Review: Nishabd ALL REVIEWS HERE ONLY

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#31

Nishabd review

By reinhard1942

This movie really left me speechless - not that its a take on American Beauty (I think its closer to the Kevin Spacey - Mena Suvari starrer than Vladimir Nobokov's classic) - purely because of the performance of the characters, the verdant, paradise like landscape of Munnar and the treatment of the subject - putting it as an old man falling in love with a young kid is putting it very simplistically, since its not about lust but as Vijay (the lead character, a name which Amitabh has assumed in 80% of his movies) puts it - about an attempt to escape the inevitable fact called death. And how reality hits you and jolts you out of your delusion when you find yourself suddenly alienated..perhaps the story would not have hit so hard had it not been Amitabh's superb performance. Move over SRK and all the kids on the block - no one can come close to this collosus called Amitabh..and of course, Revathy and Nasser have been so effortless, and so has Ritu (wouldn't know her name) - wonder whether anyone could do a better job than them...hats of RGV for this treat...I think the Indian audience is waking up to good quality mainstream fare. Hey RGV, get out of the James/Darna Mana Hai kind of crap and dish out such stuff more often!

Movie Rating:

Music Rating:

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#32

Nishabd review

By Ghazala

I saw last night Nishabd and it is still on my mind. That should speak for it. While before watching the film I so much expected it to be a total waste of time and money. But my curiosity got the better of me. So the interest factor was working in its favor. I must also say that I have never much liked Amitabh in lustful, anti social roles. Here I knew he would be doing some thing in that line.

All said and done, Nishabd was pleasant experience. Nothing was forced on you. It was not preachy and it was not obscene. Ram Gopal just enjoyed playing with complex emotions in the simplest manner. And yes there is a kiss scene in the movie and no the Rozzana song is not there, which is sad.

Amitabh as the man old enough to be Jiah's father tries to reason his attraction as an age factor. But the physical factor is very much there for every one to see. Each time Jiah wants him to see her point of view she grabs his hands. Why?

Jiah is a natural. She does try her best. Her voice modulation is bad but probably that works okay in this film. Revathy is effortless. She fits her part like a glove. Revathy is graceful and not many of us would be in such a situation. As for Amitabh, he is a beauty. He leaves you speechless. I wonder has some thing like this ever happened to him! Perhaps, but Rekha is not so much younger than him.

Plus Points: Amitabh & Amitabh

Minus Points: Very jarring back ground music.

