The Great Indian Kitchen Review - A hard look at Patriarchy in our Society

 Movie - The Great Indian Kitchen

Cast - Nimisha Sajayan, Suraj, Venjaramoodu, T. Suresh Babu

Rating - 4.5/5

This movie by Jeo Baby has to be one of the most important and relevant movies to come out of the Indian film industry in the last decade. It shows a mirror to the audience to reflect upon the existing patriarchy in our society and our households.

The movie takes us through the daily lives of a nameless newly wed couple. We will call them Girl and Boy for the sake of it.

In the first scene of the movie, the girl is shown doing what she loves to do, with a subtle foreshadowing of the world she will be getting into after her marriage. The Girl and Boy get married and she enters the Boy’s family with dreams for an exciting new future. Unfortunately, the Girl is pushed into the kitchen right from day 1. The dynamics in the house is made clear where the male members of the family are shown relaxing (the boy does yoga, while the father-in-law is even handed his toothbrush in the morning), while the female members of the family grind it out in the kitchen. This dynamic is ingrained in our psyche from a very early age, and this is further emphasized when the newlywed couple go for their first dinner invitation after marriage. In that scene, the director beautifully captures the patriarchy in the house, by showing  the male members of the family are being served food, while the female of the family irrespective of their age is down the pecking order to get their dinner. The mother advises her young daughter to not sit but serve everyone on the table, while in the background an old woman is shown awaiting her dinner in another room.

The movie drives its point strongly through the use of repeated visuals and minimum dialogues like the shot of the dirty dining table after the men of the family have had their meal and that of the women cooking and cleaning.    

Then the girl’s mother-in-law goes off to her daughter’s house and the entire responsibility of the household falls on her shoulders alone. The mother-in-law goes through the same ordeal but in a different place. It shows the extent to which the patriarchal idea has been embedded and passed on for generations. This also highlights a very common tradition which has been passed on for generations that the mother is responsible of taking care of her pregnant daughter so that the husband can “relax” and lead his routine life.

The audience is bombarded with images of food items being cut, cooked and utensils being cleaned in the kitchen in a deliberate attempt by the director, and it successfully drives home the point that it intends to make.

In another scene, which signifies the protagonist’s situation, the kitchen sink gets clogged (just as her life has got clogged in this kitchen) and the stench which stays in her hand after she unclogs it signifies the stench the kitchen has left in her real life, which she cannot get rid of.

The movie also shows the other side of the spectrum, where the girl’s friend invites her for a function, and her friend’s husband is cooking food in the house. This gives hope that our society is slowly undergoing a change where the man and woman of the house take up equal responsibilities of the household.

The indifference of the husband to any of his wife’s concerns and difficulties is appalling and any question raised on the men of the family is interpreted as a question on their manhood and dominance. The biggest irony of the movie is that the girl gets respite from the kitchen due to an outdated age-old tradition which is still common in our society.

Another very significant scene is when a male guest comes to the girl’s house and decides to make dinner for all. After making dinner, the male guest proclaims the ease of cooking while completely oblivious to the big mess the kitchen is in, in the aftermath of the dinner cooking.

The movie further explores the mistreatment of menstruating women of the family during the auspicious month when the Sabrimala pilgrimage takes place. The age old and outdated traditions are still forced upon the menstruating members of the family, and it is another reflection of the patriarchal mindset and tradition of the society. These traditions and rituals are justified in the name of retaining the culture, while turning a blind eye on humanity. It also partially covers the Supreme Court judgement on the Sabrimala issue and its reaction in the society. The rituals of the Sabrimala pilgrimage actually reflects the position of women in this patriarchal society.

The leaking pipe under the sink represents the patience of the protagonist which is wearing out slowly throughout the movie, and it perfectly set us up for the climax of the movie.

 The acting ensemble are filled with such natural actors that it does not seem like we are watching a movie. Nimisha Sajayan is the star as she brings the protagonist’s role alive, and you feel for her throughout the movie. The cinematography by Salu K. Thomas takes up the major weight of movie as his shots hit the audience hard. The real winner of this movie is the director and writer Jeo Baby, who puts us through a guilt ride by showing how everyone in this society contributes to the patriarchy and mistreatment of women. The time has come to change the society from its core.

