Hansal Mehta to complete his poetic masterpiece with Aligarh

Who would have known, Mr Hansal Mehta would be a poet? 

I certainty didn't. 

I realised only after I watched Shahid and City Lights. 

To pour the lives on those unfortunate souls on the canvass of his films is poetry indeed. 

The way he narrated the pathos of Shahid and Deepak Singh and his wife in City Lights seemed like pure cinema is standing bare naked for the world to see but as always the world doesn't always care. 

But the fact that in this times such poets too have a canvas to play with their brush show probably that not everything is wrong with this world. I'm now waiting for him to finish his trilogy with Aligarh.

Rajkumar Rao too have braved this troubled waters of human frailties and swam back to give us some precious jewels which the coming generations will remember. He is turning into one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. Hope Aligarh can complete the cycle of life.

Manoj Bajpai, who will be carrying the film on his shoulders in Aligarh doesn't need any introduction. Needless to say, he has always been like that soil which can produce any character once you put that seed in it. Whether it is Bandit Queen or Satya or Gangs of Wasseypur, he is a master craftsman and his presence ensures that the painting will never be spoiled. So for now, I m awaiting Aligarh.

An open letter to Mr Pankaj Kapur

     Sir, I watched 'Mausam' last night despite being warned by film aficionados. I was always curious why it was a failure. I think I learnt few things as an audience about film making. Your idea of weaving a love story around the history of violence that this country has seen was commendable but I think you stretched it too far and left too much weight on your son, Shahid's shoulders. If Salman Khan was in this film he could have pulled it off by his sheer stardom but Shahid is still not that big a star.

Sir, I think you didn't follow your heart all through out, specially in the last 45mins or so, where you decided to make the protagonist a super hero. In fact, the treatment of the film also left me confused. It looked two different films in that mammoth 2 and 47 minutes run time and the audience got completely bored to death by the end.

The music was one of the plus points. Shahid and Sonam tried. But no offense, there is something in Sonam which doesn't appeal me as an audience. I think she will need more time to understand the pain of the scars which life leaves us with and such violence and pain which was a constant presence for the characters. The portrayal must have been deeper.

The film was good in parts in a few scenes but Shahid's physical features makes him look too young and he tried his best to portray the super hero. For him to carry out such depths, he will need more direction something which Vishal Baradwaj provided.

Unfortunately your script demanded a star more than an actor. It was important to show the protagonist as human like you and me, us. Sorry, but the audience became completely unforgiving when Gujarat Riot started. You could have still had few more fans if that would not have happened. It was too dramatic in the end.

Sir, you are one of the few Indian actors I admire and I know you can bring the depth you achieve in your acting in your direction as well. So hope to see your films again. Best of luck next time.

Suggestions:

1. I think you should have kept it to 2 hours.

2. The narration could have started with his plane going down mid air and then the film going into flashback.

His struggle to get his life on track and his inner turmoil would have given the film a poignant setting and the flashbacks to tell the stories could have kept the audience interested.

The story could have connected midway something that have been used in films such as Saathiya or Namaste London. And then in next 14-20 mins you could have finished the story instead of making him a super hero in the last 40 mins.

Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is NOT FUNNY enough!!!

First the disclaimer. I've a bais towards Shahid Kapoor. This is because I have always appreciated the fact that like a few other actors in India, he is a hard working and self made actor. He never got any favour for being Pankaj kapoor's son and so when he took a emotional decision to not sign any film for two years since he wanted to completely give himself up for his father's project 'Mausam', I could understand why he was doing it.

I was excited to watch him on screen after he had proved his worth in films such as 'Jab We met' and 'kaminey' but then at this peak of his career, he had taken that decision of not working in any other film beside 'Mausam'.

So naturally, when the teasers of 'Phata Poster Nikla hero' (PPNH) was released, there was a slight excitement in his fans to watch him on screen again. The fact that, it was Rajkumar Santoshi's film after his 'Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahaani', made it all the more enticing but with a heavy heart, I have to say, PPNH was a big let down.

