Director: Indrajit Nattoji
Now this is what I call a great debut. I love movies like this one where I don't expect much and end up being in love with it – the story, the characters, the music, the everything. I may be biased, because I love comedies and this is one of the best (made in BW) I've seen. And why a 'screencap review'? Because I'll try to let the movie speak for itself. Sometimes mere words don't do justice...
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| I admit, it was the elephant that got me :D |
This could have been an average movie, but the cast was so brilliant that the entertainment value went from good to excellent. Shriyas plays Dinkar Waghmare, a village boy trying to live up to his mother's expectations of becoming a great policeman like his late father. Turns out he should have stayed home playing marbles with the local kids. He gets his gun stolen on the way to Mumbai! Follow his misadventures as he tries to get it back and unwittingly becomes the hero of the week. Move over, Chulbul Pandey!
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| Kids these days... |
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| 'fraid not. |
Our next protagonist is Kay Kay Menon in the role of a terrorist - Balma Rashid ul Khairi. He's sent by his chief to plant bombs at a police celebration. He's assisted by this local don who's got the whole city and it's workings under his thumb.
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| Behold Mumbai!... You're looking the wrong way.. |
But then, kuch kuch hota hai. To be precise, SHE happens.
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| So, SO SWEET. He really had no choice but to fall for her :) |
His true poetic self emerges from deep within and he realizes that killing innocents just isn't the way to go. So he sheds his big bushy beard, puts on western clothes, names himself Janu and gets some Tapori lessons from his accomplice. Watch him being totally adorable and poetic while wooing his jaan.
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| Keep an eye out for this lesson. As they say, a little learning is a dangerous thing.. |
The main story track is in very capable hands, but it's the supporting cast that makes this a laugh riot and cemented my impression of the movie. There are several people who's life is touched by the gun on the run. But my favourite side story's got to be this one:
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| It's true love! |
Sunny and Suhasi are in luv, yet they face opposition from her father, the police commissioner. What to do but spout song lines, be totally filmi and hope for the best? Will they ever stop running towards each other in slow motion? Will they get their happy ending? Will Suhasi learn how to overact? So many questions, so little time. Let's move on with the story..
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| Alas, dearest papa doesn't see it her way |
So it comes that after a failed elopement Sunny's arrested and taken to the police station. He seems to feel quite at home there. He makes a packt with Dinkar - he will help him find his gun if he promises to lend a helping hand in his love affair. He happily introduces his Suhasi in a ... love flashback.
There's also Mahi Gill in the role of the sensational reporter Sonia. Nevermind that Dinkar's got a huge crush on her. Who wouldn't? She's got the best news coverage ever! And for some reason she's always enticing the viewers to send sms and vote on various issues. Like whether the disappearance of 9 cows in Maharashtra was caused by an UFO...
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| Must have been the aliens.. |
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| Dinkar's more than willing :D |
Aagey Se Right managed to bridge slapstic and intelligent comedy in a way I couldn't have imagined. Shreyas had the opportunity to monkey around and be adorable and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. His nagging counsciousness in the form of his mother, always popping up to remind him of his mission to find the gun was wonderfully filmi.
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| Fierce! |
On the other hand, his counterpart Kay Kay Menon had some serious deadpan comedy. Not to mention his Urdu sounded like a balm to my heart. Forgive my ignorance, I don't know anything about the nuances of the language or how accurate his pronunciation was. On a totally shallow note - he was very, very handsome. And I never was more sorry that I didn't understand the language than here. Much of the comedy was based on word play and couldn't be really translated. That's where the actors really made a difference - Kay Kay and Vijay Maura as the Tapori speaking don had great dialogue delivery. I could laugh just at their voice modulation :D Hats off to you, gentlemen!
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| A friend in need is a friend indeed |
I really feel as though I've touched only the tip of the iceberg. There's too much going on. I didn't write anything about the underground lair of doom, the freaky granpa that's complaining about the stinking trash outside his house, or how some characters always turn up again and again. At the end we've come a full circle, nothing is left unresolved. I just wish it was a bit longer. Two hours is just too little :( On the bright side, it's multilayered. I takes several viewings to truly catch everything that's going on on the screen, even in the background.
I'd like to point your attention towards this post on Passion for Cinema, where the director himself has written a very witty and insightfull article full of pictures on his movie> Socha Toh Locha - the Logic of Aagey Se Right
Indrajit-ji, please make another movie! I'm definitely looking forward to it :)
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| Will do, ma! |
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| Make love, not war |
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But should you feel like a little war, watch this awsome burqa fight :D
Peace out.
I'm tempted to see the film but it's the music that puts me off... (but I do like Mora Piya!)
ReplyDeleteDo give it a chance - you're a native hindi speaker, aren't you? I'm sure you'll enjoy it :) And the music really works in the context of the movie. You can skip Hippie tu Jhoom, it's in the opening credits, Love Flasback only lasts a minute and Mahiya is great fun, however you look at it :D You can always stop watching should you feel bored :)
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