A melodious lullaby about hope and love

Movie: Kumbalangi Nights (Malayalam)

Cast: Shane Nigam, Soubin Shahir, Fahadh Faasil, Sreenath Bhasi, Mathew Thomas, Anna Ben

Rating: 4/5

The movie starts from the perspective of the youngest sibling of a dysfunctional fishing family. Frankie is shown to be haunted by a drowning incident from his childhood which makes him feel choked. This foreshadows the events which are to take place as he makes his way back to his house for his vacation.

We are introduced to a quarreling family of four brothers - Saji, Bonny, Bobby, and Frankie, who live in a fishing town of Kumbalangi in Kerala.

The village is beautifully captured with the use of only natural light during both day & night shots. Especially during the night time, the whole village feels like a serene canvas in which fishermen are shown fishing in the backwaters. These visuals set the environment and tone of the movie.

The family which is central to the plot of the movie is shown to even fight and quarrel on the day of their father's death anniversary and the frustration of the situation is presented through a scene where Frankie kicks his football in utter frustration towards the water body. That scene also signifies hope, as the ball is shown floating and surviving on the water body just as this family still has time to come together as a happy family or forever get drowned in an abyss.

Bonny is shown to be totally disconnected from his family, but he is shown to share a close bond with Franky. Saji is presented as the head of the family, but contrary to him being the most responsible one,  he is shown to be a drunkard and gambler who does no worthwhile work. This highlights the plight of fishermen in these changing times when their livelihoods are on stake and this leads them to alcoholism which is a prevalent issue in Kerala. The movie also shows how toddy bars have destroyed families and the likelihood of these struggling fisherman communities.  

Then we are introduced to an interesting character- Shammi. Shammi is portrayed as a "complete man" who lives in his wife's home and maintains a strict and polished lifestyle. Bobby is shown as a junkie who also lazes out with his friend Gopi without doing any productive work except listening to music on his beloved portable speakers. But he gets a reality check about his life when he comes to know that his closest friend Gopi is planning to get married and settle down.

Shammi's misogynist behavior is emphasized in a scene where he takes cheap shots on his wife's uncle who cooks delicious food, as he considers homemaking to be a very feminist characteristic while the man of the family to be the bread earner of the family.

We are also introduced to the character of Baby who is the sister in law of Shammi and gives guided tours to foreigners in Kumbalangi as part of eco-tourism. She is shown to have a nascent love interest in Bobby.

Bobby and Baby's love story becomes the pivot on which the story of the movie revolves. The company of Baby brings a sense of responsibility and longing in Bobby, and he longs for a companion who will care for him.

Shammi is again and again projected as a controlling freak who is shown slowly taking control as the head of the family and this is signified when slowly his sitting position in the dinner table changes. And this control he starts exerting on Baby too, as he starts unnecessarily interfering in her love life.

As the story progresses, it becomes clearer that due to Saji's past behavior, their mother has left the house to go and live a spiritual life. The main entry of their house is shown to have no door and this shows that someone is required in this house to put a frame and door to unite and bind this dysfunctional family.

Then due to an unfortunate event, Saji's character arc takes a turn. The build-up to this whole event is beautifully portrayed and shot.

To be a part of some productive work, Bobby joins the frozen fish industry and this highlights how the frozen fish industry is destroying the livelihood of the fisherman who sells fresh fishes. 

Shammi is continuously projected as a macho man who is proud of his masculinity. He is projected as an epitome of a misogynist and chauvinist man who should be emotionally strong.

On the contrary, Saji loses his mask of masculinity by sharing his suppressed feelings with a doctor and leads to his process of reconciliation with his family.

In one of the most beautiful and touching scene, Saji is shown bringing someone to his family house on his boat with a unique background score. The scene feels surreal and melts your heart. This event acts as a catalyst to bind the dysfunctional family together and the siblings come together to make each other happy again. This highlights the importance of family support in times of need and its positive effect on overall mental health.

In one scene when they go to meet their mother in her religious institution,  Franky is shown the most vulnerable individual who is longing for a mother's love which is absent in his life.

