Bombay Talkies

wogma rating: Watch but no rush (?)

quick review:

Four short films. All work wonderfully at some level and don't work as well at other levels. Bombay Talkies worth a watch nevertheless.

Read more
Running time: 130 minutes
More Movie Info

Bombay Talkies - Preview

Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar - these two names in one film. Who would've thought of that? Bombay Talkies deserves extra points for this creativity alone. Add the other names Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee and you have all my attention.

This trailer exudes calmness in the mayhem and aspirations associated with Mumbai. The names in cast range from Rani Mukerjee, Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor to Nawazuddin Siddiqui. This wide spectrum piques curiosity.

To top it off, the film promises to be an ode to cinema. This theme makes the film very personal for everyone involved and gives it that extra edge. The circle is then complete with music from Amit Trivedi.

Most certainly, exciting times ahead!

Music Reviews:
dunkdaft - "The expectations go huge. And definitely, Amit Trivedi's score, in that way, falls short to satisfy to meet them. Still, with 4 wonderful tracks out of 6, Bombay Talkies is a Good album"
koimoi - "3/5"
Milliblog - "Curious little side-project from Amit Trivedi."
Music Aloud - "7/10"
glamsham - "3.5/5"

- meeta, a part of the audience

Could there be a better way to pay tribute to something, than making a contribution to it? Better yet, when the makers' passion for the medium shows in the work. So, then do we show our love for the director who went out of his comfort zone? Or for the one who did what he always does best - engage us by adding quirk to the simplest of stories? Or for the two in between - he who tells the story of a compassionate father or her who makes a son shine despite his father? Or should we talk about the discontent at what was missing or overdone?

Karan Johar steps out of his glamorous shoes which must have been quite difficult. To not resort to lip-sync song and out-of-place dance must have been an effort in itself - even though there was a perfect enough excuse for one, two characters (Rani Mukerji and Saqib Saleem) working on Bollywood gossip. In fact, in contrast to the other three films, the only form in which this short film refers to Bollywood is through songs from yesteryears and dialogue. To top it off, looks like he wasn't allowed to take a trip to snow-capped Europe, much to our relief. (Boy, must that have been a toughie for Karan Johar!) Yet, his is the most chic story in terms of ambiance as he gets to play around with the relatively upper class parts of Bombay. That's as glossy as it gets.

Though Karan Johar's quarter of Bombay Talkies seems like the most personal of the short films, it was over-eager. His account of a homosexual man who meets a woman he hits it off with, felt like a story he was dying to tell. That he had this passion to desensitize the Indian audience to this taboo film is great. But, that it came on so hard - not so great. Unfortunately, once again, Johar's approach to the gay world brought out sniggers and worse, 'eeewwws' and 'yucks'.

Once done with the weakest of the films in terms of stories, we have Dibaker Banerjee's film about a struggler (Nawazzudin Siddiqui) who takes pride in all his struggles. Till he is shown his shortcomings by his own hallucination. This part of the movie was more about two sequences in the film rather than the film itself. One, with a surreal setting in which the lead character is forced to face reality. And the other is a lovely tribute to silent cinema. Of course, there are many other smaller things which you will discover and there are others which don't connect, but these bits stay with you.

Bombay Talkies love for cinema deepens with Zoya Akhtar's Naman, a child stifled by the ambitions of his father. Like many people I know in real life, Naman made lonely and ignored by his parents takes refuge with Bollywood. The God-like stature he assigns to his favorite star is the logical next step. Zoya's gently slaps us as a society, twice. Once with her comment on parents who not only force their ambitions on their children but also corner the kids into lying to them. Then, with us as a society which produces and goes on to popularize songs that shouldn't be heard or seen by kids under ten. It is amazing how we clap while our children dance to these numbers. Her soft and indirect touch to a controversial topic like transvestites too, is pretty brave.

And the best is saved for the last. You can trust Anurag Kashyap to combine two disparate topics with finesse - our fanaticism as fans of stars and our unquestioning regard for our parents wishes. He celebrates and taunts both these aspects at one go. Yet, this is the simplest story of them all. Even though it feels a tad too long, the pace and build-up to the climax is beautiful. Vineet Kumar Singh as Vijay looks like another of Kashyap's finds that we ought to watch out for. His desperation and persistence alone makes this section worth the watch. And of course, you have more bonuses along the way.

