Aug 04, 2013 09:48 PM
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Erotic films regularly spring up in theatres. Sadly, most of them promise the moon in promos but the final product fails to meet the expectations. Few films, on the other hand, get their intimate scenes chopped off at the censor board and what is presented to the viewers is a toned down version, that is certainly a put off. BA Pass thankfully is an exception. It got it’s censor certificate well in advance and what is showed in promos, all was there in the film…and much more! Moreover, it has a great story which is told with utmost perfection. In short, BA Pass is worth you money and time!
The story of the movie: After the demise of his parents, Mukesh (Shadab Kamal) is sent off to Delhi to stay with his aunt (Geeta Sharma). The aunt treats him like a servant and compels him to do all household chores once he’s back from college. Mukesh hates it but has no choice as he is not financially independent to move out. One day, he’s sent to the house of Sarika (Shilpa Shukla) for some work. His life changes from hereon as Sarika seduces him and they both end up sleeping together. Soon, Mukesh frequently starts visiting Sarika only to realize later on that she’s not just another bored housewife looking for fun but has some devious agendas up her sleeves. Mukesh gives in as his ‘job’ pays well too and gave him hopes for a better future. However, things sadly don’t go in his favour.
BA Pass is just around 100 minutes long and does move at its own speed. However, it keeps one engaged and most importantly, doesn’t waste unnecessary time. Even characters are limited but significant. Although the film is titled BA Pass, there’s hardly any emphasis on Mukesh’s college life or of any girl he might have had a crush in his class. The focus is on Mukesh, his family and Sarika. Everything falls into place neatly. The erotic scenes, as expected, are sizzling and again, the makers are cautious enough not to overdo things. The story hardly moves in the first half as the makers uses the first 45 minutes to establish characters. It’s in second half that major developments take place and Mukesh gets drawn into a major quandary that makes for a great watch. Few sequences are absolutely shocking at this point. The film culminates at a sad but quite convincing and realistic note.
Director Ajay Bahl has managed to extract fine performances from his actors. Shilpa Shukla, as always, puts her best foot forward and plays her bewitching act with ease. The actress has been choosy about her roles but it’s high time we see more of her. She’s outstanding after all! Shadab Kamal surprises with his brilliant act. This was no easy role but the manner in which he effortlessly plays his challenging part is worthy of praise. Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Johnny) is another actor to watch out for. The performer has a very major role to essay in the film and delivers a splendid performance. Geeta Sharma beautifully plays the evil Delhi aunty. Rajesh Sharma (Sarika’s husband) shines in his supporting role. The actors who play Mukesh’s cousin, sisters, Beeji too do a great job. Lastly, Deepti Naval has a brilliant guest appearance.
There’s only song in the film – Shab – that plays at the end credit. Background score is in sync with the dark theme of the film. Ramdas Kundaikar’s art direction is quite convincing. The film is based on Mohan Sikka’s short story The Railway Aunty which undoubtedly is riveting and makes for a great cinema. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are crisp and replete with dry humour at places which works well. His screenplay is engrossing and same goes for Ajay Bahl’s direction. The film doesn’t wander into meaningless subplots and the focus is on the major characters of the film. Moreover, Bahl has done the cinematography as well which was one of the strong points of the film as well. That’s a huge feat for a debut director. Hats off and hope to see such well-made films from Bahl!
Some of the best scenes:
Mukesh goes to Sarika’s house for the first time
Mukesh meets Johnny for the first time
Mukesh with Dheeraj’s wife and with the daily soap-crazy lady
Mukesh with the wife of terminally ill patient (terrific!)
Mukesh and Sarika caught red handed
Mukesh forced into the car
The last 15 minutes
On the whole, BA Pass is a brilliant piece of cinema that surely deserves a watch. It’s more middle-of-road flick – the erotic quotient in the film will surely impress frontbenchers but at the same time, it narrates a riveting story and does a great job at it. Film moves at a decent pace and there’s absolutely no emphasis on unwanted songs, characters and sub-plots. Definitely, worth a dekko…go for it!
