Film Flair

About The Reader

It’s been more than three weeks since I saw The Reader, but there have been less movies or less books which have had any impact on me since then, as much as The Reader’s. Which are by the way a lot of movies and books gone by. These are a few things I absolutely loved in the film.

- I liked the details to which the characters were etched out in it. Especially, Hana’s.
- I also liked how Michael found it so difficult to be heroic and save her. It is difficult to be heroic, thankyou very much to acknowledge it.
- The discomfort of being around someone so ruthless was portrayed so beautifully in the end sequence when Michael sums up the courage to go meet Hana.
- The burn of loving that person who is capable of hurting you so much and abandon you, the vulnerability and naiveté of the first love.
- The sick guilt of revenge which almost kills you was magnificent in the court room trials’ scenes.
- The lady and the dog. I want to get my copy.

About Gulaal

I had been on a permanent speechlessness after I saw Gulaal. To begin with I was determined to love it anyway. My ears rang of the tunes. And Gulaal didn’t disappoint me even in one bit. It’s one of the most moving work in Indian Cinema in a long time. I think the last time that I was in such awe of a hindi movie was with Omkara. DevD was nice too, but in a very different way. Here are some things I liked about Gulaal.

- Just like The Reader, the film is successful in carving very strong characters, of Rananjay’s, of the brother-sister duo, Bhaati, of Dilip, Duki Bana.
- Piyush Mishra’s mid movie poetry, I mean really where have you been?

"Oh re Bismil kaash aate aaj tum Hindustaan
Dekhte ki mulk saara kya tashan, kya chill mein hai
Aaj ka launda yeh kehta hum to bismil thak gaye
Apni aazaadi to bhaiya laundiya ke til mein hai."

“Aaj ke jalso main bismil ek gunga ga r aha
Aur behro ka who rela naachta mehfil main hian
Haath ki khaadi banane ka zamana lad gaya
Aaj toh chaddi bhi silti ingliso ke mill main hian”

- The colour schemes in each and every frame.
- The scene when KayKay Menon’s wife enters the bathroom and Dilip’s just in trousers. I still don’t know why was this discomfort created, but it bore such a brunt of uneasiness, it comes to life in you when you watch it.
- “Hello There – Democracy Beer” ! “Hell Here – Democracy Beer”
- “Saraabor ho gayo sehar aur saraabor ho gayi dhara,
saraabor ho gayo re jattha insaano ka pada pada
sabhi jagat ye puche tha jab itna sab kuch ho riyo tho,
toh sehar hamaare kaahe bhai sa aankh moond ke so riyo tho
Sehar ye boliyo neend gajab ki aisi aai re,
jis raat gagan se khoon ki baarish aayi re”
- Beedo.. Duji Thaali Ka Lage Bada Masaaledaar
- Aarambh Hain Prachand
- “Is mulk main har shaqs ko jo kaam tha saunpa, us shaqs se us kaam ki maachis jala ke chod di”
- Jaise har ik baat main Democracy main lagne lag gayo ban
- The way Maahi Gill treats KayKay Menon.
- He asks for Liquor and says “ek Republic dena!”
- The fighter’s helmet instead of a regular one
- The followers, who follow the saner ones, get killed first, just how the emasculated ardh-naari is. From where I saw it was a bluntly honest satire of the wrath of politics on the common man.

I can probably go on listing these; the truth is I can’t have enough of it. Anurag Kashyap has done a commendable job with the script, the irony of freedom from the system, to make a similarly suffocating new system comes on screen with an amazing blow to you when Kiran stares in disbelief in the end shot. Great acting, great screenplay, moving music and stunning camera work.

Rest later; I have an exam in two days. (But I had to get this off my chest)
Yours truly, with much love, respect, concern and all such insincerities,
-Me