Pritish Nandy Communications is doing well as this is their seventh movie within a span of three years. Though this is the first movie with prominent stars otherwise only Chameli had a star like Kareena Kapoor. Getting to the movie, I think it was a nice attempt. Sanjay Dutt, Ashwariya Rai, Zayed Khan and all other actors perform their role honestly. Especially Sanjay Dutt should be given some credit as he was being seen in a different role after a long time, otherwise for the last five years, either he was seen as a comedian or a bhai (underworld man). The songs were also nice. What was unique in the movie was its script. But I do not appreciate it because ( I think) there were some flaws in it. May be the director wanted to make a sequel of the movie because the story was not complete yet as viewer do not know what happened to Yash and how Antra saves Shaukat. Another thing is where had the last page of the story gone. Was Ashwariya acting in front of Sanjay when she was weeping that Zayed has written that he was going to die? All these questions were unanswerable for me after I watched the movie.
32 Reviews
Un-Mainstream with mainstream cast
sachin-dole20 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Hmmm... thats the only thing i could say with confidence right after the movie finished. I do not recall many movies in mainstream Hindi cinema of the nature of this one with chartbusting casts. I have seen Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Khamosh, Hatya - all stories of a "different" nature, but most (not all) are made with casts of lesser followings or made with cast who are versatile and are not averse to taking risks in their character profiles. Khamosh had Amol Palekar (he can do any role), Ek Doctor had Pankaj Kapoor (rather less known at that time AND very well delivered).
Here though, we had Aishwarya Rai whom you would normally see in a love story or action movie as the loving beau etc etc and Sanju dada who would normally be the worlds top most in whatever he does - they were a lost wife and even lost writer. Very unlikely for a mainstream Hindi movie. To make matters worse, Sanju dada's make up or the lack of it was totally devoid of any signs of insanity. The only early clue to the insanity is the continuous jarring incongruous background music - i think the music diro wanted to portray the complex bipolar interactions within Shaukat's mind.
All else considered, Sanju dada's performance is almost flawless. He could have gotten rid of his mafia walk and stance for this movie and he could have had a more dishevelled look and probably some more peculiar behavior to drive home the insanity plea. Aishwarya did a great job. A slightly different makeup and wardrobe could have helped to bring the role out of the mainstream expectations and into the role of the distraught wife she played. I would say that the other guy was the best. Full of life and new ideas, very excited, very energetic and optimistic - a stark contrast to Shaukat. The director has put in a really good mix of environment (Shaukat's home, the art school, publisher's office, servants at home and the outdoors) to portray the characters.
All in all, if you are prepared to watch a non mainstream movie with mainstream cast, this movie would be 5 stars when you watch it.
Here though, we had Aishwarya Rai whom you would normally see in a love story or action movie as the loving beau etc etc and Sanju dada who would normally be the worlds top most in whatever he does - they were a lost wife and even lost writer. Very unlikely for a mainstream Hindi movie. To make matters worse, Sanju dada's make up or the lack of it was totally devoid of any signs of insanity. The only early clue to the insanity is the continuous jarring incongruous background music - i think the music diro wanted to portray the complex bipolar interactions within Shaukat's mind.
All else considered, Sanju dada's performance is almost flawless. He could have gotten rid of his mafia walk and stance for this movie and he could have had a more dishevelled look and probably some more peculiar behavior to drive home the insanity plea. Aishwarya did a great job. A slightly different makeup and wardrobe could have helped to bring the role out of the mainstream expectations and into the role of the distraught wife she played. I would say that the other guy was the best. Full of life and new ideas, very excited, very energetic and optimistic - a stark contrast to Shaukat. The director has put in a really good mix of environment (Shaukat's home, the art school, publisher's office, servants at home and the outdoors) to portray the characters.
All in all, if you are prepared to watch a non mainstream movie with mainstream cast, this movie would be 5 stars when you watch it.
A movie about a writer with writer's block by a writer with writer's block
Aam_Aadmi14 January 2006
Trying hard to like Leena Yadav's debut film 'Shabd', you sit thru the entire feature in eager anticipation of a/the/any magic moment. But ...
Although the premise was novel, the buildup was not. One sex scene does not compensate for the lack of sexual chemistry between the leading pair. The Booker-prize winning author is trying so hard to come up with an authentic story for his next novel that he goes and casts his own wife as her rebellious alter-ego, easily falling for the 'forbidden fruit'. Shaukat Vashist requests, goads, almost forces his wife Antara to initiate an illicit relationship to help him craft a leading character in his next novel. When the 'truth' becomes stranger than his bookish 'fiction', and Antara meets and eventually falls for a dashing (yea, no less) young colleague, Mr Novelist is quite unable to handle it. But he saves the best, a one-page ending, for last.
We are not led to believe that the entire thing is the writer's fertile imagination gone awry. Evidently Yash's character is real (witness the college peon asking Shaukat if he had any message for Yash, etc) and so is the romance that ensues between Yash and the writer's wife Antra. In the end, it appears the writer of "Shabd" was herself so confused about the interactions between her characters (there were only 3!) that she couldn't figure out how to end the characters or the movie!! The performance by Sanjay Dutt was the saving grace of this film. Zayed Khan is miscast as the college professor and lacks acting skills. Aish tries hard but her dialogs are so mushy; could have used some zing.
The writer of this review believes that the writer of this movie should have worked harder on the writer in her movie.
Although the premise was novel, the buildup was not. One sex scene does not compensate for the lack of sexual chemistry between the leading pair. The Booker-prize winning author is trying so hard to come up with an authentic story for his next novel that he goes and casts his own wife as her rebellious alter-ego, easily falling for the 'forbidden fruit'. Shaukat Vashist requests, goads, almost forces his wife Antara to initiate an illicit relationship to help him craft a leading character in his next novel. When the 'truth' becomes stranger than his bookish 'fiction', and Antara meets and eventually falls for a dashing (yea, no less) young colleague, Mr Novelist is quite unable to handle it. But he saves the best, a one-page ending, for last.
We are not led to believe that the entire thing is the writer's fertile imagination gone awry. Evidently Yash's character is real (witness the college peon asking Shaukat if he had any message for Yash, etc) and so is the romance that ensues between Yash and the writer's wife Antra. In the end, it appears the writer of "Shabd" was herself so confused about the interactions between her characters (there were only 3!) that she couldn't figure out how to end the characters or the movie!! The performance by Sanjay Dutt was the saving grace of this film. Zayed Khan is miscast as the college professor and lacks acting skills. Aish tries hard but her dialogs are so mushy; could have used some zing.
The writer of this review believes that the writer of this movie should have worked harder on the writer in her movie.
Beautiful !
mayursha4 February 2005
Just came back watching the movie and I should say it beautifully portrays the mind of a writer. The way he thinks when writing a novel and things he goes through. It really happens when you're writing some stories and get so deep inside the thoughts that you don't realize what the truth is.
Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai pair's up really nice. Things would have been much better if Zayed Khan wouldn't have been the part of this story. You surely wanted a more dedicated and good performer like Saif Ali Khan or Hritik Roshan.
Overall, I would rate this film as 7 out of 10 and would encourage an applause from the audience.
Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai pair's up really nice. Things would have been much better if Zayed Khan wouldn't have been the part of this story. You surely wanted a more dedicated and good performer like Saif Ali Khan or Hritik Roshan.
