Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui : Fallible yet Quintessential

 

                                          (Picture Courtesy : Google)

World was Never like this, World shall be what it has never been before. Time changes, perception shapes up from preconceived rigidity to logical flexibility. TEST lies in how well we have taken the LESSONS LEARNT.

In the post Covid era ‘Normal’ has re-defined itself, what seemed impossible is now a potential Probability. Maybe it’s the right time to introspect certain definitions of ‘acceptable love’ & social perception, breaking out of our pseudo comfort zone….the ‘Comfort’ feels ‘insecure’ at every new change on its way. India is a country of Diversities with a complex social fabric. Every now & then the conventional cultural approach will be subjected to new waves & challenges. ‘Chandīgarh Ka Aashiqui’ brings up all these while still entertaining us….”Kaata laga to laga”.

 

Story Line :

Manvinder Munjal alias Manu (Ayushman Khurana), the ‘Macho Man’ from Chandigarh is a body builder & fitness enthusiast who chose to be the ‘tough guy’ post the trauma over his mother’s death in childhood, but his inner self remains as vulnerable as ever. ‘Manu’ runs a gym with his friends but the footfall over there is far & few.  Walks in the head turner, Zumba Dance Trainer, Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor)…business roars up. Soon both are drawn towards each other, lust & love takes over. They move fast and come too close, the Guy dreams of a Relationship ! But ‘Maanvi’ is not just another ‘look conscious’ gorgeous lady, there is a something to be let known if ‘honesty’ is to be the backbone of any start. ‘Maanvi’ stuns ‘Manu’ with the Transformation-Story. Shocked, Confused, Agitated, Ashamed…’Manu’ barely struggles to accept Truth ! Then the Story of SHAME, Social Status, etc Continues....but somehow the Love keeps growing.....as the ‘Manu’ says "main kahan normal banda, mera story bhi normal nahi hona tha".

 

Team Work :

Any new experiment needs a team of convinced individuals who believes & feel passionate in their work. It’s this passion which clearly reflects in the movie. Director Avishek Kapoor & his team does in a wonderful job in Story Telling, portraying everything in the most engaging manner with the right blend of Intent & Sensitivity. While the light humour is maintained in most situations avoiding over dramatization & theatrics, the ‘Subject’ is dealt with thought provoking maturity. Abhishek effortlessly breezes through the introductory part getting bang on to the point within the initial 45 minutes. Sachin-Jigar’s music compliments with this early ‘hip-hop’ culture & pace quite well. While the early breeze entertains & engages you, it shows signs of something too serious coming up. At a very ‘feel-good’ high moment the film makers come up with ‘Maanvi’s revelations followed by the dumbstruck ‘Manu’s. With the soft & moderate punches along with right humour, at times, Avishek & Team shows the crudeness dished out by the Society. The scene where ‘Manu’ is seen rubbing the soap over his body under the shower is beautifully done in the most hard-hitting manner for our ‘traditional’ mindset. The song ‘Kalle Kalle’ & ‘Maafi’ are beautiful moments of the film.

 

Performance :

The Lead Pair shares a crackling chemistry & they literally carry the film on their shoulders.

‘Kudos’ to Ayushman Khurana for picking up yet another 'Hatke' subject, very much relevant to the time. He has done some real homework to look out & out ‘macho’. He is brilliant from being the shocked, confused yet compassionate lover fighting the inner war to identify ‘the right’ between social/family ties & sensibility.

Vani Kapoor is the ‘GEM’ in the movie. She is not just a ‘hot-bod’ in portraying a challenging role. Her expressions are heavenly. At every ‘hit’ from the people around her she shows the vulnerability yet the firmness to keep fighting. Being Shunned by Family (Mother specially) & Society, she puts up that Artificial Happy & Sexy Look for the Outer World, but the eyes reveal the Melancholy Soul !  She reminded me “Have you seen my heart ?” Her Eyes…..it seems I have seen them a thousand times !

 

If, there was any scope for improvement in the Script, possibly it was with the ending & a bit more of light into the medical details of transformation. Perhaps, that would have lent a few more ounce of gravity & may be the film would have been a Classic. But then everyone has a different way of expression & so long as the Intent is correctly portrayed the goal is achieved. Such movies are not only just products of art but the ones who aim to make us conscious of our ‘vulnerabilities’.

 

Whether such a Film is inspired by Real Life Incident, I don't know, but possibly such Stories exist in different corners of our country. And for sure FUTURE will dish out similar stories in our life.....the Test of Time shall decide how well we have stepped from the Box into the Real World. Will it be then be another Story of SHAME or PRIDE.....it will again be the time for MIRROR TEST !

83 : Priceless Journey

                                           (Picture Courtesy : Google)

"35 years we have gained Independence, but we are yet to Command Respect"....that just sums up...why ‘83’ ? There is always a first time to everything in life and the 1st one is always the special one, it lays the foundation for future to build on.

 

Kids, who have had the opportunity of growing up in India during 80s-90s, have witnessed the 'Transformation of Cricket from being a Sports to a Religion'. Much of this was aided by the increasing Live Television Telecasts & rise of demand for Global Commercialization. But there was the Kick-off Point which started this & that was India's 1983 World Cup Story, the Story which shaped up on it's own, based on the belief that the Captain instilled in his teammates by being the Exemplary Leader.

 

The film starts off in the lunch hours at a Govt Office on 30-May-1983. The peon brings a letter which the Officer has to sign & receive. Reluctant to leave his lunch, officer signed with soiled hands & opens the letter. It was the Invitation Letter from ICC for India's participation in upcoming World Cup. With only one victory to show (against East Africa in past two World cups), for the officer the letter had hardly any significance, nothing more than a Head Count Participation Invitation !

