With a little bit of artistic liberty and a flight of imagination, one might say this cinematic season in India has been dedicated to celebrating the Indian rat-pack. Some might disagree with the observation and purists might scoff at the thematic semblance I choose to draw with the timeless but quintessentially American legend.
That is where I drop the intellectual subterfuge :) and get right back at the business of discussing the movie that it was!
Looking at the lineup of movies remaining for the year, I believe ZNMD was the perfect finish to the riot that started with Pyaar Ka Punchnaama, carried a notch or two higher with Delhi Belly, and then peaking with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
So here's what you ideally should know even before you set out for the movie:
a) "Trader", in the rich man in London/NY scheme of things, is not your regular trader. In the hierarchy of the filthy rich men in the financial world, traders one-up the fabled i-bankers and on good days can make the latter look like underpaid overworked slaves. Liars Poker, will give you an ample insight. (Appeal: Someone snitched my copy sometime last year. Please return, no questions asked. Just remember, karma is a bitch.)
b) We are all fools when young. Some fall for the wrong girls, some fall for the wrong girl their friend falls for. And yes, then, some - take sides. Much worse than the previous two - because, hey at least they had a whole lot of fun! Thomas Moore, did a lot more than poetic justice, while writing this piece.
c) Lastly, a loosely borrowed and slightly doctored idea, which I agree with - no matter how ugly or poor you already feel, there is a director at work somewhere, slowly and painstakingly plotting a scheme with a single aim: to make a film that makes you feel more so.
The Plot
Set in the familiar territory of college friends, caught in myriad mundane roles, coming together to relive life, through a few memorable days in guise of a bachelor party. And when money, like it never is in movies, is not a constraint - the locales are bound to be exotic, the bachelor pad has to be luxurious, with a view and lastly, an instructor - who is Katrina Kaif (need i say more?).
In a setting so flawless, not much can go wrong. What sets the movie apart from the run off the mill bachelor party saga, is the purpose. And 'face your fears', did not sound like a bad one. So you have deep-sea diving, sky diving and running of the bulls thrown in.
The Sub Plot
The sub plots for the movie were presented through the internal turmoils of the three protagonists. While they all had their fears in the worlds outside - of water, heights and of course, dying, the conquests of which form the larger plot. The internal conflicts set the stage for the subplots. The collective fears, carved immaculately and ingrained within the characters - make for a well rounded story, with depth.
Here's my theory about a set of three friends: Pick up any set of three friends and you will have a) the "Uptight"; b) the "Nice guy" doing the only thing he knows to do: be nice; and c) the "Joker". The Joker and the Uptight shall, for the very virtue of their characters, have conflicts.
From the epochal DCH to the current ZNMD, the theory has withstood the test of time for the very simple reason: art imitates life.
True to the master plot - Hritik plays the Uptight, Farhan the Joker and Abay the Nice guy.
The High Point(s)
There are a few combinations that spell synergy. Singularly good, but outstanding when clubbed with a certain element. Rehman rendering his voice to some of his songs is one. Javed Akhtar writing poetry for son Farhan's movie is the other. The poetry written by Javed Akhtar and voiced by Farhaan is definitely one of the high points.
The other strength lies in the stunning photography stamping its brilliance throughout the movie. The sweeping panoramic shots used to capture the scenic landscape of the spanish countryside are complimented by the intense close-ups. Add the two points - and you get the sequence that stands out in the movie, at least for me.
I strongly recommend the movie, for it marks the rat pack's coming of age. In Indian cinema, on the silver screen and of course in my mind. For someday, life shall imitate art.
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ReviewKaka.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, the movie, and the trader's role in the movie were blown up way out of proportion. Its NOT a filthy amount in question. And traders are genuinely the self proclaimed biggest flirts in town. Or let me seize the opportunity to generalize the iBankers as well - at least the ones who don't have a ring on them.
ReplyDeleteIt is disheartening to see the only Indian actor who could pwn Hollywood hunks merely by the gift of God, his parents and gym instructor, failing miserably to yield a relatively easier role. Ranbir or b (small B) have proven themselves time & again in those shoes.
Ms. Kaif on the contrary, demonstrated significant improvement unexpectedly.
God Bless the Spanish Saands. They totally relieved an absolutely amazing percentage of non-brain-dead audience from putting through WhiteHouse knows how many minutes of yet another otherwise overrated, obnoxiously lengthy South Asian flick.
@ A
ReplyDeleteI know at least five people willing to chop your head off for the above. Mind you, all pretty ;)
Want to make amends?
On a serious note, I agree with you on certain bits. Ranbir Kapoor in his portrayal in Anjaana Anjaani was much more believable, but you can not take the movie away from the rest.
Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteI believe I can ace pretty opponents with a single digit count. ;)
I remain,
-A