Amitabh Bachchan's Mirza is the Life of Gulabo Sitabo

June 12, 2020 1 Comments



We often get bored seeing the same actor doing a similar kind of performance, mostly OTT in many films. No matter how legendary that actor is, the portrayal becomes cliche film after films and that is why we always appreciate a fresh face on the screen. 

Thankfully there are directors like Shoojit Sircar and actors like Amitabh Bachchan who successfully remodels the molds and brings more freshness to the screen and the subject. Gulabo Sitabo is one such film that makes you empathize with the antagonist and an antagonist like Mirza is beyond the most illuminating legends that we have seen on the silver screen.

And if Gulabo Sitabo works, it solely works on Mirza's however hunched shoulders. A power full performance, and an immortal character after the Geet in Jab We Met!

Unlike Geet, Mirza is selfish, always scheming, the emotionless person whose sole aim in life is to hold the heritage Haveli [however dilapidated it was] that he was living in and for which he married a woman 17 years older to his age. Unlike any Lucknow based stories, there is no romance, no Shayari in this story. The only unsaid romance is between Mirza and his need for money. The Haveli is just a medium that Mirza does not think twice before surrendering it in front of the shrewd builder. Who will rescue this centenary Razia of Haveli from the ceremonial goons is the subject and love your Begum above your haveli is the crux of the film. However, there are many real-life, hard-hitting truths inside. The reality of inveterate tenants trying to usurp a property, the ever landlord-tenant rent war, the harsh truth of government claims over so-called heritage properties in-country, and the undervalued antics sold at larger than life price labels. 

Gulabo Sitabo, from the title to many elements are at the right place, with the right heart. 

What disappoints is the screenplay that starts on high point yet starts dragging in the middle of the film, till the end. The end is tragic. You may call it- tragicomedy as you see the plot slipping away from the protagonist's hands [quite literally], and they portray it well too. However, the story stops pacing well-enough to keep the interest intact. Somewhere it loses the steam and your viewing experience dropping down. 

The setting, the characters all are perfect including a great ensemble of actors like ever-charming Ayushman Khurana, Powerhouse performers Vijayraj, and Brajendra Kalra, the amazing Farrukh Jafar, crispy Shristy Shrivastava, and even Purnima Sharma who played scissor tongued Fauzia. 



The cast is endearing, subtle, and perfect to the characters they played. Thankfully no OTT appearance of any celeb and no item songs. 

Like I said my biggest favorite was the otherwise unscrupulous, single-minded, as wicked as he can get Mirza. The portrayal was less verbal and more powerful that instead of sneering at his silly acts, you find them silly and amusing. He makes the greedy acts look justified and you end up empathizing with him. 

The movie is a good reckoner of exploitation in society without bringing any religious or cultural or cinematic undertone anywhere. I think after the splendid film- October, I was highly looking upon this film [umm I love the way the title rings up] and was ecstatic to see it released on Prime Video amidst the depressing COVID. I think Tragic-comedy is not the genre that we are prepared to see at such times and maybe that's why the film bordered on slight disappointment. 

The disappointment lied in the expectation. Like Gulabo-Sitabo [a traditional puppet show where two women constantly bicker over each other], you wanted to see the two characters- Banke and Mirza's bickering and one-upmanship over each other, which they do as well. However, adding too many angles caused few non-seamless wrinkles affecting the overall experience. Nevertheless, on a scale of 5, the movie with all its heart at the right places and a fabulous Mirza deserves 4/5.


How come? The screenplay may have faltered at some point but the overall story and that legendary Mirza claimed additional points for the portrayal indeed. Besides, the underlying message of older people, older heritages getting old and lonely is hard-hitting as always and reminds you of many injustices done to them in the name of archaeology, antics valuation, and more. The movie is also a farce on people who thinks themselves smarter than others.

A Special Mention to True to Life Portrayls and dialogues

The movie has some real heartwarming scenes and touching dialogues that I want you to experience first-hand. There are scenes that you cannot miss. Like the one where Mirza asks a street food hawker to calculate 12 X 2500, an amount suggested by his lawyer or the scene where he picks a packet from Bankey's flour mill, so real and spontaneous. One can go on and on in a review but best is that you see and feel the film on your own.

Let me know if you want this review to be in the Gulabo-Sitabo kinda mode? I will be happy to improvise this even as Mrs. Khanna for you.

Mrs Khanna who? Forgotten? Our Khanna Aunty from Three Idiots and Smart Device Fame :)

Cheers,
Numerounity
Ekta 



The autor is half Human, half machine. Go Figure or just revel in what I write

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much @ admin for share your valuable thoughts and ideas We always enjoy your articles its inspired a lot by reading your articles day by day. So please accept my thanks and congrats for success of your latest series. We hope, you should published more better articles like ever before
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