Overall, I would rate this film as 7 out of 10 and would encourage an applause from the audience.
Words and misdeeds!
abhishek-16 February 2005
Words and misdeeds!
Shabd Dir- Leena Yadav Cast- Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai, Zayed Khan and Sadia Siddiqui. Written by- Sutapa Sikdar and Leena Yadav. Rating- *
The only thing worse than a brainless mind-numbing movie, is a brainless mind-numbing movie that pretends to be an intellectual and aesthetic one. Debutante writer-director Leena Yadav(she's even edited this tedious fare) must've thought during the filming that she was making something novel and riveting. Sadly, thoughts and intentions don't always translate into shabds and deeds! So what we have is in fact an over-boiled egg that's not only unappetizing but also comes without any salt to taste!
Shaukat Vasisht(Sanjay Dutt) is suffering from a writer's block after his follow-up to his Booker prize winning Mindscape has been ripped apart by the critics. Actually, 'Mr. I type my novel on an antique typewriter wearing an Armani' is so consumed with desperation that he's unable to notice the fire in his Looker prize winning wife Antra(Aishwarya). Tch! Tch! Anyways, our dude looks like a writer finds his inspiration in Tamanna, his creation of a woman that wants to break free and live her life. To make his story as real as possible, he encourages Antra to don the garb of Tamanna and allow the overtures of a besotted cad, Yash(Zayed Khan). He even convinces Antra to hide her marital status from Yash. The problem begins when Tamanna becomes Antra and the lines between fantasy and reality become thinner. Shaukat soon realizes that Antra and Yash are not his creations whom he can control as he wishes. You must be thinking that the premise sounds oh so abstract and imaginative. Don't let it fool you though! This is an imposter posing as a highbrow! The film is full with passages that appear to be poetic but are actually drab monologues packaged in the baritone voice of Sanju baba.
The proceedings get so repetitive and soporific after a while that you feel tempted to doze off. But what stops you though are the beautifully written(Vishal Dadlani and Irshad Kamil) and composed(Vishal-Shekhar) songs that are scattered through the running time. Also, your heart goes out to Sanjay for performing his part with sincerity and input. For him and the composer duo- what a waste! Aishwarya keeps switching from disinterested to overly dramatic, and she does both acts unconvincingly. And somebody please tell Zayed that his Shahrukh act just doesn't come together. This dude needs to go back and learn the basics. And yes, what was the casting department(if there was any) thinking when they narrowed him for a college professor? Sadia Siddiqui is engaging as the housemaid and brings some life to the events.
One can't deny that the intent of the maker was to make something different. But Leena should've probably developed the plot a bit more. The relationship between Shaukat and Antra is left undefined as are the characters themselves. For a story that revolves around three characters, the characters have to be delineated with unambiguous clarity. One cannot be commended just for being bold and different. Being bold is not always beautiful! - Abhishek Bandekar
Rating- *
* Poor ** Average *** Good **** Very Good ***** Excellent
6th February, 2005
Shabd Dir- Leena Yadav Cast- Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai, Zayed Khan and Sadia Siddiqui. Written by- Sutapa Sikdar and Leena Yadav. Rating- *
The only thing worse than a brainless mind-numbing movie, is a brainless mind-numbing movie that pretends to be an intellectual and aesthetic one. Debutante writer-director Leena Yadav(she's even edited this tedious fare) must've thought during the filming that she was making something novel and riveting. Sadly, thoughts and intentions don't always translate into shabds and deeds! So what we have is in fact an over-boiled egg that's not only unappetizing but also comes without any salt to taste!
Shaukat Vasisht(Sanjay Dutt) is suffering from a writer's block after his follow-up to his Booker prize winning Mindscape has been ripped apart by the critics. Actually, 'Mr. I type my novel on an antique typewriter wearing an Armani' is so consumed with desperation that he's unable to notice the fire in his Looker prize winning wife Antra(Aishwarya). Tch! Tch! Anyways, our dude looks like a writer finds his inspiration in Tamanna, his creation of a woman that wants to break free and live her life. To make his story as real as possible, he encourages Antra to don the garb of Tamanna and allow the overtures of a besotted cad, Yash(Zayed Khan). He even convinces Antra to hide her marital status from Yash. The problem begins when Tamanna becomes Antra and the lines between fantasy and reality become thinner. Shaukat soon realizes that Antra and Yash are not his creations whom he can control as he wishes. You must be thinking that the premise sounds oh so abstract and imaginative. Don't let it fool you though! This is an imposter posing as a highbrow! The film is full with passages that appear to be poetic but are actually drab monologues packaged in the baritone voice of Sanju baba.
The proceedings get so repetitive and soporific after a while that you feel tempted to doze off. But what stops you though are the beautifully written(Vishal Dadlani and Irshad Kamil) and composed(Vishal-Shekhar) songs that are scattered through the running time. Also, your heart goes out to Sanjay for performing his part with sincerity and input. For him and the composer duo- what a waste! Aishwarya keeps switching from disinterested to overly dramatic, and she does both acts unconvincingly. And somebody please tell Zayed that his Shahrukh act just doesn't come together. This dude needs to go back and learn the basics. And yes, what was the casting department(if there was any) thinking when they narrowed him for a college professor? Sadia Siddiqui is engaging as the housemaid and brings some life to the events.
One can't deny that the intent of the maker was to make something different. But Leena should've probably developed the plot a bit more. The relationship between Shaukat and Antra is left undefined as are the characters themselves. For a story that revolves around three characters, the characters have to be delineated with unambiguous clarity. One cannot be commended just for being bold and different. Being bold is not always beautiful! - Abhishek Bandekar
Rating- *
* Poor ** Average *** Good **** Very Good ***** Excellent
6th February, 2005
do not slip on this word
abhinavsekawari12 December 2007
awful awful awful film. the casting was so wrong. imagine having Munna Bhai cast as a writer. no a booker winning writer. the actress looked stunningly beautiful but can she act? no, can she act to save her life? see the film to get the answer. and Mr Zayed Khan as a young professor - not very convinced, eh! the biggest problem was - yes the above are nothing - was in the execution of the story - there perversion of the husband just does not play out in the mainstream oh i'll not kiss have sex format. and then everything becomes hunky dory. what the hell? poor acting, poor execution - the shot looks beautiful, but out of context. And bad special effects. turd all the way. advice not to slip on this this. take my word....
Better off as a short film
AishFan25 May 2005
Despite a huge star cast, a new look, and a fresh musical score, Shabd has nothing much to offer. A real annoying part of this film are the letters that are constantly floating around in the background. There is not much of a plot in this film. Sanjay Dutt's character is by far the most irritating part of this movie. He is manic writer who is trying to control his surroundings by his writing. Holding steadfast to the idiom, "The pen is mightier than the sword," Sanjay wages war against his world. He is unnecessarily creating distance between him and his wife by forcing her to spend time with a handsome, humorous, and infatuated man. Sanjay's character is interesting, but there is no way one can drag this situation into a 2+ hour film. I feel that this movie would be better off as a short film. Songs are nice and fresh. Aishwarya looks stunning.
