Critique of a critique of Kaminey
Running against the course is one way of seeking and getting attention. And Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr in his ‘A pretentious film bamboozles critics’ (DNA, 25th Aug, 2009) does exactly that. Even if one goes by the view that one is entitled to have one’s own, very individual view that might go against the popular/majority view when it comes to any creative work, Rao fails majorly. He has attacked Kaminey, praised by nearly all critics, without explaining why he has done so.
His edit page article is more of a meandering, aimless collection of words which veer after the first few paragraphs from the core topic of why he found Kaminey a bad film. He has every right to hate any film, including Kaminey, even if all others love it, but the fact that he has chosen to write about Kaminey is proof enough that he is trying to draw attention to himself by running against the course.
Out of the blue, he has chosen to write about a film that has become immensely popular among both critics and the public, a rare occurrence by itself, even though we have never seen him write about movies that are good but don’t’ reach the wider, pan-India public due to restrictions of language (for example, the recent Marathi films Gabhricha Paus and Harishchandracha Factory).
As someone who belittles Indian film critics/reviewrers in the very opening sentence by saying that they are “perhaps so starved of good stuff that they have lost the ability to judge a bad movie when it is made by an apparently intelligent filmmaker like Vishal Bhardwaj”, Rao fails miserably in giving example of a single movie that he considers to be good and against which he had compared Kaminey’s standards with.
He says there were problems with Bhardwaj’s Maqbool and Omkara, but does not give a single instance of what they were. If you have found problems, what is the problem in mentioning at least one of them?
The fact is that Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap and quite a few others are trying to make films that are within the Bollywood framework but at the same time are helping Hindi cinema in its slow evolution away from the mindless (which, incidentally still forms the majority).
When critics /reviewers write about a Vishal Bhardwaj film, they more or less do it in the context of Hindi cinema. One can compare Bhardwaj/Kashyap brand of cinema, or the whole of Hindi cinema, with the rest of the cinema in India, but that will be more in the realm of an academic exercise not within the framework of a regular review.
Has anyone ever seen Adoor Gopalakrishnan being compared with Girish Kasaravalli being compared with Shyam Benegal being compared with Mrinal Sen in a review of a single film of his when it is released? Mind it, it is not an impossibility but is not the norm.
Rao says there are “several problems” with Kaminey, and then says “First, it is made in the format of a commercial film with all its stereotypical elements — hero, heroine, villains, songs, romance and fights”. Leaving aside the fact that that is where the success of Kaminey as new face of Hindi cinema comes from – that it used the usual idioms of Hindi cinema, but in a different format (something that even Slumdog Millionaire had done to a great extent) – the more interesting fact is that Rao never lists any more – ‘second’, ;’third’ of whatever number – of the problems he had found in Kaminey.
He gives the example of how Bhardwaj has made “a mess of it” by citing the scene where the hero and heroine dance and sing in an AIDS-awareness promotion procession (the fact is that the heroine does not dance and sing in it, making an appearance only towards the fag end of the song) and the next scene they decide on their marriage based on an impending pregnancy.
Well, Mr Rao, does people always practice what they preach? And the scene is about creating awareness about unsafe sex, but the hero and the heroine might (might I am saying, for arguments sake) be committed to only one another so as not to feel the requirement of the use of the condoms (even though the hero looks for his pack before the act but fails to find it), even if one foregoes the implied passion-taking-over-reason feel of the scene, which only further highlights the fact that how people practice unsafe sex in moments of rising passion! Rao simply decides not to see this point.
And what is the problem in – even if we believe Rao’s argument that “all the frames are echoes of Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now” – in getting inspired by other films / filmmakers. Far greater filmmakers than a Bhardwaj have been influenced by other filmmakers across the world, and many of them have acknowledged it in various forums.
If it ends up as a “spaghetti gangster film”, what’s the harm in it? It was not meant to be a grave intellectual exercise by any means anyway.
Rao says Bhardwaj belongs to “that tribe of self-conscious filmmakers”, but his piece is a better example of “self conscious” writing. Or else, how do you explain his veering off to mentioning how Ghatak had been neglected by the world because everyone was going gaga over Ray (here Rao himself proves what I had stated above, that contemporary filmmakers of the same language are usually compared instantly, while comparisons across languages and nations come much later, in the shape of academic exercises).
