Sur: The Melody of Life

That's the movie for you. I always admired music of this movie but never got a chance to watch it. I watched it today and regrated why I missed this for so many years. That's a brilliant piece of work by Tanuja Chandra, topped up by great Nida Fazli lyrics and another great M. M. Kreem scores. Lucky Ali always had his limitations but here, he is unbelievable, I never expected such a refined performance from him. Gauri Karnik got her opportunity but failed. Other artists supported well. This movie definitely deserves a watch.

One of its kind, best story, songs, actors' performance. Very underrated art evergreen movie. Teacher - student relation and Jealousy showed in a new angle . Must watch. Every song is so passionate and beautiful meaningful lyrics. It has been 20 years to this masterpiece still no other movie has been made quite like it or even on subject near it.

One of its kind, best story, songs, actors' performance. Very underrated art evergreen movie. Teacher - student relation and Jealousy showed in a new angle . Must watch. Every song is so passionate and beautiful meaningful lyrics. It has been 20 years to this masterpiece still no other movie has been made quite like it or even on subject near it.

"Sur" is the story of a famous musician who looks for a successor and finds one in a young girl who sings like an angel. I've read a lot of good reviews about the movie and how it is a "different sort" of Bollywood movie. Well, that might be true, but I still didn't find it particularly gripping.

Don't get me wrong, I thought it had nice music, very good actors and an acceptable running time. It was really enjoyable. But nothing spectacular. First of all, its direction is average. The director used a lot of filters which make the film look like a soft porn movie from the late 70's / early 80's. Those filters are utterly useless in this movie. The visuals undermine the sincerity of the plot. There was only one scene that I thought was well lit and filmed, and that was Lucky Alis first big song number where he sings on a boat. The rest was mediocre at best.

Also, the plot is far from revolutionary. The approach to the love story (if you want to call it that) might be unusual, but come on - if that's a revolution in Bollywood cinema, I will be happy with the pre-revolution situation. Till then, I'm waiting for the next one. Might that be a true one. "Sur" - rating:

7/10

I believe this movie is highly unappreciated. I am surprised that I did not watch this movie until recently. It indicates that this is a movie that lost on audiences for lack of enough advertising. This movie might not be for typical Indian audiences but it is a trend breaker in Bollywood. Certainly it is bound to be unappreciated by someone who is looking for a superficial Bollywood flick with lots of dancing around trees, tons of tears, ... 'Sur' is a great thematic movie which touches on and well deals with the subject of the role of a teacher and the complexities involved when a student outsmarts him. Lucky Ali is great in the movie as the prime actor and the singer. Other actors are also average. M.M. Kareem has established himself as the most talented music director in Indian cinema by providing glittering notes and tunes yet once again. Kudos to Tanuja Chandra for the movie!

Protagonist - Antagonist. Lucky Ali plays both, swinging from one to the other with subtlety. Is this some typical Bollywood (hate that term....) "hero" - "anti hero" spiel? On the contrary, this is a rather sensitive portrayal of human self deception. Lucky Ali, on his self serving "humble" quest to share his musical knowledge and talent with an aspiring singer before his retirement from the world of music, unwittingly takes on a protégée whose talents, even in their most raw form, surpass his own. The film then bares the darkness prevalent in every human psyche (even if it is the most accomplished artiste) , when the teacher struggles to beat his own student, failing at every attempt and yet learning some very valuable lessons along the way.

This film has the "feel" of a low budget movie. But once you get over that, this film is definitely a good watch. Go right ahead and watch it.....