Good different movie
kaizer_soze7 February 2005
My initial impression about this movie was that it would be yet another love story( which i hate so much i can't tell you ), but still decided to watch it as i didn't get the tickets for 'Black'. But i'll say that this movie is different and that was the precise reason, i liked it. The movie is all about an author Shaukat ( Sanjay Dutt ), a very complicated character played brilliantly by Sanju. He is a booker-prize winner author whose last book was discarded by all for being very 'unreal'. So after a gap of 2 years, he decides to write a 'real' story.... I won't go into much details of his adventure...he asks her wife(aishwarya) to have a romantic relationship with a younger guy(Zayed), and he writes on the events taking place in their lives ... he tries to dictate the scenarios....tries to predict everything that will happen in their lives just as he predicts the fate of the characters in his book... Sanjay Dutt has given a great performance...aish is looking beautiful..and zayed is as always average... One thing that i didn't like about this movie is that the actors were crying a lot more that was expected/necessary in the situations....anyway, a good movie by a debutant director...
the film is basically about a writer who is going through a rough patch
fairy_princess225-127 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
the film is basically about a writer who is going through a rough patch through his writing and he has an idea to do an experiment. so he encourages his wife to basically start an affair with another man(zayed) so that he can write about it. this film was really bad. i disliked it very much. first of all the movie unrealistic and the end did not make any sense at all. zayed khans acting was good but a bit wooden at times. the other bad thing was i thought this film would be OK to sit and watch with my family, but it was disgusting!!
what was the need for that sex scene between aish and sanjay!! please don't waste 3 hours of your life watching this dreadful film!!!!!! the only good thing about this film were its songs,which were surprisingly melodious.
what was the need for that sex scene between aish and sanjay!! please don't waste 3 hours of your life watching this dreadful film!!!!!! the only good thing about this film were its songs,which were surprisingly melodious.
A bollywood cinema ... errr a Modern Art??
bollywoodplusplus25 November 2005
I am a total admirer of the director of the movie (Leena Yadav) for making such a true-to-the-heart, wonderful movie ! The movie is very artistically abstract in some sense ! It deals with the illusions of a creative mind, certain aspects of writers block! Quite thought provoking indeed.
The subject matter has never been dealt in Hindi cinema before (I do not consider myself an expert in Hindi cinema, but I can say that to some certainty).
The cinematography is average. There are some interesting colors probably thanks to art director, but overall the production quality is average.
Music ----- Honestly I can write few pages about the music of the movie. Till date, I think its the best out of Vishal-Shekhar's stable!
Each song is a winner!
'Lo shuru ab ..chahaton ka silsila' has two versions in the album, by Kumar Sanu & Udit N. But I couldn't see Udit N's version on the film. And definitely, in entire 2005 this is the only song by Sanu that registers. Thanks to V-S to have made Sanu sing without his usual 'airy' voice! Didn't like opening of 'Sholon si..' - sounded too close to Smooth by Santana! (that's my only complain about the music of the movie). Great voice on the track by Vishal btw. Goes very well with Sanjay Dutt's role/persona in the movie. Similiarly, Sonu Nigam's voice suits very well for Zayed. 'Bolo to' & 'Khoya Khoya' are great ! 'Mat jaa' is a great ballad sung by Sukhwinder! Great music and some soulful guitar played by Warren Mendonsa (of Zero). Whoever played the drums, did a great job! I started listening to the music of this movie long before the movie was released and I was truly hooked to the entire album. Kudos to V-S!
Acting ------ Sanjay Dutt gets 8/10 - considering Sanju's acting ability, this is probably his career best! Zayed is alright (7/10) and AishRai is below avg (4/10).
The movie is a recipe for commercial failure, but I must appreciate PNC (Pritish & Rangita Nandi) to have produced it (for the sake of art, may be), and to have had trust with the débutante director Leena Yadav.
The subject matter has never been dealt in Hindi cinema before (I do not consider myself an expert in Hindi cinema, but I can say that to some certainty).
The cinematography is average. There are some interesting colors probably thanks to art director, but overall the production quality is average.
Music ----- Honestly I can write few pages about the music of the movie. Till date, I think its the best out of Vishal-Shekhar's stable!
Each song is a winner!
'Lo shuru ab ..chahaton ka silsila' has two versions in the album, by Kumar Sanu & Udit N. But I couldn't see Udit N's version on the film. And definitely, in entire 2005 this is the only song by Sanu that registers. Thanks to V-S to have made Sanu sing without his usual 'airy' voice! Didn't like opening of 'Sholon si..' - sounded too close to Smooth by Santana! (that's my only complain about the music of the movie). Great voice on the track by Vishal btw. Goes very well with Sanjay Dutt's role/persona in the movie. Similiarly, Sonu Nigam's voice suits very well for Zayed. 'Bolo to' & 'Khoya Khoya' are great ! 'Mat jaa' is a great ballad sung by Sukhwinder! Great music and some soulful guitar played by Warren Mendonsa (of Zero). Whoever played the drums, did a great job! I started listening to the music of this movie long before the movie was released and I was truly hooked to the entire album. Kudos to V-S!
Acting ------ Sanjay Dutt gets 8/10 - considering Sanju's acting ability, this is probably his career best! Zayed is alright (7/10) and AishRai is below avg (4/10).
The movie is a recipe for commercial failure, but I must appreciate PNC (Pritish & Rangita Nandi) to have produced it (for the sake of art, may be), and to have had trust with the débutante director Leena Yadav.
Waste of new opportunity
silvan-desouza14 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
In the movie Sanju plays a writer who has a writing block, something which seems to have stuck the writers of the film too. The film is unusual but sadly fails The characters are unique but sadly could've treated better. The scenes between Zayed and Ash are treated very amateurishly, their bonding over Sardar Pjs are terrible. The story starts off well but slowly gets so weird that it makes you cringe. On the plus side, the scenes between Sanju and Aish,their complex love story does have it's good moments but totally due to erratic writing it falters.
Direction by Leena Yadav is letdown due to it's writing Music by Vishal Shekhar is good, Sholon Si is the best song, other songs are good too though some wrongly placed.
The best asset of the film is Sanjay Dutt, Often known for his Bhai roles, it's nice to see him dare to do out of the box roles In this film though he gets a confusing role, he does a great job as usual and plays the character superbly. Aishwarya Rai too acts well Zayed Khan however is a miscast, the actor with his Srk Hangover hams badly especially in emotional scenes. Kamini Khanna overdoes, Sadia Siddiqui is superb as the servant, rest are okay
Direction by Leena Yadav is letdown due to it's writing Music by Vishal Shekhar is good, Sholon Si is the best song, other songs are good too though some wrongly placed.
The best asset of the film is Sanjay Dutt, Often known for his Bhai roles, it's nice to see him dare to do out of the box roles In this film though he gets a confusing role, he does a great job as usual and plays the character superbly. Aishwarya Rai too acts well Zayed Khan however is a miscast, the actor with his Srk Hangover hams badly especially in emotional scenes. Kamini Khanna overdoes, Sadia Siddiqui is superb as the servant, rest are okay
Great story of an insane writer
springsunnywinter5 June 2007
A really good low budget movie, the film had an amazing story with emotional intensity without violence and it takes you deep into a writer's mind e.g. Where they get their ideas and what they always think about like when Sanjay was cutting bits & pieces from magazines and putting them together to form a new idea. It's about a writer (Sanjay Dutt) who is planning to write his next novel based on his wife (Aishwarya Rai) and to do that he wanted her to have an affair with another man (Zayed Khan) so he can feel the pain and describe it in his novel because his wife & the other man are his characters. Cinematography was mind blowing especially when letters were falling from top to bottom and it had blue & white background during the scenes of Sanjay's imagination. A story like this has never been tackled before in Bollywood before but I'm not sure if it's original. Sanjay Dutt was the best he had taken care of the whole film and it was also a very different role for him because he always does action or comedy. Music was OK the song Sholon Si was the best; overall I prefer low budget films.
