Mumbai Meri Jaan

An outstanding creative work by UTV Motion Pictures depicting the true Spirit of Mumbai with shades of every aspect. KK, Madhavan, Irfan, Soha and Paresh Rawal were extravagant. All of them try tackling their issue on their own. And by the end of it, all of them move on in life. And that has been portrayed as the 'spirit of Mumbai'. Hence the name – "Mumbai Meri Jaan". The movie presents the difference in various point of views from which people looked at the incidence of Mumbai Train Blasts in July 2006. At one level, it shows how there are people who overcame the fear of bomb blasts and moved on in life as if nothing has changed. While there is another sect of people whose lives have forever been unsettled because of this incident.

In all, the movie deserves an A+, and is a must watch.

The great city of Mumbai got its song in 1956. It was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri, composed by O.P. Nayyar and sung by Mohd. Rafi and Geeta Bali - 'Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan..' from the film CID. It took more than half a century since then for Mumbai to get its film. 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' is that film.

Nishikant Kamat (director) and Yogesh Joshi (writer) have created a brilliant film. It starts slow and cautious but the graph keeps on rising steadily throughout the duration of the film. 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' chronicles the few days before and after the Mumbai serial blasts of 2006 in the lives of 5 characters played by Kay Kay Menon, Soha Ali Khan, Irfan Khan, Paresh Rawal and Madhavan. That list has some of the very good actors in Hindi film industry today. None of then disappoint. Every one of them has got into the skin of their character, and be assured they are no simple characters.

The story is beautifully written. It gives space to all the characters. Each one is well defined. It captures their fears, failures, prejudices and agony flawlessly. It takes us from one character to the other and all the stories blend seamlessly. The editing is clean, though it could have been a little more stringent to cut the running length of the film a little.

Why Mumbai Meri Jaan really clicks is because it is about real people in a real world. The vast expanses that it covers in its limited premise is amazing. There is a Paresh Rawal who is reflecting at his 36 years as a policeman. When we hear him out completely it is difficult to decide whether he is a loser or winner. The wrinkles on his face, his gray hairs, his spectacle-aided vision - is there a better metaphor than himself for the city he lives in? There is a Madhavan who can get what he wants. He has the money to buy a car, has the opportunities to migrate to Europe or America. But should he? We don't really know at the end. It is for some reason that a tear drop sliding over his cheeks is the closing shot of the film. Kay Kay Menon and Irfan Khan are great actors. They have added dimensions to their characters which I doubt even the writer knew existed. The Soha Ali Khan segment takes a dig at the news channels of today. It is raises a lot of obvious questions.

Nishikant Kamat is a director to look out for. He uses various devices like close-ups, short quick cuts, looking upwards shots, silence, stills, jarring music, almost everything. But all are in moderation. So the end result looks plain and clean - possibly the most difficult thing to do in Hindi film industry today.

It was only befitting that the film end with the C.I.D song. A must watch.

I only had inkling on what this would be about and that's all. But was totally amazed when I saw the contents of it – some reality which I haven't seen in a Bollywood film for a very long time.

The title is derived from the golden oldie, "CID" and sung by the late Mohd Rafi and Geeta Bali and composed by the O.P. Nayyar and it is a favourite song of mine and above all it describes the city of Mumbai. While this film, which depicts on how the people of the city were able cope with the bomb blasts that took place on July 11 2006. It deals with peoples' emotions and how they are able to handle it.

A Policeman, who is about to retire and how he is able to reflect on his time in the force, an aspiring journalist who covers tragic stories but unknown to her, her world crumbles when she faces such situation herself, an unemployed computer engineer who suspects people around him to be the terrorists but soon realises that not everyone is and finally a coffee vendor who is struggling to survive – they are the characters that all come together in this movie, a magnificent tribute to the city of Mumbai. But looking more further afield, this movie can also apply to other cities in this world that has changed so much since September 11 2001, cities such as New York, London and Madrid, who have faced the same dilemmas. This is what the director Nishkant Kamat has tried to portray.

Soha Ali Khan, has once again excelled like she did in "Khoya Khoya Chand" as the aspiring journalist, Kay Kay Menon, as the young unemployed computer engineer is very convincing in his role as a person who suspects people around him. Finally, Paresh Rawal, as the Policeman who is about to retire is just superb and is able to portray as to how his character feels about what he has achieved during his time in the force. But what is the icing is the song that comes in at the end when the credits begin to roll in.

This is a very appealing film that is worth watching and is capable of putting other movies, such as "Singh is Kinng" several steps behind.

I just watched this movie today. I have not gone in theater with some mind setup that I will see this and that, but in real meaning I was willing there a lot to see and director did the job fantastically. No errors there. He gone through the subject so intelligently that you cannot find a place where he slipped out of the main theme. Every moment and movement of the movie showing you the motive of the director of making this movie to hit on the right place of equality of different religions which is mainly Hindu Muslim.

The thing which I like the most is the bomb blast scene that made a huge impact on me as it is a short budget movie and they made i can say a shocking and horrifying scene there. This is i am talking in technical manner.

There were quite good emotional moments like hitting on media how badly they react to the situation and what happens when it came on to the people who are the part of the media (that made people clap in the theater). There were lot of places where people were clapping, that I can say was all for the director only as he is the one who handled the movie so brilliantly.

Overall, I must say this should be watched by every Hindu Muslim and others too, should be tax free soon that all get a bite of it. Anyways it is going to be in my DVD collection.

Excellent Work Nishikant

Last weekend we saw the movie 'Mumbai Meri Jaan'. I think it may get all the awards for this year!! Best director for sure, storyline, and there will be a fight for the Best supporting title within the movie... I still can't decide if Paresh Rawal did well or Madhavan or Kay Kay Menon... Probably Paresh. Irrfan Khan finally has taken a different role than his usually 'monotonous monologue role' which sounds like a Vodafone commercial. This time he has chosen a role which will really challenge him. Soha Ali Khan is great... needless to say it runs in the family.

This is not a commercial masala film. No dream sequences, no item numbers. Shot more like a documentary but extremely gripping. The director Nishikant Kamath makes is Hindi-movie directorial debt and surpasses all standards and sets a new one. We should keep in mind though that he has won many national awards for this previous Marathi movie, 'Dombivili Fast'.

I don't want to tell you what the movie is about, besides the fact that its based on seven bomb blast that happened in Mumbai trains a couple of years ago. Shows you the ground reality and and its effects it has on people and their relatives... not a movie for a weak heart some scenes are really horrifying and morbid. Definitely a 'no-no' for kids. I guess it for grown ups... not just physically grown-up but also mentally evolved ones ;-) .

Shatters all our prejudices and preconceived notions that we have about life in general when a catastrophe happens. How we take everything for granted unless it happens to you. This movie will make a difference.... this is the only movie I have seen in an Indian theater where the whole crowd clapped at the of the movie and was silent during the end credits.

If you have no plans this weekend... go watch it. Worth every penny!! Siskel and Ebert would have given it 2 thumbs up. I give all my 10 fingers ;-))