Billu: “The Chitrahar”

I happen to see Mr. Priyadarshan’s new venture Billu Barber (Opps! Sorry), it’s only “Billu”. Well, I had heard about the controversy that the movie was going through and also read the director’s statement in the magazine India Today, he stated that, “When a foreigner calls us slumdogs, we listen ? And when an Indian calls a barber by his name, we protest?” I decided to watch the film as to know what was so important in the film that name from “Billu Barber” to “Billu” made Mr. Priyadarshan upset. After watching the film I concluded that he wanted to bring a barber into limelight as the film had nothing to offer to the audience.
The plot of the film was nothing new; we have all heard the story in Katha Parayumpol and Kuselan. Krishna and Sudama‘s friendship tale is the tale which every child hears from his/her grandparents and that is what is the base of the plot. The film has the comedy trio of Priadarshan Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani, the only missing link was Paresh Rawal, and he must be busy entertaining others?
The humors of the film are normal which would not make you laugh or even bring a smile to your face; some of them are even lost as Irrfan Khan is not able to carry them off properly. It is not that he has not done justice to his character, infact he has outplayed all the characters of the film. The expression, his dialogue delivery and the dept in eyes speaks volumes. Whether he is renovating his umbrella or is speaking on the phone, he has outplayed the entire cast of the film.
Shah Rukh Khan is just fine has not much too offer to the film expect the explanation that he gives about the quarrel between the Khans in the film industry and his emotional speech and crying for last 15-20 minutes, which he has performed to his potential, else apart from that he has managed to be again young and match up the dancing steps with three young ladies of the industry. Billu’s wife Lara Dutta needs to do her homework a little better and his children need to be a little grateful to their father.
But while watching the film I had a feeling that I was watching a television show on Dordarshan, called “Chitrahar”, it use to be telecast on Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. by Pooja Bhatt. She use to throw a little knowledge about the films and music and than we had a beautiful song to be watched and heard. This movie was nothing more than a Chitrahar and Shah Rukh’s entry seems like a rework of Harry Baweja’s “Love Story 2050”. The movie was just another disappointment from Priyadarshan’s bag. It seems he would again have to go over his old films and find a plot to remake it in Hindi so that he can increase his list of hit film in bollywood. Well all we can say the stars that please tell/act out a story which we all can appreciate and enjoy, else sit back and free us from the burden of watching pathetic movies.

Dev-D: “Emotional Atyachar”

Well, finally I happen to see Dev-D, the movie much talked about among many of my friends. Anurag Kashyap, the man who has given us different taste of cinemas at different level of understanding in his own unique style. Well what can I say about him, we have all seen his master pieces: Black Friday- that reflected his hard work and his potential as a director and was well appreciated by the audience.
No Smoking: though this film was his innovative way to stop or rather help and support the government to stop the consumption of cigarettes, but the concept and the idea was way beyond the understanding of cigarette consumers. How I wish it would have been a success as it would at least help passive smokers.
And now our director is back with the old wine in the new bottle. And he has done well, Thumbs up with vodka for our director. Well the Devdas of 21st Century is what we needed to see and that’s what he has given us, with the same emotions, betrayal, misunderstanding and loads of Vodka and joints. Infact, our Dev is nothing less than a “Charsi”, but that is what a heart broken lover boy of our time would do to get over with the emotional atyachar. (As there are more drugs available than before.), and finally gets back to his senses knowing that getting has will eventually destroy him. Good work director sahib this is what today’s heart broken Romeos need to learn. What do you think?
Our Paro has done her homework well and the amount efforts she takes to send her topless photo to Dev via the internet and in carrying the mattress to the fields and back without much of its use and also freaking out to the tunes of the music on her wedding does win her the audience’s sympathy.
Our Chanda is no less than Paro, she has also done justice to her character. From getting involved in the sex scandal MMS, getting her father killed for asking him a question and to becoming a sex worker. Her ability to switch over to language on he phone to satisfy the needs of her customer is amazing, not only that her love for Dev is nothing less than Paro’s and that’s what got her love.
Anurag Kashyap has shown the entire film from his perspective and it seems that our director may have had to face situations which lead him to see and show the audience his kind of world. But above all the film is all about attitude towards life and that’s what is needed in the world. He has managed to bring the DPS scandal and the incidents of drunk driving (Remember, which had our Sallu bhai running over with his car killing and injuring people sleeping on the pavement) in limelight too. But whatever it may be the director has done a wonderful job by ending the film in Chanda’s favor.
There still remains few questions which director shahib needs to answer as to what the songs were badly choreographed and linked loosely to the film and above all why on earth did you give the film such a bad ending.
Well, Mr. Kashyap all I can say is that the film too off like Black Friday and ended like No Smoking, over all your Devdas, Paro and Chanda impressed everyone (I hope) and the charsi environment that you created for me scares me and I think I should offer you Thumps Up with Vodka and take your leave else I may land up thinking that my drinking water is Vodka and my room is as dirty and filthy as that of a Charsi. So, drink and smoke to your success and hope that your next film Gulaal is another good treat from your side. Till than cheers…………