Matru, Bijlee e Mandola

Madness with a mission and purpose, that's 'Matru Ki Bijli ka Mandola' in nutshell! Right from the word go, the movie seems to be sheer moron-ism! You will end up saying 'Kuchh bhi' so many times esp. before intermission. But dare not leave the cinema-hall at intermission going by the slack slow lack-luster and not so impressive first-half. Post intermission, however, the movie picks up pace, zeal, direction and life! Not delving much into the story line, I will straightaway go to my observations and comments:

• MKBKM couldn't have been so without the veteran 'manjha hua' perfectionist Pankaj Mandola Kapoor! He literally brought the weird Harphool Singh urf Harry Mandola alive on-screen. Seems Vishal Bhardwaj wrote the character keeping him only in mind. He does full justice to both his avatars, first, of a polished, sophisticated yet politically exploited millionaire and that of the rebel, cuss-worded, almost mad and guilt-filled man.

• Shabana Azmi is the other pillar of the film performance-wise. Both these actors of the erstwhile parallel cinema weave magic on-screen. She is quite convincing as the shrewd, opportunist, ruthless chief-minister of state. After Makdi, Vishal has given her yet another meaty role with negative shade and she as usual scores full marks.

• Imran 'Matru/ Mao' Khan gets into skin of the role as the film progresses and carries the rugged look well. However, he still lacks the killer-instinct of his competitor Kapoor (Ranbir) to carry such roles with 100% conviction. 'Bijli' Anushka is as usual her bubbly and loud best. High time gal! Move on and experiment. We are bored of seeing you in similar avatars in all your movies till date. Special mention of Arya Babbar who has been handed over the responsibility of creating silly comedy in the flick. He does it well, though he many a times he tries hard to copy the mannerisms of his pa, Raj Babbar. However, going by the character he plays, he looks merely a caricature of his actor father. Rest of the star-cast is fine.

• Now coming to the treatment meted out to the movie. The subject of effects and intricacies of land seizing from farmers by big corporates for industrialization and dirty politics involved in the same is innovative and very relevant. The dark rural 'Bharat' behind the shining urbane 'India' has been shown well. However, the mode used by Vishal this time is that of 'nukkad-nataks' which do not impress everyone especially in the beginning. The director has also used a lot of symbolism viz. Pink-cow somehow reflects the conscience of Mandola. The movie tickles your funny bone at many places and mention of many real- life political and business names brings in more relevance to the subject. Despite lot of pink-ism ('Gulabbo' and 'Gulabi bhains'), the movie isn't on a feminist mission!

• This doesn't mean that there is no flaw in the film. There are lot many of them viz. * Excess songs (at unwanted places) * Slack editing with many unrequired portions like that of aircraft crash (The media scene after that reminds you of a certain 'Joker') * Slow pace pre-interval - Good part is that unlike most movies these days which die after interval, this one peaks during climax and carries a 'happy ending'.

• Music has a usual Vishal Bhardwaj stamping and camera work too has the darkness quotient of Vishalism. Going by the serious subject highlighted by MKBKM, the entertainment quotient thereof and super performances by PK and SA, I would go with 3.5 stars out of 5. One time watch to banti hai bhai!

P.S.: Be ready to get 'beaucoup De' 'gaalis', which has now become a common culture in Bollywood flicks now!

There are a thousand ways to approach a serious subject. Yet with MBM, Vishal Bharadwaj does an entirely different take,and an effective yet entertaining one at that. The screenplay has an aroma of theater throughout, and is backed by some stellar performances by Pankaj Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and the new pair of Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma. The humor in the film has a quirky charm about it. Pankaj Kapoor exhibits brilliance in the portrayal of a character who can be loved and hated at the same time. I would strongly recommend the movie to avid theater audiences and also to those who would like to be served the Bollywood 'masaala' in an entirely different avatar.

I am pretty sure you know what the story is, so I won't strain on that! Well, it is typical and a lot of movies have been made in the same line of land acquisition and dirty politics - in all languages perhaps!

MkBkM is a musical odyssey of great performances by the whole crew except the writer. Lead actors are solid - Kapur, Khan & Sharma are great and perfectly monetize their characters. Kapur's character is like a villain that you love. Shabana Azmi portrays her stellar performance and I appreciate that!

Editing, screenplay is good; direction is the usual Vishal Bhardwaj and music is punchy yet enjoyable. I won't spill the beans about the pink cow, because you need to watch it to enjoy and take pleasure.