Shammi progresses from being a new member of the family to the head of the family, and he starts commanding absolute authority on the household which he considers is his privilege being part of a patriarchal society.

There is an apt reference of Murrel fish which in hunger even kills of their own baby, and how this is not possible in humans as they possess true love for their own blood.

The climax of the movie exposes the consequences of a patriarchal society that pressures men to be macho and emotionally strong, and it also gives the message that we need to explore our real roots to realize the things we like to do and which will keep us content and happy. It also highlights the importance of family and family love, which is ever present irrespective of the circumstances.

The director Madhu C. Narayanan brings the fishing village of Kumbalangi alive in this movie and as the title of the movie suggests he does gives a  magical portrayal of the village during night time. The movie could have turned out an ordinary drama movie, but he creates emotion and immersive narrative by framing each scene perfectly. However, he tends to overdo some scenes involving Shaami and he failed to explore the perspective of Franky further in the movie after the first scene.

The screenplay by Syam Pushkaran has multiple layers to it and forces us to put a mirror to our patriarchal society and the consequences it faces because of it. It explores the theme of masculinity in multiple levels and the importance of emotional outlet which keeps every human being sane. However, when the story starts from the perspective of the youngest sibling Franky and later it is not explored further in the movie, it felt a bit disappointing.

The real winner of the movie is the cinematographer Shyju Khalid. He immerses us in the environment of the movie by capturing the village of Kumbalangi beautifully without any added effect. He shots scenes in the presence of natural light sources which gives rawness to each frame of the movie. His camera work creates magic in some scenes and it helps in taking those scenes to another level. The night time shots are also flawless. 

A special mention for the music by Sushin Shyam and especially his background score which gives you goosebumps in particular scenes.

The whole acting ensemble is at the top of their game in this movie. Soubin Shahir and Fahadh Faasil standout in the movie. An emotional breakdown scene by Souchin Shahir is at the top of the lot. The creepiness and authenticity which Fahadh Faasil brings to his character is note worthy. Special mention for Anna Ben and Shane Nigam who brings their characters to life and makes you root for them throughout the movie.

Kumbalangi Nights shows the power of family love and the ills of a patriarchal society where men are expected to act in a specific manner. This movie gives you hope that however dysfunctional a family is , it always supports you in times of need so that we as individual can come out as a happy and content person.

An Engaging Fable about Despicable Horrors

Movie: Bulbbul

Cast: Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Rahul Bose, Paoli Dam, Parambrata Chattopadhyay

Rating: 3.5/5

"Her nest burns, her forest burns and so she burns along"

Bulbbul shows how ghosts and witches don’t make a horror movie, but the horrors people endure in real life do.

The movie starts with a wedding ceremony taking place at a house in Bengal Presidency during the year 1881. The bride is a very young girl, Bulbbul who is playing around as she cannot fathom the idea of marriage at that age. She instantly connects with the young boy Satya, who is the youngest brother of her would-be adult husband Indranil. Before she is married off, her aunt explains her the importance of wearing a toe ring that it helps keep women in control and prevent them from flying off like a free bird.

Bulbbul searches for her family on her way to her new home but soon grasps the reality. This portrays the horrors of child marriage where the innocence of a child is lost so soon. She encounters her husband’s (Indranil) mentally unstable twin brother Mahendra, who treats her like a doll. It signifies the objectification of women which has been prevalent since ages. 

Her new friend Satya narrates scary stories about a Chudail (Witch) who lives in the trees, walks with twisted ankles and comes out at night to eat the princess.

Then the story leaps 20 years ahead, where an adult Satya (Avinash Tiwary) is shown returning home on a carriage. The setup of the scene with reddish moonlight in the dark gives it a surreal and creepy look and indicates that this movie will be presented in a fable style. It also foreshadows the presence of a Chudail (Witch). To Satya's surprise, he meets a completely new Bulbbul (Tripti Dimri) who is a confident and authoritative woman instead of the sweet and innocent girl, who had come to the house as the "boro bou" years ago. In turn of events, Binodini (Paoli Dam), who was once a cunning and shrewd woman, is now shown at the complete mercy of Bulbbul.

