LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha

How many times does it happen that during the 8.30 am 'first-day-first-show', you also have one of the lead actors watching the film? It happened today. The actor was Raj Kumar Yadav, who plays the lead in the second story of the film, with his bunch of friends, to cheer at the CBFC certificate and clap at the rolling credits. The film was LSD – which is going to be remembered as one of the gutsiest film ever made in this country. And if you ask me, it is one of the better made ones too.

Everyone is talking about the use of digital cameras in the film, that shake, that go out of focus, that even get stained by blood and water. They are talking about how 'different' it is in its theme, style and use of unknown actors. But it is not the elements that make this film different and significantly better than most of others, it is how the director uses them - an evidence of how cinema can be created by a basic understanding of the medium, of picture and sound, and storytelling, and how a style can be carved out of the technology you use. And this technology, as Godard et al taught us, need not be expensive or state-of-art.

There are scenes in the film pictured in long single shots – as there is just one evident hidden camera. Unlike other films, here you do not have multiple camera setups, so you can not cut between shots – unless you want to use the obviously jerky jump-cut (which in my opinion often breaks the dramatic build-up of the scene). So, you obviously can not 'cut time' and hence the scene occurs in real time, giving you not only dialogue but also the pauses between them – those significant, dramatic moments between the conversations. And to add to that, there is no background music here, only ambient sound. By something as basic as this, the director has managed to create unforgettable cinematic moments and deeply affecting scenes. This is just one of styles adopted by LSD – that makes it truly different, as far as Hindi films are concerned.

You will find so many similar small but brilliant international films in festivals. This time, thanks to the producers, we have one such gem from India, released commercially. I pray for its success – it will help not only independent and digital cinema, but Hindi cinema in general. After Khosla ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, with LSD, Dibakar Banerjee establishes himself as one of those few men in our industry, who know cinema, and who have an expression of their own. And I must congratulate and thank him for proving once again, that to make a good film you hardly need budget and stars. You just need to have a story you are dying to tell, and the cinematic vision, the heart, and a little guts, to do that.

When Johnny Gaddar came out three years ago I had got a feeling that Indian Cinema is beginning to come of age. It was executing scripts which were never written before. Soon scripts like Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Gulaal, Dev D, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Rock on!, Ishqiya, Taare Zameen Par, Black Friday etc had the cake of Indian Cinema nicely baked. Love, Sex Aur Dhokha is almost like an icing on that cake. You can safely say Indian Cinema has come of age and is never gonna look back to the Star system (read Khan System) and the Yash – Barjatya house of melodrama. Even if that will continue to sell more is irrespective.

Still let me point out LSD is not an original its style and premise is copied from Adam Rifkins Look.

Nevertheless, Whats the fuss ? Unfortunately I cannot reveal how LSD unrolls itself and I would suggest you go into the theater expecting nothing. Please do not read any reviews from any national dailies critics they just end up revealing just too much.

So whats the bottom line: Dibakar Banerjee undertakes a biting satire study of the growing fascination of the Indian Middle class with the camera whether it is the MMS scandals, or the umpteen sting operations. Just Like OLLO he takes a heavy dig at the media, the mentality of the Indian middle class and even our fascination with sting operations and voyeur sex.

The beauty of the film lies in the fact that it is actually shot in the first person point of view. Through your web cams, through your hand held, through your Security cams etc.

It must have been difficult to shoot like that but it must have been even more difficult to get the emotions of the characters on screen through to the audience when there are no dramatic camera angles, no mid shot and no extreme close up to shoot. Dibakar however manages the perfect mix of these shots using in most cases a still camera. You feel heavily for his motley crew of characters as they feel happy or totally disoriented in the emotionally heavy (read shocking) script.

That's where the most superlative cast I have ever seen comes on screen. At times you get the feeling Dibakar might have just let them play themselves and left his handy cam on. I don't remember any name but each of them are plain brilliant there's is just no other adjective to describe them.

There is also the most perfect concoction of Humour, Romance, Mind Numbing Violence, Biting satire, strong emotion and sex in the script. To top it Dibakar just refuses to switch off the camera even when you are cringing for the visual to stop. Once the camera's REC button is switched on you better be ready to sit through everything!!

And of course for Delhi lovers lets make no mistake, the typical Delhi characters which is trademark Dibakar with their "Behenchods" and "Oye Haan Jee Haan" are all back with the kick ass Bhangra score

Watch out for the Typical Delhi Office store clerk in the Sex episode who goes with sentences like "Waah Waah Badi Nehru Market Lag Rahi Hai"

Final Verdict : Go watch it and remember this is where Indian Cinema has finally caught up with its international counterparts.

Special Mention for the Item number " I cant hold it any longer" . Just pay attention to the lyrics and the chorus which actually goes "FO… FO… FO… FO"

I would have given it a 10/10 but for the fact that it is copied from LOOK.

Love, Sex aur Dhokha (LSD) is the 3rd movie directed by Dibakar Banerjee after the hit comedy Khosla ka Ghosla & the entertaining Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. All the actors were newcomers. The movie is produced by Ekta Kapoor ((who, if you are an Indian you would know, is responsible for the daily psychological torture of millions of Indians (mostly males)).

The movie has 3 stories each representing a part of the title. All the 3 stories are shot in a voyeuristic manner. The first story deals with a richgirl-poorboy love story & is shot from the perspective of a hand-held amateur video camera. Most of the humour in LSD is in the first story. The base for the second story is MMS sex clips & is shot from a CCTV camera angle. The third one is about the casting couch & is filmed mainly through the view point of a sting/hidden camera. Although the 3 stories are independent of each other, the characters in the 3 stories are connected. The film itself is non linear in nature as the three stories are running simultaneously.

