Movie review: Bombay Talkies, an ideal approach to salute cinema

New Delhi: Four out of the most admired filmmakers of Bollywood have churned up together to acknowledge 100 years of Indian Cinema. Zoya Akhtar, Dibaker Banerjee, Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap working as host for Bombay Talkies give you a brilliant ensemble of the four shades linked directly or indirectly to Bollywood.For cinema which has a singer like Lata Mangeshkar with an angel's voice, actors like Dilip Kumar with incomparable aura and actresses like Madhubala to be admired infinitely, we just can't ask for more.BT is not just a tribute to the 100 years of India Cinema, it's a decent illustration through a four chapter flick which works out more and more without hurtling the base of the drama.It surfaces with Karan Johar's episode which portrays a married couple Randeep Hooda and KJO's lucky mascot Rani Mukerjee. And here enters 'woh' (Saqib Salim) from ‘Pati, Patni Aur Woh'into their life. You would recall Karan's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and you're relieved again that this one's not a syrupy saga about perfect relationships. In fact it unabashedly holds a mirror to everything that's wrong in modern marriages. There are no easy answers, and thankfully, Johar doesn't shy away from making that clear. All the three lead actors portray each character with perfection. Rani faces no qualm in replicating her role; Randeep seems more mature while Saqib effortlessly drags you into the emotion.Turning the next page, we unveil Dibaker Banerjee's story which revolves around the very talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui who regrets his own follies made in the past, which, had they been avoided, could have made him a Bollywood star.Picked up from renowned Satyajit Ray's short story, Dibaker has changed the settings from 1960s Calcutta to 2013 Mumbai. He has given new elements and dimensions to play successfully. It changes where Nawaz tries to succeed as a professional and as a man he tries to command the respect of his peers. Nawaz here is flawless while Sadashiv Amrapurkar being witnessed after a long time is admirable.Next comes Zoya Akhtar's tale about a 12-year kid Vicky (played by Naman Jain) who dances to the serenading tunes of a Katrina Kaif song and is confident to make it big while chasing down his dreams. But overburdened with his family's expectations, his way seems difficult.Zoya tries to modify our perception towards the kids and their zeal, which, if supported could make them feel proud of. With some delightfully heart-warming moments, Zoya gives us a thought provoking narration.Ranvir Shorey, playing Vicky's father, is great as a commanding dad, while the kid takes an extra point for his performance. The last chapter we study is of Anurag Kashyap who pays tribute to the legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan through his short story. A commuter fan (efficiently played by Vineet Kuar Singh) from his hometown Allahabad is struggling to fulfil his ailing father's last wish i.e., to deliver Big B a jar of delicious murabba (sweet north Indian pickle). His battle to approach the megastar is beautifully captured by Kashyap. We feel sympathy for him as it's not just him but millions of Big B fans for whom he is a star not to be touched. Vineet's performance touches your heart. His desperation and battle moves you.Despite the captivating work of these inspiring directors we aren't able to witness anything new in this flick. The performers do it all over in a cliched manner. They give their all to their roles, but the impact of their labour falls somewhere short of the intended target. Music by Amit Trivedi while lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya & Swanand Kirkire in BT is employed with devotion. Some of the songs are definitely hummable, and the musical score as a whole is reliable.On the whole, Bombay Talkies is not one of the finest crafted flicks but it gives its share to commemorate 100 years of India Cinema. You cherish while you witness this especially designed flick which pays a tribute to Bollywood which has hit a ton. It deserves a watch.