Kaminey   Producer: Ronnie Screwvala Director: Vishal Bhardwaj Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amole Gupte, Deb Mukherjee, Rajatabha Dutta Music: Vishal Bhardwaj Lyrics: Gulzar Genre: Drama Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance Approximate Running Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Film Released on: 14 August 2009 Reviewed by: Ankit Ojha  - Rating: 8.0 / 10 More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Review by Amodini Sharma - Rating: 9.0 / 10     • Feature Review by Irene Nexica - Rating: 8.5 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Music Review

Kaminey must be watched for the simple fact that Vishal Bhardwaj has given the whole clichĂ©d story a completely new avatar, with dark characterizations, and an even darker and intense storyline, with mad and zany characters, each of whom have a negative streak in him/her. When a black comic caper meets masala-fare and both of them merge to form an edge-of-the-seat satirical thriller, executed with aplomb – Ritchie-Tarantino style, you know that this is not going to have ‘the same old feel’.

In the narrow, crooked and ugly bylanes of the slums of Dharavi (Mumbai), a pair of identical twins are born, later christened “Guddu” and “Charlie”. A shocking incident later, the two inseparable brothers coldly part ways, slowly creating a life around them such that they don’t cross each other’s paths. “Guddu” turns out to become a docile stammering college student who works at a NGO. His ways are careful, and he knows his steps well. On the other hand, “Charlie” is a wannabe bookie cum smalltime gangster who loves taking big risks and dreams of having his own booking stall. One fine day, a race-fixing, a guitar, a marriage, and a mistaken identity problem later, they are forced to meet and reconsider their past and their actions.

2009 has been a year of different, groundbreaking films. Movies like Dev.D, Luck by Chance, Delhi-6 (for some open-minded people), 13B, and New York have managed to enthrall as well as excite, and in some movies, even enlighten. Let us now add Kaminey to this list of films. Vishal Bhardwaj manages to take an ordinary story and give it the new-age twist, adding many complex layers to the storyline by giving it a darker edge and an element of satire with execution par excellence. An extremely power-packed screenplay supports this whole execution, which is certainly not for the audience who like brain-dead entertainers with all-fluff-no-soul, and NOT for the faint-at-heart (though there is no direct violence, the situation is such that you will have a lump in your throat). The screenplay has complex layers, the first half of which should be seen carefully and attentively, the absence of which could cost you outrageously wild twists that take place in the second half of the film.

It’s not that the movie doesn’t have its share of flaws, though they might not be noticed at all due to the camouflage the whole atmosphere and execution provides. These flaws are actually goofs that could easily have been fixed. Shahid’s “Guddu” character is supposed to stammer during the film, but when he is introduced during the song Fatak, he doesn’t stammer one bit, and sings joyfully without any speaking disorders. Ditto for his “Charlie”, who ‘forgets’ to lisp when he jigs to Dhan Te Nan as the first half comes to a close. It is very well that nobody notices it, but I guess this should have been written into the script. It doesn’t mar an otherwise watertight script which hooks you and absorbs you from the word go.

Performance-wise, this movie is exemplary, and it proves that if you’re in the hands of a confident director, nothing can go wrong. Shahid Kapoor has given his best performance till date, and excels in his dual role as “Charlie” and “Guddu”. Priyanka Chopra shows that gorgeous women can act, and how! She suits the role of the Maharashtrian “Sweety” Bhope to the T, making her whole accent and style look believable. Amole Gupte deserves all the accolades for playing the negative role of Sweety’s Brother Sunil Shekhar “Chopper” Bhope, a don-politician who will do anything to gain top seat in his elections. Tenzing Nima as “Tashi” is not overshadowed by any of the other performances. Shivkumar Subramanium and Hrishikesh Joshi as corrupt police officers “Lobo” and “Lele” respectively do not disappoint, and instead, back the script well. Chandan Roy Sanyal as “Mikhail” is a talent to watch. The way he portrayed the dangerous blend of childlike innocence and devilish attitude in his character is something to watch out for. Others support efficiently.

