No Smoking:Dance of Darkness
(WARNING: Might contain spoilers)
As I walked out of the theater, I couldn’t help feeling loaded in my head. I saw the faces around me, going down and up the escalator; I kept watching the inanimate things around. I went up the mall, came back up, and went down….while humming Ashtray. Like an unending chain of reactions, I kept feeling a strange subconscious angst. At the heart of every thing around, there was this cynical abandon in my observations.
No Smoking fills you with such emotions and more. It leaves you with an unpleasing hollowness that you try to scratch and decipher. Beyond the questions of film mechanics, you wonder why you feel like K. Is he a contemporary Travis Bickle, is he the sum total of all the insignification around? A puny attitude that he wears on his nose, his glasses and his materialistic possessions, does it make the connections with your conscience?
K is the eternal thankless bastard. He is self-obsessed, to say the least. An obsession that weighs more than anything else in his life. His wife is a material object for him too, something he feels good about possessing, and when it backfires, the angst multiplies into delusion.
The film moves at a varied pace, transcending genres, adopts a radical storytelling format, and does more to you than the mere summation of the moving images on screen. It is essentially a Lonely Man film; it gives you images and sounds to take home and mull and drink over. A universal jerk appeal that categorizes it in a ‘untouched by human hands’ class. The story is just another element here, it is not the soul. The soul is constituted by the underlying mind games, a depiction that puts you in the characters mind. K is no more than your reflection. Right from the epilogue to the mind-numbing end credits, it is a beautifully crafted collage of themes, references, and more than anything, an open ended plausibility.
I would rather not go into the specifics that worked for me, but the film is an unforgettable trip. John Abraham and Paresh Rawal are up there with their nuanced portrayals. Anurag Kashyap takes the stereotypes and breaks them tastefully. And the whole execution is what takes a toll on you, on your mind. You can’t sum it up in words.
The colors move from cityscapes to sepia to mystical to stream of consciousness. The devices go as far as they could. The references range from Alice in Wonderland to magic carpet fables to Hindu mythology to roadside hoardings to the eclectic cinema of Terry Gilliam, Lars von Trier, Oliver Stone, David Fincher, the streams of consciousness genre of David Lynch is very much identifiable here. There is even references to our own Daud, Black Friday, Dil Se, Paanch (these are purely personal interpretations, so can highly vary).
While the first half is a literal conventional film construction, the second half is as unpredictable as it gets. It is this succession balanced with the proverbial here and there that makes for an intriguing watch.
The film has some obsessions. The look of the characters is one of them. Another is an omnipresent Kafkaesque angle; you find the ‘K’ in the reformatory outfit and the television comic act which is standalone ‘comic’ element in the narrative, apart from the dark humor wisely placed in layers elsewhere.
The wide-angle frames (present the protagonist in a staged cyclorama ambience) do justice to the space K’s attitude demands, the same camera takes a reverse route and conjures up a claustrophobia when K goes through a not-so-pleasant-trip. A memorable bedroom shot stays with you long after the film is done. There are political takes, digs on counter-culture, intended puns, whiffs of satire slapstick and screwball humor.
The characters and their interactions are etched on screen with a precision that does not demand many scenes. There are a bevy of unexplained threads, which make the guessing game an enjoyable query into the unknown. Hallucination is the word, baby!
A standout element of the film is the élan with which it explores the bizarre terrain it is set in. It starts with this swiftness, the characters and the twists keep fitting in like pieces of a jigsaw. It is only in the second half that you understand the whole plot game and begin to appreciate the thought behind such an execution.
The screen swells up and ripples like a dream, as if someone slightly tickled the illusion. Amidst the paranormal you have a slice of life normality.
The songs are almost bombarded on to the latter end of the narrative, all played at a languid, lazy pace that brings the true soul of the film out. The ‘smoke’ begins to slowly settle and you see the reality. The way the songs are done defies all norms, if there exist any. My favorite is Ashtray. The director takes you on a song fable sky diving and snaps the rope suddenly. You are left hanging in a limbo, much of what the protagonist undergoes.
The denouement is done with a similar indulgence, revisiting sequences with different points of view.
See you after a smoke!
Tags: Medium
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
oye.. nice take on the lonesome guy and travis bickle.. was thinking you’d write a lil more on the song sequences
why is not released yet in NY :-(
Couldn’t understand a thing..is the film good or not?
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/oct/26smoke.htm
All the normal critics didn’t seem to understand it…so i doubt if even 0.001 % of the audience understands it!!! :(
I think Anurag, you should try to take it to more festivals and try to sell the movie abroad….
ya, that and many more things are worth writing about. I am just absorbing it and revisiting it in my head. Its a nice trip.
