Chandni Bar

"Chandni Bar" is the BEST movie to come out of Bollywood in 4 decades. Its a brave film, speaking unabashedly about the seemy underbelly of Bombay (and YES it is and always will be Bombay to many), about the nexus between crime and the corrupt police in this city, about sin and the hope of redemption dashed by a vicious system. No wonder this was NOT India's entry to the Oscars....our politicians would be loathe to export something that could "create a bad impression" (they sent the ghastly jingoistic "Lagaan" instead). Pity, because, as an example of cinema verite at its grittiest, it would have probably won. Tabu would have definitely been in the running for Best Actress --- her performance is a study in truth and control. I happened to meet her on a plane and asked whether the film was shot more-or-less in sequence; and she answered in the affirmative --- no doubt this helped her create a slowly-intensifying graph of emotion, peaking at her gut-wrenching howls in the final scene. Her subtlety and sensitivity in the role of the dance-hall girl have had few equals seen by this writer in the cinema. Also the film's design, capturing the slums, back-alleys, police-stations and of course the seedy, sexual, smoky, boozy atmosphere of the dance-bar (changing its decor and its music with the passage of time in the plot) has an attention to detail and a REALISM that anyone who has ever been to these places will marvel at. Bravo to all concerned....and now may we PLEASE have this available on DVD?

In the land of Bollywood, where movies are purely escapist fantasies of love everlasting, here is one film that isn't afraid to be realistic. Chandni Bar tells of the plight of young girl from a small town, who goes to sin city Mumbai where she works as a bar dancer to make both ends meet. There are several scenes in this movie which shine with brilliance, and Tabu shines in her role. The rest of the supporting cast also give expert performances, but particular mention must be given to Ananya Khare, whose portrayal of bar dancer Deepa steals the limelight from Tabu whenever both of them are in a scene together. Atul Kulkarni also gives a great performance as Tabu's criminal husband Potya Sawant. The film has a very realistic look in its portrayal of the gritty back alleys of Mumbai.

If you are in the mood for pure escapist fantasy, go watch Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. But once you get sick of the sugary sweet concotions Bollywood has to offer, give Chandni Bar a try. It's deliciously bitter!

Thanks to the plethora of movie and music channels, the 'non-commercial' movies of today get enough and sometimes, extra publicity. Hyderabad Blues gave some distributors the confidence to venture out with such movies.

As is obvious from the title of the movie and from the promos on TV channels, the story revolves around the central character, Mumtaz, and her life and times as a "beer-bar" dancer. Rather than just narrating one particular story, the movie tries to document the misery in the lives of such people.

Hats off to Madhur Bhandarkar for boldly doing a movie the way he wanted to do it. The movie hits you on your face even more than Satya (to which it has drawn comparisons), primarily because of the absence of commercial elements (including songs). The movie is raw yet clean.

But the other half of the credit should go to Tabu, who stakes her claim for a second National Award, with a sensitive portrayal. The only problem is that she tends to maintain a kind of laziness in all her roles. The other actors are adequate and play characters which move in and out of Mumtaz's life. Raju Singh's background score is a good supplement to the movie, though it sounds eerie at times.

This movie is strictly not for entertainment. Just go out and get the satisfaction of watching a good movie.

This is one of the movies that allows to peek at the life of the people who have suffered and haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel. The movie is very effective for it takes us into the life of a beer bar dancing girl (Mumtaz) in the city of Bombay, and shows us the rut that she is in and any attempts made by her to rise are in vain. The movie is both dark in content and in the lighting which is symbolic of the hopelessness and is very effective. Tabu's performance is noteworthy as she depicts the life of Mumtaz with absolute sincerity. Details, such as, her twirling the cord of the phone when she is in a state of hopelessness shows she has really immersed herself into the character. With her performance you never feel that she is putting on a show. The movie neither glamourizes nor demeans the profession of these girls and the director deserves praise for that. The lack of songs is highly appropriate for this movie as this is not a "feel good" movie. As a warning to the faint of heart, this movie is highly disturbing and should be avoided when depressed.

Madhur Bhandarkar is amazing. Tabu is a glamorous Thespian! Not to mention Atul Agnihotri & Rajpal Yadav! Beautiful performances.

The emotion behind the life of a bar dancer in India and all the underlying difficulties - the ups and downs are depicted in this movie. The range (1886 - 2000) is narrated in a very effective manner.

The background aalaap, music, songs and all the rendition makes it a perfect movie.

The message her is so true that the audience really gets touched by it. With one of the few bold themes in the history of Bollywood, Chandni Bar stands out just like his other movies.

Be human, watch this and know how it feels to lead of life filled with utter baloney!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO!

For more - bit.ly/TEJAS