Who is / are the filmmaker(s) being neglected in the present times while the critics are hyping up Bhardwaj or Kashyap kind of makers? Well, Rao offers to example. And “even today, Bimal Roy remains an unrecognised genius though Do Bigha Zamin, the neo-realist masterpiece, preceded Ray’s Pather Panchali by three years”? What a laugh – there is hardly anyone who does not acknowledge Do Bigha Zamin as a classic.
Yes, there have been late recognition for Guru Dutt as a director of critical achievement, as Rao puts it. But there have been many others who are not even remembered today by the wider media, especially if they belong to cinema in non-Hindi languages (which we derogatorily describe as ‘regional’ cinema, as if only Hindi films are national cinema and others have no claims to a ‘national’ identity even though everyone acknowledges that cinema is an art form beyond linguistic limitations. But this is a different point of debate altogether, not relevant to this particular critique of a critc).
That is the reality of creative arts – some get name and fame, some deservedly, some not so, and not because they are the best in the business. Also yes, that Indians tend to recognise their people’s talent more easily after the West does that, but what is the context of those references in Rao’s piece on Kaminey. Bhardwaj is more celebrated at home than he has been abroad. And he has not succeeded because his films have been recognized by the West first.
Rao might not have seen his Blue Umbrella (making this assumption since he has mentioned only Maqbool and Omkara in his write-up), but it is a little gem, in which you see Bhardwaj’s commitment to the art form that one has to acknowledge in the same breath as his need to pander to popular tastes in his own style, through Kaminey. In fact, I doubt if Rao would have even written this piece if Kaminey would have been a flop even if it had been praised sky high by critics.
Rao’s argument that the critics’ argument that guys like Bhardwaj, Kashyap, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra cannot be the “new rebels who are subverting commercial cinema in a meaningful fashion” (he says the critics’ verdict is “patently untrue”) because they remain on the margins is perhaps the most vacuous of arguments.
Can’t you be a rebel if you are in the margins, Mr Rao? Rebellions are often sparked off by those in the margins, before they achieve a more popular appeal. And what about those who are at the centre stage of commercial cinema – aren’t they achieving a Box Office success rate of just about five per cent? Then what is the problem is someone wants to do some things (even the same things) differently?
“Popular taste refuses to be moulded by the self-appointed arbiters of taste. That is why it is so necessary to call the bluff of the critics when they anoint faltering filmmakers like Bhardwaj as the masters of cinema. A country that produces a thousand films a year deserves wider debate as to what constitutes cinema. Critical taste has to be rooted in a broader understanding of cinema and society in India and in the world. This important job cannot be left to intellectual rookies,” says Rao.
No argument that India needs a wider debate on what constitutes cinema, specifically its cinema, in the backdrop of the fact that often it is the derogatory label “Bollywood” that is affixed to all cinema that is Indian and, therefore, hugely diverse, many not even resembling what is offered by Bollywood.
But then, when you call others “intellectual rookies”, when none of them are even claiming to be intellectual even though some of them might nurse big egos, aren’t you yourself assuming that you are an intellectual giant? Well, I presume that is where the genesis of Rao’s laboured piece lies.
Tags: Anurag Kashyap, DNA, Kaminey, Parsa Venkateshwara Rao Jr, Vishal Bhardwaj
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Who is this Rao you speak of?
Hey Tejas. I think the first para got lopped off while placing the photos (editors/moderators, please have a look at this: or else this piece makes no sense!)
I thought so. I googled Rao + Kaminey and found nothing there, so concluded this Rao fellow must be quite insignificant. ;)
See, http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/column_a-pretentious-film-bamboozles-critics_1284914
This is the guy: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/parsa-venkateswar-rao-jr/b/214/261
One of those bearded intellectuals believing in dialectical materialism. ;-)
See this blog post too: http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/thank-god-one-critic-thinks-kaminey-is-crap/
I am simply appalled reading Rao’s review. You have rebuked his assertions fantastically and I agree with you. Here’s why I think Anurag/Vishal are bringing in a movement here with their cinema. Firstly, both of them come from small towns. Anurag from Beneras and Vishal from around Lucknow. They are closely associated with the roots and know the masses much better than our sorry armchair asses. Their films never lose the basic element of the larger population. There is that fundamental earthy quality intact. They have influences from Hindi literature, folklore like Pash/Mahadevi Varma/prem Chand etc and at the same time the influences of Antonioni/Coppola/Tarantino are intact too. Making that fine balance is an art. This really brings a lot of difference in the way you understand and make cinema.
