Straight - Bollywood Movie Review

Cast: Vinay Pathak, Gul Panag, Anuj Chaudhri, Sid Makkar
Director: Parvati Balagopalan
Rating: **1/2

Let’s get one thing, er, straight. Homosexuality is finally out of the closet in our films. Well, sort of. Last year’s naughty blockbuster “Dostana” had two of our most popular leading men pretending to be gay.

Now “Straight” has Vinay Pathak believing he is gay.

There’s a slender space dividing pretence from belief, specially when it comes to matters of human trait. Often what you pretend to be is what you eventually end up being.

Fortunately for serio-comic hero Pinu Patel (Pathak) he’s not sexually attracted to the persistently charming new stand-comedian Kamlesh (Anuj Chaudhri) whom Pinu hires for his restaurant.

The scenes showing Kamlesh insinuating himself into Pinu’s life and place of work are done with a dash of devilish bravado.

Within no time Pinu finds everyone eating not just off his tables, but also out of Kamlesh’s hands.

A triangle of sorts comes up in a queer way when Pinu can’t figure out who he’s more jealous, when the pretty new accountant Renu (Gul Panag) strikes up a camaraderie with Kamlesh.

Confusion of sexuality is a theme yet in its infancy in our films. Director Parvati Balagopalan keeps the going light-hearted and most of the time frothy and amiable. There’s an endearing quality to the way these NRIs in London are seen not in the predictable roles of migrant misfits, but grappling with more personal problems without taking themselves too seriously.

Seriously, being funny about sexual preferences doesn’t come easily to our cinema. “Straight” just about manages it with dignity and charm. The triangular relationship among Pinu, Renu and Kamlesh is punctuated by bouts of laughter, directed more at the way the characters deceive than conduct themselves.

The camaraderie that grows between the male characters is specially likable. Not just Pinu and Kamlesh, but Pinu and his London-born brother Rajat (Sid Makkar) who finally turns out to be what Pinu suspected himself of being.

Through Rajat some groovy rock numbers (Sagar Desai) make their way into the plot to add to the fair casual-fun quotient.

It’s not always that we see a woman director comprehending male bonding without prejudice.

Arranged marriages and unarranged alliances all come under satirical scrutiny under Parvati’s vigilant and vivacious camera range. She gets to the point straight most of the way, thanks to the performances.

While Vinay Pathak brings a characteristic candour and confusion to his character’s personality, Anuj Chaudhri as the endearing intruder Kamlesh plays the character sincerely and honestly. Gul Panag is, as usual, very camera-friendly.

What really works for this film is the uncluttered clean and crisp narrative with London providing a subtly sensuous backdrop to characters who are anything but subtle or sensuous.

Barah Aana - Bollywood Movie Review

Director: Raja Menon
Cast: Neseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, Arjun Mathur, Tannishtha Chatterjee
Rating: ***

A mellow, mirthful and at times moving story of three north Indian migrants, “Barah Aana” may not be the ideal idea of an evening out or even an entertainer. But for a discerning audience, this tale of tantalizing possibilities brings in a sense of un-visited surprise.

There are three main characters - a quiet driver Shukla (Naseeruddin Shah), a watchman Yadav (Vijay Raaz) and a waiter Aman (Arjun Mathur) - all driven to the doors of despair but stopped in time by a self-directed sense of humour that saves them from self-destruction.

The story gathers momentum when the trio hit on an age-old formula for survival - crime.

Superbly scripted by Raj Kumar Gupta, who recently directed the riveting “Aamir”, “Barah Aana” derives its strength from the frailties and vulnerabilities of the three migrant characters who seem to be drawn into the dark side of life without knowing where they are heading.

Debutant director Raja Menon seems to view the people in his plot with a reasonable degree of detachment. There’s a sense of riveting finesse in the way these unsophisticated characters chart their course without self-pity.

Of course the film would have never worked without the cast. What does one say about Naseeruddin Shah without sounding completely like a fan? He’s seen in two totally different avatars this week.

Naseer’s bullied, embittered and silently-seething driver’s part in this film is as distant from his disoriented classical maestro’s role in Nandita Das’ “Firaaq” as only he can make them.

Vijay Raaz, always in top form when given to play a man who has seen life without rose-tinted glasses, gives a sly snarling spin to his role. His performance has both bark and bite. Watch Vijay play the watchman.

The youngest and most inexperienced member of the trio Arjun Mathur, seen in a sensitive part in Zoya Akhtar’s “Luck By Chance”, has a tough time holding his own against Naseer and Vijay and also holding his Bihari accent in place. But he nevertheless leaves a positive impressive.

Another great performance comes from Tannishtha Chatterjee. As the flamboyant Rani, she shocks you after her quiet performance in “Brick Lane”. She should be seen more often.

With a message on the plight of migrants, “Barah Aana” would hardly appeal to multiplex audiences. Films on lives of migrants usually score high as cinematic works but low on mass appeal.

One must say that Preeti Sethi’s camera goes through Mumbai’s lanes with the least fuss. See “Barah Aana” for its terrific cast, first-rate production values and the director’s firm grip on the grammar of grassroot politics.