@ Sid, ya, that and many more things are worth writing about. I am just absorbing it and revisiting it in my head. Its a nice trip.
Hello All and partiucularly to Tushar,
What were you Smoking??
I just got off watching the movie and the only feeling I had was of “Wanting my 140/= rupees refund” for having seen a bunch of excellent visuals for about 2 hours.
This K character can harldy be compared to Travis Bickle. Of course I must have watched another version of “Taxi Driver” since the one I watched had a story about redemption, wanting to belong, a deep sense of lonliness, a struggle but this was nowhere to be seen in “No Smoking” or “K”. Rather it was a one dimesional view.
I know this is a site for AK, to AK and all about AK but even there is some limit to devotion
I love AK’s work as a writer and have watched Black Friday more times than I can remember but there was something mising in “No Sm0oking” and average joe’s like me who watch flicks call it a Story. But then I am that dumb boring guy who really does not know Avant Garde Cineman and I have no gumption to complain about what is dished out to me by an intellectual.
Anurag, a real plea for a movie buff for many many years. You have said some good stories and well please do think of “Non Festival” and “super Intellectua” audience before you make your movie. After all you have nearly killed everyone in the film industry and its terrible to see a movie about nothing from you. Please put this in your pipe and smoke it.
I will now wait for all those die hard fans of AK who have found some deep philosophical meaning in this movie and who will now pass on all that to me in succeding posts & remind me of how colossal a Moron I am
Cheers, Deepak
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009032-no_smoking/
What some of foreign critics have to say
Gawd I agree! Kafkasque my bloomin’ foot! It is a boring movie period. I went in with such expectations! Nothing is believable Stephen King notwithstanding! There is nothing redeeming about the movie. John Abraham and Ayesha Takia are expressionless through much of the movie. It revisits movies like “Uski Roti” which were so self-indulgent. Movies are a medium that have to keep the viewer in mind. If you cannot get your point across then you are making a movie for yourself(and the PFC guys) which seems terribly wasteful! I guess AK was just trying to appeal to the festival juries. Hope he succeeds there!
straight ater seeing the movie i have come here in a cyber cafe n writing this..may be its the first impression..but i laughed at some of the moments in the films..
hey anurag bhai..i am a big fan of urs and all that
Deepak, I am not related any which way to Anurag. I knew this will come. Thanks for that. You can take your cynicism and propaganda elsewhere.
As for the film, I liked it. period. you didn’t, great.
I would have loved to smoke something, probably I am gonna do it when I watch it again. Are you gonna send me the cops?
No film is ’superintellectual’ or ‘pro-festival’, it is us who put these tags.
may be it had worked better if it was dope or drugs rather than a simple ciggerette
hi
was a big Anurag fan… just saw No smoking….
it totally sucked!!!!!!!!!!!
its the worst film ever
I think I should never ever read or believe any of his comments.
He has no authority abt commenting on films, acting or anything related to cinema.
Guys who think like me pls support my thought.
Hi all
Its interesting to see pro and anti No Smoking wars beginning!! Its a movie…some people liked it, some didn’t. Why do you need support to like it or dislike it? Since the movie has got a lot of support from PFC (writers/readers) and obviously we have a lot of Anurag fans here (me included) doesn’t mean the movie HAS to be great…at the same time, if you didn’t like it, voice your opinion and be happy with it.
Peace…
Saurabh
hi i am yet to see the movie but some of my friends have seen the movie ,but donot like it…
i am also little bit confused what wrong has happen with movie.., will watch the movie on monday due to some prior engagements..:-?
hi i am yet to see the movie but some of my friends have seen the movie ,but donot like it…
i am also little bit confused what wrong has happen with movie.., will watch the movie on monday due to some prior engagements..:-?
NO SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH PLEASE DONT EVEN TRY IT.
ANURAG NEED PHYCHIATRIST……
Rajiv Masand verdict on the film was diassappointing.He even went on to say that the film depicts AK’s arrogance and fails to entertain. Anyways,I haven’t seen the film yet.Will give my verdict, once I do.
Mast Kickass film hai,..(~~)
tushar,
badiya!!!..u should finance the No Smoking sequel.
aap to bahut samajhdar likhai dehte hai.
Hello People
I am confused. I loved the movie, the style of making, the witty humour, the acting, the music was out of the world, but I dint understand the ending.
Will someone please help me understanding the end.
Is John dreaming or everything is just his imagination.
Please Please Please help me
@ Sunil Thakur..SPOILERS SPOILERS….As per my interpretation…two parts of the movie…one is the “absurd” part and the other is ” reality”…the john abraham in the absurdity dies and the non smoker john abraham emerges in the reality.thats in a nutshell hope you get the drift!!
