The story by Anurag Kashyap based around a group of characters all living in Mumbai city. The characters include Rahul (Sharman Joshi) who works as a call centre executive. His only dream in life is to make a lot of money as he believes with all his heart that “money makes the world go round” and will go to any degree to impress his managers even if that means doing immoral favours for them. Rahul secretly loves his colleague Neha (Kangna Ranaut). Neha is a smart, educated woman who has come up in life very fast, and this is not only due to hard work, as she is secretly having an affair with her boss Ranjit( Kay Kay Menon) who showers her with gifts and promotions as long as she is willing to sleep with him. Ranjit is a man who is unhappily married to his devoted wife Shikha (Shilpa Shetty). Shikha left her job so that she can look after their 6 year old daughter while Ranjit earns the money for the house. Somewhere along the way love left their relationship which has now become nothing more than a farce. Shikha is a strong-minded, loyal woman who is lonely and feels constantly neglected. By chance she bumps in to a struggling actor Aakash(Shiney Ahuja) and cupid strikes between the two as their friendship slowly develops in to romance. Aakash is a struggling theatre actor whose wife left him after being sick of his constant failures in life, and he feels like a loser. One night, an event happens where Shikha almost crosses her limits and puts her marriage at stake.
Amol (Dharmendra) plays a man who returns back to India and his loved one Vaijanti (Nasifa Ali) after 40 years hoping to spend the remaining days of his life with his first true love. Vaijanti lives in an old people’s home and is Shikha’s aunt who is a source of both hope and inspiration for Shikha. Then there is Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma) who is Shikha’s sister and Neha’s roommate. In her 30’s Shruti is still a virgin desperately looking for the right man in life to settle down with. She has a picture of her “ideal” man etched inside her head. Luck comes her way when her crush (Gautam Kapoor) shows interest in her, however there’s more than meets the eye. Theres also Debu(Irrfan Khan) a happy-go-lucky man in his mid 30’s who too is still single and wants to find the ideal wife and get married. Debu and Shruti meet through a matrimonial dating site and Shruti dislikes Debu right from the start due to his wandering and sleazy eyes, however Debu takes an instant liking to her.
Anurag Basu’s story is simply outstanding to say the least. In recent times many directors have tried to write films on multiple characters and multiple storylines without much success from YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA, JUST MARRIED, SALAAM-E-ISHQ, LIFE MEIN KABHIE KABHIE etc however none of those films have met with success, the only exception being HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD which wasn’t a great movie and one that didn’t make full use of it’s concept and story. Basu does an outstanding job as he writes a story that is superbly structured, the characters here are all linked in one way or the other and their paths cross at various intervals in the most natural. There has been criticism that Basu’s story isn’t original, however it’s evident that whether Basu has been inspired by another source or not, his treatment and effort to make the movie his “own” has been extremely successful. The screenplay in the movie by Basu himself is again good, though there was room for improvement here. The entire Dharmendra-Nasifa Ali plot feels neglected at times which is a pity given that there was so much room for exploration here. Also the Konkona’s track with her colleague Gautam Kapoor and his “secret” seemed a bit forced.
As a director Anurag Basu deserves a round of applause as he directs his best film to date. With films like SAAYA and MURDER he proved he is more than capable of directing a direct Hollywood rip-off but with GANGSTER, and more-so now with LIFE…IN A METRO he proves that he is one of the most talented film-makers we have around today. He handles his complex narrative style like a true expert and (almost) does equal justice to all the storylines in the movie. What stood out about all the stories was that they were equally as poignant and at times heart-breaking as they were heart-warming. The Sharman-Kangna track draws an instant reminder to Aziz Mirza’s YES BOSS (a darker version) and the result is superlative. The depth of maturity and understanding he shows with the Kay Kay-Shilpa Shetty track is again simply eye-opening and outstanding. The Irrfan-Konkona track springs a surprise in the second half with its warmth and humour bringing a smile to the viewers face on more than one instance. The Shilpa-Shiney track does have a sense of deja-vu at times and feels extremely slow but Basu again takes the viewer off guard in the climax as he meanders away from the obvious track. Not everyone will agree with the culmination of this story but undoubtedly Basu’s realistic approach has to be applauded. Finally the over-looked Dharmendra-Nasifa Ali track brings to screen some of the most surprisingly powerful moments I’ve seen in recent times. Simple scenes like Nasifa Ali putting on lipstick, dancing in the rain, or the haunting beautiful portrayal of a 60+ yearold couple in bed are scenes that happen behind closed doors yet are never portrayed on celluloid, until now.
