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Reviews
Fanaa (2006)
Fanaa is like reading a 19th Century English Novel
Well, if you have had that experience you will know what I am talking about. The character of Zooni is straight out of Bronte sisters' romantic novels. The strong willed, intelligent girl out to meet her prince, the supportive mother, the mysterious and charming lover, the lonely house in the middle of nowhere, the retired colonel as the only family friend who sometimes comes and shares a drink with the father; it's all there.
Fanaa is one of the most intense romantic movies to have come out of Bollywood for a long time. Perhaps, since Silsila. The pairing of two of the best actors of our generation (maybe, perhaps of all time) needed a story just like Fanaa. You need to scratch the surface to reveal the passion of this unique love story.
The director, Kunal Kohli has exploited the potential of this pairing admirably. Look at the picturisation of the song 'Dekho Na'. The camera hardly seems to move away from the two faces. There are innumerable scenes in the film where just these two faces share the screen.It is hard to think of any other actors from the present who would be able to pull off such a form of narration. Ultimately, the film belongs to Zooni and Kajol comes out with her best performance to date. Rehan asks, "KOI KISISE ITNA PYAR KAISE KAR SAKTA HAI?" and it shows in Zooni's eyes. What a role to make a come back and what a performance to make a comeback! And Aamir never ceases to surprise. He holds his own in a story primarily about Zooni and complements her character brilliantly. His performance is so amazingly understated, and yet so powerful. Rehan is one of the most complex and difficult characters played by Aamir. And it's all about the characters of Rehan and Zooni, their ideals, their emotions, their dreams and their passion. It's really like reading a 19th century English novel. It is not easy to narrate a story this way in a mainstream film and this is where the narration stumbles. The scene where Rehan takes Zooni from the train and carries her in his arms looks very cliché and awfully out of place. The tag line '.....TERE ISHQ MEIN MERI JAAN FANAA HO JAYE' is repeated to death in the film. There have been some cinematic liberties taken in the screenplay, like Rehan infiltrating the Indian Army, Zooni fumbling with the radio transmitter and speaking to the right people. The Urdu couplets, although all very good, seem to hold back the flow a bit. Also, the discussion on the political history of Kashmir at the meeting of the Intelligence Heads seems a bit off track. A better place to put that discussion would have been a friendly chat between Rehan and Zulfi (Zooni's father)over a drink.
But these are minor skirmishes in a remarkable film. The story remains true to the title of the film and if you have a liking for 19th century English novels, you would simply love this one.
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Just when you thought you had seen it all
"Saare politicians KO line mein khade kar ke goli se udaa dena chahiye".
That line said by the first caller makes the climax of Rang De Basanti work. It throws back at us the hollowness of our words. You only have to hear the audience laugh. We are laughing at ourselves. It is so outrageous and yet so.. so.. believable. I feel a sense of pride in the fact that I belong to a society where a film like Rang De Basanti is made and then shown openly. The film gets away with murder. It is surprising that it didn't create more controversy than it actually did. Perhaps, because the film is making a point here, an argument which is not easy to refute.
Films have been made before on similar anti-establishment themes. One has always enjoyed watching Hu Tu Tu every time it's shown on TV. Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi was, I thought, one of the best movies of last year. But after Rang De Basanti, these films now smack of intellectual elitism. You really don't need to be a student of political science or a kurta-wearing socialist to think and talk about revolutions and changing societies. The characters here are you and me and your friends in the neighbourhood. One of them, in fact, is a self-confessed loser.
The film asks a lot of questions at various levels, some very subtle. For instance, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru can court arrest in British occupied India and expect a fair trial so as to be able to put forth their point. But our characters from 21st century India can't even dream of doing the same. They have to instead
..
Perhaps too much is being read into it. It is only a film after all. A commercial venture out there to make a profit. But then what is it that makes people think and debate issues? Books? Lectures? Newspaper articles? Then why not films? Why not films with songs? Why not films with songs and a superstar? One had always believed that words are more effective than visuals. Rang De Basanti shows you the power of imagery. The effect created would have been impossible with the written or the spoken word.
Dean Jones was recently saying to Sivaramakrishnan that we tend to use words like 'great' and 'genius' too liberally. So I will restrain myself. But, Rang De Basanti is my all time favourite movie. Even in terms of pure cinematic experience. Just when you thought you had seen it all.
That was my two pence worth.
From the receiving end of 'Look who's talking' ARIF ATTAR