I watched Kabir Singh and cinematically, it is a good piece of work. The direction is taut, the movie is well-scripted, and his editing is even better. The music, the background score is brilliant. And the acting is breathtaking. The movie does not permit you to get bored or lose engagement with it. These are all the signs of cinematic brilliance. The icing on the cake is Shahid Kapoor. Kapoor, who looks decidedly dishy in an unkempt beard, is outstanding as this decaying lover. He’s violent and virile, determined to destroy himself over a messy break-up. His attention towards punishing himself is riveting and he’s the human equivalent of a train-wreck that you can’t help rubber neck. Kabir stops you in your tracks with his uninhibited act. The scenes in which he rages around like a bull or comes unhinged is absolute gold.
However, if I had my critical faculties on, it would be a different review altogether. It is a depiction of violent, destructive misogynist who believes in toxic love and will stoop to any level to "possess" his beloved completely. The character is flawed completely and has been romanticised excessively.Most insidious is the writing of Kabir Singh, which uses humour to lull us into an acceptance of its terrible, terrifying hero's obnoxiousness. As offensive as his patriarchal, misogynistic attitude towards the heroine and other women is the fact that towards the end writer-director-editor Sandeep Vanga seems to be trying to evoke sympathy for him by getting him to tearfully confess that he is an alcoholic.
But my point is - can we watch a movie cinematically and not critically? Is it possible to accept a hero so flawed and machismo so abusive? Can we leave the cinema hall without feeling nauseous or a little underwhelmed?
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