Musafir (2004)

Director:

Sanjay Gupta

Writers:

Sanjay Gupta (writer)
Sameer Malhotra (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 2004 (Kuwait)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Blood. Money. Sex. Tears. Murder. Betrayal. Get the picture!!

Plot:

Lucky (Anil Kapoor) had had enough of change. From orphanages to juvenile delinquent homes! From odd jobs to petty crimes...

Plot Keywords:

Money | Drugs | Gangster | Bag Of Money | Drug Lord

Awards:

2 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Anil Kapoor	...	Lucky
Sanjay Dutt	...	Billa
Sameera Reddy	...	Sam
Aditya Pancholi	...	Inspector Tiger (as Aditya Panscholi)
Koena Mitra	...	Lara
Mahesh Manjrekar	...	Lukka
Shakti Kapoor	...	Whacko Jacko
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simon Fransham	...	Nightclub dancer
Tatsiana	...	Item bomb

Runtime:

India:151 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:15 | India:A | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Goa, India

Company:

White Feather Films

Trivia:

British children's TV presenter Konnie Huq of BBC's "Blue Peter" (1958) makes a brief appearance as an extra. She is one of the clubbers in the background of the nightclub when the song Door Se Pass is performed. As part of Blue Peter, she actually had to recreate the entire scene and had just one day to learn the moves.

Quotes:

Billa: Wait there five minutes. I'll be there in two.

Movie Connections:

References Mr India (1987)

The Goods.. Nakedly !

Unfortunately, it could represent the majority of Bollywood production at the 2000s. Despite any onslaught you may do against (Sanjay Gupta) you must admit first that the man can deliver what he promises, and what exactly he promised here? "Blood. Money. Sex. Tears. Murder. Betrayal." Just like the tagline said it eloquently.. So "Get the picture?!"

(Gupta) who directed it and co-wrote it (Correctly co-stole it !) ensures whatever you may demand out of a purely commercial movie from the contemporary Indian cinema. And in the same time, this movie is such an ideal example for what shinny bottom this cinema can reach !

Although you've got to concede how intensive the technicality of (Gupta) is, but could ripping-off the American movies, as well as imitating blindly their atmospheres and style be a "style" in itself ? I think : yes. However, what a shameful proof of lack that could be.

I liked the original formula of the old Indian movies, surely got its own problems but at least was more original and more Indian. Now, and especially at (Musafir), it's nothing but American movies or video clips ; here precisely for a rap singer, with too much of : sexy girls, golden teeth, undulate smoke, rich limos, loud music, hostile lyrics, lewd dancing, ice cubes in glass of wine plus flying bullets, various corpses. All in colorful, prurient, and psychedelic world. Did (Sanjay Gupta) master that? Yes, he did. He mixed the American stolen movie (at this time Olive Stone's U Turn), with possible plot about pursuer Indian don, into musical showy clips that lengthen for -if you can stand- 151 minutes where all the goods : sexiness, violence, thriller, action is hot, abundant, and hitting you on the face. To represent finally the crime Indian movie as pure American as it could be !

So, what this pulp movie from the east could say ? That the American pop became the pop ! I felt like I was watching the Indian MTV channel yet with thin plot that was deformed directly from American movie ! Actually if you used to call the flashy pastime flicks a cotton candy, so this is the dope ! It can stupefy you highly. To see American Indian tumultuous images run successively and enjoyably on the screen !

Maybe it says that the entertaining Indian cinema gone mad. It got so many attraction's elements and nothing else. For what it is that's naturally. James Bond movies got attraction's elements and nothing else, but you know what? Bond movies weren't Indian ! It got a script/world of nonsense of its own. Therefore the numerous references here for Indian classics like (Zanjeer - 1973) or else weren't only a source of pride, or a wink to us to uncover the whole game as homage from movie to another, it was kind of desperate affirmation that this is India anyway ! or what's left over to define it.

Of course it says something about sheer technique just to amuse heavily. But the American works are already there ? So what exactly the Indian filmmakers have to offer ??! It looked like a Robert Rodriguez's movie that had produced in India, or dubbed copy of American crazy action yet with strange faces !

Speaking of which (Koena Mitra) wasn't beautiful, as femininity suffers from famine ! Moreover, It was scary to see (Anil Kapoor) knocked over by an American coolness storm ! Like a vengeance of mad stylist hit him badly ! (Sanjay Dutt) was the harlequin in cinematic show exposes itself as complete jest (one silly jest with blood). The scenes as drama were an excuse for too bright too much sizzle. As if somebody gave (U Turn) a cheap Indian narcotic to hallucinate all what we've watched.

I was amazed only by (Sameera Reddy). She was the only true and pretty thing in here. However she was just a cursory image, looking like this very movie : a raunchy moment ! and as an ambition for a movie, it achieved it.. with nothing more to do. So it hit the mark. Albeit as a total amount of fun and flavor : I'll never do this drug again !

Finally, if you look at (Musafir) you'd find how it's cleverly pure.. But if you look closer you'd find how it's totally poor also.