Then we are introduced to a very mysterious and fascinating character Dr Sudip (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) who is the family doctor of their house. Subtle taunts by Satya on Bulbbul (like his objection on her not wearing her veil in front of strangers) reveals his hidden chauvinism which has been passed across generations in this family. 

The story goes into multiple flashbacks to present the back stories of every character and the present day situation.

Bulbbul is shown to be going through an array of emotions in which she is sometimes bubbling with happiness, while in another instant she is plunged into despair and loneliness.

In a very beautiful scene, she is shown looking outside the window waiting for the return of the person she truly loves, with the full moon shining and beautiful temple framework. The camera moves around showing Bulbbul going about normal life in his absence but her mind and heart are still at the window waiting for him.

In a barbaric scene, Bulbbul is shown to be hit mercilessly with a steel rod. This scene signifies the vicious cycle of domestic violence which women have to go through in their life. When they try to soar like a free bird, their wings are clipped in this way. The director tends to overuse the slow motion technique in the scene, which was not necessary to project the pain through which the protagonist is going through.

Dr. Sudip is the only male character in the film, who respects and admires Bulbbul, and women in general. Such men are quintessential for the uplift and empowerment women in this unjust society.

Then we witness one of the most harrowing and disturbing scenes in which a helpless injured Bulbbul is raped. The sound of the bells and her legs bleeding make the scene more gruesome. This breaks Bulbbul and kills the innocent sweet girl inside her. In a very distant scene, Binodini is shown explaining Bulbbul repeatedly that she needs to keep quiet about the incident. She tries to justify the act, which shows how for generations women have been taught to tolerate grave torture and injustice.

Woman is also compared with a doll in multiple instances, a doll with which a man can play in whichever way he wants. Throughout the movie, Bulbbul’s feet are highlighted in various scenes like her first scene where only her feet are seen dangling from the tree, her alta-laden feet making footprints during the wedding ceremony, Indranil complaining she never wears shoes and her feet hanging from bandages, foreshadowing the climax. 

The climax shows how a patriarchal society demonizes strong and independent women. 

This movie is not a typical horror movie. Rather it is about the horrors which women have gone through for ages in this patriarchal and chauvinist society. 

First time director Anvita Dutt sets up a haunting and mystical environment for the movie and keeps you invested in the story of Bulbbul. She captures the various emotions that Bulbbul undergoes beautifully. She does tend to overdo some scenes to focus on style. But presenting the movie in the form of an Indian folklore story makes it very distinctive.

The screenplay by Anvita Dutt is along the lines of a conventional witch narrative, but she beautifully incorporates the horrors women have to endure in real life through the tale of Bulbbul. Her story is greatly influenced  Rabindranath Tagore's stories, that comprise of strong independent women as the central character.

The cinematographer Siddharth Diwan captures the characters and their expressions beautifully. The use of reddish light as a backdrop for the movie is nicely captured to give it an eerie and spooky feeling. But he sometimes tries too many techniques to capture scenes that create shambles. For example, the shaky camera for a chase scene was unnecessary.

The acting ensemble delivers except Avinash Tiwary, who fails to bring life to his character. Tripti Dimri gives a performance to remember, where her expressions and body language captures the essence and emotions of the character beautifully. Her transformation from a sweet and simple girl to an authoritative woman is brilliant. Paoli Dam is effortless as Binodini and it’s a pity that her character had such a limited scope. Parambrata is very likeable as Dr Sudip and gives a subtle but impressive performance. Rahul Bose comes back after a hiatus and gives a very commendable and controlled performance as the twin brothers Indranil and Mahendra.

The background music by Amit Trivedi is perfect and not overdone. The costumes were not upto the mark as per the time period but the misses were very minute.

This Movie is path breaking in the genre of horror movies. We need more movies like this that remind us that the injustice faced by women is still continuing and it is time to overcome it. 

Choked - Yeh Movie Bolta Hai

Movie: Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai

Cast: Saiyami Kher, Roshan Mathew, Amruta Subhash

Rating: 4/5

Everything is choked in life unless you have Money. Money gives you a voice.

The movie introduces us to our protagonist Sarita who is a bank employee and undertakes the entire responsibility of the household right from earning for the family to taking care of the house and their son. Her husband Sushant is jobless and debt-ridden with no contribution towards the household. An incident in the past changes their lives forever. This has lead to a broken relationship with them bickering and fighting all the time.

