Being Cyrus

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!

As you saunter into the movie hall and look on as the lights go off and the show begins, you begin to wonder if "Being Cyrus" is like those numerous clichéd bollywood style Hindi-English films a la Bollywood Hollywood, Bollywood Calling etc. Also who in this world is Homi Adjanaia? and how did he manage to pull off an ensemble cast with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani not to mention the uber cool Saif Ali Khan for his debut film. The answer is all for us to see--"Being Cyrus" is a smashingly well crafted original film (So rare in India these days) that it leaves you wondering if Homi Adjania is really a first time director? The story moves back and forth between Panchgani and Mumbai essentially revolving around the lives and times of the not so normal, upper middle class Sethna Family and what happens when Cyrus Mistry (Saif Ali Khan) comes into it. Dinshaw Sethna (Naseeruddin Shah) is a pot head sculptor, perennially high on grass running a pottery school in Panchgani. He lives with his bollywood obsessed, chatterbox wife Katy (Dimple Kapadia). Cyrus joins as an apprentice to Dinshaw and becomes embroiled in a maze of complex relationships that involve Dineshaw's father Fardonjee Sethna(Honey Chayya), brother Farokh(Boman Irani) and sister in law Tina(Simone Singh).

Right from the first frame, this dark thriller engrosses the viewer in its many complex layers which are difficult to fathom at times. The entire film being in English has a lot of the lines cocooned in black humor may be over head transmission, but nevertheless are in line with the story and have a hammer strong impact if actually dissected and understood. The movie juxtaposes the protagonist (Cyrus)'s own story with the story of the Sethnas and this is where the movie hits a complete high. The editing is razor sharp and the bravura cinematography captures the Parsi household perfectly, whether it is the old building that Fardonjee owns in Bombay or the Panchgani house of Dinshaw. Adjania shows a careful eye for detail while reflecting the times of a typical Parsi family living in Mumbai. Boman Irani's white on white dress, his impeccably maintained vintage car, the wedding shot lend a feel of authenticity to the Parsi setup.Manoj Pahwa brings the house down with his high on testosterone, high on fat brash Inspector Maninder Lovely.

Naseeruddin Shah is apt for the role of the grass smoking lost in life artist. Dimple, sometimes over the top, nevertheless comes up with an effective portrayal of her Katy. Saif Ali Khan is subtly nuanced and gets under the skin of Cyrus quite intensely. Honey Chayya and Simone Singh are effective in their parts as Fardonjee and Tina Sethna. The scene stealer however is Boman Irani's Farokh Sethna. Boman brings out the cocky wickedness of Farokh quite magnificently that you hate him instantly. Be it the fight with the neighbor over a dog , or the appointment with the physiotherapist or his interactions with Fardonjee, Boman is a treat. Watch the film setting aside all mindsets, its a brilliant film.

This recent Bollywood film had been lurking around the shops and I'd hear people refer to it as a 'different' 'offbeat' or 'art' film, not the usual 'masala' entertainment at all. Even though I fully realize that the hey-day of the Indian parallel cinema is over, I do keep on the lookout for the odd experiment or mixing of genres that filmmakers attempt every so often. Well, this turned out to be a hugely underrated little gem. It's off-beat alright, and doesn't have any silly musical numbers that plague the more mainstream Indian films. But what most reviewers and critics have failed to point out about it, is that it is really a good old-fashioned 'film noir', (albeit minus the moody lighting, and with a generous dose of humor) given a bit of post-modern sheen. It's a little too soft-edged (read: wholesome) and could have been a bit more atmospheric, but I suppose that for a first-time attempt, this is pretty good. The script is not as twisty or clever as it may seem at first (certainly won't fool any experienced film-noir buff), and I even guessed the 'big reveal' at the end, long before it came. But these minor quibbles do not get in the way of a thoroughly enjoyable tale, with many finely etched, memorable scenes (including a bizarre dream sequence). The performances vary, and the director seems unsure of the tone he wants his actors to take, but overall they are all good. Honey Chayya is particularly outstanding as the semi-senile old man Sethna. Naseeruddin Shah is wasted as the pot-head pottery maestro, but he plays the role well enough. Dimple Kapadia is a perfect portrait of a shrill, conniving, slutty middle-aged housewife. But Simone Singh is a little too pure and straight-laced (even when she's being shown 'rebelling' behind her hubby's back). Saif Ali Khan is just fine as the protagonist. All in all, a great little comedy/drama/thriller that doesn't outstay it's welcome, and at 83 minutes, is paced quite efficiently. No surprises for noir fans, but a pleasant enough ride through somewhat familiar territories, and an unexpected gem from the outskirts of Bollywood.