All this builds up to the promotional song which I hated the first time I saw it on YouTube. But, with the flow of the film it had a completely different feel to it. Also, the version I saw earlier didn't have the complete version, it left out the charming old times. Yet, it deserved better than the green-screen patch job it got for the last bit. And the signature tune assigned for the current generation of actors still didn't work.

So, while Karan Johar's story on a man's struggle with his sexuality might be the most impressive in terms of how far he's come out of his box, and Dibaker Banerjee & Zoya Akhtar's stories warm you nicely as tributes to our love for cinema, Anurag Kashyap's bitter-sweet reference to our reverence for stars is easily the one I'd like to watch again. Now, it's difficult to put my favoritism for the director aside when asked to compare. But, then again, given the context, this once I'm allowed that. ;)

- meeta, a part of the audience

38 reviewers(?) - 31 yays 6 so-so 1 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha (IANS), Apun Ka Choice : ...a must-watch... full review

Thumbs up, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...The third short, by Zoya Akhtar, was for me the best. Akhtar’s talent for expressive vignettes serves her wonderfully in this story that opens with touching declarations from children about what they want to become when they grow up. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Zoya’s chosen story is nice but it remains nice only throughout and is not able to give you some exhilarating moments related to Indian Cinema... full review

Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...BOMBAY TALKIES is one of those infrequent movies wherein you get to eyeball the superior efforts of four top notch film-makers in less than two hours.... full review

Thumbs up, by Suparna Thombare, Bollywood Life : ...A heartwarming ode to Indian cinema... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, Daily Bhaskar : ...What connects these movies are delusions and escapism at one end and simple bonds at the other that cinema manages to create among all of us.... full review

Thumbs up, by Bikas Mishra, DearCinema : ...Anurag Kashyap’s segment is satirical, funny and engaging but suffers from stagnation.... full review

Thumbs up, by Nikhil Arora, Desi Martini : ...Bombay Talkies has two good films but it didn't blow me away... full review

Thumbs up, by Smita, Desi Martini : ...4 good movies for the price of 1 ... full review

Thumbs up, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...Four well crafted stories that celebrate us the audiences, this one is a clincher... full review

Thumbs up, by Tushar Joshi, DNA : ...Johar handles the sensitive subject with maturity and shows a side to him we hope he digs deep into.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...Following KJo’s slick film is Dibakar Bannerji’s theatre of profound. It starts on an absurd note, gets downright weird in the middle and then, just like life itself, it blooms into pure genius. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...On the overall basis its bit below expectation and as per the level of these ace filmmakers.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, Hindustan Times : ...Bombay Talkies ends with its own item song, which brings together a roster of stars. The song is distinctly forgettable. And yet, I enjoyed it. Because it ends the film on a necessary note of celebration. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...You may have a favorite amongst the four stories, because yes, this is cinema, and it touches different chords in different individuals. But there's no denying that 'Bombay Talkies' is a breath of fresh air - a wonderful gift to audiences on the 100th birthday of Indian cinema... full review

Thumbs up, by Alisha Coehlo, In.com : ...a movie as varied, as enchanting and as entertaining as Indian cinema itself.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vinayak Chakravorty, india today : ...Bombay Talkies lets us celebrate ourselves as viewers. It leaves a warm afterglow reminding us that cinema in India flourished thanks to its audience. Bollywood in its 100th year has given fans a nice gift.... full review

Thumbs up, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...One film. Four segments. And a great way to celebrate the centenary year of Indian cinema.... full review

Thumbs up, by Zayden, Indicine : ...Catch this film because the 4 stories take you into their respective worlds, and they make you laugh, chuckle, ache, cry, anguish.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mohar Basu, koimoi : ...Anurag Kashyap exhibits his power to create a story out of most commonplace elements indeed makes him what he is. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Shubha Shetty-Saha, MiD DAY : ...While the subject, treatment and the attention to detailing is commendable, this one didn’t really stir emotions as it should have.... full review

Thumbs up, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...When you have four talented craftsmen coming together for a purpose, the result is definitely a must-watch!... full review

Thumbs up, by Karan Anshuman, Mumbai Mirror : ... The strongest of them is the obligation to family while an individual tries to come to terms with his/her own identity. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ... What is disappointing is that, barring the Dibakar Banerjee segment, none of the films is an attempt to showcase cinema as a self-contained medium of expression.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mansha Rastogi, Now Running.com : ...Bombay Talkies is not so much homage to 100 years completion of Indian cinema than the celebration of the varied genres of cinema.... full review