 

It is not a Story, it's History which we all know. In the most light hearted engaging narrative, Kabir Khan & Team recreates the Time & Plot, the dressing room stories, the mood, the psyche, the background & the Emotion...for us to re-visit. The makers have plotted out the minute details from food habits, extra luggage requirement, Indian supporters, linguistic barriers, press reporting, reservation over entry to Lord’s, events before & after every match, the swinging moods & tempo to show the roller coaster to 25-June.

 

‘83’ is an innovative form of documentary-drama with the correct balance of facts & emotion. At multiple places the Reel images have been interchanged with Real images, be it the scene at the airport, news snippets or clippings. In fact, through the immigration check Kabir & Team help viewers to pair the reel characters with the real characters. Special attention has been made in highlighting the different milestones & records, big or small, achieved by the team or the players on individual level during the tournament. The aura of West Indian giants, the invincibility they brought with them, have been quite well illustrated in the scene where the senior pros are sharing the profile of the players while observing the net practice, symbolizing the terror the name of West Indies brought to the mind of viewers & opponents.

 

Beyond cricketing boundaries, ‘83’ portrays the underlying current of self-pride, dignity & Nationalism which was slowly & silently taking steps forward as Team India was making its progress. The scene at PMO, where the then Prime Minister Orders Television Telecast of the semi-final & final reflects the requirement of time, the changing ways of addressing Nationalism. Amidst the riots & curfew, the effort of a Muslim Family in trying to fix the TV-Antenna to watch India play shows the ‘Unity in Diversity’. Even the pause at cross-border firing between the two nations on the final match day is quite humorous. Restricted entry at Lord’s for Indian Spectators for the Final Match (right at the kick-off of the tournament) shows the questionable credibility World had over India being a Cricketing Nation & the Indian Team Manager had no answer for that.

 

For such a sleek & compact storytelling, music needed to be smarter. Also, a bit more of the on-field reactions of the opponent players from England & Australia, for the surprising performance from India, would have been better. The aggression of West Indian Fast Bowlers to gain upper hand looked little over played in a wrong way.

 

The Squad of 1983 is often referred to as ‘Kapil's Devils’, even the members of Squad believed it was possible because of the Captain while others filled in as per the requirement. Similarly, the crew would agree ‘83’ is majorly dependant on Ranveer Singh (Kapil Dev) with strong supports from Pankaj Tripathi (Team Manager, PR Man Singh), Jatin Sarna (Late Yashpal Sharma), Saqib Salem (Mohinder Amarnath), Jiiva (Krishnamachari Srikanth) and others.  Casting of Mohinder Amarnath (Lala Amarnath), Chirag Patil (Sandip Patil) & Mali Marshal (Malcom Marshall) as their celebrated fathers are pleasant surprise. Deepika Padukone (Romi Dev) looks misfit in the overall context. Jatin Sarna has got under the skin his role, the lesser known Yashpal Sharma, with some exuberance.

 

Saqib Salem, is elegant. As the Vice-Captain, Mohinder Amarnath had a very critical role to play alongside Kapil Dev, Saqib portrays that with fine delicacy. His expressions, while Mohinder starts admiring his Captain silently, is something to watch out for. His dressing room interactions with Ranveer mirrors the wisdom & calmness associated with Mohinder during the tournament. Saqib shoulders the ‘Big Brother’ Image perfectly, both on the 22 yards while taming the wild horses in Srikanth, Yashpal, Kirti & Sandip as well as off it. But the best part from Saqib comes out when he has to attend ‘Lalaji’ s phone call, a Champion living in the shadow & awe of his father’s name is so well translated !

 

Pankaj Tripathi as Man Singh looks a seasoned campaigner….be the scene of encouraging Ranveer in bus for a pep talk/team meeting or his trademark smile after being rejected for an entry pass for Lord’s on the final is brilliant as ever. Even during his telephone calls with Air India for ticket rescheduling, he is spot on with his indecision & vulnerability. The scene where  he tries to settle the ego hassle of the ex-captain with the new captain is quite special.

 

For cricket lovers who have witnessed 1983 live, for most of them ‘Paji’ is no less than a God & to step in the shoes of a demi-god is Gutsy ! Ranveer is superb as Kapil, picking up his diction, body language, Bowling Run up or ‘Nataraj’ Shot. The way he blasts at ‘Roger Binny’ (Nishant Dahiya) or criticizes ‘Sunil Gavaskar’ (Tahir Bhasin) or refusaes to issue any statement before semi-final sounds ‘Kapil’! He has done his homework quite well to make the on-screen character believable. Kapil made his mark as all-arounder & ‘Captain to be’ during his 175* vs Zimbabwe…..Ranveer just essays that part brilliantly. In the late 80s when ‘Ramayan’ was a Sunday feature on ‘Doordarshan’, ‘Arun Govil’ was often worshipped as ‘Ram’ in many parts of India ! Had the time been 80s, it would have not been a surprise if Mr. Singh had featured in some of the posters alongside the cricketers, while they were getting worshipped !

 

Post-Independence India’s success story in sports as a Unit, as a Team was critical for a Nation under Reconstruction Mode, but beyond the Field Hockey Gold Medals in 1964 & 1980 Olympics, nothing else was happening with equivalent success. The 1983-World Cup changed the Wave, the Victory in England sent out the message, loud & clear, from Lords Balcony…..’Don’t take us for granted we are here to stay….and if the need be, we shall do it on your soil….rok sako to rok lo’.

 

‘83’ is the tale of underdogs (spared not even by their own countrymen) rising to fame. It the story of the hurdles they crossed, the journey they made, the fight they put up to earn respect…………..the throwback we take.