The dark comedy Being Cyrus centers around the lives of a Parsi family, the Sethnas. From the film's name, expectations that conjure up are about a typical Parsi existence. But as the film gets underway and the plot unravels, you realize that it is far from that. The story brings out the dark sides of some seemingly ordinary characters, who eventually go to unbelievable lengths to achieve their goals.

Cyrus (Saif) shows up at the Sethna's at their Panchgani bungalow, and offers to be an assistant to pot maker Dinshaw (Naseeruddin Shah). He spends a year with them and in the process a romance seemingly brews between him and Katy (Dimple Kapadia), Dinshaw's wife. Other clandestine activities coincide with this; Cyrus receives some money for an undisclosed reason, and he is shown working on something in a lab setting. He then arrives at Dinshaw's brother, Faroq's (Boman Irani) house in a very Parsi locality in Mumbai. Faroq takes care of their father who lives in a room in their Mumbai apartment, and does not treat him too well. Cyrus befriends the father but Faroq loathes his proximity. Katy on the other hand, gets frequent calls from Mumbai, in a parallel unexpected development. Tina(Simone Singh) who is Faroq's wife, befriends a policeman Lovely (Manoj Pahwa), and their interactions provide good comic relief. In what follows, the plot slowly unfurls, revealing morbid and unanticipated sides of many personalities. The movie takes a shocking turn at one juncture and the few minutes around that scene unravel a range of unforeseen occurrences.

Saif's fist English movie, his lead character transitions from carefree sculptor's assistant to a starkly more somber character in a span of a few minutes. Naseeruddin Shah again plays the intoxicated old man following Iqbal; he is a reclusive pot sculptor who is hooked to a different kind of pot. Dimple Kapadia fulfills the role of middle aged vain Parsi lady, but her character could have been more believable. Boman Irani, originally Parsi, is at home with the characters and dialog delivery in this film. There is a scene where he gets into an argument with a Parsi lady about her pet dog which captivates the viewer with its authenticity and comedy. Simone Singh gives a good performance of an unassuming bride who transforms into something very different.

The film does not have songs, but the soundtrack is effective and did justice to the different moods. Some scenes could have used a more topical background score to build up and establish the importance of the scene. The use of English, not all actors' first language, causes some parts to come across as unnatural.

For a directorial debut, Homi Adajania's work is commendable and one wonders how he managed to clinch such a stellar cast on his initiation. He has shown his versatility in comedy and drama scenes as well as evocative dream sequences. Considering how unpredictable the plot is, it has been stitched together well.

On the whole, the movie has a few things going for it - the star cast, the plot and the direction. This one is not to be missed - an offbeat stunner with true box office potential.

Homi Adajania misses the century by few runs, but no worries even Dravid missed one on his debut. Yes, its a brilliant start for him as a story teller. I remember seeing sixth sense, it wasn't too great a movie(every one will agree me on that) till I saw the climax, that's where the brilliance lies. Its the package of the film that's makes directors GREAT. Well, Homi can pat himself for his honest original attempt and not trying to remake any of classic English thrillers in Hindi.

I thought the first half was little too long in describing things which weren't related to the title. I felt a lot of attention should have been given to Cyrus which i think lacked except the dream scene. Unfortunately you actually cant really draw the outline for Cyrus, which you do with other character. The cinematographer and editor make you eyes busy with colors and cuts. I thought Salim-Sulaiman still has a hangover of Booth, cause the music in the first half was little loud for the way the movie opens and proceeds till interval, but they did make up in the second half with the sound. All characters where apt in their roles, but i still think the director ran out of wine when feeding Saif and Shah.

If not the best movie i ever saw, its a brilliant and a honest movie from AN India for which i can be proud of. For me the hero is Homi Adajania, HATS OFF.