Sep 27, 2008 04:57 PM
2550 Views
(Updated Sep 27, 2008 05:07 PM)
Are you the one who is ready to look beyond what is obvious? Are you the one who is ready to permit your imagination to fly often? Are you angry at the state of things happening in India? Do you think at least some times that the media is not doing the right job and giving biased reports? If yes, the movie will be a perfect pleasure watch for you. If not? It is a light entertainer. So, my rating for the movie is two fold. For those who are in the first category, a perfect 5 and for those who are in the second category, a 3 star.
I am watching Shyam Benegal for the first time. The name was well known but I never created an opportunity to watch his films through. The media reports were not that positive for Welcome to Sajjanpur and I have to admit my expectation from the movie was quite less. However, to my surprise I got attached to the movie and the director for his wonderful presentation of good cinema.
The movie got two tracks. One, the shallow path where the audience can attach to the lives of the people and the incidents narrated in the film. There is drama, happy moments, challenges and a happy ending. There is comedy which makes you smile and it matches up to any average light entertainer. So, the director set minimum guarantee to his viewers and the investors. In this perspective the film may look lengthy especially in the second half and few songs may look out of place. However the movie was entertaining. A bit of Priyadarsan touch would have made it more attractive where all the situations were created perfectly but the director failed to give the fine touch and capitalize on it by tickling the audience' funny bones. I don't blame the director where he was trying to poke the intelligence of the audience than tickling the bones.
The second track is for those who wish to have intellectual push ups the movie is a perfect one to enjoy with!!
India got freedom and we got our flag and administration. As need of the hour, we created a free media. The media's duty was to give true news about the happenings, like a mirror and help the people by bringing their problems to light. To get this done, the media started using its imagination. Whenever media did such good jobs it got praise and people's trust on it grown tenfold. However, with time media start getting biased. The same media which rip apart powerless if get a chance stand with closed hands when goons came with gun and gave their reputed seat to the rascals. The result? Truth and justice took a back seat. Some cases media misutilised the information provided to them on trust and start capitalizing on the weak points of the poor and innocent. The so called development didn't reach to the common people and whoever possesses it is still under the clutches of the customs and blind believes. The true love is a widow now and its protectors are desperate in finding a shelter. The movie shows brilliantly how a good media changed the face and turn as a villain and twist the news in their way. Once the stage is set and the present situation is told, the brilliant director give a shock to say how the poor are trying to cope with the media hyped commercial life style of modern India. The director shows a way out of the present situation and point at the need and importance of it in leading the country to a developed nation. Trust me, if you are ready to dig deep, you can find more mines from the film.
From Shreyas Thelpande, all the cast did an excellent job. There is no wonder, knowing who is behind the camera. Amrita Rao, Ravi Kishan, Ila Arun, Divya Dutta, Yashpal Sharma, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Ravi Jhankal…all were Wonderful, living their characters…
Music was just average. The choreography is quite simple and ordinary. However there is one song which I thoroughly enjoyed. (The song, where Shreyas and Amrita travel in a cycle through the village and their imaginations fly, forgetting about the reality. India is shining!!) The song in itself was showing how media hype the situation until reality strikes. Beautifully pictured and intellectually conceived!
The movie can be branded as a political/media satire. A genre completely missed from bollywood for quite a long time. There are not many movies which we can watch with brain, and here is an exception. A movie which can be fully enjoyed only with brain and the heart will take you there anyway. A good light entertainer for the masses and A must watch for the classes!