Shahid has done his role to perfection. As he himself puts it in the film that he danced, fought, was romantic, was Maa-ka-lal and blah blah, but then there was no story in the film. It seemed it was an 1970s storyline where Ma (Padmini Kolhapure) wants him to be a police inspector, while son wants to be a hero and how he fakes a policewala act but then when Maa ko shock lala, son decides to give up his dream and works with the police.

The film could have been a good comedy but Santoshi fails to use the actors such as Sourabh Shukla, Zakir Hussain, Darshan Jariwala and sanjay Mishra. But then there was not much to do for them in the film as there scenes and dialogues were not funny enough and so what we get is a cake which was left half baked.

The comedy quotient of the film was never consistent. Few of the scenes and dialogues were funny but then the next scene was cliched and irritating. The fight scenes could have been better, while the songs were clearly forcibly inserted  into the scenes and completely disrupts whatever flow the script could manage.

The first half was fairly decent with a few funny situations but the second half tired out the audience with the revelation of Napolean (the villain) and with scenes which seemed where last minute inclusion to give poor Illeana D'Cruz and gang some reel time because the actress especially adds absolutely nothing to the film. Sanjay Mishra was wasted and his best scene is the one shown at the teaser. Sourabh Shukla too could have been given much better scenes and dialogues.

Shahid acted well, whether it was convincing Tinu Anand for landing a role or imitate Dev Anand in the climax. In fact, the Tinu Anand scene was so powerful that for a moment it felt it could have been better if he had done such an intense role rather than comedy.

Talking about climax, Santoshi tried to recreate the confusion of his 'Andaz Apna Apna' but fails miserably. In fine, this could have been a good vehicle for Shahid to once again rise his stakes as an actor, if only santoshi had spent more time on the script and dialogues.

Overall, I would go with a 2 and a half out of 5 for this film.

An Open Letter to Prakash Jha

     Dear Jha, I always had a lot of respect for your work because I always considered you to be a daring filmmaker who have the guts to tread untraveled regions. With films such as Mrityudand, Gangajaal and Chakravyuh, you had shown us how a social issue can be addressed staying within the perimeter of Bollywood. Your films always touched a chord because of its raw energy and fresh content which reaffirmed our faith that the days of good cinema are not over yet.

But then something snapped, something intangible. You made Aarakshan, which despite its right intentions ended up being only a half-hearted attempt to speak about the issue of reservation. You ended up making it a bizarre battle between two individual -- one in favour of treating education as a business while the other treating teaching as a noble profession.

With Satyagarh, this time too, you have decided to remind Indians about the Anna Hazare protest, which made headlines a year back and weaved a story keeping this issue at the center of it. But then once again, you didn't put your heart in it. It looked enticing as it had all the ingredients of a delectable dish but ended up becoming something else. After watching the film, I had a number of questions in my mind which I thought if I could ask you someday.

To start with, what was the provocation of having an item number (although the song was good) at the beginning of the film? Why Kareena Kapoor was making faces and smiling (irritatingly) while covering a Dharna? Why there was a rock band performing along with the crowd? Why Amrita Rao was sleeping at the police station? Don't they have any visiting hours?

Moreover, do you really think a chief correspondent of a leading news channel will leave a PM's assignment for a small developing story just because she receives a call from a person whom she met only twice. Okay, even if she does, do you think a senior journalist will be living in their house and that too not for a day but for 30 days? 

One more thing, a journalist and a cameraman are two separate professions, demanding separate expertise, though we have a few people i the industry who do both the job but once you showed Kareena as a senior journalist (whom the politicians and corporates are scared of), how can you hand over the camera at crucial moments of the film at the same time. 

The film does have some very good performances by BigB, Manoj Bajpayee and Ajay Devgan, but Kareena should not have been in this film. I guess, it is high time you stop repeating your actors in your films because it takes away the novelty while watching a film. Sometimes, it is also about the curiosity of watching a new actor perform some shady roles.

