Movie anatomization : Waiting

It is quite rare that I would see a Hindi movie more than twice - of course not unless I have really loved the movie and it has touched me in some way.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Waiting - the movie was an eye-opener about life, family, friends, the ability to cope with grief - a tale of dealing with love, the closest idea of losing your loved ones and being realistic in life.
The movie highlights about the two individuals who understand each other, fight with each other even enjoy their tough times together - in the most unlikely of the places having the most unlikely of personality traits.

The cast Kalki Koechlin, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajat Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Suhasini Mani Ratnam have done an outstanding job. I was in total awe with the movie.
The director Anu Menon, has done a flawless direction in this non-commercial film - subtly bringing out the plethora of emotions in a given situation.

The movie starts with the clock ticking at 5:59:51 in Kochi - birds chirping, sun up and right from the time the clock strikes 6:00:00 WAITING starts for Naseeruddin Shah who is fondly known as Shiv. He is shown lying on his bed, waiting calmly for the clock to strike 6 to begin his chores.

On the other hand, Kalki Koechlin a.k.a Tara is seen, showing a self made advertisement to her friends in which she features -  about a brand of sanitary napkins. She is eagerly awaiting for their comments.
 

Those 5 minutes with her friends portray Tara as this modern, attractive, energetic  woman who believes in voicing out her opinion - who does not shy away from bad mouthing, hurling abuses, an individual who is highly impatient and is using the power of social media to create a stir among the masses about a brand she believes in.

While the concept did not go very well with her friends, they joke about it and are pulling her leg - when amongst all this chaos, there is a ring at the door - which distorts everything and it marks the beginning of the drama.

The terrible news hits her, the recently married Tara Kapoor- Deshpande hears the news of  her husband Rajat Deshpande caught in a terrible near fatal accident in Kochi and is left in a coma.

Next she is seen hurrying up to Kochi from Mumbai - once in the hospital where her husband is admitted, she is all confused with no friends and family around her. Tara is in a fix, unaware about how to cope with the news. And to top it, there is a blank expression on her face and a sense of helplessness oozing from within.

With all the initial turmoil in the hospital, while waiting - she approaches Shiv who happens to be in the cafeteria at that hour also waiting. Shiv's wife Pankaja is also battling a coma from the past 8 months.

The story revolves around Tara and Shiv finding themselves in similar situations and bonding over the emotions of grief, fear, inhibitions and their inabilities to do something in the given situation. It is a friendship at a different level altogether.

 The intriguing part of the movie is that, it leaves a lot of questions for the viewer to ponder -

 

• The true value of friendship is revealed not in the sunny times but during the difficult times. Can they make time for you to stand up with you during such times?
• Is it your selfishness or your love or the fear of being alone that is stopping you from not allowing your loved ones to live the quality of life or death they deserve and punish them with continuing to live on machines?
• All this social media buzz, the friends in Facebook, the followers in twitter - what is the point of all these?
• Does praying to God help your loved ones recover soon or does it bring peace in your head that this is the least you could do in this situation?
• Would either Tara or Shiv continue being at each other's side - if either of their respective would get better and eventually move out of the hospital. For me the question was more for Tara?

They show how Tara is highly astonished to find Shiv so  "ZEN" in the given situation , to which Shiv beautifully educates her about the various stages of grief -

1. The first stage is DENIAL :  how can this happen to me? These things can happen only to others.

2. The second stage is ANGER : where hundred questions break upon you, why me? Why did this to happen to me?

3. Starts the next which is the stage of BARGAINING: if you are a believer you start pouring God with all that you can, and for the non- believer spirituality strikes in. The pragmatism dissolves completely.

4.The most difficult phase among all is that of DEPRESSION and is the most dangerous one too.

5. And if you are able to pull yourself of the above, finally comes the stage of ACCEPTANCE where you learn to cope with the situation. You either persuade yourself that everything is going to be fine or you give up hope like a coward - the choice is totally yours.

The coping mechanism holds quite some meaning in the movie :)

With the passing of 8 months and still counting, Shiv has successfully climbed up to the stage of acceptance. Hence the story deals with the impatient and hurt Tara coping with her entry into the various stages and Shiv lending his hand to help her out, in absence of her friends and family.

