Filmistaan- A must see

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Filmistaan is a small little film, with a bunch of new comers, who are all in their right earnest have been able to provide for a beautiful and meaningful cinema. Cinema that entertains, that has a message and most of all a nuanced performance from the newbies. A set of fresh faces, starting with the two leads, Sharib Hashmi and Inaamulhaq and the a stellar performance by Kumud Mishra and Gopal Dutt. The films is a classic homage to the partition and the fallouts of the same that seems to be a scar which does not seem to get healed with time. Each scene in the movie goes on to reconnect to with the pangs of partition and what a historic blunder that seems to have been committed. There are no preachy lessons or lectures, but the knock out dialogues and the screenplay seems to be telling in it's subtlety the ill effects of the partition. The scene of the local doctor (Hakim) coming in to treat Sunny (the lead character's name) for a bullet injury and the pain that one sees in his eyes and the wrinkles on his face, is enough for one to be pained.
All of this in the backdrop of our good old hindi film industry (read bollywood) and the connect that gets established. The images that are being beamed in the remote Pakistan village of Maine Pyaar Kiya or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, presents in a perfect foil to the hostility of the environment. The frequent conversations between Sunny and Aftaab are worth treasuring. The innocence of the villagers and the constant harangue that one has to go through, gets hid in the bollywood chase and hustle bustle of films. Perhaps these movies act as a balm in the deep pains that are being daily inflicted upon these villagers.
Acting is spot on, dialogues stand out, the locales and the hostility of the desert plays a perfect foil to the characters. Music by Arijit Dutta is great and particualrly the number Udaari stands out, with the fusion flair to it. Every single character in the movie has a nuanced frame to him/her. The pain in the lines said by Jawaad (Gopal Dutt) about the price he is still paying for getting the new dress in his yester years has a lot hidden and a lot unsaid yet said did he say it?
Hats off to Nitin Kakkar and his team, kudos to UTV for having dared to do go off the beaten track and perhaps think out of box.

Go watch it, if you haven't and enjoy the 118 minutes of sheer joy, and yes, do not forget the climax, it is beautifully shot. Need I say more...




        

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