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Secondly, I always feel that making an art film could be easier (you know who you catering to; the festivals or the intellectuals) or making an out and out commercial film is easier (you know what works with the masses). But making a sensible film that caters to both these groups is what I called a maverick’s work. On one hand you bring the masses to upgrade their sensibilities on the other you also satisfy the intellectual thinker. You will really need to KNOW both of these groups well. Considering their roots and their intellectual upbringing, they use this combination to amazing perfection. I want to ask Mr.Rao along with you, who other than AK and VB he considers a good filmmaker. At the current stage of where the industry is, I really find it hard to think of names. Why cant we give them the credit of increasing the intellectual quotient of India through their cinema. Even the YRFs and Dharmas of the world are adapting to this new change that they are heralding. Critics like Rao only impede the growth of cinema.
Talking abt opinions , there was huge amount of insult generated around , when some one went ahead and published that ‘ Kaminey is India’s pulp fiction ‘.
I heard QT was insulted heavily , cuz he himself was trying his ass off to get back to that ‘cut edge cult form’ for past 10+ years and has almost given up trying.
Then there is ‘India’ got insulted heavily , cuz most of those ‘egoistic proud Indians’ wanted an original desi cult to be compared with the QT cult. cummon..its all abt pride.!
Then there are lots of Kamineys around the world got insulted heavily , cuz no one in this ‘Kaminey’ , was even close to the real Kamineys. forget Jules , Vincent , Butch , Wolf , Mark Wallas ; but then wot abt me and all the other kamineys who got hell disappointed watching this ‘over cooked sweet and cold made up cult’.!
But then chill.its just a thought. someone thought its pulpfiction made in India. thats fine. freedom of thought. let it be.
I think the same way we shud chill and forgive Rao for his opinion too.
Footer – Am sure Vishal can easily strike back to his original form and hit the spot , before QT does . For that we dont need to shout Kaminey is great. Kaminey missed the shot. so What ? We just need to wait for his next and he will be back.!
Relax boy! I was the one who wrote that review and I stand by it. Here’s the link http://passionforcinema.com/kaminey-india’s-pulp-fiction/
Read it properly and you would know that “I” PERSONALLY felt that there was a sense of Pulp Fiction for me watching Kaminey. And I have explained exactly scene by scene why. If you disagree with me then thats fine. Because I am not forcing anyone to believe so. Its all relative perceptions. I could have said Guy Ritchie, Rodriguez, Antonioni and stuff but I didnt experience that I didn’t put it that way. Simple. And yes really, you must be working quite close with QT to know that he was offended by my post. Insult?? Where? How???
Dont propmote this Rao… we have never heard of him…. Ignore him
Wonderfully written. Pleasure to see this. I hope more writers on pfc and other blogs take similar action against ridiculous, uninformed, unsubstantiative writers like Mr. Rao. I fail to understand how DNA published it (Not that DNA is really synonymous with quality content). Perhaps Mr. Rao has been struggling off late to get his articles approved and posted and this was a desperate attempt at turning some heads. Someone please point Mr. Rao and DNA to this constructive critique of a critic.
Mr.Rao is stupid but Kaminey is an overrated film and we all (including the ones who are praising it) know it!
Non-linear storytelling is a tricky business.The problem why Love aaj kal and Kaminey failed to make an impact was because they could not get it right.Films like Memento,Eternal Sunshine,Pulp Fiction,Old Boy have used this style but only to heighten the effect of those films.In India, Black Friday is the best non-linear effective film.
PFC is trying to make a lobby for ‘Different’ Cinema and it is very evident the way it has praised Dev D(Repetitive),Gulaal(Story gone haywire),Sankat City(Jst noder comedy of errors film) and now Kaminey(Weak Back story for brothers’ heatread,climax lifted from lock stock,just another comedy of errors film with criminal layer nd “Bichade Bhai” tadaka)
I ain’t saying above movies were bad,but they were just ok.But I think PFC wants create a lobby like YRF for their kind of cinema.And at that cost objective criticism has to be sacrificed.
In that way,PFC is doing a great job:)
I agree. Sure, Kaminey was “different” from YRF and David Dhawan-style comedy, but does that alone make it good? I say, no.
It’s not a bad film but it’s not a great one, either, but we do no favors to filmmakers for praising mediocre efforts.
Talk about irony – a reviewer taking another reviewer to task for being “different” in order to garner attention when the film being reviewed had done just the same thing.