Basu’s characters are all so real that they strike an instant chord with the viewer. One can easily finds shades of their own life in each of the characters depending on your age group and instantly identify themselves with the characters. Their journey and ultimately self-discovery has been treated with a such sensitivity and thought the experience becomes unforgettable. There are times when the movie becomes extremely dark, the arguments between Kay Kay and Shilpa or the Sharman-Kangna track is touchingly sad to watch at times, but Basu at the right moment packs the movie with a burst of humour which is an absolute masterstroke. The climax of the movie did feel a bit rushed, though the culmination of each story was fantastic. It’s not often you’ll find such a realistic portrayal of relationships in Indian cinema, which doesn’t sacrifice the entertainment value. The realism never gets to the level of bleakness and Basu has ensured that he strikes an almost perfect chord between meaningful and entertaining cinema. Hats off Mr. Basu and eagerly awaiting your next film…
A special mention must be made of Sanjib Datta’s natural to the core dialogues which are as rememborable as they are haunting. There are no over-the-top filmi lines here; the dialogues uttered by characters are perfectly real and in sync with their surroundings and milieu.
The performances in the movie are the backbone of this enterprise. Each and every actor in the movie gets equal footage and scope to shine which is again quiet a feat given that in films which have multiple storylines, there is usually some actors who don’t get enough scope to shine.
Kay Kay Menon delivers what is one of the most over-looked performances of 2007. After two diametrically different performances in BLACK FRIDAY and HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD the actor strikes a hat-trick here with yet another splendid performance where he gets right in to the skin of his character. It’s unfortunate that there hasn’t been much praise for the actor, and granted that Menon has played similar characters in the past; however this in my opinion is one that stands out as a cut above the rest. A character that you can’t help but detest, yet one that is ultimately so real Menon perfectly brings a sense of egotistical arrogance with his near perfect portrayal. His delivery and expressions are on the dot as always.
Shilpa Shetty delivers the finest performance of her career, and one which ranks several notches higher than her performances in DHADKAN and PHIR MILENGEI. Looking absolutely dignified, graceful, and offcourse stunningly gorgeous Shetty truly comes of age and proves that she is one of the finest actresses we have in the industry today. The performance is worthy of an Award and Shilpa Shetty relies on silence and expressions more than she does on deliver. The gamut of expressions that her cross her face perfectly convey the feelings of loneliness, isolation, helplessness and lack of love. The scene where she runs away after sleeping with Shiney is just outstanding, and the expressions on her face as she tells Shiney “I feel like a slut” strikes a indescribable chord with the viewer. One has to realise Shilpa Shetty plays the “ideal” (and what the western world will call “typical”) Indian women. A women who still has hope in the institution of marriage, who knows “right” from “wrong” and one who is still in love with her husband very much despite his flaws. Ultimately all she wants is some love and attention, not an affair and her actions in the climax are perfectly in sync with this. Given her International Stardom of late after the BIG BROTHER TV show, this further cements everything that Shilpa has so far stood for as a Bharatiya Nari. Keep it up Shilpa.
Konkona Sen Sharma is brilliant (when is she not?). Undeniably one of the finest actresses we have in the country today, Konkona slips in to her character with effortless ease, and it’s nice to see her play such a light-hearted character. She lights up the screen with her innocent face and amiable persona every time she’s on screen.
