All Movie Reviews: Gulaal

Gulaal: Movie Review

12 Mar, 2009 06:00 am ISTlGaurav Malani/INDIATIMES MOVIES

Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Ayesha Mohan, Deepak Dobriyal
Rating: ***

Bollywood has witnessed enough of Bihar-based politics. Anurag Kashyup takes us to new land and breaks new ground with Rajasthan's rajniti . Gulaal is a complex but compelling narrative set around the members of erstwhile royal community who want to claim back their Rajputana province and royalty regime from the democratic government.

Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) comes to Rajpur to study law. From campus ragging to college elections, he is soon embroiled into local politics when his roommate Rananjay Singh (Abhimanyu Singh), who is contesting for the college elections, is murdered. The local kingpin Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) compels Dilip to contest in place of Rananjay on behalf of the Rajputana party and makes him win.

Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) who loses to Dilip in elections lures him with her feminine charm and soon takes charge of the party. Once in charge, she refuses to acknowledge Dilip's advances and attempts to attract Dukey. Blinded by his love for Kiran, the diffident Dilip turns hostile.

Gulaal follows a multidimensional narrative and Kashyup adopts a dark, brooding and relentless storytelling pattern that doesn't simplify the dense plot. The story starts from Dukey Bana's call for revolution, works towards Dilip's evolution from a nervous nerd to a vehement lover and concludes with the conquest of the illegitimate Rajput claimant (Aditya Srivastava). None of the tracks are episodic with all running parallel at equal momentum.

Kashyup's treatment is such that none of the characters are distinctively defined, introduced or established. As a keen viewer, you are expected to acclimatize to each of them on your own and learn their conflicts, as the story progresses promptly. Further with the story's setting in untried terrains, at times, it becomes a little difficult to relate to the characters or their immediate concerns. But then you enjoy the exercise.

The writing by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Aparna Chaturvedi and Anurag Kashyup is intricate in terms of story but has a straightforward narration. The screenplay had the potential to be tweaked into a suspense crime thriller but it chooses to be a forthright political drama. The scenes are shorter in length but larger in number and alternate from being expressive to abstract, at times. In several scenes, Anurag attempts to communicate through unspoken word and metaphorical frames. In many others he tries to capture the most unusual human reaction to situations.

The chemistry between the lead pair of Raj Singh Chaudhary and Ayesha Mohan isn't as tangible as the bloody aftermath it leads to in the climax. Perhaps that's because the director wanted to subdue the romance, which could have otherwise outshined the primary essence of politics. The Jesse Randhawa track isn't properly fleshed out either. Also the half-baked character of the body-painted ardha-nareshwar isn't explained, though he offers some funny moments.

Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi uses red-pink frames to light up scenes to the Gulaal symbolism. Aarti Bajaj's editing is effective though the length of the narrative could have been crisper. Piyush Mishra makes use of poignant poetry while penning the provoking lyrics and his ethnic tunes are brought to life by some brilliant rustic rendition. The superlative soundtrack that plays in the background for most part perks up the mood of the film. Even the two frontline item numbers aren't much of cinematic intrusion.

Rest assured, performances from an Anurag Kashyap film are always promising. Kay Kay Menon has a towering presence in Gulaal through his stimulating speeches and enraged outbursts. Co-writer Raj Singh Chaudhary is a perfect cast in the role of the loser and the faint-hearted protagonist. Ayesha Mohan befits her confidence-personified character of a scheming politico. Deepak Dobriyal gives the best of expressions with effortless ease. Abhimanyu Singh is impressive in his short but strong characterization. Piyush Mishra as the foreign-return simpleton extends his musical poetry from songs to dialogues. Mahie Gill has two songs and four scenes but still leaves a mark with her immense screen presence. Aditya Srivastava speaks less but convey more. Jesse Randhawa, Pankaj Jha, Mukesh Bhatt, Chitaranjan Giri and Jyoti Dogra add ample support.