And if somebody could please tell me what the “different take” was with the double role that everybody was falling all over themselves to praise, I’d be thrilled. To me the double role was used to less effect than the standard Ram/Shyam trope. Was that it?
Agree with Anup wholeheartedly. Kaminey has zilch new. The loony gangsters, drugs, drug dealers, twins, policemen involved in crime, dirty Mumbai ghettos, dim pseudo noir lighting, shaky camera – what among these we haven’t seen before? And the whole constituted out of these routine elements is equally torpid.
And I also sense an YRF like agenda to push ‘our’ cinema sans any true allegiance to naked cinematic merit.
It’s time we praised what really ought to be.
Rao has never been a critic to the best of my knowledge. A fairly mediocre hack, and journalist, had seen some columns from him in the media, nothing great, same old Bull shit. This is what happens when you get guys with 0 knowledge of movies, and a half baked knowledge of everything else, to write on movies. Looks like DNA is out of good writers( not that the other Magazines are any better), that they depend on a mediocre hack like Rao.
Actually after going through some more columns, that this Rao guy has written, i take back my words. He is not mediocre, he is plain atrocious. He honestly seems to have no ideas, no clear thinking, nothing. So i don’t understand why we should take his views so seriously, he is not even a movie critic in first place.
http://www.dnaindia.com/columns/parsa-venkateshwar-rao-jr
I am not trying to go against the raving reveiws of Kaminey. And I am a big fan of VB since his makdee days. But the fact is , Myself and almost all of my friends ( count 10+) didnt like the movie at all. I had recommended this film to them three months ago, based on its promos and reputation of the auteur.
some of my friends went to see first day first show in delhi and as soon as they came out of the multiplex called me to say that its average. One of my friend replied back me with an email, the conten of which are posted below:
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Oh hey….thank god..love you for this….I watched the whole movie and was wondering why is this given a 4 star rating and all that…I mean the story is below average, the characterisation is normal…only some scenes are worth remembering..thank god you did not like it..otherwise I would have thought that there is something wrong in me for not liking it…Its trailer was brilliant and may that increased our expectation…
and Also Kaminey title says a lot of things and was not used aptly in the film..its showed general things ….Kaminey title should be used nicely ..anyway….
”
I share the same sentiment and after watching the film didn’t recommend anyone to go and spent 200Bucks for Kaminey. VB lost this time with Kaminey!!
Totally Agree! Faltu Film! I found nothing new in this film!
@ Ratna great catch! By the way this is his first movie review from what it appears through the site. I found a gem from one of his writings. If this is not pretentious then what is man.. read on…It looks as though he is commenting on himself ;-)
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“We are charmed by our own circumlocutions. It is not just the politicians who indulge in this pointless, longwinded verbal calisthenics.
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It is also intellectuals, who shiver in their boots to say something clearly. They are forever looking over their shoulders to the junket or sinecure they can get from those in power if they garble their thoughts and words.
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Intellectuals as courtiers represent a form of chronic and debilitating disease that our society is plagued with. This is not a rhetorical proposition.”
Mr. Rao, though sounding pompous, brutish and know all…has made a point…What he states is true…These maverick filmmakers instead of changing how commercial cinema should be made, are slipping towards it…
The way Runumi chose to personally attack him and his knowhow… it is uncalled for…
For example, when he talks of ‘Do Bigha Zameen’, he speaks at an international level recognition…and he is spot on in case of ‘Guru Dutt’… We dont have to laugh at someones attempt to make a point
Ratna… most of us are not professional film critics out here… do you mean our opinion has no value…
Mr.Rao deserves to be told not be personal and more diplomatic in his criticism…how the hell does he know VB’s intentions? How does he know that intellectual rookies cannot be good critics..he himself looks lik a ‘rookie’ in film criticism…though a seasoned journalist…
Mr. Rao might be going extremely overboard…but what he said , is an opinion to be noticed…
Current filmmakers will come out and shoot Rao down telling his lack of criticizing credentials or inability to understand trends… They have to defend their child… nothing wrong with that…
Boss, i have nothing against any Rao,Reddy or Naidu, giving their 2 paise worth opinion, on Kaminey, its a free world after all. But there is a hell a lot of difference, in the way you consider the opinion of a movie critic, or at least some one who has an interest in movies. I have never really seen his articles on movies at any stage, and honestly what he wrote on Kaminey, made no sense to me at all. Again strictly IMO.
