A Different Attempt

Bollywood. Say that word and what comes to mind is song-n-dance sequences. But the face of Bollywood is changing. Today one can associate Bollywood with good cinema, experimental cinema. Today films are made with a lot of courage and conviction. They are made by people who believe in what they are doing. They are made by people who believe in their stories, they believe in their thought processes. Most of today's films are not the usual potboilers that Bollywood is always associated with. No longer are film-makers afraid to experiment.

And one such movie is the recently released Ek Chalis Ki Last Local. It is not an out-n-out thriller, nor is it an out-n-out comedy. It is a different movie. It is a story of a guy and a girl. It is a story of hardships of middleclass people in Mumbai. It is about the local trains in Mumbai. But this one for once is presented in a different manner. There is no melodrama; there are no nagging, weeping people. The presentation is really commendable. The humour is not slapstick but situational.

The movie is not a great one. It has many glitches. The editing especially could have been better. The movie starts off on the right note. But somewhere in between the director has lost the hold. Just when you expect the movie to become more interesting, it disappoints you. The second half just drags on. But nonetheless a very good attempt by the director. It reminds one of Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II. But the execution of this one is not as good as Waisa Bhi…. Waisa Bhi… was really well-made in all aspects. Some scenes in this one are really well shot though. The characterization is good. The actors have done a decent job.

It’s a movie, which needs to be appreciated not for anything else but for its different approach and presentation. And for the courage to make a movie like this.