Shor In The City
wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)
Another dark comedy that deals with the grit of the city. Fortunately, it is another well-made dark comedy. Shor in the city is well-shot and has good performances. It also has a few well-developed, interesting characters. Yet, the plot gives a very "been there, seen that" feel.
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"Cute" is my first reaction to Shor in the city. Of course, not in the mush-mush kind-of way. It is after all, a dark comedy set deep in the grim, gritty recesses of a fractured city that we all make. But, a nag starts as soon as the main characters are introduced.
As I enjoyed how well Shor in the city is shot and admired every performance, I was trying to point my finger at what was bothering me, what was keeping this from being a complete fun experience? When I read, "Each incident is inspired by a newspaper story" in the end credits, I realized the familiarity of the stories is what was bothering me. Not that I knew of the stories before hand, but this is how this new genre of "dark comedy/pulp" is beginning to settle in Hindi cinema.
You have your mix of rugged texture, close-ups, relatively non-standard camera angles. Even story wise, you have a regular dose of hotch-potch of 4-5 stories with interesting characters. Their paths collide. And along the way, you make comments on the system we form, the society we make.
In the social commentary department, Shor in the city chooses bribery, a sarcastic look at religion, stronghold of underworld crime, the hierarchy that a gun-holder can create, frustration of the honest man in this big, bad world. It uses a small-time crook who gets interested in the books he pirates to define both the futility, superficiality and yet the charm of the escape that a "philosophical" world creates. Oh yeah, and it also exposes our fake love for our national passion - cricket. The candid, uninhibited smooching and making out scenes announce the new-age cinema's emphatic decision to be bold and also shows how liberal the SMS/BPO center generation is.
Given that none of these things are new to us, the performances make this film a watchable experience. Certainly, there are smart-ass dialogues but from Tusshar Kapoor to Pitobhash to Amit Mistry - each actor makes his character just perfect.
Yeah, it is different from your mainstream films but within its genre it's "more of the same". In fact, it's one of those films in which no climax will surprise you - be it characters who die or the ones that survive. Fortunately, you mildly care for some of the characters and interested in what happens to them.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Nishtha Bhatnagar, Alpha : ...The character in Shor In the City are unbelievably real.... full review
Thumbs up, by Aparajita Ghosh, Apun Ka Choice : ...Definitely worth a watch... full review
Thumbs up, Best Of Bollywood : ...A Must Watch... full review
Thumbs up, by Pooja Rao, Bolly Spice : ...What makes Shor different from others of its genre, is a heartfelt sincerity that the film exudes, it's recognizable, relatable but thankfully not in any disturbing sort of way.... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...Besides the skilful direction, the film is embellished with a taut screenplay... full review
Thumbs up, by Gautam Chintamani, Buzz in Town : ...Shor shot!... full review
Thumbs up, by Yusuf, Desi Martini : ...Feel the Noise... full review
Thumbs up, by Smita, Desi Martini : ...Shor scores!... full review
Thumbs up, by Ankur, Desi Martini : ...shor shot winner... full review
Thumbs up, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...The set-up is lovely, the writing (Raj, DK) razor sharp, the characters appealing.... full review
Thumbs up, Dunkdaft : ...Brilliance of writing lies in how smartly the three stories are intervened ... full review
Thumbs up, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...craziest, wittiest, most pulsating Mumbai narrative you've seen in years.... full review
Thumbs up, by Nupur Barua, Full2 Faltu : ...They made a mark with their first Bollywood venture, 99, and with Shor In The City, they are here to stay. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...What you do notice about this quintessentially metropolis movie is its sheer spunk, verve and adorably absurd humour.... full review
Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...surprisingly enjoyable... full review
Thumbs up, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...If there is one complaint, then it is that it is misogynstic. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...But it does its picking up of characters and following them around to see what happens on one climactic day, with skill and style. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...genuine entertainer—another rare triumph of the small, writer-driven film. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Tushar Joshi, MiD DAY : ...Sundeep Kishan brilliantly captures the angst of a youngster troubled by the insecurity of his future and uncertainty of the present.... full review
Thumbs up, Mixed Bag : ...It is not only Pitabash who earns all the brownie points with his unquestionable love for AK 46 or AK 57 or whatsoever, Sendhil with his remarkable screen presence and even better acting skills leaves an equally strong impression.... full review
Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...Tusshar, whose sister Ekta has co-produced the film, wisely underplays, blends into the milieu and surrounds himself with strong actors. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...outstanding ode to city of dreams Mumbai ... full review
Thumbs up, by Ankit Ojha, Planet Bollywood : ...has very strong characters... full review
Thumbs up, by Ankur Pathak, Rediff : ...But above all, Pitobash Tripathy's city cheapster, wannabe cool act deserves all the shining glory. He is so terrifically convincing, you beg for more of his screen-time.... full review
Thumbs up, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Smart writing makes a smart movie... full review
Thumbs up, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...A good fare.... full review
Thumbs up, by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu : ...Go make some noise, clap or whistle!... full review
Thumbs up, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...t's a tangy desi Reservoir Dog's combo, with Nikhil Dwivedi and Pitobash Tripathi providing the edge and Tusshar pitching in the equipoise.... full review
Thumbs up, by Mr Care, Upper Stall : ...Shor shot winner. ... full review
So-So, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...If only the writers had thought of something more exciting and novel re-inventing in the same genre, then the film could have been a different enriching experience in totality.... full review
So-So, by Rony D'costa, Desi Martini : ...with Shor in the city I have found the best Hindi film of the year so far... full review
So-So, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ...The narrative shifts from one story to the other, but the plot remains more or less stagnant. ... full review
So-So, by Namrata Joshi, Outlook India : ...An engaging peep into the edgy yet fragile lives of Mumbai's people, their relationships, provocations, dilemmas and life-altering decisions. ... full review
So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...More gimmicky than authentic... full review
So-So, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...The undeniably attractive Sendhil Ranamurthy is aptly cast as an NRI and enacts his part well.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare : ...promises a lot and delivers only a portion of it ... full review
Thumbs down, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...In comparison with the directors earlier work the movie is huge let down. But on its own merits it has its moments and some good performance... full review
Thumbs down, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...will manage to create some shor in the big cities in select multiplexes only.... full review
Thumbs down, by S Rohatgi, Now Running.com : ...doesn't quite make much Shor. ... full review
Thumbs down, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Ekta disappoints... full review
VIOLETT: Shor in the city #mastwatch
vijaykulkarni: Watched Shor in the city. Too good.
thegdprasad: Kickass..SIMPLY KICK ASS !!!! #Shor In the City
taz963: "shor in the city" great acting, great music, great movie!!!!
SweeneyDey: Shor in the City is another great watch. Dark and funny. And it has Sendhil Ramamurthy.
srikanthxlnc: Don't think that v r not fools... Hehehe Shor in the city good movie
sreeyesh: In the end, I don't have any regrets on spending the money to watch Shor In The City. Pretty neat flick.
speak2raghu: its been movies weekend.afternoon kannada flick,"hudugaru" - amazing script & kool song(naa boardu..) evenin neatly done 'shor in the city'
sonaliagarwal: watched SHOR IN THE CITY movie.. !! loved it !! :) ;) sendhil is sooo hawwwwt !! <3
skptweets: Shor in the City - parallel story concept, Tushar Kapoor with dialogues doing justice, predictable at the end, but enjoyable.
SidPriya: Shor in the city: surprise package this summer, must watch ****
shiva_rana: Watched " Shor in the city " Good cinema for a change!
sheshu1431: Shor in the city.. was impressed with the nerration of the story.. good one ..
sarvesh_2011: Shor in the city - Good movie
saahil_taurean: Had seen Shor in the City...dis movie suprised me....d acting was a touch too gud....Tusshar my pic and ending was superb....4/5 I say...!!!
rohanss8888: wt an awesome movie.. ahh .. nt too gr8.. but kinda a watchable one... awesome shor in the city was reaally good if nt the best
ritika87: Shor in the city is a must watch !
rathod_hiren: SHor in the City... Worth a watch... Finally Tushar acts well & Ekta makes a muvi which is wrth watchin...
ranjanaeaswar: I thought Shor In The City was sheer celluloid brilliance.
rajvibhow: Jst saw shor in the city..short and sweet!!
rahulakulkarni: weekend movie review - Shor in the City 3.5/5 - brilliant one liners, wish to see more of Pitobash Tripathy on the screen, smashing actor!
priwillkill: Just saw Shor in the city...pretty decent.Tushar kapoor was the only known "actor". ;)
prajishalmaboi: Shor in The City Rocks !! Reali a Surprise Package f d year :D
NaySlave: Watch Shor In The City if you haven't already. Low-budget Bollywood is always better than big-budget Bollywood. You'll love this one.