I realize..but we are going ballistic on that guy for telling his opinion…
He might not be a movie critic.. that helps better.. he has written it as a frustrated audience who expects more out of Indian films…
He went overboard.. no doubt.. bitching ranting at everyone… That has to be reprimanded.. not his ability or knowhow or opinion…
Vijay called him ‘ridiculous, uninformed, unsubstantiative writers like Mr. Rao’… who confirmed all these adjective on Rao…
You opine ‘He is not mediocre, he is plain atrocious’…
what is this? 20 minutes of read on his few articles and you have made up your mind…
“Running against the course is one way of seeking and getting attention”… Is this how Runumi should have started an analysis…
Now what? all you will pounce upon me for supporting Rao for gaining attention…aa jao…khada hoon…
“what is this? 20 minutes of read on his few articles and you have made up your mind”
Anna, its not just 20 minutes, have been reading most of his pieces for the last 9 years at various sites. Ok let me phrase it “His writing is not just mediocre, its atrocious”. Satisfied.
To an extent I sort of agree with you on the adrenalin rush against Mr.Rao but I am not convinced by your statement: “These maverick filmmakers instead of changing how commercial cinema should be made, are slipping towards it…” On the contrary, they are making meaningful cinema more accessible to the mass audience through a medium they understand; commercial cinema. For the first time in my life I have seen some of my friends who are the Kamabhakkt ishq, YRF, Sing is King loving types, like a film in the same way I did. I was so enthralled to see my friends loving Dev.D, Gulaal, Omkara and now Kaminey. I have never have found common ground with them on movies. They call me an art house junkie. But you see how these mavericks are thinning the lines. Which is why I said they are gradually increasing the cumulative intelligence quotient of the country through cinema.
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Another point is that at the end of the day it is also business right. How long do you think they will continue making films for us (who are in minority) and not go big at the box office with the mass audeince. They are answerable to the producers too. So they make “commercial films” as you put it, but don’t lose their integrity towards cinema.
Kaminey had the option of challenging the audience… forget fairy tale endings.. forget crime never pays.. forget goody gangster/scums who dont use expletives… forget heroism.. forget certification…everyone is Kaminay… Then tell the audience, This is as honest as I can make it, if you want you watch this one, else get lost… the audacity, bordering arrogance, of a honest filmmaker or creator…
Take anyone, whoever have changed the history of cinema worldwide and India…They must have felt it when they finished a movie that the love with conviction not worrying about audience…
But this one did not…that is what I meant… It gave into the norms of commercial cinema to make money…
Nothing wrong with that… absolutely nothing wrong… infact its a good thing as well… everyone deserves to make money… if its with a well-made film..all the good.. Kudos VB…
I retort only when someone says ‘Kaminey Changes Hindi Cinema Forever’ or the likes…which is absolute nonsense…
Kaminey is a good entertainer.. period… nothing more…and nothing less… lets leave at that.. than celebrate someone based on their previous achievements..
If sachin scores a century without middling throughout the innings, with four inside edges, three dropped catches and one wrond lb decision…and India go on to win the match.. The innings is still a bad one…and Sachin is Sachin.. we should not become like Gavaskar who praises every Sachin innings and ballast everything from Afridi…thats all
This analogy might be a bad one..but sort of conveys my drift
perfect analogy, Ram!
Well said! Though i dislike the content of Mr. Rao’s article, IMO personal attacks were unwarranted.
http://www.dnaindia.com/blogs/post.php?postid=221
Interesting. Now what?
Aarti Jee, andaz Apna Apna
Let’s make a movie “Ye Rao kaun hai ?”
I thought we were not going in indulge in fanboyism. And, now we attack a guy, simply for not liking Kaminey. What’s the big deal? I would like to suggest that we stop hero worship (or keep it separate at least) and judge a film on it’s own merit.
Opinions about the film itself will differ…but what has been written by Mr. Rao is does indicate that he is writing for the sake of writing it….especially the part about AIDS…can’t he see the irony?