Thumbs up, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...celebrates the language of cinema that permeated our system long ago... full review

Thumbs up, by Swati Rohatgi, STARDUST : ...Although Zoya handles the portions of the father (Ranvir Shorey) rebuking the boy for dressing like a girl and pushing him to take part in sports quite well, the message of the film remains quite unclear right till the end.... full review

Thumbs up, by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu : ...Shortlist this for the Oscars already? Finally, this is Hindi cinema we can be truly proud of.... full review

Thumbs up, by Srijana Mitra Das, Times of India : ...However, elements like an emu are lost in translation, leaving you wanting less whimsy, more control. ... full review

Thumbs up, by The ThirdMan, Upper Stall : ...Otherwise, Bombay Talkies is well worth a watch and a major relief from the usual junk we see in Hindi cinema week after week. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Gayatri Sankar, Zee News : ...All the four segments of the film are diverse in nature. Yet, there are certain junctures that could have been smoother and clearer.... full review

So-So, by Anna Vetticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Half the battle for Bombay Talkies is won when it starts with these evocative words from the song Akkad bakkad by Swanand Kirkire, set to a lilting tune by Amit Trivedi and sung by the always wonderful Mohit Chauhan. It’s beautiful.... full review

So-So, by Suparn Sharma, Deccan Chronicle : ...'Bombay Talkies' doesn’t so much tell us the story of our cinema as it tell us the story of its four directors. With each film we see the place from where the directors survey their world, and this was interesting.... full review

So-So, by Rony D'Costa, Desi Martini : ...Superb ( Dibakar), Good ( Zoya), Above average ( Karan) and Average ( Anurag) is Bombay talkies for me... full review

So-So, by Simantini Dey, FirstPost : ...Bombay Talkies is an excellent cinematic experience... full review

So-So, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...The lead performances lift the narrative above its predictable curve and earnest tone... full review

So-So, by Roshmila Bhattacharya, Star Blockbuster : ...Bombay Talkies is masterful but not a masterpiece and while not really a toast to our cinema, still deserves a hand for making us realize just how much a part of lives it is. Cheers! ... full review

Thumbs down, Free Press Journal : ... a pale imitation of what could have been ‘Breathtaking’ and ‘Glorious’ like the cinema we have immortalised over the last 100 years.... full review

80 tweeters(?) - 61 yays 11 so-so 8 nays

wanderinwhiner: Bombay Talkies. A breath of fresh air. Loved it.

Vivek_mak: Bombay Talkies - Loved it. Liked all the shorts, but favs 1) dibakar 2) Zoya 3) Anurag and 4)Karan. In that order.

vajra87: Watched Bombay Talkies....simple , short and beautiful compilation of stories ...

TheNaique: Bombay Talkies through its four stories manages to show how Bollywood affects the life of common people quite wonderfully. A good watch.

TarkeebiPitaara: Bombay Talkies reminds me of so many wonderful movies like cinema paradiso, amores perros...cinema at it's best. Except for KJo story.

SwarajKumarTudu: 'Bombay Talkies' a movie to get refreshed.......

SundeepMujumdar: Just watched Bombay Talkies. What a refreshing experience. Must mention Nawazuddin. And, take a bow @DibakarBanerjee ... You are exceptional

spaul7: I liked Bombay Talkies!! Its a strong movie...simply loved nawazuddin siddiqui!! Kjo film ws surprisingly gud!! rest all were gud as expctd

slasherama: Bombay talkies. (y)

siddharthsabikh: Bombay talkies 10 on 10 a musttttt watch

sidchoudhary: Bombay Talkies, an almost perfect tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema - 4 different stories around lives of... http://www.facebook.com/siddhartha.choudhary/posts/10200955459430732

shrikant2502: Bombay Talkies... Awesome Performances.. Must watch.. :)

shashanksharma: Bombay Talkies.. Amazing way to bring up the 100 glorious yrs of Indian cinema..

Screwdrivering: Bombay Talkies. It is a masterpiece with 4 masterful quadrants. #movies

sandy1404: Bombay Talkies - Movies worth talking about #iLikeMuch

sajitharaghu: Bombay Talkies, a very fresh attempt from Bollywood and one of its kind! Was a treat to watch the performances of the artist!

sai_ganesh: Bombay talkies was good. Pains me to say this but was a bit disappointed with Kashyap's film. Storywise: Dibakar > Zoya > K.Johar > Kashyap

RashiBareja: Bombay Talkies #mast

randomrobin: Bombay Talkies was fantastic, so heartening and refreshing to watch character based films, my favorite kind, happy.