Despite Aarakshan and Satyagarh, Mr Jha, you still remain one of my favourite directors because there are very few like you who still try to tell a story and that too a real one. I have not given upon you yet and I hope I don't need to in the days to come.

'Chennai Express' ka Punchnama

First the disclaimer: I am neither a SRK fan nor m I a SRK hater. I am also not a Rohit Shetty loyal, neither I have the hots for Deepika Padukone. I am a pure film aficionado who 'eat, sleep and breath' films and can't help speak in gibberish tone.

Now, it has been two weeks since 'Chennai Express' hit the theatres and ever since it has broken one record after another and is on its way in becoming the highest grosser ever in Bollywood (I am not saying Indian cinema coz they don't earn money).

While, on one hand, there has been a complete frenzy over the film, there are sections of society who are feeling ashamed to watch CE and are also mourning the death of good cinema with such commercial-over the top-no brainer-potboilers bringing in all the moolahs.

I too watched the film (ofcourse under duress) but then I am not feeling too ashamed because I had a much below expectation from CE. I never considered CE to be a film, rather right from the first time I watched the trailers, I knew it is a business master piece which SRK has pulled off with Rohit Shetty.

When the trailer was released, three things strike me: First, it is aimed to cover the South Indian movie buffs and extend SRK's fanbase. (Since North India and oversees people bow in the name of SRK and they can create a riot at the theatres just by the mention of his name)

Secondly, CE had Rohit Shetty behind the camera, a man who has successfully pulled off the first of its kind Indian movie franchise in the 'Golmaal' series. A man, who after giving hits such as 'Singham' and 'Bol Bachchan', himself enjoys a sort of loyalty from his audience. SO, it meant SRK fans + RS fans.

Thirdly, interestingly, the trailer didn't reveal the plot, which kept SRK fans interested till they go to the theatres. Also Deepika was in a very different role with her 'bokwaas' accent creating a lot of curiosity.

From the time, the CE trailer was released till the film hit the theatres, SRK and RS didn't leave any stones unturned to promote the movie. They gatecrashed/bought/threatened/entered every Tv serials and reality shows to spread the news of CE. No points for guessing what a shrewd and tactical business man Mr SRK is and he went all out for the film.

Interestingly, during the promotion, we also came to know that it was not the script that RS had in mind and infact, it was an old script which RS had in his disposal and it was only at SRK's insistence that he decided to make this film with the super star.

Now the critical discussion. I don't understand why people are ashamed to watch the film. I guess, each and every person who walked into the theatre had a clear idea how the film would be, it was screaming out loud in the trailers that it will follow the trends of a typical Rohit Shetty film with an SRK topping. CE or such films are made but no one forces the audience to come to the theatre but still there are hordes of crowd making a beeline in the first weekend itself. I was shocked to see an 80-year-old lady who could barely walk with a stick, walk out of a Noida theatre. I saw old couples, children alike throng the theatres. So why this hypocrisy now. Moreover, there are many films which are worse than 'Chennai Express'.

However, PERSONALLY, I don't endorse making only such kind of film making and turning the world of cinema into a money churning affairs and killing the art completely. I know this unfortunate trend will continue for sometime because film making has completely become a business and actors such as SRK, Salman Khan and Amir Khan have become big brands in themselves and they not only act but also produce the films, which means they held all the aces and call all the shots.

Somewhere, it is important also for such films to exist because such films keep the producers, distributors, theatre owners and every people connected happy, what bothers me more is why can't these actors or directors after making a 100 crore film, invest the money in making at least a couple of good films. If they can't act or direct them, at least give someone a chance. There are a line of independent directors and actors who are struggling to make a mark for themselves.

Among all the super stars, Aamir Khan is an exception in this regard because he is sharp enough to not only enjoy the 100 crore status but also avoid the brickbats. Ranbir Kapoor also so far has chosen his film intelligently and even without doing such mindless movie, he managed to be in the 100-crore club.