I generally like innovative opening credits & LSD starts with interesting title sequence. So I advise not to miss the opening. All the actors have done very good job especially considering that this is their debut. Another good thing about LSD is that it has no songs save for one along the end credits. Background score, although not spectacular, isn't bad either. As mentioned earlier traditional camera isn't used here. So the movie is a little grainy at parts & may take a few minutes to get used to.

The end to the 2nd story is a bit forced. Some clarity & development was necessary for the motives of Rashmi for what she does at the end. Also the third story appears a little contrived at parts. Apart from these minor glitches the movie was very well written.

Dibaker Banerjee has tackled a very dangerous & taboo subject in a superb manner. Full marks to him. Bollywood is lucky to have directors like him, Anurag Kashyap & Vishal Bhardwaj.

LSD is a very disturbing movie to say the least. The director has ventured into a risky territory but the movie is definitely worth the risk. Most of the people are not wired to acknowledge the perils of the society that they live in. Generally people tend to ignore & forget the evil or loathsome deeds that they see or hear as soon as possible. They tend to live in their own fantasy lands forcing themselves that all is well. In fact yesterday the front page headline of Times of India is about a 12 year old girl who was repeatedly raped for the past year by not only her cousin but also by another 7-8 people (including a 65 year old man) in her locality. For every couple of weeks there is a news report about an honour killing in Haryana. For every official report there are numerous unofficial ones. But very few people remember these things for this pollutes the general feel good factor that they have towards society (read themselves). It is safe to assume that most of the people will forget the above mentioned headline in a very short time. To tackle such realistic subjects needs a lot of courage. The whole team of LSD should be applauded for their effort.

To remove any apprehensions regarding the word sex in the title, there are no explicit sexual scenes in the movie. A special note regarding the back drop of first story. Actually the love story in it was supposed to have a caste based divide. But the great Indian Censor Board (which doesn't even have a working website & which probably has a rating system from the Ashoka era) has objected to this & forced to change the caste divide into rich-poor divide. A double thumbs-down to the Indian Censor Board. With the caste background the first story would have been more gritty & genuine.

This is the kind of movie where a viewer doesn't have any midway opinion after watching. You either like it immensely or abhor it. I for one am in the former category. Irrespective of what your peers say, I strongly recommend you to watch Love, Sex aur Dhokha at least once.

Dibakar Banerjee after cult Khosla Ka Ghosla and smart Oye Lucky Lucky Oye tries something very different and he succeeds by a distance. The three stories narrated through cameras that are actually part of the story gives movie a authentic feel. The first story takes its own time to grab your attention and ends you making silent. Second story is best in narration, acting and impact. Third story is the weakest of the three but at the end when all three stories club together is seamless. The song at the end of the movie helps multiply the impact of the movie. The entire cast is new but very convincing.

It is brave, disturbing, path breaking and changing face of bollywood cinema.

What seemed like a tiny blip on the radar has by now completely shaken the entire network of film industry spread across the country. Easily a milestone in Indian cinema this path breaking film is arguably better than most blockbusters released this year, or for that matter any year.

The underlying mood of the film being antiestablishmentarianism, LOVE, SEX aur DHOKHA is a raw and uncompromising take on life. Deliciously entertaining, intensely honest and fiery in its mission, LSD is a riveting ride you won't forget. Showcasing the pitiable plight of hopeless underdogs and their frantic attempts to live up against the misfortunes thrown upon them by the establishment, LSD is a running commentary of social satire at its peak. Epitomizing contemporary social scenario, LSD has an intensity that is disturbingly painful and shockingly shameful leaving you with memorable characters of outcasts, misfits, freaks and geeks. A real gem, this cinema is a challenge on the sensibilities of the Indian movie watching crowd to re-discover their sensitive sides.

Showcasing a disruptive chronological order (la strada, memento, pulp fiction) this spellbinding mockumentary, a boon for true film lovers, is not to be missed. The outstanding nonlinear narrative structure with three stories cleverly intertwined is truly refreshing to witness compared to boring social lectures of epic proportions which has become the hallmark of mainstream Indian cinema. Perhaps the most fascinating thing LSD belts out is Life as it is. It serves you a slice of current life on a platter for you to relish. Stand back in awe. This film is the sign of times.

An intense movie about frantic lives, the neoclassic LSD is a dizzying ride from silence that screams from a dead couple, to dreams and desires being annexed and annihilated by the engulfing fire of penury. LSD explores a dystopian world where love, bending knees, gets buried, amid deranged relationships between desperate people. LSD is definitely an entertaining attempt in the guise of black comedy to disembark and expose a self-righteous dysfunctional, hedonistic, dystopian society gone haywire. Go ahead and laugh yourself silly over its dark humor as you're caught glued to every passing frame of this slick horror drama. Ultimately the joke's on you (Read : society) as the superlatively captivating tongue in cheek title song embarks with the credits rolling in the end. What a show.

Delivering a sledgehammer impact with a treatment as furious as the message, Dibakar Banerjee is the man on fire scorching all those who resist him. Bold. Daring. Dangerous. Dibakar is a force to reckon. With dollops of attitude and awards predicted worldwide, this director is here to stay. Open your eyes. The master has arrived. This director has single handedly made the badshahs of this trade redundant with his genius. Uprooting the pundits of this industry as well, with simple plots and unheard actors. This is modern-day cinema at its best.

Having acquired a cult status with a cult following within days of release.. LSD is addictive. For some, it's an obsession. I say it's a belter.