We are then introduced to their helpful but gossiping neighbor Sharvari, another neighbor Dinesh and their mysterious neighbor, a politician's PA who stacks bundles of money in the drainage pipe. The colony is a reflection of our society where people seem friendly but are always trying to get each other in trouble.

Then one night while cleaning the choked kitchen sink pipe, Sarita discovers packets of cash. The money brings excitement to her dull life and hope for a better life. She starts using the cash to resolve her money related problems. Every night she waits greedily for the wades of cash to appear in her choked pipe. But then one day demonetization happens and the cash stops coming in. Also, the money with her becomes garbage all of a sudden. While her husband rejoices this move she is shattered.

The story then focuses on the aftermath of demonetization on people, on our system, on media ,and Sarita and her family. Sarita is pushed back to her old life with the additional workload at work and people everywhere demanding favors from her as a bank employee.  A few days later the money starts appearing again in her choked pipe. This shows how black money hoarders found a way to work around the system and save their money despite demonetization. Sarita’s life changes again and then it shows where Sarita’s greed takes her.

The movie highlights the various aspects of demonetization through Sarita’s story. It also highlights various aspects of human behaviors like greed, hypocrisy ,and self-realization.

Anurag Kashyap is at the top of his game. From the beginning, he immerses us into the world of Sarita. He involves us in her everyday life by repeatedly using some scenes like latching the door, turning off the lights, travelling by train, buying vegetables, returning from work exhausted, and finding the house in a mess. He brings life into the characters and you can relate to each one of them. His movies are generally hard hitting and in your face but here he has brought out all the messages in a much subtle manner.

The cinematography by Sylvester Fonseca is brilliant and keeps the audience engaged throughout. The zoom into the character’s face (close-up shots) adds emotions to the characters and the point of view shots help the audience connect with the characters and understand their perspective.

The screenplay by Nihit Bhave sets up the movie beautifully. The story-line of Sarita and Sushant is very well thought out. But there are some unnecessary plots in the story especially the one with the Reddy story-line was quite weak and unnecessary. The climax of the movie also seemed a little hurried and too convenient. The dialogues in the movie carry a lot of impact.They are tight, funny and convey a lot of meaning.

Saiyami Kher gives a memorable performance as the vulnerable and unhappy Sarita. Roshan Matthew gives a controlled performance and never goes over the top with his frustrated and angry scenes. As usual, Amruta Subhash is  brilliant as Sarita's confidante and neighbor. Only Upendra Limaye is a total misfit as Reddy with his poor South Indian accent.

The background score needs a special mention here. It is definitely influenced by Antonio Sanchez’s drum play as the background score in Birdman. It adds tension and highlights special scenes keeping you engaged throughout.

The movie is a reflection of our society as a whole. It holds a mirror to our face and leaves us to introspect.

In Depth Analysis of Choked

 **Read further at your own risk. SPOILERS AHEAD**

The movie starts with a shot of money being kept in plastic pouches and then placed in a drainage pipe of an ordinary society in Mumbai. That shot then transitions into the dreams of Sarita who is the tenant in the below household. We are then taken into the lives of Sarita and Sushant. Their broken dreams have led to a broken relationship. Their strained relationship is beautifully depicted in scenes where they communicate with each other through their son and when they try to wake their son up from his sleep to satisfy their egos.

The story then takes us to an incident in Sarita’s past where she chokes on stage and fails to sing in a singing reality show. This incident changes her personality completely and still haunts her. Under the guilt of their failed dreams, she tries to make amends by taking up all the responsibilities of the family on her shoulders so that her husband can pursue his dreams. In this process, she grows frustrated and exhausted and the lack of money in the household further aggravates their problems.

The camera work using only a simple tube light as a source of light beautifully captures the environment in which the characters are living.

With the latching of the door and turning off the lights in the night, the audience is taken into Sarita’s personal world. Here the audience is made to connect with her emotions and dreams. The camera shot from within the fridge on Sarita’s face helps the audience connect with her traumatic past emotionally. Then they show the greed and happiness on Sarita’s face when she begins to find pouches of cash in her choked drain.