MrClearHai: Shor in the City Movie review- 3.5/5 | Clear Hai http://clearhai.com/shor-in-the-city-movie-review-3-55/
MindYoghurt: Finally managed to catch Shor In The City today. Taut little movie, pulsating sound track and Mumbai all the way!
manjeetvicky_88: Watched shor in the city... Good one ....
MaddamPresident: If you were nervous about living in Mumbai already then don't watch Shor in The City. #SuperFilm
Krishprash: Shor in the city. Brilliant stuff. More than justifies the glowing review @SudhishKamath gave it.
KaranBir_: shor in the city... good watch
GrassHop3r: "Shor in the city" is a nice watch. Apart from Tus-whatever Kapoor! Thanks to "Pireatebay", I just watched it! :P
ghouse08: Watched "Shor in the city" nice movie lots of Shor...
ddiniel: Shor In the City... 4.5/5 !!!
clp1979: Shor in the city is an awesome movie :) it's a must watch!!
chinnusinan: Shor in the city is an awesome movie !! liked it a lot !!
Blu_Melody: Ok done wit all d 3!Outa haunted, shor in the city and 100% love the one film no one shud miss is shor! Edgy bold n very indian! luv it!
anuvratbhansali: I just saw 'Shor In The City' and it was a beautiful trip. #Bollywood, preceded by 'Source Code' and it's been a filling Saturday.
Anirudh_Shukla: Shor in the city and Chalo Dilli are cool movies to see... Haunted is not at all watchable....
Against_Pseudos: Shor in the City....excellent movie...specially if you are a Mumbaikar..beautiful cast..good performances..good script...good direction!
_mukesh: I really liked the narrative of Shor in the City... A good film... its typically non bollywoodish... Some glitches but ok...
swatihingorani: So Shor in the City wasn't *as* bad as I thought it would be.
ridziegal: Watched Shor in the City last night. Was just ok. Liked Chalo Dilli better. #Bollywood
PurpleChutney: Watchd shor in the city 2day.ok ok movie.thot krishna dk n raj nidimoru did a far better job wth 99.2nd half of shor drags,n v jumpy edit 2
niharika51423: saw shor in the city movie.. nice tp movie..
anu91178: Saw 'shor in the city'.okay movie.not as good as the hype created.
Yeh_kya: Arright finally saw Shor in the city and morally be able to bad mouth it..er..wot ive been doin before i saw it anyways..
sojanjs: Shor in the city disappoints @annavetticad
samotimazumdar: Shor in the City is majorly flawed.
radhesen: Shor in the city.. 3 stories set in aamchi mumbai that intersect. Not too impressed by the movie but totally loved the character of manduk.
niksypixie: Disappointed with Shor in the City, much a din about nothing !
nalinirathnam: shor in the city is a tame....badly dubbed and a pointless film, way below my expectations. liked paritosh n sendhil though......
dhanu_hansda: I hate Balaji's (Ekta Kapoor) TV Serials,bt I lk its Movies.Their Shor in the City (Movie) disappointed me:(
complicateur: And the review of Shor in the City: http://complicateur.blogspot.com/2011/05/sounds-of-street.html . Despite all the good press, the film has its issues.
adityaanupkumar: Shor in the City shows the utter dereliction of the "new wave" of Hindi Cinema. They're all exactly the same one unimaginative movie.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
3 friends who are small-time crooks. A struggling cricketer. An NRI trying to find his feet in India.
What Worked
- The line in the opening credits, something along the lines - the city is an excuse for people to be bad.
- The background score and the sound.
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Loads
- Language: Lots of abusive Hindi and the F-word muted out.
- Nudity & Sexual content: One character who is always ogling at women, one scene where a newly-wed couple start undressing.Smooches and people making out in public places.
- Concept: Crime, corruption, etc.
- General Look and Feel: a 'dark humor' atmosphere.
![[Facebook page of Shor In The City]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Twitter account of Shor In The City]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Shor In The City]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
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Comments (3)
it seems the movie has something to state(social messages) as you have wrote the review above.i will check it of course ,i just want to watch tushar speaking.
@guddu let us know what you think.
@noopur ha ha. we all have our own biases. :P cheers to "to each his own" i say!
I am wondering why you did not rate the music / soundtrack of the film. I found it to be amazing and one of the strong points of the film. For me, it was the soundtrack along with all the things that you noted (characters, acting) that made it memorable to watch in a theatre. Even at home, I keep hearing the music again and again, along with Yeh Saali Zindagi's. Saaibo is an excellent composition! The movie also reminded me of Babel.
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