The movie beautifully brings out how Tara has evolved and is handling questions with her doctor with a practical and an apt approach  - "Rajat won't become a vegetable right? He would be able to do things on his own right - since he does not like being dependent on anyone for that matter?" Such has what the situation has build her to.

The transition of Shiv trying to learn the new age vocabulary, slangs is kind of sweet - he is shown to be adapting.

The role play of the doctor Neerupam Malhotra by Rajat Kapoor brings a realistic insight into the world of doctors - as to how tough they become over the course of time.
The one instance where he is training his junior doctor to hone the art of giving some tough news to the patient's loved ones and with a slight hint of smile on his face just says "Why so apologetic, doctor?" It brings out the harshness, emotionless-ness the doctors get used to, over a period of time.
At another instance, again while training his junior doctors, he states "You are not here to participate in your patients sorrow, you are here to put an end to pain and misery, one way or the other - to give life yes but also to know,when to let it go..."
"God is what our patients need quite often, but the truth is God does not come in the 9 am ward rounds, you and I are the closest the patients are going to get..."
Rajat Kapoor has justified the role of the doctor - practical and ruthless man, but I did not thoroughly get his political statements that his role portrayal required, maybe I misjudged.

The movie deals with the heart wrenching tough decisions one has to take during these times and the leap of faith to put forward.
In this context the sequence which was very significant was where the night before Tara prepares herself for Rajat's operation to remove a lump in his brain and Shiv prepares for his wife to be taken off the ventilator(doctor's don't find any hope in keeping her on the ventilator) - they drink through the night and enjoy themselves.
After a while when Tara slips off to sleep - she dreams that she has passed out and she is being rushed to the hospital in a jiffy. There by her side is Rajat - promising to take care of her and Pankaja just lying on the bed next to her and glancing - my interpretation was that it was a subtle indication that Tara had prepared herself  mentally to stand by her husband no matter what happens after the operation.

It is the journey of  Shiv's marriage of forty years and Tara's of about six weeks, the contrasting numbers of years in relationship yet the same voyage in a language of two different generations.
It is the portrayal of how one becomes so mechanical in doing the same things each and every day in that one and only hope - one day their loved ones would start living on their own.

To conclude it is - Two people, just WAITING!!

The music of the movie is soul touching and meaningful. I specially love the song "Hai Zara zara, hai zara - ab hua asar zara zara, jyada nahin, bas thoda sa, hua asar naya zara..."

I would love to see Bollywood coming up with more of such movies having life touching and philosophical concepts.


For me the movie, the story, the cast, the direction and the performances were stellar!!

Movie anatomization : Dosar

From the time I had seen this movie, I had been eagerly wanting to pen down my thoughts on the concept of the movie. 
The movie in a true sense is highly thought provoking.
Not being very expressive with words, penning down about the movie was an arduous task for me but the plot is definitely a writer's delight.

DOSAR - the movie intrigues about the diversified human emotions - and it's after math.


The Rituporno Ghosh movie scores a 10/10 in the attempt to get across the story to the audience - if not all he has definitely won my heart. He is indeed an exceptional story teller and director.

Dosar going by the lexicon means an emotional companion or just a companion for that matter.

One may find it odd that in the world of colors, the filmography of the movie has been done in Black&White. My interpretation of this was that the director wanted to signify the convoluted-dark side of the human emotions.

The film opens with a scene where Meeta(Chandayee Ghosh) is shown singing a beautiful melody.
Koushik(Prosenjit Chatterjee) on the other hand is checking out of the hotel, inquiring about the extra charges on the bill - to which the receptionist notifies that was for the orchids purchased by his wife from the florist. 
Next they show Meeta hurts herself while placing the orchids in the car. 
During the time Koushik is trying to nurse her, Meeta very subtly complains to Koushik that he doesn't spend much time with her. The talk concludes with planning for their next trip to Darjeeling - where there are beautiful orchids found.
To this Meeta retorts not Darjeeling, but somewhere in the interiors where there will be no signal on the phone and she can have all the time with Koushik. Meeta is shown to have an immense love for orchids. 
 
And then the mega twister - a grave accident occurs which changes the equation. Koushik is left hospitalized and severely injured and Meeta dead. 
Meeta's role although short lived, is quite impact-ful.