There are others too like Anurag Kashyap, Shoojit Sarkar, Anurag Basu, Vishal Baradwaj and Imtiaz Ali, who have successfully touched the chord of the audience and for them probably a good story is more important than joining the 100-crore club. I hope such filmmakers don't follow RS-SRK example and go astray because then it will truely be the demise of  Indian cinema.

Lootera is a visual treat!!!!

In his world,love speaks in whispers and murmurs and expresses itself in silent glances. In his world darkness and shadows are as beautiful as peeping sunshine through the window panes. In his world love is pure and pristine like the virgin nature and also helpless and painful like the shedding leaves of the trees. 

Vikramaditya Motwane takes the audience to that world where once silence spoke a language. With cinematographer Mahendra J. Shetty, Vikramaditya shot his ambitious 'Lootera' like a beautiful painting, while Amit Trivedi instilled life in it by his music and background score and he deserves kudos for his renditions. 

The cinematography and music makes the film a delightful watch. In terms of acting, the lead pairs Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha put their best and their portrayal was subtle and apt. 

Ranveer has left behind his street smart act behind in most parts of the film, while Sonakshi's transition from a love struck girl in the first half to a hopeless n depressed lady in the second half is well acted. Their acting is fresh and though there is no flaw in their acting but probably two more experienced actors could have taken the film to an altogether different level.

Despite Ranveer and Sonakshi's love story, there was something missing in the bonding that they shared on screen. Ranveer could not bring the pathos of the character in the final phase of the film. Rest of the cast has too little to do but they fit in nicely. 

The filmmaker dares to tread a path less travelled and leaves a mark behind. He didn't ever try to impress the audience and stayed true to his craft till the end. In short, after Udaan, Vikramaditya has proved once again he is a master story teller and with Lootera he surely has sealed his place among the elite directors of the new generation. In times to come, a lot would be expected from him.

What Raj Kumar Gupta can learn from 'Ghanchakkar'

From the high of 'No one killed Jessica', Raj Kumar Gupta hit a low with his 'Ghanchakkar'. Well, it did decent business in the weekend but the expectations (because of the publicity) was so high that it left audience confused and their hopes crushed. 

First things first, Ghanchakkar is not the worst film of 2013. It is much better than the matrix-inspired, logic defying action films which has nothing apart from a big star. It's comedy is subtle and much better than the slap-stick homophobic comedy movies which are released nowadays in the name of cinema. But then, Ghanchakkar missing the train because it somehow fails to tell a story. Audience are left waiting for a thrilling finale where all ends would be tied but what they get is a shocking revelation and a new character, who was no where in the scene for the first 20 minutes of the film. So can't blame the audience for feeling cheated but then I have felt worse sitting in a hall and for me it was just plain 'okay'. 

Raj Kumar Gupta might crib for his film got bad review and ratings, which impacted its success. But instead of crying over split milk he should try to understand why audience didn't like the movie, where did he go wrong. 

First, a film cannot win the heart of the audience (especially whom he is targetting) without a story. 
Second, if you want to make a movie with four characters, you got to write their story well, give the audience something to feel or connect to them.

Third, don't underestimate the intelligence of the audience, who have grown up watching thrillers -- films, books and TV series -- much before they learnt walking. So if you want to create confusion in the mind of the audience, make sure they are not able to guess the twists and turns or else you will hear yawns in place of gasps in theaters.

Fourth, a pair which has done well in one film, may not do well in another but still if you want to cash in on their chemistry then you have to give the audience something which is fresh. Vidhya Balan needed to put on weight for a reason in 'Dirty Picture' but in Ghanchakkar to play a nagging Punjabi wife with a heavy accent, she need not be a fat ass with an obsession for style.

Fifth, Never introduce a new character in the end if you can't justify it.

Things which you could have done right

First, you could have given the characters shades of grey. The characters were one-dimensional. I didn't understand why Emraan was sulking and angry right from the start and stays a ghanchakkar till the end. Probably, he himself could have turned out to be the master mind or probably, Vidya, though did good with her over the top clothes and "Haaaaaa" punjabi accent, could have turned up as the vamp if you could have justified it, made her role a little more meaty. Mr Gupta, the robbery scene was spot on especially due to the masks and secondly, the music was also apt for the film. 

