a moviegoer's appetite to fullest, writes Smriti Mudgal 

One good thing that happened after watching Dus Kahaniyaan was that one of the stories pleasantly surprised us - Rice Plate. Director Rohit Roy's work cannot be under estimated at any point but his cast took the story to another level.

Shabana and Naseer have always been so good together. My favorite of their films is Masoom. Masoom is a brilliant film in itself. The director is the hero. Its just a coincidence that Shabana and Naseer act in it. Had it been Dimple Kapadia and Shekhar Kapoor also, it would have been good nevertheless.

The reason I say that is because Maasoom does not challange the actor in Shabana and Naseer enough. The social strata a character belongs to solves half the problem. So, portraying an upper class Delhi family is not a difficult task for seasoned actors like Shabana and Naseer.

So, so...you watch a Mandi which is arguably the best as far as their performances are concerned. Shabana plays a madame of a brothel. She perfected the act to the extent that every time a Kareena needs to play a Chameli, she can simply refer to Mandi to find out how a prostiture walks and talks.

Naseer has always been an angry man in his own right. So his characters in Ijaazat, Sparsh or even Teen Deewarein don't surprise you. But in Mandi where he plays Dungrus, who is a man who only and only knows to obey his master's orders. In this case the master is Shabana who also happens to be a kind woman. So, here is man whose sole aim in life is to fulfill whatever the master says, right, wrong doesn't matter.

I don't know what Naseer's briefing was for this film because he behaves like a loyalist dog who will wag his tail, listen to his master whether he understands or doesn't, he is kicked around but comes back and scowls or howls only at night after getting drunk.

For all those who know Naseer off screen would know he's a short tempered man. He's not the kind who take criticism kindly, he's also bitter to some extent but when he acts whether as a Dungrus in Mandi or a man with no name in Rice Plate he doesn't let his real self show through what he's putting up.

Same is with Shabana - the fiercely independent woman doesn't show through the Pooja of Arth.

Rice Plate where Shabana plays a Tamilian is different from the the Telgu woman in Morning Raga. She apparently went to the extent of even learning some Carnatic music so that in close up shots where she's shown singing, it doesn't look fake.

We still have actors who hold a guitar like they were holding a broom...the only exceptions being Rishi kapoor who actually not just strummed the guitar but also remembered to move his fingers up and down. Also, Saif who actually knows how to play guitar.

Rice Plate reminded me after a long time how a small film, with that small twist in tale could satiate a moviegoer's appetite to fullest.

Beyond doubt, credit goes to a director who knew he didn't have to take fancy shots or didn't have to choose a story that necessarily proves a point. He just chose the right recipe that makes Rice Plate a FULL PLATE.