An interesting effort, unfairly panned by the media
umuhajir1 September 2006
Leena Yadav's surprising "Shabd" (2005) is probably the most unfairly overlooked Hindi film in recent times: its box office fate was bleak, the reviews churlish, its theme dubbed too bizarre for India. One might thus be excused for thinking the film merited a pass; one would be wrong: "Shabd" is one of Bollywood's more interesting offerings in recent years, and features fine performances from Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai to boot. The latter's efforts in particular should lay to rest the fallacy that she cannot act to save her life. Rather, as "Chokher Bali," "Raincoat" and now "Shabd" have shown, Ms. Rai needs the right script and the right director to shine. Indeed the skepticism of movie critics about her abilities says more about our collective unwillingness to appreciate non-dramatic artistes than about Ms. Rai's lack of acting talent. Leena Yadav has done a fantastic job with "Shabd," and viewers willing to lend themselves to the film will find that it holds their attention throughout with a taut script that only flags a bit towards the very end of the film. Boiled down to its essentials, "Shabd" is about a one-time celebrated writer, Shaukat Vasisht (Sanjay Dutt)-- whose most recent novel has failed miserably-- and his wife Antara Vasisht (played by Aishwarya Rai in a nuanced performance), and Shaukat's attempts to redeem himself by means of a new book that he has begun to write. The film is, according to Ms. Yadav, about the thin line separating reality from fiction...
continued at: http://qalandari.blogspot.com/2005/08/shabd.html
continued at: http://qalandari.blogspot.com/2005/08/shabd.html
Nice attempt but didn't quite work
BollyReview21 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Shabd is a 2005 film starring Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan. The film is about Shaukat (Sanjay), a writer who is going through a rough patch because his last book did not do well. The criticisms about his book has really gotten to him and he is struggling to write another book. Unable to find inspiration elsewhere, he looks towards his wife Antara (Aishwarya), a college teacher. When a young and handsome new teacher Yash (Zayed) joins the college and shows interest in Antara, Shaukat encourages her to befriend him to find more inspiration for his story. However, as his wife becomes closer to Yash, fiction and reality start to resemble one another.
Shabd is a strange film. I've always liked irony in films. Shabd, though, is ironical in not a very entertaining or appeasing way. It's kind of bizarre. It's not just a story about a husband encouraging his wife to cross the line into infidelity for the sake of his book, it's also about a man who actually believes that he can control people's lives through his writing. Although some of the language was very nice and well written, Sanjay Dutt appears as a mad man throughout, talking to himself constantly, and allowing himself to forget his identity as a husband for the sake of writing another successful book. It's sort of like he chooses success over his marriage, his wife and their honor. And his wife strangely goes along with it till the very end.
I actually enjoyed Aishwarya's performance in this film more than anyone else's. Sanjay's performance felt a little too forced to me. And Zayed unfortunately overacted. In some of the scenes where he lowered his voice to a tone he believes a romantic hero sounds like and his puppy sad eyes actually made me want to laugh. He tried too hard. Aishwarya on the other hand was very good. She performed very honestly and really got Antara's sincerity and naivety across well. I highly doubt that anyone else could have made that character work. She hit a great balance in this film with an avatar that's a combination of sensuous and innocent. Without her beauty and portrayal, I'm sure Shabd would have lost the very little credibility it has as a story.
At the end of the film, I really wasn't sure what exactly it was I watched. I can't quite fit this film into any main film genre. It's definitely not a thriller drama as described. It's more of a surreal film — not in its imagery– but more as a concept. I think what the writer and director went wrong with Shabd is that they wanted those surreal elements in the film but they also wanted to make a film that would fit the typical Bollywood cinematic experience, probably to attract the masses. But they diluted what could have been a well made, shocking art film. If they had taken the story a little more to the edge and removed the commercial elements (and tweaked the ending), Shabd could have been more influential, more disturbing.
This might sound contradictory to the beginning of my review. It's not that I like or approve of Shabd's plot. But the way that the film was made left little impact on me as a viewer. At the end of the film, I just brushed it off as silly and inconsequential. When I think about it though, the story is very unique and so much could have been done with it. But art and commercial don't really mix. In order to work, they need to be kept separate. Shabd should have been an all-out art film. Having said that, I do appreciate that they got some big names involved in this project and tried something out of the ordinary for Bollywood.
Shabd is a strange film. I've always liked irony in films. Shabd, though, is ironical in not a very entertaining or appeasing way. It's kind of bizarre. It's not just a story about a husband encouraging his wife to cross the line into infidelity for the sake of his book, it's also about a man who actually believes that he can control people's lives through his writing. Although some of the language was very nice and well written, Sanjay Dutt appears as a mad man throughout, talking to himself constantly, and allowing himself to forget his identity as a husband for the sake of writing another successful book. It's sort of like he chooses success over his marriage, his wife and their honor. And his wife strangely goes along with it till the very end.
I actually enjoyed Aishwarya's performance in this film more than anyone else's. Sanjay's performance felt a little too forced to me. And Zayed unfortunately overacted. In some of the scenes where he lowered his voice to a tone he believes a romantic hero sounds like and his puppy sad eyes actually made me want to laugh. He tried too hard. Aishwarya on the other hand was very good. She performed very honestly and really got Antara's sincerity and naivety across well. I highly doubt that anyone else could have made that character work. She hit a great balance in this film with an avatar that's a combination of sensuous and innocent. Without her beauty and portrayal, I'm sure Shabd would have lost the very little credibility it has as a story.
At the end of the film, I really wasn't sure what exactly it was I watched. I can't quite fit this film into any main film genre. It's definitely not a thriller drama as described. It's more of a surreal film — not in its imagery– but more as a concept. I think what the writer and director went wrong with Shabd is that they wanted those surreal elements in the film but they also wanted to make a film that would fit the typical Bollywood cinematic experience, probably to attract the masses. But they diluted what could have been a well made, shocking art film. If they had taken the story a little more to the edge and removed the commercial elements (and tweaked the ending), Shabd could have been more influential, more disturbing.
This might sound contradictory to the beginning of my review. It's not that I like or approve of Shabd's plot. But the way that the film was made left little impact on me as a viewer. At the end of the film, I just brushed it off as silly and inconsequential. When I think about it though, the story is very unique and so much could have been done with it. But art and commercial don't really mix. In order to work, they need to be kept separate. Shabd should have been an all-out art film. Having said that, I do appreciate that they got some big names involved in this project and tried something out of the ordinary for Bollywood.
Shabd - one of the best cult endings I've ever seen!!
infinityToHeaven22 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
After 3 weeks since I've seen., I'm quite surprised that none of the viewers have understood the film. Rather pity that most of us digged at zayed khans crooning sluggish screenplay but take my word - Shabd has unveiled an ending in a never before attempted twist in a screenplay, perhaps the only one that has shocked me in the recent past is Sixth Sense.
WEll I don't intend to spoil the mood by revealing the climax but here goes the "climax for dummies"
1) why do you think Sanjay dutt couldn't find the page read by aish in the end? 2) Why doesn't Zayed show up towards the end? 3) Why doesn't Aish talk throughout the last reel when sanjay is undergoing the trauma of not finding his script & worried about zayed?