@ Sourav
Ok that helps me a bit.
Still want to listen to more interpretations…..maybe one from AK himself
This movie leaves me with a similar feeling I experienced after watching ‘15 Park avenue’…..everyone I met on forums had an different interpretation on the ending.
Whatever be the ending I loved the movie.
Also saw the reviews everywhere. People are just been dismissive without trying to understand the movie or the style of film making.
Also read the Karon Johar article on ChaloMumbai……’KWK is the mutual masturbation club’……Muahahahaha….How true !!!!!!
First of all,
Anurag and all associated with the movie, my congratulations. You have made a really fabulous movie. A movie, which after a long time requires the viewer to leave his comfortable chair and think with it, about it. Just like how classical music requires you to make an effort to understand and not as easy as a pop number.
One word about reviewers. I think about 2-3 reviewers have commented how they did not understand it. A few felt it an outcome of your arrogance, and some said, people would not understand it. Clearly, few dont want to engage with the movie, and most don’t want to engage with you.
About the commercial success, it is too early to comment. Lets see what kind of collections it brings in. I am still optimistic. And I hope the mistake of MFSU (not releasing it in non-metro tow) has not been corrected
Cheers,
Hitendra
…has been corrected and No-smoking has a non-metro release too.
@ Hitendra, kash lagaa!
here’s a copy/paste of review appeared in guardian
(just in case those who missed it)
No Smoking
*** (No cert)
Phelim O’Neill
Friday October 26, 2007
The Guardian
Headstrong smoker John Abraham gets the urge to kick the habit when his wife walks out on him. As he puffs his way through every waking hour, he tries a hard-hitting and highly secretive rehabilitation program run by Hitler-loving Baba Bengali, whose methods include kidnapping relatives and amputating fingers at the slightest infraction of the rules. Fans of 80s horror may recall a similar scenario played out by James Woods in the Stephen King-scripted anthology movie Cat’s Eye. While no screen credit is offered to King, it’s clear his tale directly forms this film’s basis, making it kind of a first for Indian cinema. It could be the beginning of a trend; here’s hoping Carrie gets the full-on Bollywood treatment. While a slack pace, unsettled internal logic and a goofy subplot undo much of director Kashyap’s hard work, the film has a slick look. If and when Bollywood does deliver a crossover hit, it’s likely this film-maker will be behind it.
Check out the last line of the review .. AK u have hope yet .. !!
“Dhue ki Deewar key dono taraf vo ajnabi the
per us nazar ka kya karoo jo kambhkhat ajnabi nikali”
I remember how I went to IMAX wadala to catch “Black Friday” for the first show an hour early, watched it and soaked audience reactions and my own belief which stood vindicated and proud.
More then anything I felt betrayed as I sat on those marble “benches” inside IMAX wadala after I came out. Now there is IMAX at vashi but I am a creep for Nostalgia so An Anurag Movie will always be IMAX wadal first show.
The easiest “Release” of Anurag gave me enough clues of his desperateness to scream himself beyond the
check
No,… it aint smoking !
I have been on PFC for a bit now and went to watch NO Smoking enthused by Anurag’s “build-up blogs”. At the very onset I must confess I havent watched his previous directorial ventures.
Having been a self taught student of cinema for the last 16 years it was a sobering experience to encounter a film so formidable against my comprehension.
Having said that, I do however believe that at least part of this complexity was undesirable from the point of view of a storyteller.
Every film maker is a storyteller and to that end it is imperative that – to be engaging he
must be honest and forthright. He can be crafty, …but he can never be devious.
He has to lead the audience, …not throw them off his trail, – confused and clueless.
It appears to me No Smoking is a victim of this fundamental flaw.
From the very POV of destiny the film abounds with events which do not seem (at least to me !) to serve any purpose in the “greater scheme of things”. For eg. How does the ” eunuch throwing coins at John as he awaits a signal” fit in ?
Or, one can talk about the juvenile inclination towards gimmicks, …eg. Why does the dwarf (for want of a better word, …no offence) speak in a baritone voice ?
Also, the “Pop Art meets Noir meets Black Comedy meets Bits and Pieces of Scores of Cinematic Frames in My Subconscious” treatment throws one further off balance.
Style is always secondary to content and story, …desireably a dictated by-product of the latter. Force framing “inspired” shot compositions is not style, …rather the absence of it.
It is a pity that the basic construct held so much potential, so much promise, …and yet lost itself in a patchwork of parallel worlds, time envelopes and reckless narrative.
Infact as John’s character is pushed into the mediaval dungeon of outlandish third degree smoking deterrents I couldnt help but recall “A Clockwork Orange” and go “tch tch tch”.