Soon after the accident, Kaberi(Konkana Sen) gets a call from the police, wherein she rushes to the hospital, not only find her husband in a near death condition but also her marriage.
Koushik, her husband was in an apparent relationship with Meeta who happened to be his colleague.

The series of events portrays irony at its best. All this while Kaberi had been supporting her friend's Bobby and Brinda (Parambata Chatterjee,Pallavi Chatterjee) having an extra-marital affair, quoting "Her husband is a monster".
But now when the tables have turned and Kaberi has to face the brunt of an illegitimate relationship of her husband - she is just crushed and shattered. 

Of course being a 21st century woman we are very much acquainted with bountiful jargons on feminism, independence, freedom etc, and the only thing that would come to any woman's mind is to never forgive the man who broke her trust and let the things of present become that of past.
But as they say, it is easier said than done and to be true, the two sides of the coin are unearthed - a responsible wife who loves her husband unconditionally and the other -  THAT woman who has to bear the brunt of her husband's infidelity?!

When you see the movie you sense  the internal fight of a woman who lets her emotions win over her anger but with time and slowly.

But was this transformation easy?!No of course not.

She is seen continuously combating with herself.
She is stuck between helping her injured husband recover and venting out her anger.
You literally feel the heat - where despite of asking for a divorce from her estranged husband, she still did care for his well-being!
She is just unable to find enough ways to let out her frustration which has accumulated over the course of time.

Small nuances create such an impact on the viewer - noticing how Kaberi breaks the news to her husband that his lover Meeta is dead, without even a flinch on her face. Commendable!
You can see the grieving wife taking a bolder stand and feel absolutely nothing to deliver the news of someone's death. She tactfully plays with the word "BRAVE" used to describe her at that moment and bashes out at her relatives and friends.

Obviously it goes without denial, it is one hell of a tough ride for Koushik too.
When he is finally discharged from the hospital, Kaberi has a separate room setup for him in the house. There is a nurse appointed to help him out with his dressings and daily chores. 
This pinches Koushik yet he tries to maintain his composure and does not give up on juggling between winning his wife's trust back, and  simultaneously repairing his severely wounded relationship along with coping with the loss of Meeta.
In some way as a viewer I felt, Koushik plays quite cunningly on Kaberi's emotions to get her back. He shows the ultimate fear of losing her at the current moment than showing any sign of remorse which is barely noticeable.
It is surprising how you would get to witness Koushik's portrayal of jealousy and authority over Kaberi - even after ALL this.

The movie is a game of emotions and you will witness a galore of it. 
How one accident triggers a series of events in the lives of Koushik&Kaberi and the people revolving around them?!

The movie on one hand, brings to light a woman's capacity to forgive,but on the other hand it also subtly raises a question - would Koushik have accepted Kaberi - had she done the same with him?
What would have Koushik done, had Meeta been alive after the accident?!
It leaves room for quite some questions to be answered by the viewer - to ponder one's own reaction, imagination  if caught in a similar situation?! Gosh...

The gist I would put it as -  a beautiful portrayal of human emotions . To bring such a story to the audience in this manner takes a lot of hard work, dedication and is by far is an ardent task. And it has been executed flawlessly by the director.
It not just the protagonist's whose role play defines the movie but every character adds to the completion of the plot. 
Spell bounding! 

Full justice done by Konkana Sen and Prosenjit in their role play!

A beautiful poem recited by the Meeta:

tomar thonth amar thonth chhulo
jodio ei prothombar noi
chumbon to ageo bohubar....
eibar thonthe mileche ashroi

jemon shob bhoyer golpe
doitto danob rakkhosh r kkhoy
tile tile shukhoi rajkumari
ontomile rajputrey joy

tobuo khub bhitore badhahin
lorai chole shumbo nishumber
prothom bole,phool to chire khabo
dittio bole,hath pate shekh

ashole tumi dirgho shalmoli shobar matha chariye torubor
tomar thonth amar thonth chhulo
r je kichu okinchitkor!!

Translation:

your lips touch mine, not the first time,even!
Kisses have been there,always,
This time,it felt heaven.

As in those fairy tales,
loom spectre,demon and death,
the princess wanes bit by bit,
but the prince wins at last breath.

