Fashion

wogma rating: Add to 'must watch' list ^(?)

quick review:

Good story, good performances by strikingly beautiful people wearing elegant costumes in a longish movie.

Director: Madhur Bhandarkar

Cast: Kangna Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra

Running time: 165 minutes

Genres: Relationships

More Movie Info

Whether or not Fashion is realistic, only a person from inside the fashion industry can tell. It certifies what we can make out from the tabloids. The beauty is that it doesn't even make an attempt to shock. It certainly is a well-told story about the rise and fall of an ambitious woman. And what she learns on the way. The rise might seem fairy-tale like but it is only a set-up for the meat of the story that comes in the last 45 minutes. These 45 minutes take the drama to a high point. Unfortunately these 45 minutes come a little too late. Yes, the post-interval pace and run-time too close to 3 hours are big-time dampeners.

So, welcome to the fashion world where women dazzle and men are either gay or sleazeballs or at times both. But none of this is used to sensationalize. It's all stated in a very matter-of-fact, part-of-life manner. In fact, the page-3, prop-dolls are shown as human beings - intelligent, conscious, ambitious, and most important of all, gray human beings. They celebrate success and are supportive in failure. They too have friends who can be called upon in the middle of the night in dire times.

Fashionis sprinkled with interesting, thoughtfully written characters with good dialogues. Sure, the weirder stereotypes are chosen. But some of them are so atypical of the actors performing them, that they stand out. To start with there's Meghana (Priyanka Chopra), the aspiring supermodel going through a slow and steady moral breakdown. We've seen Priyanka in quite some high profile movies recently, but this is the first one to actually use her talent and warm facial features.

Anisha (Kitu Gidwani) runs a top-line modeling agency that has the knack of taking supermodels through their career cycle, from attitude to arrogance. Kitu plays the perfect shade of gray as the cold yet knowing, beautiful godmother of all successful models. Harsh Chayya as the arrogant designer, Vinay, who has a strong, almost comical lisp, shows he can actually act if made to. Same goes for Ashwin Mushran, who plays a struggling designer, Rohit and Meghana's compassionate guide in the big bad world of fashion.

The only actor who doesn't step out of her comfort zone is Kangna Ranaut, who plays the currently reigning supermodel, Shonali, to perfection. The character is tailor-made for Kangna. She by now has mastered the confused, suicidal woman. So, I still haven't figured out whether her slurred mispronunciations are because of the doped-out characters she plays or it's just her.

People wanting to watch the movie for the beautifully stylized women won't be disappointed. The costumes are as drop-dead gorgeous as the women wearing them - both in and out of the fashion shows. Especially noticeable are the colors chosen for Priyanka to match her mood. The make-up from when the women are at home, to the fashion shows, to when they are in despair is absolutely stunning.

You are in for a treat if you want some good-looking people perform well. Don't forget that extra ounce of patience to pull you through a few parts of the movie.

- meeta, a part of the audience

30 reviewers^(?) - 21 yays 6 so-so 3 nays

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

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, All Bollywood : ...This is Priyanka's coming-of-age film. She acts like a woman who connects with the darkest, most desperate human emotions... full review

Thumbs up, by shivam sharma, AOL INDIA : ...What can be said about the entire film is that it is very blatant in terms of story, but the director keeps you engaged nevertheless.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rahul Bhasin, Bolly Spice : ...The camera work is great. Madhur Bhandharkar is a pro in directing close-to-reality movies and Fashion is another fine example... full review

Thumbs up, by Daliya Daspurkayastha, Bollywood Mantra : ...Kangana Ranaut is mind blowing. She has played her part tremendously well and the role suits her best.... full review

Thumbs up, by Chandrima Pal, Buzz18 : ...The film is more about models than about fashion, really. It is not about the designers, the clothes or the creative process.... full review

Thumbs up, by Chandrima Pal, Buzz18 : ...Surely, the climax is riveting though it comes a little too late.... full review

Thumbs up, by Yasser Usmaan, DearCinema : ...The dialogues are by Niranjan Iyengar and he has kept them simple yet with punches at right places.... full review

