Movie Review - Citylights

Movie – Citylights

Cast: Rajkumar Rao, Patralekha, Manav Kaul

Directed by: Hansal Mehta

Produced by: Mukesh Bhatt

Cinematography: Dev Agarwal

Music: Jeet Ganguly

Background Score: Raju Singh

Rating : 4/5

 

Based on Sean Ellis' acclaimed Metro Manila, Citylights is one of the Darkest films I have seen in recent times. The film tells the story of a migrant from Rajasthan , Deepak ( Rajkumar Rao) who loses his business and is in debt, decides to come to Mumbai with his wife, Rakhi (Patralekha ) and little daughter in search of a job and a brighter future. He comes to Mumbai depending on his friend Omkar to be his support in his initial days, but never finds him once he reaches here. In despair, Deepak searches for a house to stay with his family, but instead gets tricked of whatever little money he has. Circumstances forces the family to take shelter in an under construction building, while Deepak keeps searching for a job, Rakhi is forced to find work as a Bar Girl to fend off the daily expenses. Deepak finally finds a job as a security officer with an armoured security firm, which ferries safe boxes for the Ultra Rich. Everything looks to be getting  settled on the surface,  but is everything as it seems to be.  

Rajkumar Rao is fantastic in this film as a simple migrant who just wants a good life for his family. You can really connect to him , you can feel his innocence. Patralekha as the wife who really wants to help her husband in his quest is a fine counterbalance. Performances from both the lead actors are just amazing. In addition Manav Kaul as Vishnu Sir, Deepak’s mentor in this big city delivers a power packed performance as well.

Cinematography is brilliant. Shots of Deepak and his family sleeping in a dingy under construction 3BHK flat, Deepak looking towards the vast expanse of the ocean in despair,  Shots of the Doves flying around, a fallen bicycle all are powerfully canned. 

The editing of Citilights is crisp and smooth, you may not even find one frame that drags. The first half went so smoothly that I didn’t even feel that one hour went. Felt more like 20 minutes.  All in all a wonderful film, worth a watch. However, if you have watched Metro Manila , don’t expect this to be as brilliant.
 

Movie Review - Gunday

Movie – Gunday

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Irfan Khan

Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar

Produced by: Aditya Chopra

Cinematography: Aseem Mishra

Music: Sohail Sen

Background Score: Julius Packiam

Rating : 3/5

Review

Gunday is the story of two friends Bikram ( Ranveer Singh)and Bala (Arjun Kapoor), both orphans, together since childhood. The India- Pakistan War which lead to the creation of Bangladesh also resulted in a lot of refugees, who had no clue which side of the divide they belong to. Both, Bikram and Bala find themselves in a Bangladeshi refugee camp because of this. The situation inside the camp is desperate, with hunger being the main nemesis of everyone.  A man approaches them and offers them food, and in exchange asks them to help him smuggle guns out of the camp and sell it. They agree to become gun couriers for food.  But, then something unpleasant happens and circumstances force them to run away from Bangladesh and they reach Calcutta. 

They try to lead a honest life working in a small restaurant in Calcutta, but then again circumstances force them to leave the honest life and turn to crime. They start stealing coal from trains and selling them at half the price in the market.  Time passes and Bikram and Bala start smuggling everything from cola to steel and become the biggest crime lords of Calcutta. They are happy in their existence, but then the system decides to target them again, this time in the form of A.C.P. Satyajeet Sarkar (Irfan Khan), who is summoned to Calcutta to capture them. He warns them off and tells them that they will be finished the day he finds one shred of evidence against them. Meanwhile, both our Gangsters fall in love with the same girl Nandita ( Priyanka Chopra) a cabaret dancer, and both agree that whosoever she ends up loving will marry her. But, then life isn’t a bed of roses and not so especially if you are Bikram and Bala. One thing leads to another and you soon find them at loggerheads with each other.  

As far as the cinematography goes, the film is well shot. But, then the amount of Slow motion that has been used in the movie is just too much. Almost every second scene is in slow motion. I seriously believe that if you increase the speed of all the slow motion scenes the film will get over an hour earlier. The Music is good and the background score is also nice. The background score manages to lift the movie a bit. Ranveer Singh seems to have jumped in from the neighbouring Raam-Leela set and still in the same mood. But he does do justice to his part. Arjun Kapoor is still in Ishaqzaade, a little more in the second half of the film when it gets more serious. Irfan Khan is spectacular as the honest calculating cop. Priyanka Chopra has managed to do her role with sincerity, though it was not that challenging a role. 

The film starts in a slow manner and the first half does seem to drag, with not much happening. But, in the second half the film does pick up pace and does manage to bring out the best of all its actors. Loved the use of metaphors in the film, like a dove flying when both Bikram and Bala are about to fight each other, signifying the end of peace. The train passing in the background, when Bikram promises Nandini that he will mend his ways, signifying a new beginning.  The reflection in the mirror when looking as if Bala is pointing a gun at himself, signifying self destruction. Apart, from this, the cabaret looked too advanced for the 70’s and the heroes seemed to be inspired by the antics of Salman Khan while fighting, though he had not started acting in the 70’s.

 

Overall, this movie is a mixed bag. It has its highs and quite a few lows. It’s enjoyable in parts, the first part isn’t that enjoyable, but the second half has some good moments including the smart use of metaphors. Go watch it if you are a fan of Masala flicks, and oh if you love to whistle, then the movie will give you ample opportunity to do so.