Irrfan Khan is outstanding (again when is he not?). A true genius the actor delivers yet another sparkling performance which confirms that Khan is equally at ease with comedy as he is with drama. After a heart-wrenching performance in THE NAMESAKE, Khan plays the 38 year-old bachelor with glee, and exudes an undeniable amount of charm that you can’t help but love the man. On a personal level, this is the story that connected with me the most due to its sheer honesty. Furthermore, the chemistry between Khan and Sharma is a treat for the eyes as the two spectacular actors’ bounce of each other perfectly and exude some of the most romantic scenes I have seen in recent times. ONLY Irrfan Khan could’ve pulled off this character in the same style without going over-the-top or coming across as sleazy. Just witness the scene where Konkona “releases” her angry on the rooftop, or the scene where she reveals to Irrfan why she rejected him and his subsequent reaction.
Sharman Joshi is fast proving himself to be a cut above the rest in the actors of his generation. Joshi’s “everyday” looks merged with his boyish charm fits the character of Rahul-a young boy trying to make it big in a cut throat world to a T. Joshi looks every inch the part he is playing and this is the most heartfelt love story in the movie. After RANG DE BASANTI this is another acting piece Joshi can be proud of.
Kangna Ranaut never ceases to amaze me. Though the type of characters she plays are now turning getting clichéd(alcoholic, depressed, suicidal) there’s no doubt Ranaut is at complete ease portraying such roles. She looks dazzlingly stunning here with short hair, and her performance is good too.
Shiney Ahuja I found disappointing here. His character just didn’t strike a chord with the viewer, and he was just horrible in the “stage play” sequence. His character just wasn’t etched out well enough.
Finally the surprise packet…Dharmendra and Nasifa Ali. Dharmendra reminds us why we fell in love with him all those years ago before he started doing Z-Grade cinema to pay off bills. Words cannot convey my happiness to see Dharmendra in a worthy film and role again after so many years. He looks smashingly handsome, is as charming as ever with his ever-green smile and is at complete ease in his character. His screen presence is still as magnetic as ever and Dharmendra reminds us why he got the name “Garam Dharam”-outstanding. Nasifa Ali delivers a performance that is truly award worthy. She delivers a thousand lines with one expression time and time again and lends so much dignity and pride to her character. Never before in Indian cinema have I witnessed a film which has portrayed the relationship with a matured couple with such maturity and depth. The chemistry sizzles off the screen between the two.
Pritam Chakraborthy delivers a standing ovation for what is arguably the finest music of the year. Each and every song in the movie is haunting and unforgettable; however the masterstroke here is the manner in which the songs have been incorporated in the movie. Each and every song progresses the movie further, the lyrics in the songs convey the feelings and moments that the characters on-screen are going through and the songs aren’t merely a time-filler but a storytelling device for which Anurag Basu again deserves distinction marks. Basu has faced criticism for having picturised all the songs in Pritam and his “band” however I felt this worked rather nicely in the story as the “band” in turn acts like a “sutradhar”. My pick of the lot would have to be the soft-rock IN DINO sung to the height of perfection by Soham and written with heart and soul by Syed Quadri. The lyrics simple yet touching and fit the emotion stance of the characters perfectly, “hai tujhe bhi ijazat, karle tub hi mohabbat”-just beautiful. ALVIDA, OH MERI JAAN, RISHTEY, and BAATEIN KUCH ANKAHI SI are all outstanding, and I would go as far a to say the movie deserves a second watch just for the songs.
Technically the movie deserves full marks. Bobby Singh’s lens captures the city of Mumbai in all its glory, to the extent one feels transported to the setting/scene that is being shown on-screen. The city in turn becomes a character of it’s own throughout. The lens also captured each and every expression of the respective actors to perfection and allows time for the affect to be absorbed by the viewers. Akiv Ali’s editing it top notch as well.
All up LIFE IN A…METRO is a must-see! One of the finest films that have come out of Indian cinema this year and one that is truly deserving of all the acclaim and accolades it has received so far, and will hopefully go on to receive at the Award Ceremonies next year.
Final Rating: * * * * ¼