Well, for someone who knows the difficulty in making a film, I might not have got bored but if you want a much wider audience and appreciation, its better you pick up your socks before making another film because you are one of the most promising filmmakers and but your transition into a master filmmaker will depend on how you can better tell a story. I for one, will be waiting for your next release and hope that you enthrall us the way you did with 'No one killed Jessica'.

Yash Chopra: A life lived in films

"Main pal do pal ka shaayar hoon, Pal do pal meri kahaani hai, Pal do pal meri hasti hai, Pal do pal meri jawaani hai..., this song penned by Shahir Ludhiyanvi from the film 'Kabhie Kabhie', probably describes best the life led by Yash Chopra.  Even though he lived for 80 years, he always lived in the present and his films reflect his deep philosophy of life.

Right from 'Dhool ka Phool' to 'Daag', from Deewar and 'Trishul' to films such as 'Kabhie kabhie', 'Silsila' and 'Darr' and 'Lamhe', Chopra always tried to re-invent himself and weaved his stories, which sometimes portrayed the socio-political scenario while at times, talked about the changing nuances of relationships.

It was Chopra, who reestablished Amitabh as the 'angry young man' with 'Deewar' or brought the concept of anti-hero in Bollywood with 'Darr' starring a young Shah Rukh. To his credit, he never allowed his films to get type-cast for the major part of his career.

From hard-hitting political dramas to thrillers, he juggled in all kind of cinema. Some were hit with the audience and some received flak. Even his romantic films, always raised some questions and his depiction veered on aesthetics and nuances of human relations rather than candyfloss portrayals.

A director of his stature, Chopra could have continued making a series of action anti-establishment films like 'Deewar' with Amitabh, but he decided to explore the more myraid aspects of human heart and once again cast Big B in roles which challenged him as an actor.

Even in the 80s, even though his films like Mashaal and Silsila flopped, they went on to achieve cult status in the later years. It was only in the last decade that he decided to stick to romance and made successful films like 'Dil Toh Pagal Hain' and 'Veer Zaara'.

It is ironic that Chopra had already announced 'Jab Tak Hain Jaan' as his last directorial venture and it is sad that he could not see the release of the film. But then in films, there are no fairytale endings in life as well sometimes.

For a man, who scripted the careers of so many actors by challenging them with varied roles, he too could not have imagined that life would write such a shocking script for him.
It was just a month ago that he had celebrated his 80th birthday and in less than a month we are now condoling his sudden death due to dengue.

True, there won't be anymore 'lights, camera and action' for Yash Chopra, the man who changed the face of Indian film making, but his legend will continue to inspire for generations to come.

Chiller Party is a story of courage, hope and friendship

     Bollywood has never been known to produce films for children. It was only after 'Tere Zameen par' that this genre of movies was taken seriously by the filmmakers and although even today there are very few movies being made for kids, films such as 'Stanley ka Dabba', Makdee, 'Blue Umbrella' and now 'Chiller party' gives a lot of hope to this genre of movies.
     Chiller Party is an honest film made with a lot of heart by directors Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl. The film, co-produced by Salman Khan Being Human Productions (SKBH) and UTV's Spotboy, is a story of courage, hope and friendship that transcends all borders.
     The film, mostly shot inside a colony in suburban Mumbai, is about a group of young boys living in the colony, their camaraderie and their friendship with a boy, who comes to the colony to work as a car washer, and there fight to keep his dog 'Bidhu' from being taken away by the dog catchers.
     The film doesn't have any big name and it doesn't need one. Though there are a number of character actors but the main USP of the film are the kids, who made this film worthy of more than just a watch.
     The film gathers steam right from the start as the different kids are introduced to the audience one by one and simply sails through as the kids goes about their job and leaves no stones unturned to save their friend Bidhu. They take the help of the media, conducts 'chaddi' rallies -- all without the help of their parents. There are moments were it becomes a tad slow but it keeps its feet on the ground althrough.
     It is a heart warming film which also passes on enough messages to the adults without sounding preachy. Overall a good watch!!!!