Rao isn’t the only one who didn’t like Kaminey – there are quite a few bloggers/reviewers who found it overrated… including myself.
http://filmi-girl.livejournal.com/259470.html
How much has the film earned btw? Both gross profits and from different territories as also from multiplexes and from single-screen theaters and overseas. These days even if the films are a dud at the box office every one involved tries to keep up the appearances in order to manage at least some profits. The image of a director and the production house is everything and if it takes a beating it further nullifies their future ventures. SO if the production house goes gung-ho about a film’s being a hit at the box office despite facts to the contrary it is salvaging the future babies. Think of Satyam. Why did they cook the books? to keep up the appearances. and that got them projects, big ones despite being
going downhill. In business, film or otherwise, image is everything. Even if you don’t make a profit, just show it that you have made it. You will make it. It’s like enticing a lovely lass by a fat wallet, even if it is full of visiting cards you can never think of visiting!
Cheers
guys, I have not ‘attacked’ (as someone has described) Rao for not liking Kaminey. My criticism of him is because he has not substantiated his arguments enough, which gives the impression that he is doing it for the sake of doing it. I have no issues whether he likes of dislikes K or any other film, because I strongly believe everyone is entitled to his/her own, individual opinions when it comes to an emotionally charged medium like cinema. But when you argue, give at least solid arguments – that is my case here.
I think we should now have a Critique of a Critique of a critique of Kaminey.
I mean just because one guy does not follow your tribe he becomes a person ’seeking attention’!!! That’s just plain narcissistic.
You guyz are free to love this so called Brilliant movie to death. No one’s stopping you. But plzzzzzzzzz.. why this obsession to have everyone align with your opinion
hahahahahhaha.. We Indians are very strange people. Rather than rising above someone who we admire, we try to pull him/her down and try to bring him/her to our own drawfy level. Instead of considering this as a crime, we often hail people who indulge in such acts. After all, we as a nation believe in equality for all. Whether one has the talent or not, all should be regarded as equal. Rao is just an ideal child of such a society. He will never be able to achieve any kind of excellence in any field, but why should that matter. Isn’t he equal to the great Vishal Bharadwaj just by virtue of being born with two limbs, legs etc etc. Sahi jaa rahe ho Rao, good going.
Time to revisit our philosophy of equality. As one of the greatest philosophers had once said “The greatest form of inequality is trying to make two unequal things equal”.
What shit!! I dont want to waste a second more reading about such people. I would rather watch movies of VB again and feel happy about the greatness that can be achieved by a man. He still not is a great director, IMO, but has definitely shown that he is on the path to greatness. Goodness be damned, I loved greatness.
Who is hailing Rao? I think the writer of this post did that by writing a post about Rao. Why not let Rao have his opinion and leave him alone. Why do we feel the need to defend VB? Does he need our defending him and his work?
As Rajeev Masand says the magic of cinema is we all agree to disagree.Kaminey is not above average film, but in times of KI it is definitely good movie.
Vishal i feel is one of the overrated director.For me Kaliyattam was better adaption of Othello, than Omakra because, in the end when suresh Gopi Kills Manju Warrier , you could feel the pain in his eyes .Not that Ajay did not potray it very well but the essence of Othello was lost, as Ajay is gangster, he has killed many people so killing of human being is not new to him where as in Kaliyattam suresh gopi plays an artist, you can feel how his insecurities drive to murder his wife.
Cinemausher- I do agree with you to some extent.According to me Kaminey is a good movie but certainly not a earth shattering landmark movie.I wouldnt call VB an overrated filmmaker- he is certainly among the better filmmakers in Hindi cinema these days.But yes Kaliyattam was certainly a more interesting adaptation of Othello.Alas very few people would even be aware of it ( apart from those who follow Malayalam cinema ) and hence it has not been projected to the extent Omkara has got projected.
What Mr Rao has written abt Ghatak and gurudutt is relly true.It’s really shame that we couldn’t recognise gahtak’s work for many years.And after his death people start recognizing the importance of gahtak’s films.It’s really shame that gurudutt’s work was recognized by some french critiques..and not our inidan critiques.We only believe in comparing our films with hollywood movies..there are so many film makers like girish kasarvalli,adoor gopal krishnan..who beleive in making original movies.According to satyjit Ray..for Ritwik ghatak..’Hollywood migh not have existed at all’.such was the originality of his films..And also we should encourage people like Vishal,Rakeysh ompraksh mehra who are atleast trying to bring change in indian cinema..
I think this Rao guy needs medical attention urgently.