For those who love undiluted dry colours of cinematic drama, indulge in Gulaal this Holi.

http://movies.indiatimes.com/moviereview/4248725.cms

REVIEW : Anurag Kashyap's Gulaal

Now here's a film that could have been much more hard hitting

By Abhishek mande Buzz 18 Mar 12, 2009

If the first half of Dev.D had impressed you no end, chances are that the pre-interval portion of Gulaal will put you off.

But the pace of the movie merely reflects its setting. The Rajasthani towns and villages form the place of action for Anurag Kashyap's latest release. And while you may not find camels and sand dunes in Kashyap's Rajasthan, you will discover its gory, chauvinistic underbelly.

It is in this unholy world that aspiring law student Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) finds himself being irrevocably dragged. Along the way, he meets Anuja (Jesse Randhawa) who is locked in the same room as him, stripped of all clothes and dignity.

While Anuja withstands the assault in her own way without once physically fighting back, Dilip takes the law in his hands.

Instigating him is a roommate Rananjay Singh (Abhimanyu Singh) a proud Rajput prince who ideologically opposes his father, a former maharaja.

One fight leads to another and yet another till Rananjay, contesting for the college general secretary elections, has to pay for it with his life.

Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon), a local kingpin makes the gullible roomie Dilip contest in Rananjay's place. Thanks to the manipulation, Dilip wins the election against one Kiran (Ayesha Mohan).

But Dukey Bana has larger plans and Dilip is just a pawn. Dukey is a man who with his fundamentalist zeal and an army of radical rajputs hopes to overthrow the government. He dreams of an independent Rajputana free from the rule of the Government of India.

Meanwhile Dilip's life gets complicated as he falls in love with Kiran. She instigates him at regular intervals and makes him stand up against Dukey.

As it turns out, the girl and her brother Karan (Aditya Shrivastava) have other things on their minds. And before Dilip knows it he becomes an unwilling player in a sinister plot.

Anurag Kashyap sets his film in the blazing deserts of Rajasthan and traces the cause of unrest to the dissolution of the princely states after India's independence.

More so, as one of his characters suggests, Kashyap is not one of those who wants a place in history through Amar Chitra Katha comic books.

He chooses to go beyond the popular perception of bravery and chivalry in Rajputana and through it questions the larger albeit not entirely similar issue of Kashmir.

The filmmaker also chooses his actors well – Raj Singh Chaudhary delivers a good performance playing the unwilling and then the unwitting pawn.

Kay Kay Menon as the double faced manipulator delivers his goods – we'd be surprised if he didn't.

But the two names that deserve a mention here are those of Deepak Dobriyal and Piyush Mishra.

Dobriyal, who shot to fame playing Saif Ali Khan's sidekick in Omkara, finally gets a role he deserves. He plays Bhatti – Dukey Bana's right hand man. Watch the parts where he has absolutely no dialogues but merely through his expressions, he manages to steal the scenes.

Piyush Mishra who played Irrfan Khan's nemesis in Maqbool, has also written the lyrics and composed the unusual score of this film. He plays Kay Kay Menon's mentally challenged brother who as it seems is the sanest among the rest.

Newcomer Ayesha Mohan makes a spirited debut but the surprise element here is model-dancer Jesse Randhawa.

Most songs take the story forward but you cannot help but want to fast forward some other numbers including the one featuring Mahie Gill.

One of the major strengths of this movie remains its cinematography. The tension and the constant feeling of unrest is well-captured. Cinematographer Rajiv Ravi refuses to romanticise the underbelly and shows you just how ugly and stifling it can get.

Unfortunately the stifling extends beyond the screen. The plot drags on and it takes too long to establish the characters.
Worse, the audience suffers from the same plight as Dilip as it takes a while to figure out just what the hell has hit us. Never, in that sense, is there a distancing from the protagonist and his story.

Sadly even though it is in a way Dilip's tale, at no point are we given an insight into his mind. Never once are we told what he feels and why. And that is perhaps the movie's failings.

