The Golden Era of Bombay
May 21, 2016
By Vibha Gulati
By Vibha Gulati
If you give Anurag Kashyap Rs. 20 Cr and 100 characters he makes a critically acclaimed film. And if you give him Rs.100 Cr and 20 characters he makes a critically maligned film. But that doesn’t mean that he makes a bad film. It’s just that the standards set by him are so high, that people are willing to tear him down at the slightest mistake. ’Bombay Velvet’ is exactly that.
The male lead in this period drama is the ”art direction” while the female lead is its ”jazz music.” In the supporting cast you have Ranbir Kapoor (Johnny Balraj), Anushka Sharma (Rosie), and Karan Johar (Khambatta) getting “re-introduced (after DDLJ). They are in turn, supported by some talented actors like Satyadeep Misra (Chiman) and Manish Chaudhary (Jimmy).
The story takes place in Bombay in the golden era of the 1960’s and 1970’s when liberalization was a far cry while mafia dons, smuggling gold, and jazz and blues were in vogue. The set design constructed in Sri Lanka is impeccable and transports you to the nostalgic era of Bombay when it was not yet called Mumbai. Music by Amit Trivedi is pure magic and so is the sensuous voice of Neeti Mohan. Kashyap takes a long time to establish the era and the mood of Bombay and makes one impatiently wait for the story to begin. The characters lack depth and the screenplay gets confusing at times. The dialogues aren't insightful as is the norm in Kashyap's movies. There are very few humorous moments in the movie, considering how Kashyap can squeeze humor even out of a dark movie like Ugly. Most importantly, the cat and mouse race, the rags to riches and back to the dust story, doesn't really do a neat circle, the loose threads aplenty and sometimes unnecessary. With all those dangling lose threads; it is a shame the movie doesn't give you the satisfaction of a pleasing ending either.
Ranbir Kapoor as Balraj is brilliant, as always. His hairstyle and demeanor is inspired from De Niro's portrayal of the Taxi Driver. He is maniacal in some scenes and he brings it alive. Ranbir is probably the only actor who could play an innocent lover and a cold blooded/narcissistic murderer if he wants to. Unlike Anushka Sharma’s previous performances in the critically acclaimed NH10 and commercially successful PK, in Bombay Velvet she fails to impress. While Anushka does her best to portray a physically and sexually abused victim while blending it with the oomph of a jazz singer, it doesn't quite come through. Karan Johar has a fresh appeal but he rarely makes the final jump that turns an innocent face into an icy-cold visage capable of giving you the chills. Hate it or love it…but don’t miss it!
The male lead in this period drama is the ”art direction” while the female lead is its ”jazz music.” In the supporting cast you have Ranbir Kapoor (Johnny Balraj), Anushka Sharma (Rosie), and Karan Johar (Khambatta) getting “re-introduced (after DDLJ). They are in turn, supported by some talented actors like Satyadeep Misra (Chiman) and Manish Chaudhary (Jimmy).
The story takes place in Bombay in the golden era of the 1960’s and 1970’s when liberalization was a far cry while mafia dons, smuggling gold, and jazz and blues were in vogue. The set design constructed in Sri Lanka is impeccable and transports you to the nostalgic era of Bombay when it was not yet called Mumbai. Music by Amit Trivedi is pure magic and so is the sensuous voice of Neeti Mohan. Kashyap takes a long time to establish the era and the mood of Bombay and makes one impatiently wait for the story to begin. The characters lack depth and the screenplay gets confusing at times. The dialogues aren't insightful as is the norm in Kashyap's movies. There are very few humorous moments in the movie, considering how Kashyap can squeeze humor even out of a dark movie like Ugly. Most importantly, the cat and mouse race, the rags to riches and back to the dust story, doesn't really do a neat circle, the loose threads aplenty and sometimes unnecessary. With all those dangling lose threads; it is a shame the movie doesn't give you the satisfaction of a pleasing ending either.
Ranbir Kapoor as Balraj is brilliant, as always. His hairstyle and demeanor is inspired from De Niro's portrayal of the Taxi Driver. He is maniacal in some scenes and he brings it alive. Ranbir is probably the only actor who could play an innocent lover and a cold blooded/narcissistic murderer if he wants to. Unlike Anushka Sharma’s previous performances in the critically acclaimed NH10 and commercially successful PK, in Bombay Velvet she fails to impress. While Anushka does her best to portray a physically and sexually abused victim while blending it with the oomph of a jazz singer, it doesn't quite come through. Karan Johar has a fresh appeal but he rarely makes the final jump that turns an innocent face into an icy-cold visage capable of giving you the chills. Hate it or love it…but don’t miss it!