Kaminey was an overrated movie. It was undercooked and the kind of reception it got from the critics probably shows the abysmal state of affairs in Indian Cinema. I’m yet to read an article crisply stating this. Without rants, with clear objectivity if someone stated these things, it’d not be an act in swimming against the tide, but in saying what’s right regardless of which direction the tide is in.
sigh with every hyped/expected movie release the audience quickly breaks up into two groups …one withe genuine opion as to why the film was good and one with a genuine opinion as to why the film was bad…slowly 2 more groups of brainless people are formed…those who pick which ever group they find cooler….
the thing with kaminey is it isnt a BAD film for sure…actually technically and performance wise there arenvery few flaws…granted a lot of it might have already been done earlier …but then again parts of it were intresting…for example chandal roy bansals performance was nice….so was the subtle socials messages which i really liked [the aids part in the bit,charlie choosing a life of shortcuts which is something i VERY much identify with ] its isnt pathbreaking but it is a WELL MADE film
subhashish i agree with you are critics are bullshit…and yes thigns are wrong at one level with indian cinema but at the same time it is going forward in my opinion..
i think one of our biggest problems is we call a film genius way tooo easily..
the problem at pfc is we are like a bunch of school kids who all wanna look cool in front of school stud[anurag kashyap?] so we just agree with whatever he says ? and yes he is right at times..but at times he could be wrong too ?
“KAMINEY NOT KAMINEY ENOUGH”
I had/have no intentions of criticising any filmmaker(Vishal Bharadwaj here), but i will do it nevertheless(Kaminapan). Vishal is a brilliant filmmaker. He will go on to make some gems, but Kaminey i am sorry is not one of them. It is a almost there,almost brilliant film. Its like PT Usha, so near yet so far. Best in India, yet something missing .I do not agree when people say that Kaminey will change this & that & blah blah & i have reasons for that.Yes it will definately make you sit & think. Which in itself is not bad at all.Even Vishal hasn’t claimed anything stupid. He is a modest & highly talented guy. Its the so called critics who claim that Kaminey is a classic. I don’t take that, neither do i agree when people say it is “stupid”. I think all those who think Kaminey is stupid are one themselves. Kaminey is great entertainment. Some fine acting. Some out of the world dialouges. A very good film overall. I am a genuine fan of Vishal Bharadwaj and will remain one for time to come. But i want him to know that i have certain concerns regarding his film, and i want him to know what these concerns are. Almost all the reviews that i have read about Kaminey coming from professinal critic writers are all full of all the good things that Kaminey is. The public opinion is kind of mixed. It ranges from “masterpiece” to “absolute rubbish”, honestly its scary when you get so diverse opinions about one single thing. Anyways lets see if my concerns have some weight;
1> Charlie’s character says “mere baap ne marte huwe kaha tha yeh duniya badi kutti cheez hai…..blah bla blah”. Now was Charlie not gambling around with the money when his father died. STUMPED. Well maybe his father returned one last time to tell him the truth of life…from afterlife.Kyun???( Also the fact that Charlie’s father commited suicide, so basically he was never ever even on a death bed, so no question of getting sentimental and start preaching and stuff. His death was an accident. Difficult to digest.
2> Why does Sweety stutter when she fights with Guddu at the Hostel or whatever it was. Later when she does not stutter during the fight sequence at her wedding does Guddu come to know that all this while she was acting. Now its difficult, almost impossible to act when you face a tough situation. Now tell me one thing, don’t you think Sweety was upset when Guddu rejected her proposals, so how did she manage to still act? Brilliant actress. I really beleive Priyanka is one. But i feel this was not totally convincing from the makers.
3> Charlie & Mikhail were totally soaked in water in one sequence, in the next Charlie enters his room & finds Bhope Bhau waiting there. Charlie’s hair seemed pretty much dry. Wonder how??? Charlie even tells Mikhail that he will be back in five mins, so we can make out that he was very near to his house. Maybe he checked into a parlour next door. Or maybe the way to his room was via a parlour…anything possible.
4> The whole sequence of the process of exchanging the two Shahid’s was extremely stupid. Why will somebody complicate matters as easy as that. And that too someone as ruthless as Lobo & Lele. And the meverick Bhope Bhau. Silly, very silly. The whole sequence is stupid, right from the time when Lobo n Lele try to explain Guddu & Sweety the reasons for their brutal investigation & involvement with the case to the time when Guddu strikes Charlie with a gun. Sometimes filmmakers try to add unecessary humour,something different. They just try tooooo hard. Not needed.