Primer is a intense, dialogue-based sci-fi movie

To make a Sci-fi movie with an intriguing plot is any day a very difficult task and to make it on a low budget could spell doom for the director's hopes. It is here that Primer steals the hearts of the audience because it is not only fresh and intriguing, but has been made at a shoe-string budget of USD 7,000.

    A 2004 American Sci-fi drama dealing with time travel, 'Primer' is a winner because of its meticulously and methodically constructed narration and editing which keeps the movie buffs glued to the screen till the last scene.

    The film starts with four young office-goers spending their extra hours inside a garage involved in a discussion on a scientific project which unexpectedly leads two of them to the discovery of a device that makes it possible to travel backwards in time by a day or two.

    'Primer' is dialogue-driven and is full of scientific jargons which are not explained. Nothing in the movie is explained and it takes a lot of attention to understand which actually is happening on screen.

    The narration is linear but the sharp twists and turns and the characters travelling back and forth makes it edge-of-the-seat but equally hard to follow. Primer is a movie which needs viewing more than once and it is quite impossible to completely decipher what is happening on screen.

    Like Christopher Nolan's Memento, in 'Primer' writer, director, producer, musician and actor Shane Carruth puts the audience in the state of mind that the characters are going through and that makes it all the more immpressive.

    However, it can also put one off, especially because we all are habituated to watching hi-fi Sci-fis with visual graphics but Primer have absolutely no stunning visually stimulating scenes which can leave you mesmerised.

    It is more of a thriller which deals with the emotional implications and how greed can take over and break down your relations after you come up with such an exciting discovery like time travel.

    It is not the greatest Sci-fi film ever but has a strong tight script and a story which is experimental to the core and demands load of patience given its intricacies.

Shagird is an usual hotchpotch of the nexus between police, politician and gangsters where one feeds on the other, befriends and betrays at the blink of an eye and the line between good and bad, right and wrong and even the antagonist and protagonist keep blurring all the time. Although, the context, texture, language of the film has been used many times in films such as Ab Tak Chhappan, the USP of the film is once again Nana Pathekar and the sharp twists and turns in the plot give the movie a pace which is quite edge-of-the-seat.

It is a tale of two cops -- one experienced and the other a newbie -- and their manipulation of the system to outdo one another for different reasons. The story is scripted in such a way that after a point of time it becomes difficult to understand who is exploiting whom. Though police officers accepting bribes and working for politicians have been done to death in bollywood and hollywood alike, the film scores in the way it shows how the system is at times mutual and also the other way round. The first half ends on a interesting twist but the second half somehow fails to raise to the suspense created by the first half.

Nana as Hanumant Singh is the soul of the film but Mohit Alawat as Mohit is not quite up for the role. At no point of time, it seemed that the new cop will be able to outwit his senior pro and also the reason behind his turning rogue is quite weak. Anurag Kashyap is just okay while the rest of the crew chips in well.

All in all, Shagird is a fast-paced thriller which will keep the audience hooked but not awe-inspiring. So, it is definitely worth a watch but not a must-watch.

I imagine Paradise as a library of cinema

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“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” -- said Jorge Luis Borges once. He must have imagined it to be a book library but for someone like me, I have always imagined it to be a room full of racks loaded with cinema and music. I wonder if paradise will have walls, if it does then a high-definition LCD screen supported by a high-decibel sound system won't be a bad idea, of course needless to say about the couch.

But then I wonder, paradise must be a peaceful place where someone, perhaps some guards or doorkeeper would insist on maintaining silence,like my school teachers who would shout at the top of their voice: "Pin drop silence". Although in school, we never bothered to listen to the teachers, paradise perhaps would have stricter rules. so I might need a good piece of earphones, wireless would be better. If this really is what paradise looks like, I would have no qualms of leaving now for the sojourn.

But then again I wonder that people say one has to earn his or her right to be in paradise. It is something sort of an elite community, where getting membership is too tough and a lesser mortal like me, who
have never been a part of any elite group ever, sneaking in could be a bit difficult.