Movie Rating: * * * * *

Music Rating: * * * * *

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#33

By Aditya Pant, March 4, 2007 - 06:06 IST

In my opinion, Nishabd is a fairly well-made film. RGV tackles an unconventional theme - I won't call it bold, at least not bold enough - with remarkable ease. The director uses his signature style of very tight close-ups to great effect. Of course, the camera cannot enter the minds of the characters, but it comes very close. Through every minute expression, every twitch of the facial muscles, it shows you what the characters are thinking and feeling. And if you have an actor like Amitabh Bachchan, that only heightens the impact. The absence of a plot actually works to the film's advantage. The film moves forth in a languorous fashion, which can be irritating to some viewers, but for me it worked well. It gave me all the time to witness and reflect upon the events as they lazily unfolded themselves. It gave me the time to savour the subtle directorial touches. Yes, it also gave me enough opportunity to think about what could have been done differently. But that's precisely what I expect from a fulfilling movie-going experience - an opportunity to watch a movie at an emotional as well as a rational level: from the heart as well as the head. The director opts for blue as the predominant color in the palette he uses to paint his vision of a May-November romance between his lead characters Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Jiah (Jiah Khan). Each and every scene, even when it captures the breathtakingly beautiful and lush locales of Munnar, is bathed in a blue hue. Now that's an interesting color for a tale like this. At the most obvious level, blue stands for romance and in that respect seems completely harmonious with the theme. If we really get into various kinds of symbolisms, blue also stands for virtues like truth, honesty and fidelity. And that's a delightful contrast from what we see in the relationship between Vijay and Amrita (Revathy). I can't say what RGV's real idea behind using this colour was, maybe I'm seeing too much into a device used merely to present a pretty picture, but to me it opens up a number of interesting possibilities. Interestingly, elements of incongruity crop up in other areas as well - whether it's the quirky camera movement or the very out-of-character background music. While the story itself moves at a leisurely pace, the camera moves all over the place almost in an intrusive fashion. Ditto for the brilliant background music by Amar Mohile - the hammering, thriller-like background score is in perpetual conflict with the sensitivity of romance on the screen. I don't take these incongruities as faults, though I must admit they were quite distracting at times. I thought that the very fact that they were in stark contrast with the film itself was an interesting way to depict the inner conflict of the characters. Rules of conventional filmmaking would say that the camera movements and music should be in tune with what's being depicted on film, but when has RGV followed rules or conventions? Now for the compromises - RGV clearly shies away from including any sexual angle to this unusual love story. Given the way the unashamedly voyeuristic camera (and to an extent the writing) has a field day presenting Jiah Khan as a sex object - the extra-short dresses, the wet scene (ah, this predilection of Hindi commercial filmmakers for showing heroines getting wet in a white saree!! Only, the white saree gets replace by a white shirt worn over an almost non existent pair of shorts), over-emphasis on showing her naked legs, and Jiah Khan's defiantly sexual demeanour - it is certain that the director had all the intentions of showing lust as the trigger for the relationship, but probably had to compromise on that aspect because of the demigod status of his lead actor. This is one area where the disconnect between the technique and the content works to the film's detriment. The story would have been much more interesting and realistic if this aspect had been adequately explored. Much as I am in absolute awe of Amitabh Bachchan and think that his performance in Nishabd is one of his finest, I can't help admitting that his presence in the film dilutes the impact of the film. RGV clearly develops cold feet and refrains from adding any dirty thoughts into his male protagonist's mind; yet his camera is not quite convinced and continues to explore the baser emotions. The other big compromise that RGV had to make also stems from trying to show Vijay in a more favorable light. There was no reason to add that monologue justifying/ rationalizing the attraction between a 60 year old man and an 18 year old kid - "an old man gets attracted to a young girl because he wants to hold on to his youth" - Phew!. I strongly believe that love, even when it is triggered by lust, does not always have a straight-forward reason, but is in fact a very complex psychological thing that cannot always be rationalized. It is here that you just can't help thinking that the film definitely needed to take its title seriously: some things are better left unsaid - Nishabd.

What I liked about the movie:
Amitabh's performance, Citematography, a few directorial touches

What I didn't like about the movie:
voyeuristic camera angles

Would you recommend this movie to your friend: Yes

User Movie Rating: 3.5

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sheena

@bollyfreak

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#34

I just saw Nishabd last night and I keep thinking about the movie. It definitely left an awkward affect on me...but i like it!

The movie was daring and different just like the character of Jia. I went into the movie expecting a lot because I am a huge RGV fan when he directs films himself. I could gladly say that I got what I wanted.

The movie keeps you interested throughout and you feel for both characters by the end. Amithabh Bachchan has proved that there is no role that he cannot enact. Jiah Khan's character is far from lovable but she somehow makes her way into your heart and stays with you.

As written in most reviews for Nishabd, there will be a large portion of the audience that does not accept this subject matter, therefore they will either go in to the film with a biased state of mind and come out hating it, or they will not see it at all.

However for those of you that are open minded and love to see new things in Indian cinema, make sure you don't miss this one. It's something new with the familiar face and the powerful presence of Mr. Amithabh Bachchan. Can't get better than that!

4/5

Edited by bollyfreak - 18 years ago

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#35

Originally posted by: bollyfreak
I just saw Nishabd last night and I keep thinking about the movie. It definitely left an awkward affect on me...but i like it!

The movie was daring and different just like the character of Jia. I went into the movie expecting a lot because I am a huge RGV fan when he directs films himself. I could gladly say that I got what I wanted.

The movie keeps you interested throughout and you feel for both characters by the end. Amithabh Bachchan has proved that there is no role that he cannot enact. Jiah Khan's character is far from lovable but she somehow makes her way into your heart and stays with you.

