Titli, une chronique indienne

I wanted to watch Titli for awhile and managed to get hold of a VCD eventually.

This is a very dark story, not for those who are looking for a 'time- pass' watch.

It is also brutally real. The settings are so real. Apart from the smells of the surroundings that obviously do not come through, this is perhaps too real for comfort.

Whoever did the casting did a brilliant job. Shashank Arora is the perfect Titli, Shivani - Neelu as is the rest of the cast.

It is an unusual plot, very well executed. While I enjoyed the film as a film, this is not for those who seek entertainment in a movie.

The abusive language and some of the violent scenes are not recommended for children.

That said, Titli is worth a watch for those who like serious cinema.

Co-written and directed by Kanu Behl, TITLI is undoubtedly one of the most hard-hitting films of the year with performances capable of shaking you well establishing a highly relatable connection with the viewers, especially with the people living in Delhi and NCR. But unfortunately it's not the same Delhi anymore on the screen that once had all positive vibes and a unique freshness as seen in films such as Sai Pranjpye's CHASHME BUDDOOR in the 80s.

Interestingly Kanu Behl was also associated with two other projects using the backdrop of Delhi in their respective story lines and they were Dibakar Banerjee's OYE LUCKY LUCKY OYE (2008) and LSD: LOVE, SEX AUR DHOKHA released in 2010. However where these films specifically focused on the Punjabi ambiance of the West, North or the Central Delhi, TITLI thoughtfully takes you into the virgin lanes of East Delhi (lower middle class regions of Yamuna Paar to be specific) painting a different picture of the city moving ahead of all the earlier films mentioned above.

In other words, it's this authentic portrayal of the small adjoining houses of the region, the narrow lanes, huge sewer lines, tough living conditions, regular petty fights in the locality, unemployed youth looking for some easy money, numerous cases of road rages, builders lobby, easy availability of local ammunition, involvement of Police in even the small crimes and more, that exactly becomes the first strong merit of the film demanding a much deserving praise for its director along with his talented team of writers, art- director and the cinematographer in particular.

The second powerful merit of the film is its highly engrossing, impressive as well as disturbing performances that actually don't let you think anything else till it all gets over on an open note (following a set pattern). The cast ensemble brilliantly portrays the story of a dysfunctional family of 3 brothers and a father, with the elder brother going through a divorce and the youngest unwillingly getting married to a pretty girl, with a purpose of using her in some hidden criminal acts of the family not many are aware of.

Towering them all, Ranvir Shorey as the elder brother simply nails it with a haunting act full of terrifying anger, rage and violence. Amit Sial as the second brother presents a balanced act with a touch of kindness too. And Shashank Arora as the youngest (Titli) delivers an intense performance of a confused yet desperate youth willing to get out of his family's deadly mess at the earliest. Lalit Behl enacting their father (director's own father) impresses you in a different manner with his awkward lost mannerisms and body language.

But its actually Shivani Raghuvanshi as Neelu (Titli's wife) who simply wins the contest along with Ranvir playing a strong girl living with her own agenda of life that in reality has no sane meaning or direction, performing sportingly in the masterstroke scene where she pisses out of fear in the car itself.

Together director Kanu Behl, his co-writer and the team conceives a film that simply isn't interested in any spoon feeding (about the past) but does have a detailed visual description of the present life lived by its key characters with many small indicative insertions like the way they dress, eat, brush, gargle and talk to each other in a lingo that is so close to Delhi's real life found in such lower middle class colonies. Though its stomach churning violence and raw treatment might not be a pleasant feature for a larger section of viewers looking for their usual entertainment, but with a brisk story progression and crisp editing, the film doesn't drag at all and also provides the much needed relief factor too through some intelligent dark humour placed at regular intervals.

Stating its major drawbacks, the film is just perfect in its opening sequences and impresses you strongly in these initial moments till they decide to get their youngest brother married to an even smarter girl. And its from here onwards that the narration tends to become quite filmy as well as overdone at times with no investigations shown for the regular loots undertaken by the brothers in the same region, easy & mindless stealing of the trial-car (probably) killing the salesman too in the broad daylight with no chasing of police and then intentionally breaking the girl's right hand with a consent just to avoid the signing of a FD document. Besides, at one end the family is shown to be living in poor conditions throughout the film (though eating chicken most of the time in their meals), but on the other they are regularly looting rich travellers, taking away their cars too with no mention of where the money acquired from those crimes goes, skipping it completely.

However my biggest problem was with 'the unusual marriage' shown, that was just not believable right from the first scene itself where the two families and the couple meet each other.

Strangely the writers were least concerned about this particular point and just to move their story forward, simply decided to assume the girl's parents readily agreeing to the mismatched marriage as two dumb individuals doing nothing to fulfill their big parental responsibility and having no issues in sending their young, beautiful girl to the unacceptable house of such horrifying criminals only because she was having an affair in the past and they wanted to get rid of her at the earliest.

Yet concluding the review on a positive note, you should surely watch TITLI for all its praiseworthy, intense performances rising much above the hard to believe sequences in terms of reality. Because though it isn't perfect, the film still remains a highly appreciable and well enacted experiment that successfully draws your attention towards the kind of life lived in such narrow lanes of the otherwise developed metro cities of our country.

Now 'Raw' isn't a genre but it could very well be. The movie is as Raw as it gets. If you are planning to watch this movie on a lazy Sunday afternoon then you're better off it.

This movie is not for folks who expect the typical 'Bollywood Happy Ending'. Its far more in touch with reality than any other movie that I've seen in the last year, which is what makes it raw and gripping.

This is not your typical weekend movie and takes you into a world that no one really wants to be a part of. The struggles, the relationships, the circumstances are very real and you ought to watch it if you don't mind a taste of the 'not so beautiful' reality every now and then.

A little more pace in the movie would've definitely made this a far more edgy thriller, lets get a better editor next time maybe!

'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.