What works and supposedly will in the box office is it's catchy screenplay full of the Bollywood masala which was lacking in most of the 100 crore worth films of 2012. It is definitely not boring a movie to pay 300 bucks for. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed by the performances, but the clichéd story might dull you!

After Table No. 21, I would not totally recommend to watch this but you won't complain as it is a VB movie (7KhhonM, Omkara) and not Dabangg 3!

Bottom Line: Watch it because it has and will give you a kickstart in this 3 day holiday weekend! But MkBkM is not pure filmaking. As we all are irritatingly bored by 2012's greatly depressing masala-item dance movies, 2013 is time for some enjoyment!

WATCH OUT FOR: Pankaj Kapur!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Language: Mild | Sex: No | Nudity: Very mild | Violence: Mild | Mouth- Kiss: Yes | Foreplay: Yes | Drugs: Implied | Alcohol: Strong | Smoking: Mild

Its a Shakespearean story set in rural India. If you know rural India have lived there, you would feel attached to the movie.This movie is not for urban people who don't know (and don't give a damn) about how things work in rural India.

PANKAJ KAPOOR should have won awards for this movie and for first time i actually liked IMRAN KHAN's work. SHABANA AZAMI too is incredible.

Script is USP of the movie and screenplay is brilliant...although ending was a bit longer than it should have been. Overall,the movie should have been supported more by viewers and critics.

I would give it 8/10.

So the most crowd pleasing title Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola having a distinctive casting, offbeat music and the film which grabbed most of the attention towards, Vishal Bhardwaj after his terrible 7 Khoon Maaf returns with this original story of MKBKM. Bhardwaj has always tried to be original towards his plot, think of Kaminey where the film worked with critics along with the masses too. Bhardwaj is a kind of director who gets adjusted to his surroundings vividly. Bhardwaj's music is unique having a typical title track, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola starring Imran Khan ( Matru ), Anushka Sharma ( Bijlee ) and Pankaj Kapoor ( Mandola ). Though this casting is different from anyone's point of view but worked brilliantly at this piece of cinema.

The plot displays unrefined rural locales of Haryana where a kinky, odd industrialist Harry Mandola ( Pankaj Kapoor ). The village is named after his surname Mandola. He himself, known as Mandola most oftenly, is a personality with acuteness in his thinking regarding money, serious, cunning and slick. Mandola wanted his area to be announced as an economic ward obliged to which he forces the native residents who had their farmlands, to sell and leave the village. But Politician Chaudhari Devi ( Shabana Azmi ) who appeals him into thwarting off the villagers. Mandola's MONEY while Chaudhari Devi's POWER can only unite when their offspring's get married to each other. In the midst of all, Mandola's Man Friday Matru ( Imran Khan ) who has nothing to do with these situations enters them, tends to bring some drastic change against land extortion and defends the villagers.

The scenery is captured beautifully, though it is unrefined, raw but that's the beauty of this film. Bhardwaj puts the best comical scenes between the breathtaking star Pankaj Kapoor and Imran Khan, who just sets the cinema on the right track. Imran Khan gets the mood for watching such a type of genre while Pankaj traps everyone in his histrionics. The Director then ( itself in the first half ) tries to bring a mysterious character Gulabi Bhains ( Mao ) but the balloon burst right before the interval leaving nothing to forecast in the second half. Practicality is what Vishal Bhardwaj tends to assure in 'Matri Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' and it forces him to choose for a midway which was more apt towards deep red before pink. The abusive manner doesn't consent an impact pretty much like the odd and unusual presence of Gulabi bains (Buffalo). The song 'Jiski kheti uski zameen, hatt lootne wale' conjointly imitates the same emotions.

All in all to be a Vishal Bhardwaj's film you expect some twists in the second half but the plot is empty making everyone go predictably right and have a banausic continuity. The man who stands alone in the film is Pankaj Kapoor with his stupendous drama. He just fills the glass which was emptied by the storyline to the way it had to be. Pankaj Kapoor's drama win right from the very first shot where he is in his drunken amazement scowling some Haryanvi dialogues. Shabana Azmi gets an easy role but stills does as if she has somnambulism problem.Anushka is good, peppy and cheerful.

Pankaj Kapoor saves this film with his acclaimed acting but still Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola departs you displeasedly. In all the second half is sluggish and most foreseeable without any twist and turns.