Shiva 2006 - Yesterday once more - Page 2

The struggle between the good and the evil is primordial. Fables and tales mostly comprise of mythical, real or mixed type of descriptions of the arduous struggle and the triumph of the good. Demons getting slain by the selfless, valiant knights were the core of the fables and tales. The demons are not gone. And the world is not bereft of knights. At least that's what the escapist world of movies would make us believe.

Ram Gopal Varma is a yarn spinner who makes our belief stronger that there should and can be such knights to slay the modern day demons: corruption, abuse of power and lawlessness. And in convincing us he succeeds.

The villains are the powerful parasites of society, the hero a merciless crusader, the heroine is a ravishing beauty that sizzles and the text is the systematic dismantling (by the hero) of the blatantly corrupt edifice erected within the boundaries of the government - you have another Ram Gopal Varma thriller.

But do not be mistaken, though a typical Varma film, "Shiva 2006" is neither like James nor like "Shiva" (1989). Varma takes a fistful of Shiva, a lot of "James" and a dash of "Rangeela" to make Shiva 2006 a powerful yarn about the conviction and the guts of an intrepid cop. And after a long gap Ram Gopal Varma reminds people what he is ? Ram Gopal Varma: auteur par excellence. Thrill and horror are his genres and he is a connoisseur in these genres.

Among other things, picking up faces that suit his roles perfectly is Varma's forte. The heroes, villains and the side kicks ? Varma has a penchant for selecting people that seem to be cut out for the roles. He doesn't go face hunting too far. The Marathi theatre and movie artists market caters to his demand for unique faces for villains and sidekicks, while the heroes come from Mumbai.

Infusing his movies with interestingly novel shades and touches is the secondary characteristic of Varma's creations. Remember, in the old Shiva the villain Raghuvaran was shown watching cricket match on the TV. In the new one the villain is very careful about his mother's health. These are things done by normal people, and the villains doing these give a different shade to villainy.

All the while Varma maintains a strong grip on the reality as he has amazing understanding of the real ways of the world and doesn't just go by newspaper headlines like most directors. Finally, it's the development of the characters that sets Varma apart from the rest. He is the best in directing the body language, language, mannerisms, and timing. In Shiva 2006 he gets every thing right if you can forgive a minor mistake (the hero and his friends resign from the police department yet retain the motorbikes).

If Mohit reminds you of the knights of the past, Neha the damsel in distress scorches the scenes with her glamour in Shiva 2006. Upyendra Limaye is a typical parasite as a municipal corporator helped by his sidekicks like John. Zakir Hussain as a puppet police officer in the hands of the home minister Dilip Prabhalkar and the last minute taking over of John from Upyendra Limaye make you wonder whether Varma has access to insider stories through his friends and acquaintances.

The story of "Shiva 2006" is no different from a typical RGV production where the hero, a small town guy goes to the big and bad city of Mumbai to get entangled in a cobweb spun by the evil forces. Finally he cleans the city, at least a corner of it, off the cobweb. But it's the treatment that makes Shiva 2006 a must watch. Happy watching