To draw a lose parallel, even though in George Orwell's 1984 Big Brother's presence is ominous throughout the book, it is at all points the story of the one man who is victimised, trampled upon and eventually discarded.

The story of Gulaal is almost always told from Dukey Bana's point of view. And while you are dying to know more about

Dilip as also his unexplored relationship with Anuja the only thing being spoken about is the free state of Rajputana.

Gulaal's end therefore doesn't go down too well and most certainly doesn't hit as hard as it should have.

Some of Anurag Kashyap's gimmicks also fail to strike a chord. The 'Hello There' neon sign flickering to become 'Hell Here' for one seems forced as does the part where Dilip learns he's been used.

Full marks though for the dialogues and the cheeky lyrics. And if you have an eye for details, chances are you might just find a stray abuse written on a number plate or something scribbled on a black board.

Verdict: Watch Gulaal; it's a good film that could have been much better

RATING - 3 / 5 ( Good )

By Taran Adarsh, March 13, 2009 - 10:09 IST

Accuse him of thinking abstract, but you cannot accuse Anurag Kashyap of following the stereotype. In GULAAL, the storyteller attempts to tell multiple stories in one film. Student politics, a separate state for Rajputs, an intense love story that has a disastrous end… Kashyap's GULAAL is intelligent, intense, disturbing, poignant and expectedly, cerebral.

GULAAL is thought-provoking and has the power to engage you at various points of the narrative. Honestly, it takes time to get the hang of things. Actually, you don't take to the sundry characters and the relationships instantly, but the complex relationships, their motives, the culmination, each layer is peeled as the story progresses.

Yet, at the same time, a film like GULAAL isn't the type that would cut ice with every strata of moviegoers. The expletives are aplenty [not required, actually; why does Kashyap have them in film after film?], the second hour meanders at times and most importantly, the material restricts it from reaching out to a universal audience.

Dileep [Raj Singh Chaudhary] comes to Jaipur to study. Here, he comes in contact with Rananjay Singh Ransa [Abhimanyu Singh], Jadwal [Pankaj Jha], Anuja [Jesse Randhawa], Dukey Bana [Kay Kay Menon] and Kiran [Ayesha Mohan].

Dukey Bana convinces Ransa to contest the college elections on behalf of the Rajputana party; Ransa and Kiran battle it for General Secretary's post. The rivalry between the two gangs intensifies and Ransa is forced to withdraw, which he resists. Eventually, this leads to his murder by Karan [Aditya Srivastav]. Dileep is compelled to contest elections in Ransa's place and made to win.

After losing the elections, Kiran tries winning Dileep's trust, gets close to him and pretends to fall in love. As he tries to fit into the shoes of the General Secretary, an insecure Dileep gets emotionally dependent on Kiran. Dileep finds himself trapped in political manoeuvres. It dawns to him that he is being used by Dukey.

Dukey Bana is masterminding a Rajputana movement, to have a separate state ruled by Rajputs. In a gamut of red faces [gulaal is put over the faces to mask their true identity], Dileep sees the truth behind Dukey and his actions.

Kiran takes charge as the General Secretary. As soon as in power, she refuses to meet Dileep and tries to get close to Dukey using her feminine charm. A lovelorn and rejected Dileep gets more and more frustrated, abusive and violent in desperation. Blinded by his love for Kiran, Dileep goes into a frenzy, becoming a sorry and inevitable victim of circumstances.

GULAAL isn't for the faint-hearted. Nor is it for those looking for escapist cinema. Anurag Kashyap movies are dark [this one's gruesome as well] and you either take to them or you don't. There's no in between!

A few individualistic sequences leave a profound impact. Take the sequence when Raj Singh Chaudhary is stripped naked and thrown into a dark chamber. Take the sequence when Aditya Srivastav kills Abhimanyu Singh and the dialogue that precedes that sequence. Take the sequence when Ayesha Mohan does a complete somersault and refuses to meet Raj.

