David

In 2004 Mani Ratnam experimented with 'Yuva' which was an unusual tale of three different people and how their stories get entangled with each others. Later we saw many such types of films being made in our Hindi film industry. Most of them followed the similar path what Mani Ratnam has set apart, but then there were few who dared to attempt something different. After receiving fantastic reviews for his debut film 'Shaitan', Director Bejoy Nambiar comes up with his latest film 'David' which narrates the story of three different people sharing the same name but set in different era. So let's find out whether this movie too is on the similar grounds of 'Yuva' & other such movies or might set an altogether different benchmark.

'David' is story of Neil Nitin Mukesh {Set in 1975 – London}, Vinay Virmani {Set in 1999 – Mumbai} & Chiyaan Vikram {Set in 2011 – Goa}. All of them share one thing in common & that's their name –David. Certain changes happen in their lives making life complicated for them. What do all these David do & how the story does unfold is what the entire film is all about.

All the three stories are unique & different. I personally loved the Chiyaan Vikram followed by Neil Nitin Mukesh's stories. Vinay Virmani's story starts on interesting note but as movie progresses, the story starts diluting in super speed. One might find bit uncomfortable in the initial moments of the film as there are lot of stuff happening in the silver screen. But as you get inside the skin of the film, you tend to enjoy it even more. Screenplay in first half is brilliant, second half is also good but is super stretched thus lowering down the impact of the film. There are some brilliant moments like the whole attack over Ghani, Vinay's daily routine, Naseer shaving in his passage, Vikram's chat with his friend followed by the whole brawl in the bar, Vikram & his mother looking for bride, Almost all Saurabh Shukla – Vikram scenes, Vikram convincing Prahlad Khakkar, Monica Dogra's support to Neil & many more.

On the the story of Vinay Virmani seemed bit weak in comparison to other chapters. Right from the reason of attacking Naseer to the cooperator revealing the truth to Vinay or even a stranger instigating him and few more did not turn up as they should have on the silver screen. At few places the makers goofed up over the date's issues but on overall basis played brilliantly with the different time zone. One of the major flaw of the film is that it's too long, especially in the second half where it seemed over stretched. Dialogs by Tariq Siddiqui {In Neil Nitin Mukesh chapter} deserve a special mention.

Camera work is fantastic. All the era's looked stunning especially the black & white era and the whole Goa chapter looking total warm and colorful. R. Rathnavelu, R. Madhi & Sejal Shah takes the cinematography to another level. The whole movie is a visual treat, thanks to these creative guys. Editing is crisp in first half, wish it was the same later on.

Music by various musicians bring the needed flavor in this film. One might enjoy 'Maria', 'Ghum Hue', 'Bande Ki Daastaan' & 'Damadum Mast Kalander'. Other songs fails to make impact.

Bejoy Nambiar chooses a different and stylish pattern to narrate his tale. He is total opposite of what we saw him in his debut film – 'Shaitan'. Out here he keeps you glued to silver screen with his creativity. The usage of different tones for all the different era goes well with the flop of the film. He takes forward the art of technical direction, just the way genius like Mukul S Anand, Rajiv Menon or Santosh Sivan did in their times. Wished the director would have controlled his love for the longer script and trimmed down the film by 20 Min's, the whole finale impact would've been more hard hitting.

Neil Nitin Mukesh looks fantastic and does his part with total justice. When it comes to Grey shade role he is perfect choice. Akarsh Khurana as Ghani was total impressive. Monica Dogra looked great. Neil Bhoopalam in small cameo does his part. Milind Soman might remind you of Kiran Kumar from Angaar. Ajinkya Dave, Nikhil Chinappa, Sarika does good special appearance. Vinay Vrmani looks cute and fits perfectly in his role, wished he had some good writing attached to it. Nasser is a veteran classic actor who shines even in small role. Sheetal Menon is great support along with Rohini Hattangadi & Shweta Pandit. Lara Dutta looked bit healthy in her guest role. Satish Kaushik was total wasted. Chiyaan Vikram was hilarious in his rascal type role. He keeps entertaining you with his screen antics. Tabu is superb in her small part. Isha looks beautiful. Saurabh Shukla was fantastic. Prahlad Khakkar, Remo and others were enjoyable.

Dumb Han in terms of brilliant direction, technical aspects, two entertaining chapters and some decent performances along with gala of great actors. A total treat for cinema lovers who love to see something creative and out of the box, But the overall theme might be bit confusing for the general audience as lots of stuff keeps happening around, making it hard for them to understand. Also the length of the film dilutes the theme of the film. Out of three stories I liked two, which reminded me of the famous idiom - Two's company, three's a crowd.

Bejoy Nambiar's 'David' is a Well-Made & Well-Acted Film, that ranks amongst the better films from 2013. It has strong merits, but, its far from astonishing.

'David' Synopsis: The lives of three different men named David are about to take a step which is going to change their lives forever.

'David' narrates three stories efficiently. Nambiar is an amazing visionary & he directs the film spell-bindingly. He breaks free & walks away with a film that's genuinely engaging. Nambiar & Natasha Sahgal's Screenplay, on the other-hand, is gripping. But, the second-hour is stretched & dragged. It definitely could've been sharper & more powerful. Cinematography is top-class. Editing is perfect. The Music is in sync with the film's mood.