Well, the answers are simple.
1) coz its the same damn page aish was holding ! 2) coz there's no zyed khan - hes a figment of sanjays imagination! 3) coz shes in awe to see sanjay becoming paranoid
The whole episode of aish-zayed is a dream sequence!!!!!
Sanjay is so obsessed of writing a "real character" in his story that he starts visualising things which never happened...what rolls out till the end is his infatuation that aish is in love with zayed., but the fact is *there is no zayed"
In retrospect now when you trace back to the movie you will see the 'silence' in the film towards the end ... revealing sanjay's paranoid nature.
Brilliant stuff from an overly underrated first time director.
As for the rest the visuals are good, aish is amazingly beautiful, zayed a.l.a SRK sucks.
Go share this info with all your folks who said "Damn what a sad ending" - Wake up !
WEll I don't intend to spoil the mood by revealing the climax but here goes the "climax for dummies"
1) why do you think Sanjay dutt couldn't find the page read by aish in the end? 2) Why doesn't Zayed show up towards the end? 3) Why doesn't Aish talk throughout the last reel when sanjay is undergoing the trauma of not finding his script & worried about zayed?
Well, the answers are simple.
1) coz its the same damn page aish was holding ! 2) coz there's no zyed khan - hes a figment of sanjays imagination! 3) coz shes in awe to see sanjay becoming paranoid
The whole episode of aish-zayed is a dream sequence!!!!!
Sanjay is so obsessed of writing a "real character" in his story that he starts visualising things which never happened...what rolls out till the end is his infatuation that aish is in love with zayed., but the fact is *there is no zayed"
In retrospect now when you trace back to the movie you will see the 'silence' in the film towards the end ... revealing sanjay's paranoid nature.
Brilliant stuff from an overly underrated first time director.
As for the rest the visuals are good, aish is amazingly beautiful, zayed a.l.a SRK sucks.
Go share this info with all your folks who said "Damn what a sad ending" - Wake up !
fuzzy memories
valfrae3 March 2022
It's weird. The first time I saw this movie was when I was a kid. On a lazy afternoon, right after school, flipping through tv channels, when I found this movie. It really intrigued me, and I was...enchanted? This movie became really special to me for some reason. The romance? The craziness? A song, perhaps? I'm not sure.
Now that I've rewatched it as an adult, I am terribly confused as to what I saw in this movie as a kid that I liked. It's awful, and nothing else.
The screenplay, the acting - all nothing but garbage.
Now that I've rewatched it as an adult, I am terribly confused as to what I saw in this movie as a kid that I liked. It's awful, and nothing else.
The screenplay, the acting - all nothing but garbage.
Very good film!!
Dream_Woman5 January 2008
I really loved this film, it was unique and different compared to other films that i have watched in the past. Ash is one of my fave actresses in bollywood today, it was on the tele one day so i decided to watch it.
Aishwarya's performance was brilliant in the film and she looked amazing the eye makeup and the nose ring made her look very different compared to what she had looked before and brought her beauty to it's highest level, she actually made me wear a nose ring too, she looked amazing.
Sanjay Dutt is one of my fave actors, he was just brilliant in the movie and his performance really touches you and make you feel the character, he was just amazing.
Zayed Khan i can honestly say was wrongly casted i didn't like his performance and he really need some acting lessons. Apart for that the music was just brilliant and you guys really should watch this film.
Aishwarya's performance was brilliant in the film and she looked amazing the eye makeup and the nose ring made her look very different compared to what she had looked before and brought her beauty to it's highest level, she actually made me wear a nose ring too, she looked amazing.
Sanjay Dutt is one of my fave actors, he was just brilliant in the movie and his performance really touches you and make you feel the character, he was just amazing.
Zayed Khan i can honestly say was wrongly casted i didn't like his performance and he really need some acting lessons. Apart for that the music was just brilliant and you guys really should watch this film.
Would watch it again ...
WWmoviejunkie23 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Award winning author , Shaukat Vashist's last work has been widely panned by critics leaving him frozen with writer's block for over 2 years . A new colleague Yash , who gets attracted to his lovely wife Antara , rekindles Shaukat's inspiration , unexpectedly propelling him to write again .
Working from home , Shaukat benignly encourages Antara's workplace-friendship with Yash ( who is unaware that Antara is married ).
In his heart , Shaukat wants Antara to make the right choice & be faithful to him , though intellectually he has presented her with options ... & he himself ends up getting caught in the suspense of what Antara will do & how far she will go ( though he isn't admitting that to himself - to admit that , is akin to powerlessness to Shaukat , esp. since he's regained control of his writer's block by rising from the ashes as an all-powerful-author who is orchestrating events , by his ability to predict human behaviour ) In the long run however , this suspense begins to takes its toll on Shaukat & partially unhinges him .
He thinks that he can cope with the possibility that Antara may choose Yash over him , by staying ahead of the story in real time , with his clairvoyant-like-predictions ; thus granting himself a false sense of control over the outcome ( like, if he can't control Antara's free will, he can control the narrative by his superiority as an insightful author & thus give her permission by proxy - his ultimate illusion of control )
This is where his chief concern about curing his writer's block & rejuvenating his career is quickly overshadowed by his carefully-concealed-anxiety , over the outcome of the love triangle involving Yash ( although Shaukat is elegantly blase about it outwardly )
The two concerns get interwoven.
Finally, the story he's writing is the one where Antara's rejection of Yash crushes him to the point where Yash kills himself - this was to be Shaukat's magnum opus as an author ( & validation as Antara's only true love ) .
But in reality , Yash handled the rejection maturely - subverting Shaukat's expectations & ultimately precipitating his complete unhinging by making Shaukat confront his lack of Merlin-like-control over circumstances & outcomes .
Working from home , Shaukat benignly encourages Antara's workplace-friendship with Yash ( who is unaware that Antara is married ).
In his heart , Shaukat wants Antara to make the right choice & be faithful to him , though intellectually he has presented her with options ... & he himself ends up getting caught in the suspense of what Antara will do & how far she will go ( though he isn't admitting that to himself - to admit that , is akin to powerlessness to Shaukat , esp. since he's regained control of his writer's block by rising from the ashes as an all-powerful-author who is orchestrating events , by his ability to predict human behaviour ) In the long run however , this suspense begins to takes its toll on Shaukat & partially unhinges him .
He thinks that he can cope with the possibility that Antara may choose Yash over him , by staying ahead of the story in real time , with his clairvoyant-like-predictions ; thus granting himself a false sense of control over the outcome ( like, if he can't control Antara's free will, he can control the narrative by his superiority as an insightful author & thus give her permission by proxy - his ultimate illusion of control )
This is where his chief concern about curing his writer's block & rejuvenating his career is quickly overshadowed by his carefully-concealed-anxiety , over the outcome of the love triangle involving Yash ( although Shaukat is elegantly blase about it outwardly )
The two concerns get interwoven.
Finally, the story he's writing is the one where Antara's rejection of Yash crushes him to the point where Yash kills himself - this was to be Shaukat's magnum opus as an author ( & validation as Antara's only true love ) .
But in reality , Yash handled the rejection maturely - subverting Shaukat's expectations & ultimately precipitating his complete unhinging by making Shaukat confront his lack of Merlin-like-control over circumstances & outcomes .