But then, paradise must be having different set of rules and criteria such as weighing one's sins and vices against one's virtues and good deeds. I mean, at least that's what my grand parents and then my parents used to say and even the 'Sadus' and 'sants' propagate that at the jagrans and TV channels. But looking at the current state of things in our world, I wonder if paradise too have made some concessions, I mean making the rules a little flexible. Also if the concept of 'jugaad' is acceptable in paradise.

Well, there is no limit of imagination, no sky can bind the flight of imagination and so many such things keep visiting my brain from time to time at the dead of the night. After grappling for sometime with this
thought of paradise, I give up and settle for a better idea: Lets make that paradise here on earth. And thus starts another day of slogging to keep that idea alive.

The first installment of 'Three colours -- Blue', directed by Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski is a film about pain, loss and its eventual freedom from human emotions. It is a poignant tale of a wife and her struggle to come in terms with the loss of her composer husband and daughter, who dies in a car accident. 

The film unfolds in an almost poetic pace, which is slow but doesn't put off the audience. The elements of 'blue' keeps reoccurring in various ways from attires, paints of the wall, a chandelier, swimming pool and even chocolate. 

The subtle performance of the protagonist, the ethos and pathos of the character perhaps could not have been better performed than done by Juliette Binoche. The film is completely carried forward by her and is her emotional journey after the death of her family. Her attempt to give up everything and live a lonely life, which eventually ends up in releasing her from all emotional bindings is an enticing tale which is very real and close to heart for many. 

Add to this the background score and one gets a beautiful rendition of the colour blue through the montage of shots, some of which are simply exotic. Overall it is a wonderful watch.  

Blade Runner: A must watch sci-fi movie

A science fiction dealing with rogue androids may not seem to gather much interest at a time when such scripts and films have been over done with, especially those cheap movies which tries to entertain the audience with its bloody and violent scenes if not those sexually explicit content.

But Blade Runner, a movie made in 1982, is a masterpiece in that sense because of its futuristic visualisation and also for its script that tries to encapsulate the sensitive sides of the Nexus, as they are referred to in the film. The sensitive fabric of the movie coupled with an melancholy background score, gives the movie a must watch for the cinema aficionados, especially who love sci-fies. It raises a very important question: what is it to be human?

Humans have tried to play GOD not only in reel but also in real life and are still trying with umpteen experiments which have led to many discoveries which have helped mankind. But there is another spectrum too. We have tried to create artificial intelligence and that quest perhaps will prove to be our doom.

The continuous attempt to create a life form (bio-mechanics) which can be perfect and at the same time do not out do humans in the long run and are also under control of human being has been going on since time immemorial. But in this quest, perhaps it will trample their rights in the future. After all who are we to create life and decide its longevity?

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner shows a 2019 Los Angeles, littered with high rises and neon-lit dark alleys. The set is immaculately designed, dipped in darkness and coupled with a continuous rain, gives a feel of an dystopian world. There is hardly any scene where we can see the clear sky. Even the rooms are dark and always lit by artificial neon lights.

The film is a quest of immortality by these androids, who were created with a limited life span and enslaved to work in the exploration of some other planets and how humans try to hunt them down, when some of them defy the norm. It puts the audience in the hot seat asking questions. Truth is after all a perception, isn't it?. How you see it? Life threats makes a villain out of a man and so it does to these androids? The fear to die is as normal phenomena both in humans and androids.

Harrison Ford may have acted in sci-fies like the Star War trilogy but this is one of his best. It is dark and gritty and has many shades and layers of personality. Even Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, the leader of the androids, has given some poignant lines in the climax and of course Sean Young looks lovely.

The film is roughly based on the book Philip K Dick's 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and has many similarities to the characters and plot. The complex fabric which deals with identity, life and being human gave the movie a cult status. But there is a rider, if you are a fan of tube-light fights and flying saucers then this one is not for you. Otherwise, it is a movie not to be missed.