About the actors, John delivers to the best of his ability, as one wood expect ( no typo that, …he is wooden !), Ranvir hams his way through with characteristic (read Bheja Fry) tacky mannerism acting ( Traffic Signal comes to mind as an exception in his defence ) and
Ms Takia doesnt merit a mention.
That brings us to Paresh Rawal who apparently tries to make up for a fractured directorial vision with his own interpretation of “modern day AnguliMala”, but in vain, …if you dont know where you are going, …you arent there yet !
Which brings me to the music. It was discordant for me ( though it can be argued – that was its purpose, …but hey ! it works that way only if there is order in your narrative).
The english tracks made me wonder “who is this film intended for ?” Mind you, 90% of the “educated metro moviegoers” who work in MNCs and speak “english” have an exposure to “english music” which is limited to “Sexy Eyes” and “The Ketchup Song”.They dont understand the difference between jazz and hip-hop.
… And you can work out what percentage the “metro moviegoers” contribute to the “national movie going population”.
I can bet the people who financed this cinematic suicide also want their money back.
All said and done, if you wanna preach, – address a community gathering, if you wanna be clever, – swindle somebody, if you wanna trip,- go to a rave party, …but if you wanna make a good film, empathy and humility will carry you a long way !
Arrogance doesnt a film make.
chandan.. next time probably
Hello Gentlemen,
Some thoughts on No Smoking.
1} The language is new. Since Indian hindi cinema is not used to this kind of dense and complex language, there are resenting voices. Both in critics as well in audiences. This is understandable.
2} There is a continuous alternating between dream states and reality. And this compels the interested viewer to watch it a couple of times to fully comprehend what exactly is going on.
3} The exploration of the surreal and the absurd makes No Smoking a first of a kind in Hindi cinema.
4} Rajeev Ravi is brilliant with camera. The colors, the tone and the mood are all worked out well.
5} Finally, Gulzarji and Vishal Bharadwaj are a killer combination.
The last scene of the movie, when Johns soul is burnt away – accompanied by the soundtrack is absolutely brilliant.
Bravo Anurag.
Dear Anurag..
U know what i was ur fan but from now i will never watch your movie i swear…u have made a nonsense movie..its more bad than a bad dream..a pain in the eyes and a headache…Pls stop making movies and making fool of yourself..
Heyy Tushar
well hvn’t seen the movie yet but this review makes me want to see it though this probably is the only one which does ..
>-
very well written … the way things have been put … well ..its just makes one wanna go watch it .. and that wud probably be the best compliment for a review …
hvn seen the movie so can’t or rather shudn say much abt it … but good wrk for the review!!!
Cheers!
u knw u rock!
Divya
for etreme fukig mind film……..in praise of no smoking……….43434, this is a person…..
he wants to become 34343…..during entire life he try to achieve this goal…….and finally he achieved this goal but he is still not setisfied…. because ultimately 43434 is 34343..he never understand this thing.he always live in this calculation….lets get out from this fucking calculation…..this is all .no smoking( this poem is copyright)
u r doing so much chutiyapati and i really love your chuttiyapatti
Hello Anurag,
I only caught up with No Smoking recently. The short life the film suffered in the theaters and the negative feedback i’d got when the movie released had together kept me from watching it. I stumbled upon the movie on television on a previous saturday and have not been able to take my thoughts away from it since! Simply, one of the best movies I’ve watched. Kudos!
The more I intrigue myself on deciphering the symbols and metaphors in your movie, the more intoxicating it gets!
Be it the dual role of Ayesha as the wife and the secretary switching between each other in the song ‘Jab Bhi Cigarette’ portraying the swing of K’s mind between the allowed and taboo as the society defines it. Or Jesse Randhawa’s lip sync and dance to Adnan Sami’s voice in the same song, depicting the confusions in the mind of ‘K’. Or the revelation in the end when Paresh Rawal is seen in the Doctor’s coat and the whole story strings together and clicks in place as you realise that Baba Bengali and his labyrinth was only a reflection of the Doctor and his rehab treatment taking a mysterious and loathsome shape in K’s mind! The role the bath tub plays metaphors the most intricately philosophical – that cleansing the body doesn’t clean the soul.. It would be an endless list if i go on..
And in my process of deciphering the symbols in your movie, i came across one symbol which nobody seems to have taken any special notice of! And it is exceedingly tough for me to believe it was in it’s place by coincidence. I am talking about the amount of money Baba Bengali charges K – the first cheque of Rs.21,11,111 (21,11,110 + 1 rupee) and the other cheque of Rs.11,11,111 (11,11,110 + 1 rupee)!
These numbers carry a special specific meaning for people who understand it. Do they in this case too? Was it deliberate?
Looking for an answer from you to fit the final piece into the jigsaw..
-Swaroop