Thumbs up, by Deep, Deep's Home : ...In short, the movie was perfect in terms of Acting, music, story but the slowness killed the mov... full review

Thumbs up, by deepa garimella, fullhyd.com : ... The music is powerful, and they bring it on during the fashion shows - which oddly turns them into moments of high drama... full review

Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...But despite its shortcomings, in the end Fashion is an easy watch because the very subject lends itself to so much interest.... full review

Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM : ...FASHION has tremendous curiosity value and also shock value for the Indian audiences.... full review

Thumbs up, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...The characters in the film have a straight-faced unfazed demeanour towards the compromises they make in life.... full review

Thumbs up, Indicine : ...Madhur Bhandarkar is a master story-teller and he proves it yet again with Fashion.... full review

Thumbs up, by Harshita Kohli, indya.com : ...Bhandarkar has managed to extract a performance which will go down as one of her best. Kangana Ranaut has done a great job too.... full review

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ..."Fashion" explores the world of style through the emotional personal journeys of the key people that make the industry -... full review

Thumbs up, by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com : ...Fashion isn't without flaws though. The only thing that could go against it at the box-office is the pace of the film,... full review

Thumbs up, by Jahan Bakshi, Now Running.com : ...I have to confess that Madhur Bhandarkar's latest feature has left me with strangely mixed feelings... full review

Thumbs up, Passion for Cinema : ...Fashion is another addition to his series of realistic movies.... full review

Thumbs up, by Goher Iqbal Punn, Radio Sargam : ...‘Fashion’ is laced with all the ingredients to make a it a bumper Diwali blockbuster.... full review

Thumbs up, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...the film desperately needs some tight editing to cut out the flab. Nevertheless, go, witness woman power, in all its agony and ecstasy.... full review

So-So, by Aparajita Ghosh, Apun Ka Choice : ...Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion is a nice but overlong movie that could do with some snipping.... full review

So-So, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...Bhandarkar admits that the fashion world cannot be broken into without some amount of compromise, and then he judges you for making that compromise... full review

So-So, by Sanjay Ram, Business of Cinema : ...A brilliant fare that could have ended much sooner and made a bang is stretched.... full review

So-So, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, DNA : ...maybe the movie should have been called 'Models' because the fashion industry, designs and designers, textiles and garments are missing... full review

So-So, by Khalid Mohamed, Hindustan Times : ...For Bhandarkar’s ongoing affair with the real and the raw, Fashion is a must-try. Just don’t recommend it to Rohit Bal and Co. though.... full review

So-So, Upper Stall : ...All in all, the film is a disappointing and tedious watch and comes to life but sporadically.... full review

Thumbs down, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ...Bhandarkar has taken pains to shoot the ramp shows and green room scenes realistically.... full review

Thumbs down, by Elvis D'Silva, Rediff : ...Priyanka Chopra's clothes seem just as ambitious when she is a 'nobody' as when she turns into a 'somebody'... full review

Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...In Fashion too, his gaze remains artificial; exploitative, ready to milk any bit of juicy news.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

1 readers - 0 yays 0 so-so 1 nays

Nay! Thumbs Down, by We-Vibe 3

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

Plot Summary

Meghana, the only daughter of a middle-class family in Chandigarh aspires to be a supermodel in Mumbai. Fashion is about the things she does and the people she meets on her way to success.

What Worked

The fashion shows.

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

The digs on the film industry especially the ones with Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranvir Shorey. They were very superficial and looked out-of-place.

Nitty-Gritty

This section lists things that I think are not important to the overall impact of the movie. In most cases, it could be explained away by something like, "we noticed the glitch after the scene was shot and there were schedule/budget issues and thus we could not re-shoot it". I like giving the makers the benefit of doubt, but I am amused nevertheless. Hopefully, they will tickle you too.

Why does a non-smoker carry a cigarette?

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None, but use of drugs is implied and explicitly shown a few times.
Nudity and Sexual content: Well, it’s the fashion industry! So it’s a skin show. And there are a few love making scenes.
Concept: In general a not very kid-friendly concept, this. The cold business-like methods of the industry.
General Look and Feel: It is glitzy, but the story does have a dark tinge to it.