May 06, 2011 10:48 AM
4166 Views
Having read a lot about the movie on social networking sites and the anticipation surrounding it. One of the unique factors if the film is that I Am* is the first crowd sourced mainstream Hindi film, it is co produced by over 400 people from 35 cities across the world!
The no drama or the regular song and dance routine and tackling perhaps ‘bold’ issues handled sensitively is what one can expect from a director or Onir’s repute. Well, there are a few films that stay with you and make you think one you are out of the cinema hall. One actually wonders about the stereotype perceptions that have become so engrained in our minds which this film raises questions about. Onir chooses to make a film that’s very real, many would identify with it, and a fusion of stories where the protagonists share a common dream – to regain their life and move on.
4 stories with the same sutradar being life. Afia’s (Nandita Das) yearning for a baby and her search for the perfect sperm donor (Purab Kohli). Next is the story of Megha (Juhi Chawla) and Rubina (Manisha Koirala) two childhood friends who wants to forget about the painful memories of exodus from Kashmir which is their ‘home’.
Next we move to the touching story (true story) of Abhimanyu (Sanjay Suri) who has been a victim of child abuse by his stepfather. The last story is about Omar (Arjun Mathur) and Jai (Rahul Bose) which is about the plight of homosexuals and highlights the nexus between male sex workers and the police.
The film is totally engaging, the story is crisp and full marks for the editing. The many emotions – tears, smiles, desires, frustration of the characters seem so justified and so real. Also the glimpses of the locales, Kolkata, Kashmir, Bangalore and Mumbai are subtle and never over the top. The film is an answer about the subjects that the society needs to address. The movie leaves you thinking, makes you feel what actors acting out.