GULAAL has its share of shortcomings. With so many stories running parallel, the second hour takes a really long time to wind up things and reach the culmination. Besides, the confrontation in the end, between Kay Kay and Raj Singh Chaudhary, could've been shortened. Too much dialoguebaazi, even after Kay Kay has been shot.

Also, if the film talks of today's times, how come the police are shown as passive watchers to all the killings, abductions, murders, et al? Even the media, which is hungry for the smallest of story, is absent. The writing could've been tighter.

Rajeev Ravi's cinematography is first-rate. Dialogues are acidic and the expletives are difficult to absorb after a point. Piyush Mishra's lyrics are thought-provoking.

The film is embellished with supreme performances. Kay Kay is in splendid form. Raj Singh Chaudhary has the talent. Aditya Srivastav does well, but deserved more footage. Piyush Mishra is excellent. Abhimanyu Singh leaves a strong impact. Ayesha Mohan is top notch. Mahie Gill is perfect. Deepak Dobriyal is first-rate. Pankaj Jha is effective. Jesse Randhawa gets no scope.

On the whole, GULAAL is interesting in parts. The film may appeal to those looking for a change from the run-of-the-mill fares week after week. Its business will be best at multiplexes of metros.

Rating: ** 1/2

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/12999/index.html

has anyone seen this movie.. i don't know if i should even watch it.. hmmm.. someone let us know..

you're wecome ^^

Have you seen Black Friday? i can say Anurag movies are always(mostly) Critically Acclaimed, This movie might not be Box office success but critics going to like the movie.

thanks for the articles..........Anurag Kashyap's films are very different.......going by the critic's reviews this one seems to be good.

I have been hearing about Anurag so much especially after Dev D. I need to watch all his movies one of these days! This one seems good!

By: Namita Gupta
Date: 2009-03-13

Bangalore: Gulaal (Hindi)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Starcast: Kay Kay Menon, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Ayesha Mohan, Deepak Dobriyal
Rating: 3/5

Review: If politics is your cup of tea, then this one's for you. And quite aptly timed preceding the elections and post the Holi. For others it's again a hard-hitting stance from Anurag Kashyap who doesn't believe in any kind of barriers whatsoever. Definitely not a family entertainer, this is an intense film drawing inspiration from a few real life events. There's a whole lot of college politics replete with dirty ragging, danda maaro and gun chalao scenes. But the underlying message seems to come across quite vividly that of one-time royal community who coveted to claim its royalty and Rajputana province from a democratic government.

Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) comes to Rajpur in pursuit of law after his post graduation. He is beaten up naked and locked in a dark room with Jesse Randhawa, a college professor and then brain washed with head down into a bathroom sink with flush on. From campus ragging he is soon enmeshed into politics when his roommate Rananjay Singh aka Ransa (the only handsome guy in the film, Abhimanyu Singh), who is an heir to the royalty, but prefers to live on his own, contests the college elections, but is murdered by his step brother. The fearless don Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) compels Dilip to contest in place of Rananjay on behalf of the Rajputana party and makes him win. As if matters couldn't get worse, Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) who is Dilip's rival stoops down to luring him, sleeps with him and emerges in power. The reticent Dilip becomes harsh to his own ally. And then there's more bloodshed.

What's hot: Mahie Gill's mujra number and Kay Kay Menon's belligerent act.

What's not: Starts with a stark and unyielding flow making the complex plot even more intense. None of the scenes gain an applaudable impetus.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/mar/130309-movie-review-anurag-kashyap-kay-kay-baaji-kannada.htm

Review

Set in the fictional Rajpur town of modern-day Rajasthan, Gulaal is entangled with stories of student politics, a covertly taking shape local rebellion for an independent Rajputana stare and love taking it forward. The meek, Dileep Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary), is an idealistic man who gets caught in the whirlpool of student politics and much more, as he gets sucked into the world of Rananjay (Abhimanyu Singh), Dukkey Bana (Kay Kay), an autocratic local Rajput leader who is leading a planned armed movement to reclaim Rajputana for Rajputs, a brother-sister couple (Aditya and Ayesha), the illegitimate children of an erstwhile Rajput king who are seething at their bas***d status (Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan) and Anuja (Jesse), a young teacher who becomes a social misfit in college after a particular incident inflicted upon her by college hooligans. Dilip gets used as a pawn by people who matter to him and ends up being an unwilling player in a sinister plot. What it all leads to forms the rest of the film.