Sarita uses this money to repay Sushant’s debts to a person named Reddy. This enrages Sushant as it hurts his male ego but still shows no will to earn for his family. It shows what no work does to a person and how he loses all will to work.

With the money flowing in, Sarita’s personality changes into a confident independent woman. Her choking in the past scarred her personality, while here a choke in her sinkhole has revived her personality.

Then one night the money pouches don't appear in the drain and we see huge suitcases being piled up in a car and driven away. The next day our PM announces demonetization and Sarita's life turns upside down as all her new earned wealth becomes worthless. While her husband who does not earn a single penny is seen celebrating with a dance as if this will revive his career. Also, we see how the real hoarders of black money have made arrangements in advance. 

Then the movie narrative highlights the effects of demonetization on aam janta. We see how the banking system was not ready to handle such an unprecedented situation through Sarita’s perspective. She faces huge work pressure and then comes back exhausted to a messy house. We hear in the background the news channels praising the demonetization move and how it has ended terrorism and black money issue with a single stroke. People are shown having hope that this move will end the black money problem in our country.

But as days pass by, we see that demonetization has created more problems than solutions. Sarita's neighbor Tai is shown having a cash crunch for her daughter’s wedding preparations and persuades Sarita to find some way to get her new cash. People are shown struggling to deposit their hard-earned money in the bank and this does not even spare the elderly people. The movie also highlights through the character of Reddy that the powerful people always find a way around the system and channel their black money through corrupt banking employees or by other means. As the movie title says "Paisa bolta hai", money is what makes things happen in our system.

Then as Sarita is worried about depositing the old notes, she again notices that her sinkhole is overflowing with pouches of money with new legal notes. This shows that how the powerful always find a way to channel their money and the innocent tax-paying citizens are the one suffering standing in long queues outside the bank. 

Sarita again starts spending the money she is getting from the choked sink hole to transform her house as per taste. Every night she starts waiting in front of the sinkhole for the money with greed in her eyes. She even starts locking the door of the kitchen so that no one can interfere with her new dream world.

In the movie, it is shown that it is not only Sarita who is greedy for money but everyone around her is shown wanting easy access to money and these same people pass judgment about other people hoarding black money. This is shown through the scenes where her other neighbors steal money from the same house given the opportunity.

But as an audience, we feel for the character of Sarita and we actually rejoice that she now access to this black money and finally she can enjoy her life the way she intends to.

In a poignant scene, Sushant is shown taking out money from Sarita's purse to pay the dhobi. Her phone beeps and he checks it and then looks at his reflection in the mirror. This forces him to introspect and triggers a change in him. He gains respect for his wife and goes out to find work for a living.

Then in a bank robbery, Sarita loses all the money she had collected from the choked sink. This shows that money is just temporary. Sarita again goes into a mental abyss after losing all of her money and choking when it mattered most but this time her husband gives her support and even bails her out in front of the IT department by showing them the source of the black money.

At the ending, Sushant gets a letter informing them that they have been rewarded with 10% of the total amount of black money recovered because of their help. When Sarita asks the amount the movie ends leaving it to the audience's interpretation. If the IT department honestly disclosed the real amount or paid them a token amount to show their honesty is left for us to decide.

The choked pipe represents the system of our country choked with black money. The movie also shows that black money cannot be eradicated by replacing the entire pipe (demonetization). With the new pipe in place, only some beneficiaries will change but the powerful will always stay in power to choke the system. Human greed will always take precedence over humanity, and the day this reverses is the day when the pipe will not be choked anymore.

A Glimpse into this Frameless Photograph

Movie: Photograph

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar

Rating: 3/5

The story begins with our male protagonist Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) clicking a photograph of our female protagonist Miloni (Santa Malhotra) in front of The Gateway of India. The iconic structure of Mumbai symbolises equality as it brings the entire city on an equal and common ground or platform. The movie then takes us to the backgrounds of Rafi who is a street photographer avoiding marriage and Miloni who is an academically bright CA aspirant stuck in her mundane clockwork life.

