Ein Junge namens Titli

The movie was extremely realistic and had an interesting story that you can relate to. Nothing was over the top; just the sad reality of crimes that we read of in news papers. Living here for some time; I can say the culture and locale depicted in the movie were hilariously accurate. Great acting especially by Ranvir Shorey made it a great watch. Graphic scenes were also very realistic and scared me more than most horror movies I have seen recently.

This is one of the few Hindi movies that I can compare to Hollywood. I could feel the same depressing, heavy atmosphere as I felt when watching 'No country for old men.' Never expected Indian cinema to churn out such a gritty film. Hats-off!

Strong base of raw and creative story. This movie had unfold another picture of the Indian suburbs which lies in the family situated in there. If one talks about the screenplay, they have done full justice by keeping it slight gritty. The music dwells in situation, defining every bit of the movie. The movie maintains a normal pace, the storytelling not fast but holds the content in its pace. From assisting LSD and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Kanu Behl made a promising debut in the line of direction. If you are familiar with the dark, noxious underbelly of Delhi, then Titli hits you in the guts right from the first frame. Because it is about a world which co-exists right in our midst, a world so lowly that we ignore but never forget while driving back home in the still of the night. Even if you haven't been to any such place in the capital, or encountered the people who inhabit these crowded bylanes, the fact is that Titli could be about any city, and its people.

Titli (Shashank Arora) is the youngest in a family of poor car-jackers who live in the outskirts of Delhi. These bylanes are occupied by people who're oscillating between the idea of a better life and their ruined present. Titli's elder brothers, Vikram (Ranvir Shorey) and Bawla (Amit Sial) are emotionally traumatised, drifting from one day to the other, without any concrete plan for their future. It's this oppressed section of the society which is untouchable for the growing 'corporate' India. Writers Sharat Katariya and Kanu Behl don't keep you at an objective distance. They challenge you to stop ignoring the so-called social blots, and once you're sucked in, they make you believe that the injustice behind the rough exterior is systematic. It could be anything from the patriarchal mindset to the hurried urbanisation, or maybe it's a mixture of both and many more twisted theories. The language, lifestyle and aspirations of these people living beside a gutter prompt a lot of Dilliwaallaahs to deny their existence despite knowing that it's actually the 'civilised' world which is contributing to pushing them over the edge. No, Titli doesn't frighten you. It doesn't make you privy to some private conversations either. Instead, it pushes you out of slumber and makes you see the after-effects of a waywardly classic liberal economy. Kanu Behl's Titli is the most impressive film of this year so far. Its tryst with reality will keep you hooked till the end, to say the least. Titli is the latest gem from evolving Indian cinema. Don't even think of missing it.

'Titli' for me is a movie which makes an impact because of the unique storyline, the plots and themes it covers at ground level is new and honest. The movie shows that how the circumstances in which a poor and ambitious person gets into causes him to take shortcuts and involve in evil means. How the rich and powerful and the so called 'friends' try to take advantage of your situation.

The story is about a poor family, comprising of people who won't blink before doing any harm to others. The members are working as a watchman, or at petrol pump as shown in some scenes, but to earn money they con people and steal their cars. To improve the chances of them to con people they know that they need a girl in their gang , and they get the younger son married to Neelu, and hence her story also comes in the picture where it is shown how ambitious she is but is also fooled because of blindly trusting strangers.

The director did a great work at showing the tension between the characters and the way he showed the brutal hammer scenes is praiseworthy. But he is swayed away with those long "ART MOVIE" shots, the shots were unpolished and the meaning he wanted to come out of them was also not effective.

The writing for some characters was really deep and sensitive. Like the father - a selfish person who just cares for his food and TV, and don't object to the wrong his sons are into. Rarely a character like this to be seen in bollywood.

The casting is done perfectly. Shivani as Neelu is a perfect fit and same goes for Ranvir Shorey as the elder brother.

Watch this movie for an enriching experience and the surprising solutions provided to the problem of ambitiousness or desperation of a poor immoral family.

Kanu's Titli is an insane scrutiny into the head of a protagonist born in shambles. Surrounded by a filthy immoral environment that has affected his upbringing, Titli is a complex character breathing in a rotting muck with a dream.

The direction of Titli is one of the finest kinds. Behl spends ample amount of time on mundane things, captures mire gorgeously. He has caught the broken and the shattered perfectly. He literally walks behind the protagonist with a shaky camera to execute a well prepared live action drama to perfection. His frames are slow, and fade to the next ones with a purpose. He also incorporates great backdrops to complement his work. Little unnoticed things have been brought into the vanguard. Things that we see and forget quickly have been slapped on his frames. Like a spider dangling to the movie's score, or an old tattered ceiling fan making every effort to breathe in a trampled house. He captures an entire developing city marvelously to insinuate how a lot of people are slaves to dreams like that of Titli's.

The flick begins with Titli's dream, in a parking lot of a mall. It focuses on how the lad is trying really hard to escape from the swamp he has been breathing in. Then comes the unfortunate incident that topples his life over. He finds himself at Ground Zero once again. His brethren marry him to a girl for advantage. The girl on the other hand brings another story with her. The whole plot is about pursuing his dream, tackling hell whilst doing so and his life being smacked between his dream and someone else's.

The movie also compels you to think about the choices Titli takes at odd crucial hours. It lets you dive deep into the head of an abnormal person whose life had been nothing but chaos. There are a lot of things going in the skull of Titli, character exceptionally portrayed by Shashank Arora, and you can almost read him like a book. Lalit Behl's character is that of an onlooker and a freeloader, a leech who doesn't involve himself in anything and yet piggybacks to feed himself. As Titli, eventually calls him a 'pig' an apt Some of the bits in the movie are downright outrageous. There is a lot of retching going on, which might disgust you beyond limit. When you see someone take up a hammer or a stick, you expect some badass bludgeoning, but alas this wasn't put a proper thought to, and it looks more animated than real. Such places you can almost see through their acts.

Titli touches the thrilling dark which might give you the chills at times. It is scintillating at many junctures, fills you with sympathy and a plenty of times with disgust.

Another great thing about the movie is its exceptional cast. Their acting prowess is extremely engaging. Little unaffected acts that cover 'em up with profundity are quite delightful. Everyone is engulfed in their bits and that just nails the coffin perfectly. We surely can't overlook Amit Sial's bit in the movie. Ranvir Shorey is simply outstanding too.

The editing department of the flick could have seen some more cuts, since the movie ended up being lengthy.

Bottomline: Titli isn't for everybody. If you are into dark cinema or wish to watch quality movies, go for it.

All I can say is it is one of the serious kind of movies. It is sad to see the number of Audience it has gathered. It is serious drama which one should definitely watch. It highlights how one desperately tries to walk his way out of a turbulent atmosphere.

What I want to highlight is the nature of such criminals. They commit crime, despite that they fear God; they worship him in one of his forms. I guess if that's not that they are branded as psychopaths. For me accepting them, worshipping makes me uncomfortable. They belong to hell and nothing should come between that.

Final Verdict: If you like serious cinema unfolding into something good, don't skip this one. It needs to go to most of the audience.