The day the movie got released, I saw the wave of outrage that marked the movie review on various news channels, for a moment I felt vindicated by my choice for a movie but when I started looking at the reviews from my friends, for a moment, I felt insecure - was I betting my money on a lame horse? was I putting my money on a lost cause, a caricature? Today, after watching the movie, I can say, no! The movie may not be a classic but it indeed is much better than those so-called intelligent movies like Paa .....
So what was it about the movie that I liked so much? There have been better movies on the rape of Truth by the Media, a notable case could be the classic 'Main Aazad Hoon', which was much ahead of it's time .... but the said movie spoke about Print Media .... Television News Channels were largely left untouched except for a human interest story in 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' or as a sideline in 'Chak De India' or other similar movies ..... What was different was the fact that this movie was about the media, for the media, by the media and of the media ...... And what really was impressive was the feel of lost innocence and fall of values that made it all so natural.
The silent connivance of Jai (Sudeep), the fall from grace of Vijay (Amitabh) and the incessant fight for lost innocence by Purab (Ritesh) is what makes the film different .... Yes, the film is slow but then what else do you expect from a movie that deals with an issue as sensitive and difficult as the use and abuse of Media ... If this film would have been made by a foreigner, we would have sung paeans to the maker and termed it a classic, but since it's the effort of an Indian, our colonial mindset looks at it differently ......
Ram Gopal Verma, after a long time, manages to make a movie, that is worthy of his name .... though the movie may still not be a patch on Satya, Shiva or Company, still it's much better than all the Phoonk and what-not he has been dishing out over the last many years..... Maybe it's still not too much for us to expect RGV to come back to what his forte was and to make those movies that gained him the respect and love and trust of the discerning audience ... it's time, he learnt that even though film-making is a matter of commerce, it's not a factory like any other .... it's a different industry and it runs on a different norm!
Amitabh Bachchan manages to pack a punch in his performance; the director has ensured the authenticity and continuity of the film, by not insisting on putting him in every frame in the movie but only wherever strictly required! Fans of the mega star may find it a tad frustrating and may be disappointed but then no actor is bigger than the film; the graph of the actor does not miss a beat even once .... And Amitabh being Amitabh brings brilliance to the film, without even trying to do so; right from the introduction scene to the final monologue, he is a man in control and he shows that effortlessly
Ritesh Deshmukh as a man whose innocence has been lost; as a man who genuinely believes in the freedom and impartiality of the press; as a journalist wedded to the ethics of a profession that became extinct with the advent of TRP ratings, is so true to the role that there are times during the movie when he steals the thunder from under the noses of senior performers.
Sudeep, as Jai, is the man to watch out for. His performance is well-etched and well-graphed like a symphony in progress - each and every aspect of his performance like a wave that surpasses the previous and builds momentum for the next to follow ...... a wonderful actor, Sudeep is here for the long haul and he proves his mettle in this movie - Watch out for this actor; he will make an impact
Paresh Rawal - what does one say about this actor? It would suffice to say, that so much is expected from him, that what would be adequate or even masterly in case of other actors is considered inadequate in his case and looking at him from the glass of his capability and talent, he does not live up to expectations - his performance is stagnant, after a high that's reached early on.
Mohnish Behl, Rajat Kapoor and Gul Panag are adequate; actually Mohnish does show some sparks in his monnologue but both Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Rajpal Yadav disappoint. Suchitra had a brilliant chance to redeem herself as a double-dealing COO of a news network that keeps contacts with the opposition but it's a classic case of 'What could have been ...' Neetu Chandra does not have a lot to do in the film, it would have been great if a little aspect of hers could also have been documented; it would make the end slightly more plausible but still she is adequate
Ram Gopal Verma, as stated earlier, would do well to concentrate on making movies with subjects that make sense like Rann if he wants to get back the respect and honour he had earlier on. His combination with Amitabh is really worth it's weight in gold if one forgets nonsense like Aag and this is what he should avoid like the plague.
The rape of Truth, the replacement of News by Sensationalism and the understandings that exist between the fourth state and the other pillars of Society is a dangerous precedent and can lead the nation to disaster - It's high time, we understand that a free Press is not only desirable but also essential for our existence ... It would not take long to learn that most revolutions on Earth were the result of a Despot or Tyrant trying to throttle the Press from speaking the Truth ... it would be a matter of great shame and disservice to those great leaders from the past, if today, the freedom of the press, for whom they sacrificed their all is disrobed by it's own people in the assembly of the rich and the powerful.
One last word about the media - someone today on the media, while rubbishing the movie said that the Media always works keeping certain norms in mind.... Could that person please explain, where were those norms in the 26 / 11 attacks ...... We are waiting, please do reply!