As written in most reviews for Nishabd, there will be a large portion of the audience that does not accept this subject matter, therefore they will either go in to the film with a biased state of mind and come out hating it, or they will not see it at all.

However for those of you that are open minded and love to see new things in Indian cinema, make sure you don't miss this one. It's something new with the familiar face and the powerful presence of Mr. Amithabh Bachchan. Can't get better than that!

4/5

thanks for the review yaar...😊 four stars...great...Cnt wait to see it...😳

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#36

'Nishabd' Sets Itself Apart in Bollywood

He's 60. She's 18.
Some love stories are never meant to be understood. That's what the tagline of director Ram Gopal Verma's "Nishabd" (Speechless) says. True as it is, "Nishabd" is not the kind of movie that you may find it easy to comprehend. It is far more complicated. "Nishabd" unfolds as a spellbinding tale of an unprecedented love story between a 60-year-old man and a teenage girl. What else can one expect from such an unconventional situation? "Nishabd" tells you.

60-year-old Vijay (Amitab Bachchan) is a happily married man living a retired life with his wife (Revathi) and daughter (Shraddha Arya). Enter the character of Jiah (Jiah Khan),the plot takes a dramatic twist. Vijay finds himself falling for this 18-year-old girl, in spite of himself. The consequences that follow forms the crux of this unexplainable love story.

Despite the film was based on an unconventional storyline, Verma still manages to give it a fine touch in terms of quality cinema. The cinematography is simply amazing so is the background score. But what makes the overall impact was the movie's powerful content, which sets it apart from typical Bollywood movies.

With its small cast, it is not an exaggeration to say that the acting credit solely goes to Amitabh Bachchan, since if it was not for him, the movie might have ended up being mediocre. Bachchan delivers a skillful and an impactful performance as the main protagonist, one of his best in recent times. As far as Jiah Khan is concerned, her performance was fairly well for a debutant. Revathy too performed her character as Bachchan's wife with her natural ease.

On the shortcomings, firstly, the snail's pace of the plot needs to be noted. From its opening reels to the climax, "Nishabd" moves at the same slow pace that seems to bore the audiences at times, especially during the second half of the movie.

2007 RGV Production

Another flaw is that the intimacy of the relationship between Amithabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan is unconvincing (at some points) for the lack of comfort level between the two actors. Although the plot is supposed to be glued to the romance between Bachchan and Jiah Khan, it seems more like a child fantasy than a real life situation. Finally, it can be taken into account here that the movie's editing is sloppy at times.

A subject matter as bold as this one, undoubtedly "Nishabd" is bound to provoke arguments and disagreements among the viewers on its reality but Verma's approach to it actually does contain substance that hold his story together.

Minus the few flaws, overall "Nishabd" presents an entertaining package that has the elements of quality cinema. "Nishabd" is a movie worth a watch for its riveting plot and content and the amazing performance by Amitabh Bachchan.

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sheena

@bollyfreak

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#37

Thanks Lakshmi!

Loved yours too. 😊

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#38

Originally posted by: bollyfreak
Thanks Lakshmi!

Loved yours too. 😊

yaar..I didnt see the movie...The review I posted are from some other sites which reviewed the movie...I am yet to see it cant wait😭

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lakshmi

@lucky_lakshmi

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

#39

Movie Review: Nishabd

S H V E L M U R . C O M

Mar 4, 2007 in Reviews

Nishabd is a re-make of the very famous russian movie, Lolitta. I know, that the flavour of the day is re-mixing movies, but I must confess.. what a re-make? Amazing movie! I was simply blown away by the pathos of the story, the power of Amitabh's eyes and the great performances of every single character.

Personally, I think, this is the best performance by Amitabh. yes.. even more than Black. He has truly scaled peaks that probably most actors in the world can ever see. Finally, a movie that has created some hope for bollywood and the Indian film industry. We have class, we are the masters of pathos. We can do with more Nishabd's. Mr. RGV, are you listening?