Performance-Wise: Neil Nitin Mukesh is splendid. Also, he carries off the part with a lot of style. Vikram is over-rated in here. Vinay Virmani surprises with a power-packed performance. He's excellent. Tabu is outstanding, as usual. Isha Sharvani is wonderfully under-stated. Nassar is in command after a long time. The veteran is superb. Lara Dutta is efficient. Monica Dogra is fabulous. Rohini Hattangadi is competent. Sheetal Menon is first-rate. Saurabh Shukla is lovable. Ajinkya Dev is excellent.

On the whole, 'David' is a fearless film.

David is a story of three lives in three generations that at the end cross each other's path. Bejoy Nambiar has directed this visually appealing and musically soothing movie in an attempt to hit the dart which he failed last time even after the exhibition of some fine artistic prowess in "Shaitan". At times joking, at times fighting and at times crying, it tries to say the same old story of revenge and love with slightly different recipe.

Neil Nitin Mukesh's David is a man-of-few-words-David, and may be the best story in all three. This one with its black n white tone sets the gritty mood right away. The actors here have acted their part well and even the story keeps you with it. A crime drama, which has its own set of twists brought to screen beautifully.

Vinay's David is a wanabe-rockstar-David. This one's a drama which could have been easily better with the potential the screenplay carried but the unconvincing portrayal by Vinay put it all off since the story fully rests on him. One as an audience will find it difficult to empathize with his character even when this is supposed to be more painful than the other two.

Finally Vikram's David is the drunkard David who is hated by his neighborhood for his unruly nature. Clearly not Vikram's best, he still has given something to the role which wasn't enough. The story tries to be funny with its unconventional screenplay like his dead father (Sourabh Shukla) coming to visit him after taking over a living person's body, randomly. The screenplay seems dragged and useless in many places.

Coming with the expectations for the director of Shaitan, surely left me disappointed. Shaitan by far beats this one, mostly for its lazy editing and poor acting. In general perspective though this is not half as bad as the usual Bollywood. (imeansuraj.blogspot.in)

I just came home after watching David and i can't help but keep thinking of the 2 davids.David is a film about two very different persons and their journey.Most of the viewers find that there was no connection between the two stories while i felt that it is indeed connected deeply and its real content lies within and it is to be understood, for those who do understand its the journey of a lifetime.

David(Vikram) is a carefree youth who was dumped by Annie,his bride to be and he lives with that scar on his heart hating marriages.His best friend Peter informs him about his love whom he is going to marry and how that girl is deaf and dumb.Problem starts when David falls for his best friend's fiancé.David's dad as the wandering spirit and Tabu are quite good including Vikram. The only drawback is that Vikram is seen drinking in all the scenes from start to end and that is somewhat tiring.

The second plot revolves around David(Jiva) who portrays an aspiring musician and at a later stage an angry youth searching for answers. Jiva is exceptional and this is his best performance till date.Nasser is very good and he evokes a sense of empathy when he come to terms with himself and with others.

Overall this film is connected in the way how both David's initially refuse to accept the way of life and find themselves at troubled waters not being able to handle pain,how they come to terms with themselves and accept life forms a major part of the story which others describe as slow and a weak screenplay.In my opinion David is one of those films that is not to be missed and i recommend this to all of those who wish to see a meaningful movie which will touch your heart.

Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan was terrific. David will entertain you (with some yawns here and there), but thought-provoking? No! David is mercuric.

The cast is well-endowed and all of them have done well. The three main leads have done absolute justice with their portrayals while the supporting cast is okay (with reference to Milind & Chinnappa), too. Raw talent Vinay Virmani looks promising. Now what detaches from the flick is the third element with Vikram and the Goa thing - it just didn't click for me. Yet the Isha-Vikram duo will get you eat the romance. Wonderful! Also, all the 3 stories had the panache for single films and like someone else has written it, is true - Two Is Company, Three Is Crowd! ;)

Direction is superb, screenplay might get you unhooked for some time and the plot about heartbreak and love - well, it is a good one but the melange of details will bore you as it has its big share of clichés from stunt scenes to superfluous comic timings. With keeping accuracy and magnificence, Nambiar could manage with the ecstasy and exoticism here. Yet, it feels like it lacked substance but the retrospection and oodles of style will make you magnetic.

Had the plot not been too draggy to tell you this wonderful story, David could have been a chart-buster - come February 2013! January couldn't impress me. You must give it a try though, because it is very different from the usual Bollywood trademark films and has the momentum to make you understand the underlying message the three stories depict singularly.

Bottom line: David is not for the red-reclining-couch but yes, if you haven't anything to do this weekend and are tired of the high-octane January releases (read Race 2), go for it!

WATCH OUT FOR: dapper Neil, the newcomer, some cheesy sequences, romance-filled songs, respite from masala movies/item numbers, etc.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Language: Strong | Violence: Strong | Sex: Mediocre | Foreplay: Strong | Mouth-Liss: Strong | Gore: Strong | Nudity: Strong | Alcohol: Strong | Alcohol: Strong | Smoking: Strong