Well then! Those posters would have been
trampled all along by the enthusiastic mob making way to the those stats and
figures that state “top-gross collection”, “record breaking box-office jackpot”
and other illustrious facts. I guess these multiplexes have run out of their “pop-corn”
supply over the last couple of weekends, but then Shoojit Sircar had perhaps
envisaged a “moral victory” harvesting on the trails of the so called “block-buster”
Chennai Express.
It was
a surprisingly deserted assembly at the Cinemax, Mani Square, on Saturday, 24th
August 2013…effectively, the very next day post the movie release. I guess, it’s
a gross misnomer to define it as a “movie”, “judicious documentation” would perhaps be the perfect terminology. I
have always been inclined towards an art-from that depicts the true face of
reality; Madras Café formulates an intransigent bridge between reality, its
related facts and the essence of fiction. These facts, unspoken to some extent,
portray the darkest side of the Indian political history…the thrilling delineation
of a “bureaucratic upheaval” did open up ends….it does unveil a “story” that
ripped through the Nation in the early 90’s.
The
crux of this representation lies in a “self-destructive” mod-us operand-i; an
uncompromising battle of sorts that never decided a clear winner, but snatched
away innocent lives at ease. The conflict that had it’s roots deep within,
never found it’s true amelioration. The boundaries of geography were transcended
as a result; the conspiracy that revolved around Jaffna, Sri Lanka, extended it’s
vicious lineage across to London and Bangkok….it seemed as if the “satanic”
charm of dominance had got the better of humanity, the chimera had firmly gripped
mankind…there was no escape route. The civil war that raged through a nation
could have been ameliorated through a mutual bond of co-operation, but the dark
and cutting “pursuit of power” called for agonizing devastation.
Leaks
and betrayals didn't help the cause either; a saga of annihilating blood-bath,
violence and nepotism surfaced as a result. And the aftermath? – A despairing
loss for the country…a loss that would perhaps resound perpetually, it would
haunt an entire Nation for centuries….Are we still looking for explanations?
Are we still looking for a “winner”? Are we still hunting down those stacks of “files”
that depict a distorted face of reality? Was Anna really the “villain”? – The questions
are numerous, yet the answers unique. A combat is “ineffectual”, marred with the quintessence of "hollowness"…the
trails of ruthless destruction does “inspire” creation….it opens up fissures
for external invasion…the penetration that would perhaps be attributable to
those nefarious minds who would sell off their “motherland” for the sake of
personal augmentation. The Rest are merely details.
The fearless
narration of facts had a double sided implication:
- It did undermine the on-screen “players” because the script was the ultimate hero.
- It did send across a strong message- “Trends hardly speak the true story”...reality appeals more!
“I’m impressed with the fact that
commercialism didn't intrude in this heart-rending chronicle…and the strategic exp-unction of ‘songs’ was BIG HIT”; my analytic friend rightly pointed out as the curtains
slowly “went down”.
“What impressed me is the compactness &
the to-the-point outline….it never seemed to divert from the point” …that’s
what my mom conjectured. We were in perfect sync on these lines.
“I think it’s irrelevant to judge John or
Nargis, because the story gulped them in BIG time….the facts were overwhelming”…..
That’s what my dad asserted; firm and thumping.
Thanks John (for making “IT” count),
Shoojit (for making perfect use of your resources) and Shantanu Moitra (for
that soul-ful background score)…it was truly an “experience”!
You people have "decoded the constitution", "decoded the hostility", "decoded the hollowness of annihilation"... impeccably!
Special mention to Robin Dutt (Siddharth Basu) for controlling the entire flow of events....his on-screen presence is stout and dignified.
My Rating:
Story-line and script- 9/10
Acting- N.A.
Camera-work- 9/10
Background Score- 8/10
Overall- 9/10
Reactions: Let's cumulatively take a dip into the "reactions" insinulated by Madras Cafe...the response is encouraging!
