Even now as I am writing this, I am fully aware my wife would read it at some point of time but then I am also dumb enough not to absorb in my little male brain, that is not numb with overdose of alcohol and conscious, the repercussions of the wrath of a woman.
Office got over at 1800 hours on Friday and before that calls had been made to the right numbers and plans frozen and the ball rolling. And before the time-space equation adjusts to the new reality and Einstein’s relativity I was standing in front of Koshy’s and sooner than earth could turn another degree a glass of chilled beer was inches away from my lips. For the next 3 hours the only time I exercised my vocal chords was to order more beer. Time to pay a zillion rupee bill and just then a friend, a true friend, a dear friend, god bless him friend, walked in and took the tab (I told you it was a great weekend). From there still with a steady mind (or so I believe) oscillating a little bit on unsteady legs I went for Sarkar Raj.
Detour 1: Review of Sarkar Raj
Before I start with the review, lemme share my parameters of evaluating a movie. While watching any movie, the joy or disappointment can emanate from various reasons – technique, story, novelty, acting, style, idea or a combination of these - I am an average cinephile and no critic. I do not seek a perfect movie, I can love a movie just for a very small interesting moment.
Sarkar Raj is an extremely satisfying experience. It is absorbing political-criminal thriller executed in a manner which does justice to the genre. Political thrillers require scale, multiple threads, conspiracies, surprises, twists, grey areas, machinations which are not obvious to the naked eye, behind the scene negotiations, drama, loss of innocence, tragedy of epic scale -all this when the viewer looks at the obvious and makes obvious conclusions. The skill of the director is in bringing all the threads together in a cohesive manner which will ensure each scene is played again in viewer's mind and finally understood. The mind should gasp when the curtain is finally raised and amidst tragedy the end must offer a poetic and complete justice. Where an average film achieves this through pulping the villain, Sarkar Raj achieves in exactly 3 seconds. A turn of camera angle, click of light and you know it’s done, revenge, wrath, justice achieved in that short defining moment.
Ram Gopal Varma achieves all this to such a scale that as a viewer you should be generous enough to overlook the obvious flaws in the story or characters or his indulgence as a director of overplaying some scenes with Amitabh or his over-crafting of some scenes.
As a viewer just enjoy the story and ignore other paraphernalia.
End of detour 1
In between the detour there was a short interval which was well utilized by raising the alcohol level to another abnormal level – thanks to another, God bless him friend.
Sub note: In what you have read so far and what you would read further, you would find a trillion screaming subtle reasons on why men should marry and why wives should never leave men alone for longer than 5 minutes (that too only when husband has trustworthy track record of longer than 6 ½ years). This post is truly an ode to all the wives all over the world.
We are now at the end of Friday night or were it Saturday morning by now.
Reached late, got up early, had an early meeting with someone at 10.00am. Reached there on time, finished it quickly and walked towards my car. I had to buy some stuff for my daughter’s 1st day at school. I could have bought that from any store but decided to go to my favourite book store, with a promise to myself since I had really splurged money this month, I would just look at the books and not buy any. Honestly, I made that promise. Exit after 1 hour after spending Rs 1878 – Rs 50 for Avni’s stuff and balance small change on extremely vital, life saving critical books (Return of Dark Knight and two books from Discworld series).
As I stood waiting, the god bless him friend (1st one, who paid for alcohol not the 2nd one, though he also paid for alcohol) called. He had managed to get three tickets for Aamir and I was supposed to collect them before 12. Pronto I reached the Cineplex collected the tickets and stood there waiting for him to join. Now as I stood there, involuntarily, from the corner of my eye I caught a very attractive signage – Bull & Bush, pub and restaurant. I didn’t see it, these eyes showed it to me and formed an inverted image on the retina which was made straight by the brain and then the image decided to play havoc with my strong resilient mind. So after a long debate and counter-arguments that lasted 7¾ seconds I found myself ordering beer. Time was short, movie was starting in 30 minutes, I really had no choice but to drink quickly. It was painful, joyless exercise. I was not even able to breathe properly between two sips. But a man gotta do what a man gotta do. I did it. I moved from the plane of senses to delirium at the same speed as a married man would whenever, wherever left alone (this is another of those subtle hints). Can’t disappoint the brethren.
Detour No. 2 – Review of Aamir
I do not care what the reviewers write about it or the movie-buffs call it a copy of Cavite, according to me this is the movie of the decade. Relevant, timely, compelling cinema - Amazingly crafted, soulfully enacted, significant story, haunting music and beautifully shot. I am sure some of you know the meaning of the word aamir (and in case you like me do not know, don’t google it, the impact of the movie would be even better) but when the final shot the title comes on the screen you would realize why the movie is called Aamir.
It is a story of a Muslim doctor who comes back from UK and finds no one from his family to receive him. Out of the blue two guys come and throw a cell phone at him and the cat & mouse chase starts. The man on the other end (menacing Gajraj Rao) asks him to follow his instructions. He takes the protagonist on a wild chase and in the process numbs his mind. Numbs to the state where cohesive thinking is lead astray and in its place survival becomes the lone objective, a form of brain-washing, torture turning the victim a mere puppet in the hands of the master . At this point the movie moves towards the climax, climax which hopes for a better future - An appeal for a better choice. I wish someone would have the courage to make a similar story about Hinduism.
My advise watch it.
End of Detour No. 2
So we came of the hall in a heightened state of delirium and this friend turns and says he knows Gajraj Rao. We made him call him and screamed our praises in a collective din –not sure he heard them as a praise or abuse. But that call made it perfect, to be able to tell an actor how much I loved his performance.
From this point onwards it was all downwards as we paid our obeisance to Lord Bacchus. Our devout, dedicated devotion was well received and we were rewarded with complete clouding and obfuscation of rational thought. In a trance and under his will we moved from one place to another and paying our respects with every color to every taste the he was benevolent to offer on the table till we were satiated with his munificent, bountiful Prasad and in could only say in praise a loud snore lying on the floor. One of us even returned some of it after accepting it.
All the drinks were courtsey God bless them friends 3,4 & 5. 2 was not there and 1 was enjoying God bless them moment himself.
Few hours are missing at this point. But at some point I found myself waking up on the back side of the car.We are now at the end of Saturday night or were it Sunday morning by now.
Sunday never started it had actually ended on Saturday night itself.
I somehow managed to drag myself up sometime in the afternoon, drove back home, took out the life saving books, which I had managed not to lose, and read and slept and read and slept and slept and slept, till now.
So darling wife come back quickly before I kill myself.
P.S: I told you I should come along.
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3 comments:
wonderful detours-- ve seen both and you have reviewed them so well.
cant wait to see em, now that you have critiqued them for me. :)
I happened to see these movies before I read your review. But I have to say - that its one concise yet comprehensive review there! (and for both movies) Good job!!
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