Technical brilliance is markedly visible. The dark, murky storyline is enhanced by little or no lighting, thus making the feel of the entire movie a bit more murkier. Cinematography of the bylanes of Mumbai by Tasadduq Hussain captures the essence of the grey feel. Mumbai is not the Mumbai we saw in Dhoom:2(2006). It is somewhere similar to the Mumbai shown to us in Aamir(2008) i.e. not clean, not glossy, and certainly not the hot city you see in those high-styled movies. It is dirty, ugly, swampy, guttery and all the bad things (not that the good isn’t captured – you find hotels, racecourses, fast cars and clubs, but all that is overshadowed by the darker side of Mumbai). This is what intensifies the gritty attitude of the script.

Camera movements really capture the film well and elevate it from a normal scene to something nail-biting. Most of the scenes have been recorded either by a handheld camera or by a steady-cam operator to deliberately produce the shaky effect- this excites and stirs you. Tripod and crane movements are rarely used but that’s not a big issue as the way the camera has captured the various angles of the various scenes really matters at the end of the movie, for the movie as a whole. And the involvement of Vishal Bhardwaj in this treatment is inevitable.

The music is another ‘star’ of the film. From the background score to the songs, there is something in it that makes it click. The Go Charlie Go not only excites, but gives the desirable influence to the chase scenes and gun firings. Other intense scores only helps to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. The songs also fit in well into the plot. Of the lot, Dhan Te Nan makes the biggest impact, followed by Raat Ke Dhai Baje and Fatak. The title track finds it’s way into a poignant situation pre-climax, which makes us feel for “Charlie” (yeah, the song’s for him, but he doesn’t sing it thankfully, or there would be another amusing goof!).

Each scene holds substance, but let’s not forget that the scenes right at the start of the movie lack the pace, and it is only the patient and attentive viewer who will observe these and get sucked into the movie. From the rip-roaring opening chase to the crossfire in the hotel’s parking lot, the chase sequences have been deftly executed. The childlike gunfight between Bhope Bhau and Mikhail is amusing. It is one of those rare scenes where the death of a person in a movie amuses you to a large extent for a few moments before reeling the largest blow on you.

The flashback scenes are deftly handled, though it’s execution through the screenplay shows that this one isn’t the typical flashback narration. The flash back takes time to narrate itself – in bits and pieces, Bhardwaj takes his own time to narrate the flashback – and surprisingly, such a treatment is needed. Watch out for the ‘Fpiderman’ theme a few seconds before the intermission, another hilarious watch. The scene in which the police ask “Guddu” to defend himself in a singsong manner, coupled with the result is an equally amusing one. This film by itself contains many such satirical laugh-inducing moments, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t got its share of intense moments as well.

The scene in which “Guddu” narrates his story to “Sweety” before getting caught by the police makes you feel for him. An equally well-handled scene is the rage of “Sweety” post-marriage in which she threatens to do anything if they ever lay a finger on her husband, is powerfully executed. Another scene pre-climax in which she realizes Bhope Bhau’s true intentions also gives you the goose bumps. It is the dexterous amalgamation of subtle humor and satirical scenes, as well as the intense, angry and emotional ones that provides you with this eclectic movie.

Overall, Vishal Bhardwaj has successful converted an ordinary masala story into a gripping, dramatic thriller that successfully tries to expose the dark streak in each of us, making us think in the end, when the screen fades to black and the credits start appearing (that is before the video of the song Pehli Baar Mohabbat appears on screen, which again amply distracts us from the tense atmosphere, asking us to leave the halls with a smile on our face). Something like this will generate a hearty applause from the open-minded audience, as also the youth who look for something out of the ordinary, as what the public gets is something out of this world, with an international feel. Omkara(2006) enthusiasts will complain and make comparisons, and though you admit that Kaminey isn’t as flawless, you tend to heartily enjoy this thrill-ride. So grab the tickets while it stands at the cinemas, and get ready to difcover your mean fide. DHAN TE NAN!!!