Did no one get this movie? Here's my analysis of Shaukat's story and motives...
akumar8224 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Sanjay Dutt plays Shaukat, a writer and domineering control freak who tries to force his wife Antara (Aishwarya Rai) into an affair with her colleague Yash (Zayed Khan) in order to survive his writer's block and write a critically acclaimed, bestselling novel. Here's what I got from the movie. (1) - Shaukat plays a control freak to the hilt, who feels like his ability to artistically create something carries over to reality. He fools himself into truly believing in the power of his work, that he's so talented he somehow has the ability to not only control his wife's actions, but also her innermost thoughts and feelings. When Shaukat realizes that he can't control Antara (I can't believe I still remember these names, by the way - I haven't seen the film since opening night back in Feb) he goes insane and loses his own grip on reality. (2) - I don't know why anyone would be interested in this cautionary tale for artists- I think the point of the movie for artists is to realize that you can't take your work so seriously as to have it control you to such an extent as Shaukat did. Realistic, natural art can't be manufactured, it flows from within. He can't forcefully create a love affair between Antara and Yash because this isn't in his control. He's so wrapped up in making a "realistic" story after such extreme critical rejection that he tries to force a situation that naturally can't occur. When he realizes that he's ultimately powerless, he loses his mind. Lets look at Shaukat's motivations besides his need for critical success and the desire for the power to make situations happen - his desire to "play god" so to speak. Abstract notions aside, I think Shaukat was also bored with his marriage and his life. He marries his student who appears to be a mysterious and beautiful young woman. He sees her as this enigma, a woman who he thinks will always be able to keep him on his toes, guessing. Antara doesn't turn out this way. She turns out to be a simple girl who eventually becomes a professor and falls into a life of predictability in marriage and work. Shaukat's notion of women is anything but simple - his character Tamanna is supposedly based on how he views his wife- mysterious, sexy, beautiful, and ultimately conniving and manipulative. But this is NOT the woman simple Antara really is. He wants to make her into something she's not because he's bored with the real Antara, so he sets out to spice up his marriage through his work by throwing this character based on what he WANTS his wife to be into an affair with Yash. Antara really doesn't enter into an affair with Yash, only managing to stay friends with him and turning him away at the end. So Shaukat fails to recreate his wife's personality and make his wife and marriage more interesting - another ironic reality he can't seem to face. She tells Shaukat in the beginning, while he's having writers block, "Don't look for your story in me, I'm just a simple woman with simple dreams." He doesn't want the simple woman, he wants the temptress he imagines in his writings. Unfortunately for Antara, he prefers Tamanna, evidenced by the her sexy dance he imagines at the restaurant while they're dancing to "Sholon Si." He sees the temptress Tamanna dancing seductively to the music surrounded by men rather than his boring, docile wife Antara, who only manages to submissively slow-dance with him. Ultimately, Shaukat can't face the fact that he's a loser, professionally as a writer and personally as a bored husband. He wants a certain lifestyle of the flashy, sensual, and mysterious wife and a hotshot career as a writer. He ends up a reclusive failed writer living in seclusion and falling into a life of marital boredom. Antara and Shaukat's dance at the end in the asylum is his submission to these facts and willingness to try to accept the ordinary life he has rather than the exciting life he covets.
This is a beautiful story of a man who wants too much from life and ends up not getting any of it. It's rather cruel in a way, this writer is given an initial taste of success and a life of fame, only to have it taken away.
The performances, barring Zayed Khan who was awkwardly terrible were excellent. Aishwarya plays two different characters - Antara, the vulnerable woman and Tamanna, the bewitching, mysterious, and conniving fantasy Shaukat wants Antara to be. She does both characters remarkably well and with a lot of subtle facial nuances. Her facial expressiveness brings a level of depth to both characters. Sanjay Dutt is brilliant as the alpha-male writer who refuses to accept mediocrity in life and in work. His presence is commanding. No one could have played Shaukat the way he did. Maybe if Bachchan was younger, he'd have the style and panache to do it, but no one else in my opinion. Dutt has that movie-star arrogance and charisma to make the role believable. And he has some smoldering chemistry with Aishwarya Rai. I've never seen Aish look so alluring with another male costar - she's like a block of ice with everyone else. But it looks like she's got a thing for Sanjay with the way they interact on screen. What a great looking couple. The film is beautifully shot, like a wonderfully dark painting. Everything looks classy and gorgeous, especially the songs. The movie may have been confusing but if you take the time to really explore these characters and the untold motivations behind these characters and their actions. It's all there, you just have to think about it and look hard enough. Art is subjective, even if you don't agree with my interpretation, you'll still take something of your own away from the movie. Brilliant, abstract stuff, loved it! 9/10
This is a beautiful story of a man who wants too much from life and ends up not getting any of it. It's rather cruel in a way, this writer is given an initial taste of success and a life of fame, only to have it taken away.
The performances, barring Zayed Khan who was awkwardly terrible were excellent. Aishwarya plays two different characters - Antara, the vulnerable woman and Tamanna, the bewitching, mysterious, and conniving fantasy Shaukat wants Antara to be. She does both characters remarkably well and with a lot of subtle facial nuances. Her facial expressiveness brings a level of depth to both characters. Sanjay Dutt is brilliant as the alpha-male writer who refuses to accept mediocrity in life and in work. His presence is commanding. No one could have played Shaukat the way he did. Maybe if Bachchan was younger, he'd have the style and panache to do it, but no one else in my opinion. Dutt has that movie-star arrogance and charisma to make the role believable. And he has some smoldering chemistry with Aishwarya Rai. I've never seen Aish look so alluring with another male costar - she's like a block of ice with everyone else. But it looks like she's got a thing for Sanjay with the way they interact on screen. What a great looking couple. The film is beautifully shot, like a wonderfully dark painting. Everything looks classy and gorgeous, especially the songs. The movie may have been confusing but if you take the time to really explore these characters and the untold motivations behind these characters and their actions. It's all there, you just have to think about it and look hard enough. Art is subjective, even if you don't agree with my interpretation, you'll still take something of your own away from the movie. Brilliant, abstract stuff, loved it! 9/10
Worth-watching movie
StegtKylling29 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Indian cinema has been struggling hard to come up with good stories. All they have got is the same usual love stuff that no longer inspires anyone. Finally, today I was changing channels and happened to passby a channel playing this one. I just started watching it from the mid, and thought it would be the usual love and life stuff and I'll get bored in a minute. But as moments passed by, the movie gripped me, and I couldn't help watching it to the very end, and to the very end mean"very end"(does anybody know after half the cast, Zayed Khan is shown riding a a bike;) I am not saying that this is like the best movie ever or the biggest hit of the year, but its at least different. Its good to know that they are at least coming up with different subjects on which to make movies. My intuition says that if I dig deeper, it will turn out to be a rip off of an English movie on a similar subject. But even if thats so, its a really good effort.
The movie tells us the story of a writer who starts to believe that he understands the human mind as much as it gets. And that not so wrong afterall, as throughout the movie he is always right. But this Power he thinks he possesses is sure to fireback as such power of perfect prediction of events takes away human part of a human. In the end, he has intermixed feelings of pleasure and despair when her wife lies to him that the ending he wrote turned out to be true. He simply cannot accept the power he thinks he possesses to change lives with his words, as this is unnatural for any human mind. He wants to change the end to lift the burden of his chest (because the ending he gave was really cruel, but you have to watch it to know it). Finally, like a typical suspense-like flick, the last five minutes of the movie are hard to understand. Why does Sanjay Dutt thinks the story is not finished even when he himself typed it to the end? Was he in that place at the end only because to make-up for the initial cruel ending, he re-wrote the last part and chose this for him? Was he living at the end for real, or still as a character? All these questions have no answer.
