Kaminey

Thats what Monsieur Godard would call this film - a time pass; yet reasonably after Shekhar Kapur's comment on an esteemed daily Vishal Bhardwaj is being compared widely to Quentin Tarantino, a comparison, I feel is much forced rather than reasoned. With Kaminey Vishal Bhardwaj breaks his own elan & generates what we can call India's first perfect dark comedy. Amusingly, Vishal Bhardwaj once again displays his Shakespearean love. this time morsel of 'A Comedy of Errors', yet many may disagree. A fine work by a finer film-maker. Watch this movie without 'Maqbool' or 'Omakara' in your mind.

On a totally different note, the music of this film is exceptional, well versed by another genius in his own kind - Gulzar.

A must watch.

The much awaited Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey' finally hit cinema screens and it does not disappoint! The primary thing that you will notice and appreciate in the movie is the acting. From the main characters Charlie and Guddu ( identical twins played by Shahid Kapoor ) till the supporting actors, everyone manages to impress you. Special mention would go to Priyanka Chopra, who plays Guddu's love interest Sweety, who nails the role to perfection.

The movie shows the parallel lives of identical twins Guddu and Charlie who detest each other and haven't seen each other in years but how circumstances lead them to face each other. The plot is gripping, the acting is flawless, the setting is dark and the direction is slick. Probably the only thing that could have been better is the ending. Though the ending wasn't bad, I guess I had a little more expectations hoping for something darker or unexpected. But all in all a fun movie not to be missed!

Vishal Bharadwaj takes a break from Shakeshpeare and decides to give the Bollywood audience a break from candy-floss films (read that as K-Jo, YRF and their lookalikes!). He gives us a taster session of Tarantino & Guy Ritchie, famed for their distinct style of film-making. Unique (and loony) characters, tension-building scenes, unexpected turn of events, razor-sharp lines, strong background score - you name it "Kaminey" has all the ingredients. There is no "Once upon a time....." business here, the audience find themselves thrown into the middle of quagmire owing to which in the first few reels you find find yourself gasping to comprehend. Not being funny, but only the smart & intelligent stay with the proceedings.

Brilliant performances from all actors, including the host of new faces.

۩ Shahid Kapur:: Guddu & Charlie - not exactly "chalk-and-cheese" there, as you would normally expect in a storyline of identical twins. Let's say one is slightly more deceitful. Divide the stutter and lisp between them and Shahid gets a role of his lifetime which he delivers with utmost perfection.

۩ Priyanka Chopra:: Just about completing her home-run and needless to say her performance as the Maharashtrian girl is a feather in the cap.

۩ Amol Gupte:: Another Mahesh Manjrekar in the making.

۩ Deb Mukherjee:: Nice to see him after a long sabbatical, though short- role.

"Dhan Te Nan" is an obvious scene-stealer while the rest of the numbers would take sometime to catch up. Gulzar's lyrics as usual is mystical.

Crap was the word that first came to my mind when I watched "Pulp Fiction" but it took a couple of years of maturity to retrace my steps and appreciate the body of work. It goes without saying "Kaminey" deserves a second-time watch to get the gist and perhaps a few more to notice the grammar of fine film-making.

Vishal Bhardwaj's films are generally masterfully crafted, whether it's the high production values, the narrative style, the superb acting or the beautiful music. Kaminey is no exception. Bhardwaj is an integral part of every such aspect in his film. He uses the best technical advances, he pays attention to the smallest of details, he extracts never-seen-before performances by his actors, and insists that he be the one who composes the film's music and score. His unique direction is aided by excellent cinematography, great editing and very well-written dialogues.

Kaminey is about two estranged twin brothers, both of whom are slightly (and funnily) limited. The one lisps, the other stammers. An incredibly twisted plot that reveals many little truths through flashbacks and confessions from time to time, it depicts a world of drugs, gangsters, murder and crime. The twin characters are very well written and defined. Charlie is a guy who lives life as if there was no tomorrow. He is cruel and carefree. Guddu is a simple guy who considers himself a duffer yet he has many plans for the future and has a relationship with a simple Marathi girl.

The acting is very good. Shahid Kapoor gives a fine performance, excellently displaying the differences of the two characters he plays. Additionally, he does what could have seemed to be very difficult (lisping, stammering) with noted ease and conviction. Priyanka Chopra in a much smaller part provides great support with her hysterical and hilariously loud Marathi girl. Without taking anything from the main lead, the one who completely blew me away, however, is Amol Gupte, who is simply outstanding in his natural and funny act as Bhope.

Kaminey is messy yet beautifully so, it is dark yet artistically so. It has hilarious comedy, emotional drama, and many great moments. It is not overdone, and one more noteworthy aspect about Vishal's films is that unlike many current filmmakers, he does not try to make them overly western and modern to make them more mass-appealing. He prefers to centre more on the rural India and show its uniqueness. Kaminey is one such film, and it presents the rural life, maybe not in a totally positive way, but certainly in a fairly realistic one. All in all, I recommend Kaminey. I wouldn't exaggerate by saying it's the best, but it is an impressive, visually stunning and entertaining picture.

Kaminey is one of those gems which is churned out by the the Bollywood film industry maybe once in five years. If it has to be described in one word, I think 'Extraordinary' would be a good one. Nobody would disagree with the fact that Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra have both established themselves as fine actors as they delivered the performances of their career. Vishal Bhardawaj once again proves why he is counted amongst the elegant filmmakers that India has to offer. This film will surely help Bollywood break out of the barricades of outdated film making, and shift towards a more contemporary technique of pleasing audiences. Vishal Bhardawaj himself will agree that Kaminey is his most outstanding film till date.

9.5/10