5> Why the hell did Bhope Bhau need to bribe his nephew? Sweety would have anyways come to know about it sooner than later. Maybe Vishal just wanted that scene. He wanted to show too much in just one film. Its looks great when it gells well with the screenplay, but when it dosn’t , it falls flat on the face.
6> It was so stupid of Lele to not admit Lobo in a hospital and rather take him to Tashi’s place. In any case he had lost the guitar, so there was absolutely no need to hurry to reach Tashi’s place. Maybe he was a genius, he knew beforehand that he would have to sacrifice Lobo to get one more chance. Pretty slim chances, like Priyanka’s waist, if you ask me, ya looking at what Lobo & Lele had been upto till then its hard to beleive.
7> Don’t you think it would have been wise for Charlie & Guddu to just run away with the powder worth 10 Crores n then later maybe maybe try to get in touch with Sweety n ask her to come over. Or else just forget her. 10 crores would have fetched them a hundred sweeties. Real Kaminey’s would have done that. Real Kaminey’s are absolutely smart asses you see. Kaminey Kaminey hote hain. Guddu was in any case ready to relocate to Barabanki or Pilibhit or whatever. Afterall wasn’t Vishal trying to make a movie called Kaminey. Wasn’t he trying to tickle our mean side. Wasn’t he making the film we all had been waiting for. Yes he was. And he did almost,yes almost.These guys to me are not Kaminey’s. They seemed regular at times. Trust me i have seen more kaminey’s than these in real life. All of us have. In India a Kamina is just round the corner( to be taken as a compliment).
Anyways i still loved Kaminey & it would be unfair not to mention why? I will be selective though.
1> Tenzing Nima’s (Taashi’s) gift to his wife, the whole sequence, Vishal explored it brilliantly. Master stroke.
2> Bhope Tope Bhau Bhope Bhau Bhau….it was rhyming so naturally. It was mesmerizing. Lovely.
3> Sweety and her absolute sweetness. You tend to forget sweety is Priyanka Chopra. Kudos Piggy Chops n Vishal.
4> “Dada Mithya Kotha bole na” what confidence man. We all have it, but its the timing that makes all the difference.
5> The share market which Vishal Opens up at the Climax. Final offer 60-20-20. So real. Come to think of it.
6> The pulsating bgm, the effortless dop, the oh so real sets, the poetic lyrics of the title song &………..science.
7> And last , as this thing is getting real long, “fa ko fa nahi bolega to kya la bolega?”.
Kaminey is sexy , aur sexy ko sexy nahi bolega to kya fexy bolega????
Why i wrote all this????
I have seen Kaminey twice. First, on the day it was released and today again. I wanted to write something about Kaminey from the day i saw it, to say i was busy would be wrong, i would say it was my laziness. But today after having watched it the 2nd time, i really wanted to write this. Like many others, i too had my own interpretations bout certain things “left to us viewers” by Vishal. So watching it a second time gave me a chance to cross check all that, i am glad i have no changes to make to my original. This “cross checking” that i am talking about did pose a very valid question to me, do we sometime need to see a movie twice to rate or judge it properly? Maybe yes , maybe no. I don’t really know, but what i do know is the fact that many filmmakers(i m sure , Vishal too) do go through their scripts over & over again. Change narrative styles, have a big creative team to work with, gets lots of ideas n suggestions from cast n crew members. Precisely, they get lots of help from many sources. So now when i think that Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey, boasted of UTV,Gulzar Saab,Samir Chanda,Sreekar Prasad,Tassaduq Hussain, Cajetan’s original story, screenplay by a team comprising of vishal himself , Supratik Sen, Abhishek Cahubey( the one who has directed the eagerly awaited”ishqiyan”) and Sabrina Dhawan and many other very very talented actors n crew members i feel slightly let down. Little bit but good enough to deny it the “cult” tag. Maybe i was expecting moon. Not my fault, Track record bhi koi cheez hoti hai. Oh yes i have got one answer, if you think that you have not got it all the first time, want to cross check, do watch it a second time. Who knows some of you who haven’t liked it much may end up loving it.
Kaminey like any other film should not be compared with any Lock ,stock, barrell,any fiction any tom dick or harry. Not even Sita aur geeta. I am sorry if i have hurt anyone’s feelings unintentionally or intentionally. You don’t agree with me, move on, big deal( Koun hai yeh Taashi the great). Vishal Ji if u ever happen to read this, the last one is for you- i loved Kaminey ,nothing perfonal againft it.
Chinmoy Xarmah “kaansaaf”