Being Cyrus

When I heard about this movie for the first time, what I had in mind was a lighthearted made-in-India English comedy. We have had quite a number of those in the last few years, English, August, Jhankaar Beats and the Hyderabad Blues couple to name a few. And I was even surer about it when I heard about the cast. What would you expect out of a movie which is called Being Cyrus and has actors like Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani and Naseeruddin Shah? Well I was partly correct. It was a comedy alright! But it wasn't half as much 'lighthearted' as I had expected it to be. Being Cyrus turned out to be a dark, psychological drama concerning the lives of an individual named Cyrus Mistry(that's Saif) and a not-so-common Parsi family.

The acting by all the characters was, for most of the movie, quite superb. Naseeruddin Shah played his relatively brief role of a doped, absent-minded artist to near perfection. And so did Boman Irani in his of a loveless husband who is frustrated with almost everything life has to offer him. Simone Singh also does well in the portrayal of a coy, frightened wife, brave enough to indulge in her personal desires only in the absence of her strict, boring husband. But the surprise package in terms of acting is Honey Chhaya who plays the role of a forgetful old man harassed to the limit by his younger son. My personal favourite was the scene in which he, having chocolates and remembering his earlier years, looks up at the ceiling dreamily and says – "Those were the good old days". Manoj Pahwa, as Inspector Lovely, also manages to sneak in some hilarious comic moments. Dimple Kapadia is perhaps the only disappointment, overacting severely in many of her sequences.

The direction by debutant Homi Adajania is very fresh and promising and he couldn't have made a better start to his career. The storyline is not amazing but strong enough to take the viewer by surprise in the end. Yes, the movie doesn't have any songs to offer but music and sound play a somewhat major role all throughout the film, adding to its suspense and drama. Only the screenplay could have been a trifle better. At some points, it wasn't clear as to what the director was trying to say. And I don't believe that could have been intentional. Or maybe, it was.

I have saved the man in the lead for the end. Saif Ali Khan, in his first English film, has shown that he is capable of a lot more than playing the 'chocolate-boy' that he has traditionally done. He was perhaps not the obvious choice for the role of a distressed, orphaned individual but all would agree that he did ample justice to the task assigned.

All in all, Being Cyrus is a very entertaining first-time watch, if only for the difference it has to present. Seen independently, it would get a 6/10 from me. But as it happens to be one of the first of its kind, it deserves a nice 7.

I have always seen Saif Ali Khan as one of the most talented stars of Indian cinema. He is one of the actors who underwent enormous transformation in his career, and is today one of the rare entities in Bollywood who have style with even more substance.

Being Cyrus is not his best performance till date. And yet, it will probably always be remembered as one of his memorable roles because of the dark shades to his character.

The movie boasts of an incredible line of greats from Indian cinema, and a pretty good storyline. I will refrain from making any reference to the storyline since it is bound to give away something about the movie.

Overall, an enjoyable movie and something that you will probably want to watch more than once!

First few reels gives you an impression of a documentary giving an insight into a Parsi life.

¤ Naseeruddin Shah:: We little mortals have no authority to question/ doubt/ comment on his body of work. Simply put - the act of the dreamer at its best.

¤ Saif Ali Khan: Just what the doctor ordered. Nobody could have fitted the role like "hand-in-glove" as Saif did.

¤ Dimple Kapadia: The "come-hither-passes" are neatly done, not a hint of slightest crass in it.

¤ Boman Irani: If you loved him in "Munnabhai MBBS", you will hate him in this one. The word "Pappah!" will ring in your ears. Simply put – he gets into the skin of the character.

¤ Simone Singh: "Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes" act done perfectly.

¤ Honey Chayya: Man, even his performance is so very genuine that you feel pity for "Fardounjee". Pay attention to the subtle nuances.

¤ Manoj Pahwa:: Luckily doesn't go OTT but still slightly loud.

A lot of effort has been put in pre-production which is visible in the witty script, tight screenplay, camera handling, dark toned look of the movie and the way the story unfolds/ narrated.

And yes, the last 20-minutes sweeps your feet away.

Where are you hiding Homi Adajania, roll on!

Being Cyrus is a wonderful and intense psychological drama. It is a dark, comic, urbane and very interesting film about a young man who shows up on the doorstep of a dysfunctional Sethna family, led by a carefree sculptor named Dinshaw, who Cyrus claims to be a fan of. That's where he resides, working as Dinshaw's apprentice and assistant. Cyrus gets close to Dinshaw's adulterous and impulsive wife Katy. Through his narration and their relations the story presents us the other half of the family living in an old dilapidated building in Mumbai - Dinshaw's brother Farookh, who lives with his young bride Tina and their father Fardon, a neglected old man who is badly maltreated by his son. Thrown between these two families, Cyrus has to materialise a plan, which seems to be quite evident throughout the movie but is revealed only towards the end. The mystery is not solved until the film's final scenes. An engagingly complicated and twisted script is the strongest link of Being Cyrus. The film is riveting, symbolic and straight to the point. It is not your run-of-the-mill Bollywood film, it is a different and fresh product which celebrates its uniqueness, and that's one of the things it must be applauded for. Cyrus is a young sophisticated man whose silence often says more than his actual words. Saif Ali Khan brilliantly displays this aspect of Cyrus's nature. His narration is also very effective. Naseeruddin Shah does not disappoint in a greatly restrained act, but he actually does not have that much to work with. Dimple Kapadia, though very sexy as the neurotic Katy, is surprisingly disappointing and at times her acting looks forced. Boman Irani is excellent in his role. Simone Singh does very well, too. To sum it up, Being Cyrus is a fun watch. It is intelligently written and well directed, and it is only one hour and 25 minutes long, quite an exception.

I saw this film in New York last December (05) and couldn't believe that films like this are made in India. It was FABULOUS. The crowds were enough to demand another full-house screening but unfortunately union rules prevented the cinema from doing this. Though the film takes time to digest (the credit roll being sufficient), everyone I met after the film seemed very impressed. The director, Homi Adajania, has a very unique style of story telling. It's a bold blend of genres and calling it a black comedy would be the closest to describe it, yet not totally justified. It would be fair to say that Being Cyrus is truly an alternate film, but it certainly refreshes our take on Indian Cinema and i hope more films like this are weaved out to surprise and entertain us. Absolutely fantastic in the direction, cinematography and background score department. This Director is someone to watch out for in the future. It's a must see.