Anyways, its definitely a movie worth-watching. Although it has no masala and vulgarity the Indian cinema is so used to these days, but it shines out and outstands. I personally think that in every three months, only one Indian movie turns out that is worth watching, and I think this is the movie of these three months!
The movie tells us the story of a writer who starts to believe that he understands the human mind as much as it gets. And that not so wrong afterall, as throughout the movie he is always right. But this Power he thinks he possesses is sure to fireback as such power of perfect prediction of events takes away human part of a human. In the end, he has intermixed feelings of pleasure and despair when her wife lies to him that the ending he wrote turned out to be true. He simply cannot accept the power he thinks he possesses to change lives with his words, as this is unnatural for any human mind. He wants to change the end to lift the burden of his chest (because the ending he gave was really cruel, but you have to watch it to know it). Finally, like a typical suspense-like flick, the last five minutes of the movie are hard to understand. Why does Sanjay Dutt thinks the story is not finished even when he himself typed it to the end? Was he in that place at the end only because to make-up for the initial cruel ending, he re-wrote the last part and chose this for him? Was he living at the end for real, or still as a character? All these questions have no answer.
Anyways, its definitely a movie worth-watching. Although it has no masala and vulgarity the Indian cinema is so used to these days, but it shines out and outstands. I personally think that in every three months, only one Indian movie turns out that is worth watching, and I think this is the movie of these three months!
A Great Theme with good songs and Great Visuals !!!
prashant-sharma044 February 2005
I personally thought that this movie would be something like the old crap movies about a couple and then an extra-marital relationship that exists between the wife and a new man. The idea of SHABD is the same but hats off to the writer !!!! She has so marvelously crafted out a wonderful theme for the movie. It is so ....my ...a wonderful experience (minus Zayed) who really sucks with some cheap jokes!!! Shabd is about a writer (Sanjay Dutt) who tells his wife (Ash) that she should explore an extramarital relationship with a boy (Zayed Khan) because that will be the subject for his next novel.
This is just one dimension, not the entire film. It is not blatant as that. It is about a writer who is oscillating between his thoughts and the real world. It is about the way he lives his life and what he thinks about it. It is about how the mind works and how it spills over to reality --how it governs the matters of heart. It is very complex.
Leena Yadav, the director, has chosen all aspects of life. She has spoken through the visuals as well.
On the whole watch the movie for its great script, wonderful songs and visuals that are truly awesome !!! Watch it also for Aishwarya , for she has not looked so graceful after TAAL happened to her. Don't hate me if you feel bored when Zayed enters..well he is not too long...um...I will not spoil the interest by revealing the climax !!! Watch out for a commendable work of art and literature....
I give it a 8/10.
This is just one dimension, not the entire film. It is not blatant as that. It is about a writer who is oscillating between his thoughts and the real world. It is about the way he lives his life and what he thinks about it. It is about how the mind works and how it spills over to reality --how it governs the matters of heart. It is very complex.
Leena Yadav, the director, has chosen all aspects of life. She has spoken through the visuals as well.
On the whole watch the movie for its great script, wonderful songs and visuals that are truly awesome !!! Watch it also for Aishwarya , for she has not looked so graceful after TAAL happened to her. Don't hate me if you feel bored when Zayed enters..well he is not too long...um...I will not spoil the interest by revealing the climax !!! Watch out for a commendable work of art and literature....
I give it a 8/10.
Reply from the post titled: ANALYSIS by bugmenot100
SmileyParo10 October 2005
I said that I was going to re-post after I watched the movie and restate if my feelings still remains. I watched the movie today and it was okay. My expectations weren't too high for this movie, and the movie wasn't as bad as I read it would be. The main thing that took me off is Zayed Khan as Yash. I think his acting did not fit well and there was no connection or chemistry between him and Aishwarya (he also doesn't look well on screen with Aishwarya). He was just wrongly casted for the part or maybe he just didn't do justice. Even after Tamara told Yash she was married, I didn't have any type of affection or remorse towards Yash or Tamara and Yash's relationship (I think I was more happy that she told him to just Yash out of the picture)--it was just blend. The humor was confusing (yash humor especially) and not funny. I know when I re-watch this movie, I would forward through it.
Another thing is the intro of the movie and the actors. I don't think it captured the audience as much as it should have. Again, when Yash was introduced I found him rather annoying. Aishwarya and Sanjay's acting abilities did not fall short especially towards the ending. Sanjay played well as a confused writer who got fiction and reality confused and Aishwarya as the victim in Shaukat's fiction and reality.
The art in this film is also very good and beautiful. Overall, this movie has the potential to be a really good film with some changes; unfortunately, it fell short with the blend acting, chemistry, lack to carry out the concept story, and lack to get the audience interested with the characters.
7.5 out of 10 mainly for some direction and art concept of the movie. I appreciate Aishwarya more in films such as Raincoat, Chokher Bali, HDDCS, and Devdas.
Another thing is the intro of the movie and the actors. I don't think it captured the audience as much as it should have. Again, when Yash was introduced I found him rather annoying. Aishwarya and Sanjay's acting abilities did not fall short especially towards the ending. Sanjay played well as a confused writer who got fiction and reality confused and Aishwarya as the victim in Shaukat's fiction and reality.
The art in this film is also very good and beautiful. Overall, this movie has the potential to be a really good film with some changes; unfortunately, it fell short with the blend acting, chemistry, lack to carry out the concept story, and lack to get the audience interested with the characters.
7.5 out of 10 mainly for some direction and art concept of the movie. I appreciate Aishwarya more in films such as Raincoat, Chokher Bali, HDDCS, and Devdas.
A rare but brilliant look into the psychosis of a brilliant writer!
Sherazade1 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, here's the scenario: Shaukat(Sanjay Dutt) and Antara(Aishwarya Rai) are a happily married couple (or are they?). Shaukat is a brilliant writer who is suffering from the after effects of a sophomore slump, which has forced even his publisher to become a stranger to him. He comes up with the brilliant idea for a "comeback story of the year" type novel, when Antara(who is also a teacher) returns home from school one day with a tale of a new, young and attractive teacher (played seamlessly by Zayed Khan) who is always on her case and seems to have taken a liking to her. Instead of Shaukat advising his wife to tell the new man off and inform him that she is happily married, he encourages her to continue to tolerate his advances, as he secretly documents their vivid acquaintances in his drafts for a new and hopeful bestseller book. What happens next is the very essence of 'Shabd', which you must see to find out!
Shabd..watch it for Sanju..
NehaJhulka3 May 2019
O I have watched this movie a few times, there is something about this movie which makes me revisit it every now and then. Suddenly I saw it on my Netflix new releases, then I saw it on my trending list, and I knew that I will be watching it soon enough, and then I did.
The first time I watched the movie, I was pretty young, and I had no analysis, as a matter of fact I watched it on a pirated print the first time. Anyway, at that time all I deciphered I was that the movie was weird, something that I still think the movie is.