PurryThoughts: Bombay Talkies is a different film, but overall is just the essence of good recent movies - essence of Bollywood. Recommended!

pseudomystic: bombay talkies..aashiqui 2 is only music..wo ghar par sun lo..“@chalu_chokri: Bomaby talkies dekhu? Ya Aashique 2?”

prempiyush: I didn't interpret Kashyap's story in Bombay Talkies as a satire. For me it was a tribute. #gyaan #meriBhaawnaayein

patel_sana: Bombay talkies is brilliant. Kudos to all the directors. A must watch.

parmeshs: Bombay Talkies is simply brilliant. Each of the 4 films is so special. A must-see, at least twice.

nehanitrate: Bombay Talkies..a real treat :-)

Naughtanky: Just watched Bombay Talkies. Bloody Karan Johar has hit it OUT OF THE PARK.

miooww: Saw "Bombay Talkies":-) Nice movie...especially Karan Johar's story was interesting ;-)

meanymeen: Phenomenal work on Bombay Talkies! Loved every bit, especially the credits. Love it @ankash1009

mannsinha: Thumbs up 2 Bombay Talkies .. Liked Dibaker > Karan > Zoya > Anurag

kshitij_g: Just back from Bombay Talkies, bravo Dibakar Banerjee, and Anurag Kashyap, you never fail to impress! Perfect wrap up of a Sunday!

kchaudhry2010: Indian cinema comes of age with bombay talkies. Sensitive topics wisely portrayed. Loved it @kjohar25 @zoyaakhtarFC

kavshik13: The 4 short films that make up Bombay Talkies are definitely a worthwhile watch. Nicely pays tribute to the 100 years of Hindi films.

josephradhik: Bombay Talkies reaffirms my faith in Indian Cinema. Our filmmakers have immense talent and vision but are constrained by market demand.

jerrystweet: Bombay Talkies is a much better name for #Bollywood. More authentic to our roots #bombaytalkies

Jeelish: Just saw Bombay Talkies. As much as I loved the films, I'm not sure if they're really celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema.

iUc1: Splendid Movie BOMBAY TALKIES. This movie reminds us of power of the Bollywood. @kjohar25

irunnyy: Bombay Talkies. @ankash1009 better than @kjohar25 me thinks. Loved the concept.

InsaneOrange9: Bombay Talkies review Karan Johar: Brilliant script and direction. Smooth finishing. Glitches in Hooda's acting. Rani, Saleem fantastic. 1/4

iBasil: A weekend with two good movies....Mumbai Police and Bombay Talkies... Mumbai Police - Prithviraj has proved... http://www.facebook.com/baaasi/posts/10151580676937801

HET4L: Bombay Talkies! #win

gujjublackadder: Bombay Talkies - Well played !!! @ankash1009

gauravvvch: Bombay Talkies is brilliant. Tk a bow the Fab4. Karan surprised all of us wid a brilliant tale, remaining 3 r nwys alwys superb @ankash1009

gauravmukherjie: Loved Bombay Talkies

fk_tweeter: #ForumKeralam new thread (by ballu): Bombay talkies - A Modern Cult !! #Kerala

djakhiltalreja: Bombay Talkies - Loved Zoya & Anurags stories. Highlight - Child actor Naman Jain was funny & character... http://www.facebook.com/Djakhiltalreja/posts/10151593521976259

debyoti: bombay talkies lucky to get tickets.more than decent work from karan johar.as for the rest.all intelligently done cinema. loved zoyas story

dandydujour: Loved Bombay Talkies!!! Each story was a treat to all senses! #masterpiece

cornerd: Bombay talkies. Well played.

chillnews2: “Bombay Talkies is that rarity which makes us thankful for the gift of the movies.” – Subhash… http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/chillnews/yDiI/~3/8CXAcmVUhr8/52890?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=chillnews2

ChiknaVakeel: You know it's something really different and special when @kjohar25 's short scores way above @ankash1009 's short. http://www.mytakeonflicks.com/2013/05/bombay-talkies-review/

Charles88854282: For all the #100YrsOfIndianCinema Bollywood fans, Bombay Talkies is a must watch! So much to see so much to understand.

balmaa: Bombay talkies :-):-):-)

AvinashJha_Live: Want 2 wish good luck 2 Karan Johar 4 the Sridevi -Madhuri joke in Bombay Talkies b4 Sri fans watch it. :P Still laughing at it.Brave move.

