Tamasha

Indian audiences are so used to being force-fed crap that they fail to digest quality cinema. I expected a lot from Tamasha since the first trailer aired and was disappointed by the generic reviews i kept hearing from one and all. After much courage, i decided to watch the movie almost a month after its release and was kicking myself for letting grapevine influence my decision to delay the movie.

RK and DP have taken love stories to the next level with Tamasha. Imtiaz has outdone himself from a directorial standpoint as you will notice hints of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and even Fight Club in the second half. To be honest, i was never a big fan of DP but after Tamasha i cant ignore her acting prowess. What a stellar supporting cast. Piyush Mishra swishes his magic with whatever screen time he gets and inks his name on some of the most intense scenes in the movie. Tamasha has to be one of Bollywood's most intelligent and intelligently made movies. You can sense Imtiaz's love for street plays in the movie along with some of his own inhibitions being mirrored through RK's performance. RK is undoubtedly the best Bollywood actor at this point. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. He is not only better than any of the Khans (who have undeservedly ruled Indian cinema) but brings a sense of theater acting while carrying a money making face. With Tamasha RK is definitely back!

The beauty of the songs not only lies in the music and the lyrical quality but also in the timely placement.

Please watch this movie for a lovely cinematic relief..

The film begins with an act of a ‪Tamasha‬ whereby we get introduced to a joker who is laughing at a robot having stuck between Dil & Duniya. The robot symbolizes most of us, our mechanical existence whereby we are killing our dreams each passing day by being unwillingly part of a routine life which we abhor but then we need the money.. The stage is set for another Imtiaz Ali extravaganza ----- On analyzing Imtiaz Ali film we can see he has an inclination towards characters that are aberrations to societal rules and traditions. They are not anti-social or asocial but are non-conformist in nature. Be it mild nature Viren Oberoi from Socha Na Tha or cutely hyper Geet from Jab We Met or rebellious Janarthan from Rockstar his protagonists are different who antics influences their contradictory counterparts thus shaping into an unusual love-story. And for someone like me who distants himself from mushy romance are attracted by Imtiaz Ali's characters who comes across as free-spirited and hatke.

With Tamasha he brings back his non-conformist lead in the form of Ved but unlike Janarthan Ranbir Kapoor's character is an apparently soft- spoken dreamer who is a byproduct of materialistic societal existence. He is bored & wants to get rid of his mundane daily life which brings him closer to a bipolar personality. Well I guess majority of us can connect with him as he webs several stories and lives each of them in his mind. The world of dreams kind of gives him a freedom and there begins a fairy tale journey which culminates into self-actualization with Ved realizing his potential through the eyes of Tara Maheshwari.

Last month Vikas Behl tried to narrate a similar tale but the surreal setting and quirky humour boomeranged. Imtiaz Ali tried the same story but gave it a dark & poetic tone, dealing with the complexities of human emotions. Ali dares to experiment with the narrative as it goes past, present and future as he paints 3 phases of Ved's life. He dexterously uses mirrors and shadows (as props) to reflect the inner conflict of the central character. In several sequences he proved why he is one of the finest directors around. One of my fav is the repeated scenes with cut shots of the following frames - his alarm clock waking him in the morning, brushing teeth, having breakfast, getting stuck in traffic, getting into office lift, swapping his card and settling at his cubicle. The gloominess of monotony and monstrosity of lifeless survival is effectively displayed which probably haunts 90% of those watching the film. Ali deserved accolades for many sequences like the one in an auto which leads to "wattu watu" songs is creative or the one where he confronts his father "lecture" on responsibility and blah blah blah... Ved's blabbering in client presentation or the scene where he confronts his boss. But honestly few frames looked manipulative and the one where his father's heart showed a change in the pre-climax seemed hurried and badly written.

Ranbir simply puts his teeth into the role and proves why he is one of the best actors around. He should be also applauded for choosing this film. The complexity of bipolar Ved comes alive through him and the vulnerability of the character could be felt. Personally I wish this film at least works in the BO to give him confidence to select more bolder scripts. Deepika Padukone is one actress who had simply taken all the criticisms seriously in her early stage of career. Over the years she has improved a lot and after Piku this is another performance for her to cheer. Piyush Mishra's voice has a narrator is an apt one for a script which deals with human ambiguity. A.R Rehman's music, Ravi Verman's cinematography and Aarti Bajaj's editing compliments Ali's vision.

Tamasha is not for those who are looking for a popcorn rom-com, but it is not a pessimistic film either. What make me delighted about Tamasha is that it hits on the plastic "holier than thou" society & urges people never to lose the child within one and try to follow one's heart. I couldn't dare to follow my heart but at least I can surely say that the child within me is very much alive And as the story-teller old man (a brilliant Piyush Mishra in a cameo) confronts Ved he gives a valuable life-lesson - there is no point in cribbing, end-of-the-day it is your own story and you have to find a resolution. Indeed, the pursuit of happiness continues

My Rating : 8/10

This is rather experimental for a Bollywood rom-com and I found it to be very enjoyable. The second half is on another level for a movie from this genre.

Some very good cinematography, brilliantly edited, the songs are well-placed and fun, the acting is awesome, all in all : a REALLY good Bollywood rom-com is what you have here.

Highly Recommended.

Superb direction, superb movie, superb acting and yes Imtiaz Ali did it again. Not a Romeo Juliet movie like love, separating and then happy ending. It is different from routine love stories. A powerful message of an ordinary human with a powerful expression of unorthodox. Coming to cinematography beautiful scenic locations with awesome camera work.Literally an unconventional experiment to be watched for its writing & making !!! Second half goes for Ranbir and Deepika is cute as always.

At last these types of movies regain faith about Bollywood. We can also do it Hats off >>>>>> Amazed

SPOILER FREE Review :)

Tamasha is indeed an invigorated tale in today's times of fatuous films! It is clichéd, yes... It is flawed, yes... its story is nothing new, but the way Imtiaz presents the story in the form of musical narrative, and the manner in which lead protagonists, Ranbir and Deepika mark that presence is truly commendable.

Tamasha is all about the journey of Ved (portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor) and Tara (portrayed by Deepika Padukone) through self-discovery, love, passion, contend and vivacious emotions. Its screenplay is non- linear, mind you, which might make some uncomfortable for a love story, but Tamasha is not only about romance, if you're wondering.

Film's technical aspect is class apart. Ravi Verman's stunning cinematography deserves a standing ovation. Editing is arguably good, but its not for everyone's mouthful. Ranbir and Deepika's performance is one of the biggest strengths of this film. Their chemistry is wonderfully captured and presented in a grand celluloid!

Another highlight of this movie is its music. A.R. Rahman delivers a grand soundtrack once again, and Imtiaz weaves those songs in a perfect manner carrying the story forward. Is Imtiaz-Rahman combo slowly becoming Mani Ratnam-Rahman combo?

Tamasha is not an easy grasp, at least not for everyone. The film will have mixed opinions, that's for sure. But if you find the connection that Imtiaz tries you to find through Ved's character (or to some extent Tara's character), you are in for a treat.

Watch out for: Ranbir and Deepika's Chemistry, Imtiaz's direction, Songs and Score, Cinematography