The movie starts with showing Shaukat Vashisht (Sanjay Dutt), as a once famous writer. He is shown to be bogged down by critics, this however does not change his proud behaviour, as a matter of fact I think it stems more arrogance in him.
Shaukat is shown to be arrogant, eccentric, crazy and madly in love with his wife Antra, played by Aishwarya Rai. His character is shown to be suffering from a writer's block, and he soon starts using his wife as a muse for his writing by encouraging her to have an affair with a co-worker at her college, and things start to unravel.
Later what follows, is pretty weird, Shaukat starts believing that whatever he writes becomes reality. After this point, everything is up to interpretation.
Now this movie is pretty flawed, because a lot of the movie seems very abstract, and doesn't really give real insight on characters, or the story. The writer does not seem to explore why Shaukat is the way he is. He is most probably suffering from schizophrenia, but does the maker really have good insight into what that really is? or why does Shaukat have it? not really, all of it is very abstract.
I have watched the movie a few times, and I have understood a few things about the character of Shaukat. Shaukat's arrogance probably stems from low self-esteem. Shaukat is someone who has been constantly humiliated by the press, as his last written book did not do well. This of course affected his self-esteem.
His low self esteem also makes him question his relationship with his wife Antara. Antara is someone who is very traditional in her ways, and seems to adore Shaukat, but I think Shaukat starts questioning whether Antara actually loves him or is she just with him due to being very set in her ways. I think at least subconsciously, that is also an underlying reason why he asks her to have an affair.
However why exactly he starts hallucinating or suffers from a half-baked version of schizophrenia is something that is not convincing to me as an audience. It is convincing in some parts, but not in others. Maybe because the director does not explore it enough.
I have watched Sanjay Dutt play a character who is a writer and has low self-worth in Saajan before, however Shaukat in Shabd is miles apart from Aman in Saajan. Aman was a very simple and innocent young boy. He was comfortable with his vulnerabilities. Shaukat on the other hand is full of arrogance and anger. He is not comfortable with failure.
I personally feel uncomfortable watching Sanjay Dutt play someone so arrogant, because it is something he has not done before. He does do a really good job of it though. Don't even get me started on Antara or Yash (the man she has an affair with), both characters are very poorly written and together they bore me to death.
Even though the movie is flawed, there are several reasons why I end up watching it once in a blue moon. I think the most important reason would be Sanjay Dutt, his character and his acting keeps me engrossed.
I don't think anyone else could do justice to this movie the way he did. One has to see to believe what this man is capable of. His breakdown in the end, when he cannot find the last page of his book, is something so brilliantly done. Such amazing acting.
It is no wonder that director Leena Yadav raved about Dutt stating that "Sanju... breaks the line between acting and being. There are many moments in the film where he rose above the script."
Aishwarya Rai, offers ample support. To borrow from an imdb user "I've never seen Aish look so alluring with another male costar.. But it looks like she's got a thing for Sanjay with the way they interact on screen. What a great looking couple." I could have not agreed with this opinion more, I love the way Aish looks at Sanju throughout the film, with so much admiration and love, I have not seen such chemistry of hers with anyone else.
Another great reason to revisit this film is the brilliant music. Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal-Shekar and Sanjay Dutt all contribute greatly to my favourite tracks of the film. My top 3 tracks would be "Khoya Khoya," "Bolo To," and the soul stirring "Mat Jaa."
The first time I watched the movie, I was pretty young, and I had no analysis, as a matter of fact I watched it on a pirated print the first time. Anyway, at that time all I deciphered I was that the movie was weird, something that I still think the movie is.
The movie starts with showing Shaukat Vashisht (Sanjay Dutt), as a once famous writer. He is shown to be bogged down by critics, this however does not change his proud behaviour, as a matter of fact I think it stems more arrogance in him.
Shaukat is shown to be arrogant, eccentric, crazy and madly in love with his wife Antra, played by Aishwarya Rai. His character is shown to be suffering from a writer's block, and he soon starts using his wife as a muse for his writing by encouraging her to have an affair with a co-worker at her college, and things start to unravel.
Later what follows, is pretty weird, Shaukat starts believing that whatever he writes becomes reality. After this point, everything is up to interpretation.
Now this movie is pretty flawed, because a lot of the movie seems very abstract, and doesn't really give real insight on characters, or the story. The writer does not seem to explore why Shaukat is the way he is. He is most probably suffering from schizophrenia, but does the maker really have good insight into what that really is? or why does Shaukat have it? not really, all of it is very abstract.
I have watched the movie a few times, and I have understood a few things about the character of Shaukat. Shaukat's arrogance probably stems from low self-esteem. Shaukat is someone who has been constantly humiliated by the press, as his last written book did not do well. This of course affected his self-esteem.
His low self esteem also makes him question his relationship with his wife Antara. Antara is someone who is very traditional in her ways, and seems to adore Shaukat, but I think Shaukat starts questioning whether Antara actually loves him or is she just with him due to being very set in her ways. I think at least subconsciously, that is also an underlying reason why he asks her to have an affair.
However why exactly he starts hallucinating or suffers from a half-baked version of schizophrenia is something that is not convincing to me as an audience. It is convincing in some parts, but not in others. Maybe because the director does not explore it enough.
I have watched Sanjay Dutt play a character who is a writer and has low self-worth in Saajan before, however Shaukat in Shabd is miles apart from Aman in Saajan. Aman was a very simple and innocent young boy. He was comfortable with his vulnerabilities. Shaukat on the other hand is full of arrogance and anger. He is not comfortable with failure.
I personally feel uncomfortable watching Sanjay Dutt play someone so arrogant, because it is something he has not done before. He does do a really good job of it though. Don't even get me started on Antara or Yash (the man she has an affair with), both characters are very poorly written and together they bore me to death.
Even though the movie is flawed, there are several reasons why I end up watching it once in a blue moon. I think the most important reason would be Sanjay Dutt, his character and his acting keeps me engrossed.
I don't think anyone else could do justice to this movie the way he did. One has to see to believe what this man is capable of. His breakdown in the end, when he cannot find the last page of his book, is something so brilliantly done. Such amazing acting.
It is no wonder that director Leena Yadav raved about Dutt stating that "Sanju... breaks the line between acting and being. There are many moments in the film where he rose above the script."
Aishwarya Rai, offers ample support. To borrow from an imdb user "I've never seen Aish look so alluring with another male costar.. But it looks like she's got a thing for Sanjay with the way they interact on screen. What a great looking couple." I could have not agreed with this opinion more, I love the way Aish looks at Sanju throughout the film, with so much admiration and love, I have not seen such chemistry of hers with anyone else.
Another great reason to revisit this film is the brilliant music. Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal-Shekar and Sanjay Dutt all contribute greatly to my favourite tracks of the film. My top 3 tracks would be "Khoya Khoya," "Bolo To," and the soul stirring "Mat Jaa."
Shabd...amazing
tan_jar4625 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
It was definitely a different kind of a story! i found the casting to be right on the mark the acting was so emotional and touching i felt it myself...it felt so real and so raw as if they were playing out the scenes for real life right in front of you.......there is this crying scene that goes on for a while between Antara and Shaukart and i'm telling you....wow.....best emotional award goes to.....Aishwarya Rai and Sanjay Dutt!
she cried in other movies...but in this one her emotions were so raw ,like you just want to hug her and say everything will be okay they were amazing!
she cried in other movies...but in this one her emotions were so raw ,like you just want to hug her and say everything will be okay they were amazing!
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