Appy_Fizzz: The best thing about Bombay Talkies is how each story is someone's favorite. For me @ankash1009's > Zoya's (for the dance) > @kjohar25 > DB

anujaiyer: Be what u r. Dream what u desire. Seek what u want. Do what u dare. 4 stories. Bombay Talkies. KJo's narration walked the talk.

ankitsharmatup: Ok, coming to this movie "Bombay Talkies". It was a brilliant interpretation of cinema in its realism. Liked each short story

aneesinha: Bombay Talkies..fresh of breath air

AmigoSmile: Movie Review: If you watch one film a year make sure it's 'Bombay Talkies' - http://amigosmiles.com/2013/05/04/movie-review-if-you-watch-one-film-a-year-make-sure-its-bombay-talkies/ http://twitter.com/AmigoSmile/status/330743817395372032/photo/1

amazingissunny: hmmm Bombay Talkies ...sabh k mu pe sirf ek hi comment "wah bhai wah"seriously is it a blockbuster?eh....

akshaisarin: today. celebrate the power of dreams and perseverance. Ashi - for making 'Bombay Talkies' what looks to be the Bollywood film of the year...

Aar_Paarekh: Bombay talkies, 4 stories enough to show 100 yrs of our evolution, to prove that our cinema is not just fictional stories, its us.

tweeterinder: Everybody, go watch Bombay Talkies for you'll be surprised. (In a good and a bad way) #JustGiveItAWatch

TheGhantaTimes: There is nothing spectacular about Bombay Talkies. Don't go with high expectations.

Shanu_Singh: Bombay talkies #mustwatch @kjohar25 @ankash1009 all the directors must be... should be so proud! Much love!

ronakhegde: I blame it on Karan Johar for not letting Bombay Talkies scores 5 star

Rahulpathak_31: Bombay Talkies is not tat great.. @kjohar25

MinorityReview: Saw Bombay Talkies. The Karan Johar short was really bad, the Dibakar Banerjee short was brilliant and so was Zoya Akhtar's.

manishbakliwal: shoot out at wadala -***1/2 bombay talkies -**1/2

jayvbhatt: Bombay Talkies, a decent attempt. In ranking of the parts , 1. Anurag Kashyap 2. Dibankar Bannerjee 3. Zoya Akhtar 4. Karan Johar Cheers

Itsmy_rule: There is nothing spectacular about Bombay Talkies. Don't go with high expectations.

Amoli: I saw Bombay Talkies. Nothing great about any of them, just btw. Wait for it to come on tv.

aaradhnauppal: 2nd half of bombay talkies redeemed itselt. Thank you @Zoya Akhtar and @Anurag Kashyap

shagunbhansali: Bombay talkies - a movie that could have been so much more.

SaurabhAwasth21: Bombay Talkies is the worst movie made in 100 years of Indian cinemas:)

manasblues: Bombay Talkies. What shit movie.

little_chefB: What the hell was Bombay talkies?? Not a single story was finished well, some warped msgs! Only good thing was nawazudin n the kid #fail

laisasalove: Am I the only one who was underwhelmed by all four Bombay Talkies films?

drajayjain: Stay away from Bombay talkies. Film critics giving 4 star to this movie are more corrupt than our railway minister. #bombay talkies

DannySura: Just watched "Bombay Talkies". Apart from Zoyas story, the rest lacked soul and heart. Not a good way to celebrate 100 yrs : (

aprajita2012: A terrible celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema - Bombay Talkies!

4 readers - 2 yays 1 so-so 1 nays

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Aditya : Different, and fresh!

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Mahaveer : not sure if I'd pick Bombay Talkies for a tribute to Indian cinema, but loved the effort.

So-So, by RAJAT SRIVASTAVA

Nay! Thumbs Down, by luke

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Plot Summary

Karan Johar's film: A homosexual man finds a friend in a vibrant, married woman.
Dibaker Banerjee's film: An out-of-work theater aspirant lands a minuscule role in film.
Zoya Akhtar's film: A 7-8 year old boy is not interested in sports, but his dad insists that he ought to play.
Anurag Kashyap's film: An Amitabh Bachchan fan is ailing. He asks his son to have reach out to Amitabh Bachchan take a bite out of a pickle. The father believes he will feel better once he eats the same pickle.