But somewhere, deep within,
a fierce duel unbridles,
One says, " Ravage the flower"!
"Entreat"!, the other fiddles.

You are infact, the lofty Shalmoli,
That towers above us all.
Your lips do touch mine,
Insubstantial, the rest fall.

Hats off to the director - the man Rituporna Ghosh truly deserves a standing ovation for always bringing out beautiful movies, portraying emotions at its best and worst! :) 

Movie anatomization : Jurassic World!

SPOILER ALERT!

So one of the most awaited movie of the year - JURASSIC WORLD is released.When I first saw its trailer, it had really excited me. I had hoped to see something new and interesting this time. Obviously, it is difficult to re-invent more stories with dinosaurs.

The reason of my excitement was due to the fact, that this was my first - dinosaur themed movies which I would see in the theaters and to add - in 3D. I had prepared myself for the plethora of innocent deaths and mass destruction by the gigantic creatures.

Going with high hopes for a movie and how does it feel , if it ended more in a dejavu?!

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, this movie attempts at doing what they have tried in the previous versions of Jurassic park, with way more modernization and technicalities involved.

It starts with the concept borrowed from the first movie itself, the dream seen by John Hammond.
Jurassic world is a fully themed dinosaur park located in a far off island - Isla Nublar. It offers a lot of  amusing attractions with dinosaurs. It ranges from dinosaur shows, rides with the dinosaurs and many other enjoyable attractions for the kids and adults combined.
But frankly nothing can beat the first introduction of dinosaurs to us in the Jurassic Park series.

Claire as the shrude park manager plays her role of only being worried about the numbers and statistics, she is so involved in her work - that she cannot find time for her nephews who have come on a trip to Isla Nublar. Work is of top most priority for her.
And I am proud to see our talented Bollywood actor Irfan Khan in the role of the owner of the park, who has a fair amount of role and not a blink and miss role. He is portrayed as the team player and leader who wants to give the masses something more and exciting. He is shown in good light as someone who walks with his team in time of trouble and firefighting.
Then the most handsome man in the movie - is the raptor's trainer Sam. These raptors are being tried to be trained by men where they are trying to establish a relationship - a bonding with these deadly animals - a strenuous task. These are the same raptors who were responsible for the close down of the Jurassic Park built earlier.

Then as every story has it, we have of course the bad guys, who are always there to utilize every wrong situation in their favor.

The story revolves around the Indominous Rex -  a genetically bred dinosaur with mixture of DNAs from animals - which attributes it to being  huge, aggressive and smarter.
In an attempt to give the masses a new reason to visit the park and to increase the numbers, the scientists have created a Frankenstein's monster - of which they are totally unaware about.

With the animal on loose and out of control - there is a sudden shift from it being a major attraction to  being a major disaster - this animal is so smart that it goes on a destruction mode.
There is a dialogue in the movie - where Sam says " She is killing for sport."
She creates mayhem at extreme lengths.

And yet another Jurassic series movie - with siblings vanished.
Them being the reason , there is a sudden transformation portrayed in Claire with a sense of responsibility and love for them.

After all the hullabaloo by the deadly programmed monster - the movie tries to portray terrific transformation of the killer raptors showing emotional bonding with humans and trying to save Sam and company. This was something defying their nature.

The final hero of the show are the gigantic T-rex and rapters who bail everyone out of the deadly chaotic situation.
Without saying they are the ones to be applauded for the entire rescue operation. This a major twist in the movie, which also gives weird sense of dejavu - similar thing seen in end of Godzilla(where another Godzilla saves the world from the killer Godzilla).

There are only few scenes from the movie which are really gripping and nail biting.I was literally scared by the enormous mighty animals creating havoc and suspense on who would be next - in the killing spree.

Eventually the dire sequences of the events lead to the dream turned reality coming to a halt, and yet again being home to the mighty undefeated dinosaurs.

This movie tries to deliver something nostalgic along with the introduction of exciting features in Jurassic World. A decent fun ride to the theme park. Enjoyable but not much new things to offer.
The 3D effect - did not really live up to my expectations. They could have done way better than this.

A reminiscence of the Jurassic Park series. :)

Cheers to life!!

~Believe in yourself always!