The movie builds up at a very gradual pace emphasizing the class divide between the protagonists. The movie beautifully frames the city of Mumbai and shows the immense class divide prevalent in the city. It shows how Rafi lives in a cramped up house along with his friends while Miloni lives in a huge apartment where she has a dedicated study room.
As the story moves forward, we are shown how both Rafi and Miloni are stuck in their mechanical practical life which is devoid of happiness, love and dreams. Rafi is adamant on not getting married but describes how his grandmother who insists on him getting married is so adamant that she once stood outside the school Principal's office for 3 days to get Rafi and his siblings admitted to the school. On the contrary Miloni is the idealistic Indian daughter who does not have any opinion about anything and does whatever her family tells her to do. In a striking scene it is shown she is asked to choose the color of her dress in a shop. She likes a different color but finally chooses the color that her mother selects for her.. Even her career choice as a CA ( she is shown to have interest in dramatics ) and her choice of her future husband (her family decides which boy will be suitable for her) has been made by her family.

A photograph of Miloni in front of the Gateway of India by Rafi triggers a set of events which brings happiness and love in their life. They find excitement in their otherwise mundane life.
We are then introduced to a fascinating character in the form of Rafi's grandmother (Farrukh Jaffar). She brings a much needed humor in the film to lighten the mood. But her humor and conversation start feeling repetitive in the movie, and the story fails to give depth to her character. She turns out to be just another nagging grandmother who wants her grandson to get married.
The story emphasizes on the mundane and boring life that Miloni is leading but it does not go beyond that except for a few scenes with her house maid where she tries to understand her way of life to understand Rafi better. The character of Miloni is left unexplored as we just observe Sanya Malhotra (Miloni) give a deadpan expression throughout the movie. The emotional side of her character is not at all explored and it just seems like a lost opportunity by the writers and the director.

While the character of Rafi is much better developed and you feel more connected to him. You feel for him when he looks at the fan rotating from the ceiling (reminding him of Tiwari who committed suicide by hanging from that fan) and thinks if his life is like this fan rotating which will stop one day and no one will care (same as a dysfunctional fan).

The movie shows the genuine community feeling among the lower class of society where Rafi lives in a well knitted social community where they help each other in their daily lives, while Miloni is shown to be feeling totally alone in her house and community and she connects with her house maid. It repeatedly highlights the huge gap between their backgrounds in the form of the Miloni's uncomfortable experience in a rat infested theater and her fragile immune system when exposed to street food.
The story also exposes the rat race in which Indian students are struck where everyone is striving to study in fields which guarantee them a big salary, rather than pursue their passion. The sad truth is exposed when in a poignant scene a taxi driver says that he had done MA in English from a reputed institute like BHU and now he is struck driving a taxi in Mumbai.

In another message which is quoted by Rafi's grandmother, people need to get over their past and move forward to find meaningful relationship, love and happiness in their life. Every human being needs a purpose in their life which will bring them contentment and happiness.
Miloni wants to break free from the shackles of her rigid upbringing and discover herself. The photograph of her represents the version of her she aspires to be. But the movie misses to add any meaningful dimension to her photographs.

The cinematographer of the movie are at the top of their game. The vistas created in each scene is very appealing and keeps your immersed in the movie. The use of mirrors, multiple reflection and natural light are beautifully captured in specific scenes. They capture the good, bad and ugly of the city of Mumbai perfectly.

The screenplay is the biggest flaw of the movie. It does not elevate the story beyond the warm and simple relationship between both the protagonists. The story does not delve into the emotional depth of the characters and it is such a lost opportunity because the setup was perfect for a memorable movie. We do not feel for the characters the way it is intended to.

The direction remains solid for most part of the movie. The intentional shot of Miloni's legs presenting the emotions she is going through is wonderfully captured. The use of mirrors to present the duality of personality and a confused soul is nicely captured. The director fails to put life into Miloni's character and overuses Rafi's grandmother for a humor outlet. Overall he puts out a story filled with humor and warmth but fails to strike a chord.

Nawazuddin gives a rock solid subtle performance. Sanya fails to give life to her character, which in part is the shortcoming of the screenplay. Farrukh Jaffar (Rafi's grandmother) gives the performance demanded of her.

This movie builds up at an elegant pace but falls short of being a memorable movie. Its presents an unusual romantic story filled with warmth but falls short in emotions.