Apr 30, 2011 09:59 AM
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2 years ago, there arrived a small gem of a film, 99. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, it was a terrific roller-coaster ride and showed how one can come up with a gripping and funny tale based on a true incident. And when the director duo announced their next, Shor In The City, naturally I was waiting for it with bated breath. The film is ready since months but couldn’t release as it was touring festivals, wowing the audiences worldwide! This further upped my curiosity by many notches! Finally, Shor In The City has released and thankfully, meets all the expectations! It is quirky, engaging, completely absorbing and gives a paisa vasool time to the viewers!
The story of the movie: Tilak (Tusshar Kapoor) is newly married to Sapna (Radhika Apte) and runs an illegal book printing house alongwith his rowdy buddies Mandook (Pitobash Tripathi) and Ramesh (Nikhil Dwivedi). A routine robbery in the train results in their world going upside down. Abhay (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is an NRI who has come back to India to start a new business. As news spread that a rich NRI has arrived, the local goons (Zakir Hussain, Suresh Dubey) threaten him to pay ‘protection money’. Sawan (Sundeep Kishan) is an aspiring cricketer who wishes to get into Under 22 Mumbai Cricket Team. But he realizes that won’t be possible unless he coughs up a huge amount of money, something which he doesn’t have. On the other hand, his girlfriend Sejal (Girija Oak) is pressurizing him to act before his family marries her off. All the 3 stories unfold in the big bad city of Mumbai during the 10 days of Ganesh festival. How the characters go on solving their problems taking the wrong route is what the film deals with.
The stories may seem straight out of life but are too ordinary and simple. But the screenplay and direction turns it into an engaging affair. Not even a single moment does the film fall or get slow. Yes, songs are there but relegated to the background. Hence, Shor In The City is 120 minutes of total entertainment!
Though Shor In The City in a way is a crime drama, it cannot be compared to any films of this genre. Also, the storyline has many hidden layers that crop up at the right time. The beauty however is that the 3 stories run parallel to each other and even intersect but yet, the main characters of this story never cross paths or interact with each other! This was no easy feat and directors and writers deserve a pat on the back!
Out of the 3 stories, it is somehow Sendhil’s story that makes the maximum impact. Our Hindi films show NRI fluently mouthing Hindi. That’s not always the case though. Thankfully, Shor In The City attempts something different in this regard. The character can understand Hindi but can’t speak it properly and prefer to speak in English. The transformation in Sendhil’s character is aptly executed. He soon understands the rule of Mumbai and that the city runs by money. Watch out for the scene where he confidently tells the autowallah to get into No Entry zone, knowing that the traffic cop ahead won’t harass him once he bribes him!
Tusshar-Nikhil-Pitobash’s story has the maximum laughs and thrill! We often have seen urchins selling bestsellers on the roads at reduced rates. But Shor In The City is one of the rare films that tries to throw light on this flourishing business. And the third story, that of Sundeep Kishan, sadly somehow fails to register an impact. Once you come out of the theater, its Sendhil and Tusshar’s track that lingers in your mind, although Sundeep’s track has its moments too.
The climax is easily the best part of the film. The several twists that occur in the tale make for an absolutely terrific drama! All stories end on a justified note and you come out of the theatre thoroughly entertained!
Every actor pitches in his best. What also works is that all actors are given the look of a ‘common man’. They look so mamooli that they can easily gel into the crowd and pass of as one of them. Tusshar looks little funny in his new hairdo but nevertheless comes up with a fine performance. He keeps his performance restrained and doesn’t go to the lengths of Shootout At Lokhandwala. His interactions with his wife are indeed worth watching! Nikhil Dwivedi as usual does a great job. Here’s a great actor who deserves to be seen more! Watch out for the scene where he’s selling credit cards…his ‘customers’ didn’t even knew the film was shot and actually thought he’s some salesman as directors wanted genuine reactions from people! And Pitobash Tripathi is just terrific with an awesome comic timing! Here’s an actor to watch out for!
Sendhil Ramamurthy (because of whom It’s A Wonderful Afterlife became bearable) once again performs with ease. Watch out when goons enter his office and threaten him! Sundeep Kishan is complete natural. Zakir Hussain and Suresh Dubey both perform the negative part wonderfully. Amit Mistry once again rocks after 99 and Yamla Pagla Deewana. As for the females, Radhika Apte makes the maximum impact! She too looks quite ordinary but is immensely beautiful. Her conversation with Tusshar makes you break into a smile. She was earlier seen in Vaah Life Ho Toh Aisi and Rakht Charitra series but it’s in Shor In The City where she gives influential performance! She’s also there in I Am, also released yesterday with Shor In The City. Girija Oak too gives her best while Preeti Desai (as Shalmili) looks awesome in the role which could be dubbed as cameo.
Sachin-Jigar-Harpreet’s music gels well with the mood of the film. Title track, Karma is a Bi*ch, Saibo and Deem Deem are a part of the film and all are well placed and worth listening. Background score is minimal but impacts wherever used. Tushar Kanti Ray’s cinematography is raw and captures the city well.
Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK and Sita Menon’s story and screenplay surely deserves full marks. Story is simple but script ensures it’s turned into funny and engaging. Their dialogues are also a strong part of the enterprise, especially “Thobda by heart kar ke police ko bataayega kya?” Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s direction sometimes reminds of Slumdog Millionaire and makes you believe that film was made primarily for film festival. But nevertheless, the film entertains and that’s what matters. And watch out how some scenes turn from funny to tragic (bomb explosion sequence) and tragic to funny (leg amputation and Tusshar inside the bank). These are undoubtedly master directors! Hats off!
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