“Akkad bakkad bambe bo Assi nabey purey sau Sau sau baras ka hua Yeh khiladi na budha hua…”
The ‘Khiladi’ referred to- is none but Indian Cinema which was born in 1913. People from the world of Bollywood have had their own ways to pay their odes to the 100 year old institution and they have expressed pride to have been associated Bollywood ‘Bombay Talkies’ is such a tribute – collectively composed on celluloid by Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap. The movie runs through the four segments in which each of the four directors pay a tribute to the world of Indian Cinema.
Karan Johar
The film opens with a boy (Saqib Salim) in his early twenties roughing up his father, who disapproves of his sexual orientation. In a bid to free himself from the clutches of societal norms, he breaks away from his family to earn his own livelihood. He works as an intern under Rani Mukerji, who is always at her opulent best. She is married to a political analyst (Randeep Hooda) and shares a somewhat dull marital relationship.
With this segment, Karan Johar has proved his mettle as a filmmaker. Unlike his other “commercial” and over-the-top ventures, ‘Bombay Talkies’ comes across as an excellent piece of art that revolves round the intricacies of complex relationships. The track ‘Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh’ and ‘Lag Ja Gale’ from classic Hindi films have been used as metaphors in this segment, and they talk volumes about the emotional connect between a song and its listener. Hats off to our Karan Johar for pulling off a fine show along with actors par brilliance- Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda and the very fresh Saqib Salim. The dialogues are witty and very natural and so are the performances of the stars . This portion deserves an outstanding 8.5/10.
Dibakar Banerjee:
Nawazuddin Siddique, yet again proves that he is born to do nothing but act. Such is the atmosphere of a man who is way beyond the conformist definition of a Bollywood star. A failed actor but a self-proclaimed “businessman”, Nawazuddin strives hard to find a job. His wife, daughter, his pet emu and a mediocre neighbourhood is what he has to call his own. The segment unfolds all what an emotionally charged man can do bring about a smile on the faces of his loved ones.
Dibakar and Nawazuddin make a lethal duo. They have to to make more films together to make the most of their insightful talents. This part of the film throws light on the complexity that a man nurses in his heart, which stands in sharp contrast to practicality. This portion gets an 7/10
Zoya Akhtar:
Zoya Akhtar’s segment in ‘Bombay Talkies’ emphasises the need to believe in your dreams and do what your heart earnestly wishes for. Ranvir Shorey plays a strict father to a daughter and a son Vicky (Naman Jain). An anxious and a tyrant father that he is, Shorey wants his son to take up conventional recreation activities meant for boys. But Vicky dreams of becoming a dancer. The one who inspires him to pursue his dream is Katrina Kaif. His virtual connect with his fairy-actress gives him the much needed bravery to do what he wants to do which is to dance. Zoya has done a commendable job and has been able to strike a deal with the virtual space a person travels in. Naman is a truly talented child star and has shown great maturity in portraying a character like that of Vicky. The child star deserves a loud, thunderous applause. This portion gets an 7.5/10
Anurag Kashyap:
Vijay (Vineet Kumar), who travels miles to ask megastar Amitabh Bachchan to grab half a bit of a murabba made by his mother. He does so, to fulfil his ill father’s wish! But is it so easy to even catch a glimpse of a superstar. This segment is all about a man’s frenzied journey from his hometown to Bachchan’s abode in Mumbai and his ultimate wish- to make the legendary actor taste his murabba. Anurag Kashyap reveals the aura created by the sheer stardom of Amitabh Bachchan and the virtual relationship those diehard fans of his share with him. Kashyap is popular for producing realistic cinema and has succeeded yet again. Vineet as Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan’s popular screen name) puts up an incredible performance. This portion gets a well-deserved 9/10 .
All the four segments of the film are diverse in nature. The film projects the complex lives from different walks of life and the intense impact of cinema on the lives of people has been recognized with utmost accomplishment. The film touches the heart of everyone who loves Bollywood movies and it is a beautiful gift from four uniquely different directors who came together and created a beautiful tribute to Indian Cinema ! My overall rating of Bombay Talkies is 8/10 …
The Directors of Bombay Talkies