Iqbal

IQBAL is an excellent movie by Nagesh Kuknoor. His earlier film HYDERBAD BLUES was also good film thematically and in characterization.but had rather loose screen play. But this time he has written a very tight screen play and he has chosen excellent actors . It is a story of an aspiring bowler in a village. This shows clearly that to reach the top is not a plum to be taken but to shed sweat and tears. The relations ship between the deaf and mute bowling aspirant (Shreyas Talpade) and the school going sister(Shweta Prasad) was etched beautifully. In some scenes the film reminded me of that excellent Iranian film "The Children of Heaven" by Mohammad Amir Naji. The boy takes the help of an old cricketer who has gone to seed and Nasiruddin Shah etched this role beautifully as Mohit. The story is down to earth with father not very happy with what he thinks unattainable ambitions of the son but the boy is strongly supported by mother and sister. The ambiance was typical village atmosphere and the house a normal village Muslim family -may not be affluent but not below the poverty line. This is a family drama not the rubbish those come out of Kollywood. All in all a memorable film and Kuknoor graduated to almost world class.

The film I remember was sent for Oscar. Though this was not nominated Kuknoor is approaching Oscar level.