Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Konkona Sen Sharma,Shiney Ahuja, Sharman Joshi, Kay Kay Menon, Nafisa Ali Sodhi, Dharmendra, Kangana Ranaut
Rating: 3/5
The various degrees of separation has man do the most wild, heartless and uncanny of things. Blessed with countless emotions, we seek a moment to let people know of them.
Life in a… Metro is the story of our lives, motives and emotions; the only difference is that it is being played by celebrated people. The plot gyrates around nine characters and the venting of their emotions. Shikha( Shilpa Shetty) is married to Ranjeet (Kay Kay Menon), but it’s far from being a ‘happily ever after’ marriage. Rahul (Sharman Joshi), on the other hand, combats the facets between realising his dreams and undiluted love. Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma) a virgin at 30, lives life on her terms and seeks Mr Right. Debu (Irrfan Khan) is not getting any younger and his search for a better half seems never ending. Akash (Shiney Ahuja) is immersed in his thoughts, more so for he seeks a confidant. Neha (Kangana Ranaut) seeks comfort in the arms of her lover, but unspoken words constrain the relationship. Strangely, so each one crosses the others path unfolding a bit more of their life and the problems that prison it.
The concept of crossing paths and revealing a story is tried, tested and done a million times over, yet there is a sense of unique freshness this film brings along. What sets this one apart is the clear evidence of passion with which the film has been treated. This film has the innocence of being a beautifully different film. Each aspect has been worked, reworked and then rendered to give a lyrical feel to the entire thing.
The screenplay of this film is perhaps the best of Anurag’s works. The characters are so well defined, scripted and styled that the environment and dialogues add the depth to the imagery on screen. The manner in which each scene flows into the other is cohesive and exceptionally crafted. The creation of each character is almost researched; you are bound to find one aspect of the characters’ lives you have experienced. Every possible form of love has been explored and the depiction of the notion that elders are as much as in love as they believe simply has you smiling from ear to ear (as for me, it had me in tears).
The dialogues in the film are the most lyrical, each word is strung into a sentence just so that you derive meaning that may vary to each, yet feels reflective of one’s own past. You are left to understand and hear what you yearn to, that, ladies and gentlemen, is true liberty that films offer.
The vivid and rich colours the film offers is a treat to the eye, each scene is well lit, furthermore the surroundings blend in to create a complete frame. The production values are great; the editing though slick, weakens at certain points. The juxtaposition of certain sequences seems a wee bit unattended. Special credit is due to the stylist and team behind the creators of the characters, each one is individualistic and without going overboard with the styling, perfection is attainted with the bare minimum. The inclusion of Band Metro in the film is not only unique but also adds volumes in the way the music is used to carry forward the plot. However there are certain times when the Band goes a little overboard with their head banging and expressions.
While the entire film is believable it is the climax that seems larger-than-life. There is hardly any justification for the extreme actions the characters undertake. The other factor that might leave you bothered is the level of unbelievable coincidence the film circles around, where everyone is involved and knows the other person (Well we all knows it’s a small world, but this small? Wow!).
The film boasts an assortment of actors you can relate to. Konkona, Menon and Khan leave you touched and in complete awe; while Joshi and Ranaut deliver a never seen before act, their performance as strong yet mellow characters has you take notice. Ahuja fails to put up a convincing performance and leaves you disappointed. Shetty undoubtedly makes you believe the character and walks through it with style. It is the innocence in Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali’s eyes that excite you the most. Their love so pure and emotions sans any calculation is a delight to see.
Undoubtedly, this film will get all the adulation it sets out to get. With marketing efforts that spans five continents and online premieres of the film, you had better be sure this one is going to do well. With a buzz created around the movie, especially amongst the SEC A and B sections, look forward to the film garnering a good response.
With Life in a…Metro is that there is beauty and poetry in every bit of the film.