Bollywood gets yet another talented actor in Raj Singh Chaudhari who is also the co-writer of the film. In a film packed with great acting talents, Raj stands out with his convincing act. Kay Kay Menon as always is simply superb. Another show stealer is Deepak Dobriyal who plays his loyal assistant in the film. He speaks volumes just with his expressions without speaking much. Mahie Gill as the mujra girl cum beauty parlour owner is stunning and has tremendous screen presence. Aditya Srivastava and Ayesha Mohan are good as well. Piyush Mishra is terrific as Kay Kay's brother and has the film's best lines.

Gulaal was claimed as Anurag Kashyap's angriest film and it indeed is. It explores the dynamics of royalty vis--vis the democratic system. Sectionalism today has set everywhere in a big way and the film is the true reflection of where our nation stands today. Though been in the making for more than four years now, never once the film gives a dated feeling. The credit for which also goes to cinematographer Rajeev Ravi. Kashyap's dialogues that are replete with sarcastic one-liners, beautiful poetries and philosophies and also the referential meanings are amongst the finest seen on screen for a long long time in Bollywood. Piyush Mishra apart from acting superbly also scores full marks for his hard hitting lyrics and beautiful music that is mix of many interesting things such as sarcasm, peppiness, and sensibility. It is the film's lyrics and music that make the film a completely an extraordinary experience.

Gulaal is something that is extremely relatable, especially for today's youth. Though at a running time of over two and a half hours, there are times when the film tends to appear dragging, it is worth a watch. The film though has Anurag's now trademark abstractness at times, it is not as incomprehensible as it was in No Smoking or in Dev.D. Go watch Gulaal.

--- SAMPURN

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-2575.html

Rating: 3 out of 5.

It's Holi and film maker Anurag Kashyap is back with Gulaal this time. The movie would see a nationwide release on March 13. The movie is based on the current political system of the country.

Though, in last couple of years we saw a number of movies based on the political system, such as Gangajal, Mrityudand etc. Each and every time directors based their movies in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh but this time, Anurag has come up with a Rajasthan based movie.

Colors reflects mood, be it emotional, political or whatever and the Gulaal showcases all. It's a socio-political film that tells a story of about the member of an erstwhile royal family who stakes claim to his land in Rajasthan and wants to return to the days of royalty.

There are certain values in the film like love, power, deceit, greed and politics. Menon plays one of the protagonists called Dukey Bana, who masterminds a Rajputana movement in order to have a separate state ruled by Rajputs.

The story of the movie revolves around Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) a member of a royal family, comes to Rajpur to study law. In the college he is soon embroiled into local politics. The local kingpin Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) compels Dilip to contest in the college elections makes him win. Later they plan for a revolution, challenging the democracy.

No doubt, Anurag Kashyap is a master story teller. He's perfect behind the camera and has got power to nurture all his characters according to his wish. As the story progresses promptly you are bound to stick to the chair waiting for another sensational shot by the director. The movie was written by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Aparna Chaturvedi and Anurag Kashyap itself. It's a narration of an incident, as a I said earlier that Anurag Kashyap is a master story teller, he never let break of the story. Actors are good on their part. Kay Kay Menon, who played the protagonist (who plans the revolution against the democracy), is indeed a bold actor.

Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi uses red-pink frames to light up scenes to the Gulaal symbolism, at the same time, Piyush Mishra has written some really nice lines for the movie. It can be said the use of poignant poetry while penning the provoking lyrics. Aarti Bajaj's editing is effective enough.

Source: Duniya Live

http://www.gobollywood.com/2009/03/gulal-movie-review.html