What Worked

  • It is amazing, that with directors who have such different approaches to films, Bombay Talkies manages to have an even ambiance and similar texture.
  • Zoya Akhtar's film: The older sister's ambition was beautifully put across.

What did not

Note: This section simply lists the things that I did not like in this movie. This is not the overall impression about this movie. Please read the full review here

  • Karan Johar's film: What was outburst in the beginning about? With no background to the father-son equation, it just didn't work.
  • Similarly, the scene at the TV show's studio didn't work because it was too aggressive. Can't imagine anyone being so self-destructive.
  • Rani Mukerji's character's range of reaction to the huge reality was too quick. The range that one would feel over days was done with in a few minutes.
  • Zoya Akhtar's film: Ranvir Shorey stuck out as a sore thumb with his over-acting.

  • I didn't know what to make of a flickr I noticed at the edges of the frames throughout the film. It could've been intentional to give it a old-time 'talkies' feel. But, if it was intentional and I felt it was a glitch, it hasn't really worked has it?

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: A couple of fist fights.
  • Language: A few abuses.
  • Nudity & Sexual content: A lip-to-lip between two homosexual men. A couple of making out scenes. Sheila and her jawaani.
  • Concept: Four short stories.
  • General Look and Feel: Contemporary yet a real, rugged feel.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
Lead Actors:
Character Artists:
Dialogues:
Screenplay:
Music Director:
Lyrics:

Comments (7)

Click here for new comment

awesome review (nest Anupama Chopra?)

ahh the movie was by Johar? I didnt know it

I kept feeling till the end that the stories ought to be connected through something in the story (not just the fact that they were all about bollywood). Something like, Babel?
That link would have been perfect!

But all 4 stories were well portrayed, and the actors did a fantastic job! So did the musicians! However, I feel Amit Trivedi's music is getting repetitive now.

Mahaveer

Wow Meetu, after ages of reading your reviews comes one-rare-review, where I seem to be in disagreement with your views. For me, Dibakar's 'Star' was the star of this collaboration - a solid story equally solid storytelling; amazing casting (not sure when was the last time I was so moved by so many actors' performances in such limited time - Nawaz, we all know is amazing but his wife, Amarapurkar, the little girl and even the bird - were all trying to tell me something, something valuable); fitting opening scene and a level defining scene between a dead father and a seemingly alive son. For me DB's 'Star' itself was a fitting tribute to Indian cinema.
Also I think despite sticking well to the theme, I (being a big cinemaholic and huge fan of AK's storytelling) could not just connect to Murabba story. I went to the hall being an ardent Kashyap fan but left appreciating Karan Johar’s work; such was the impact of KJ's; I so wish the editor had got rid of a couple of lines at the start "gale me mangalshutra....." being one.
Also I'm not sure if I'd pick Bombay Talkies to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema, but the effort definitely is worth a watch (maybe more).
Last thing - I think Luck by Chance opening credits scene OR Om Shanti Om (collage song) were maybe better fit tribute to cinema than the silly work at the end; which only seems to justify one aspect of Bollywood that makers did not want to miss - >>take some stars >> do something....anything with them and people will come watch.

RAJAT SRIVASTAVA

A movie for selected audience it seems, i haven't watched but i asked few, some said ultimate some said boring..

Anup

the story by karan and zoya are must watch for,,,,for each individual....The story by dibakar shows the love to cinema,,,,and nawaaz was awsome like always....anurag's story was simplest,,,,doesnt exite u,,,,only shows the crazyness of indian audience for big b

@Mahaveer well, it happens... :D

@Rajat Yeah, I can imagine the mixed reactions.

@Anup well, once again 'to each his own'

luke

All the three stories, barring Dibakar's are completely crappy, KJ's film seems like his wet dream on homosexuals and homosexuality, Anurag Kashyap's story is ridiculous, just for the little twist at the end, so much time is wasted, no aesthetic to the story telling either, a sheer waste of time. Zoya akhtar's story seems to be a very bad adaptation of Billy Elliott. If this is what the talent of Bollywood is about and what with gushing reviewers who do not seem to have watched films in any language barring Hindi and that too not many, one wonders at the celebration of Bollywood junk posing as Indian cinema.

Leave a Comment