Sunday Night Special Anyone? I sat down to watch #ShoojitSircar’s new film #GulaboSitabo with very little expectations; the trailer and the initial scenes of the film did not impress me too much and seemed to be a dark and desolate tale. I wouldn’t miss #AmitabhBacchan’s new film but that is another story. Over the next two hours I was sucked into a vortex of satire, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, comic timing and superlative acting that left me wonder-struck, but a tad depressed as well.
Sometimes the germ of an idea can set off a script. And that is what Juhi Chaturvedi mentions about this film. You see regular, ordinary people going through life and this sets off an idea in your mind. The location, backdrop and situations follow and that is quite the magic of film-making. Juhi’s previous includes Piku, October and Vicky Donor and while this one may not be as much in that category, there is a nice honest ring to it.
ASHOK’s FIVE reasons to watch #GulaboSitabo starring #AmitabhBacchan and #AyushmanKhurana now streaming on #AmazonPrimeVideo. This is the tale of the hundred-year-old Fatima Mahal mansion, that is the scene of a property battle between the cantankerous Mirza and the wily Baankey who pays the lowest rent amongst all the tenants. Mirza eyes the Mahal and is waiting for the demise of his 95-year-old Begum (played by Farrukh Jafar) but this pursuit of greed ends up in a tragic end.
1. Watch #GulaboSitabo for #AmitabhBacchan in a character role where he is simply brilliant as the 78-year-old abuse-hurling Mirza, with a prosthetic nose, silver beard and round lenses, hunched over and surly as hell. He is introduced stealing bulbs and other material objects from the mansion and selling these for money. He takes on the tenants and turns out to be a dynamo of energy as he engages the lawyer Christopher Clark (#BrajendraKala) to manage his affairs. Mirza has no qualms about making life miserable for the tenants and even goes to the extent of evicting their children from the rickshaw and engaging it himself! The manner in which he seeks out information regarding all living relatives of his Begum denotes his cunning nature. Amitabh's performance is extraordinary - his eyes, his gait and his mannerisms evoke all that Mirza stands for. This is the kind of work that can well earn him a National Award for acting!
2. #ShoojitSircar’s work is simply awesome in the manner he showcases the Lucknow milieu in his characteristic style and at the centrepiece is the dilapidated Fatima Manzil, rotting and decaying and concomitantly metaphorical of the decaying values and fortunes of its inhabitants. Three times National Award Winner, Abhik Mukhopadhyay behind the camera does a fantastic job of romancing the dark and sometimes ugly setting brilliantly. The background score stood out and the lyrics of the songs are standout. Shantanu Moitra at his best again. There are patches where the editing and the screenplay could have been far tauter and that perhaps in the only major drawback in this work.
3. The film is an outstanding work of satire and goes all out in its depiction of the squalor and decay of the surroundings. Juhi Chaturvedi’s dialogues and screenplay lend character to that backdrop and make the story arc of the characters that much more eloquent. She mentions that she has been influenced greatly by the works of Satyajit Ray and there are moments that resonate with the master’s creations.
4. Ayushman Khurana shines with that ridiculous hair-cut, lisp and prosthetic tummy as he emerges as perfect foil to Mirza. The film loses some momentum min-way and regains it with the introduction of Gyanesh Mishra (Vijay Raaz) as the ASI officer and Christopher Clark (Brajendra Kala). Vijay Raaz is easily one of the best in the industry in these sarcasm laden roles and I wish there was more to his character and screen time here. He eyes the mansion from an archaeology perspective and is determined to lock it down. Baankey eyes the opportunity to secure government housing and befriends Mishra. Kala meanwhile plays the role of the lawyer engaged by Mirza to the hilt. He is on a mission to evict the tenants. The surprise package is the free-spirited Gudoo, played by Shristi Shrivastava, Baankey’s sister. Farrukh Jafar plays the Begum and is feisty and mischievous. The real turn of events happens when we discover that the property is actually in the name of the Begum.
5. The title of the film refers to the puppetry act that is distinctive of the region where the two lead dolls spar with each other constantly. I think the remarkable aspect of the film is how this metaphor is brilliantly used to carve out such unique and unusual characters and the inter-play between them to drive home a unique message.
#GulaboSitabo is not all rosy and easy-on-the-eye. It is unusual, profound and at times rank ugly. The film deals with class-divide and outcomes of greed at heart which is very normal and very regular in people who you see around you. Full marks for conceptualising and executing this project. If you love great film-making, this is for you. At times slow, at times depressing, the film is poignant and leaves you with a feeling of misgiving at the end. I am going with a 3.8 on 5 for #GualboSitabo
