UDAAN.....

UDAAN tells the story of thousands of youths from India’s middle class families. It is undoubtedly a significant film about the youth, so often disparaged for the eager, an ungratified pursuit of their dreams and imaginations. It is a story about the youth who does not want to act like robots, does not want to be programmed like robots. Who just want to listen to the voice of their heart and want to do whatever their heart tells them to. It is such an emotionally charged film that sometimes moves you to tears. It is a very simple, straight-forward film that doesn’t need to be explained. It is a movie which needs to be rather experienced. Touching, unnerving and disturbing movie. The simplicity of the movie is what makes the movie wonderful. It is a story which is not too uncommon in India but the way it has been shown is what brings the freshness in the film. It is a story of anguish and escaping away to fly the kite of one’s dreams.

The film begins with the four impish teenagers who has just been rusticated from their boarding school after they were caught watching an adult film (Kanti Shah ke Angoor) by their dean. The story follows the life of one of the boys Rohan ( Rajat Barmecha), who has not been to home in eight years. After being expelled, he has to go back to the steel town of Jamshedpur and live with his father ( Ronit Roy), owner of a small steel factory. As he reaches home, he comes to know the existence of his step-brother Arjun ( Aayan Boradia). On his return home, Rohan is forced to work in his father’s steel factory against his wishes. And the authoritarian, oppressive and tyrant his father is, he can’t even question him. As he is stuck there with his dream of becoming a writer seemingly getting shattered, he learns to cope up with life. Soon he discovers that his brother is also a victim of his father’s wrath. He starts to love his step brother, manages to write between work and college, sneaks out for a drink or two at night but inspite of all this, he is getting suffocated badly. He wants to escape. He wants to live like a free bird. He wants to fly. He wants to fulfill his dream. He doesn’t want to live his life at the cost of his dream...

The fourth main character in the movie is Jimmy (Ram kapoor), a kind and caring uncle to the kids, a dramatic dissimilarity from his elder brother. His soothing characterisation eases the pressure on both of the kids. The film is high on emotional quotient. Many scenes stay with you long even after you are done watching the movie. There is nothing ‘bollywood’ about this film, it’s as if this movie was shot with a handy cam capturing the lives of a real family. Every scene of the movie relates to our lives somewhere in some way or the other.

Ronit Roy, as a single father has done his job with the perfection. He insists the two sons call him ‘sir’. He doesn’t like arguments, and after his daily evening drink, cannot control his anger. Beating the children is commonplace and emotional abuse is constant. He is completely frustrated and his children are the only victims of his frustration. Barmecha has done an impeccable job in portraying a kid who has lived his life in one of the best boarding schools and now stuck in a small town. He sneaks out at night for drinks and smoke, and still manages to jog with his father in the morning. His poems are really beautiful, so you just want to listen to them again and again. His step-brother is raw talent and displays a wide emotional range with panache. He is very adorable, very real and so cute you just fall in love with him. He is somewhat aware of what is going on but obviously at his age, he just can’t do anything at all. He oozes cuteness and sympathy every time he is on screen.

The music of the film is simply amazing. Songs are such meaningful, simple and touching that suits the mood. I couldn’t help but notice how aptly soundtracks fit the mood of the film at various points.

As the film moves towards it denouement, you desperately hope that Rohan breaks the shackles and frees himself from such a suffocating world... I still remember the scene when his father is chasing him after getting poked, some words came out from my mouth unintentionally- Run Rohan, run.......I just wished that his father could never catch him up..I think this is quite obvious after watching such type of movie. This is the movie that will send chills down your spine. It is such an inspirational movie which will help you to ‘fly out of a cage’ if you are in one. It is just filled with unforgettable moments. It won’t be easy for me to forget this movie soon....I am mad at it....I am highly satisfied by the movie....I just hoped that the film could never come to an end....I am still lost in the movie....I can’t stop myself thinking about it and listening to the songs...A must watch for all.....Hats off to Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Motwane.....

My favourite song.....awesome lyrics....every word, every sentence....flawless...

पैरों की बेड़ियाँ ख्वाबों को बांधे नहीं रे, कभी नहीं रे
मिटटी की परतों को नन्हे से अंकुर भी चीरे, धीरे धीरे
इरादे हरे हरे, जिनके सीनों में घर करे
वो दिल की सुने करे ना डरे, ना डरे
सुबह की किरणों को रोकें जो सलाखें है कहाँ
जो ख्यालों पे पहरे डाले वो आँखें है कहाँ
पर खुलने की देरी है परिंदे उढ़ के झूमेंगे
आसमान आसमान आसमान
आजादीयाँ, आजादीयाँ
आगे न कभी , मिले मिले मिले
आजादीयाँ आजादीयाँ
जो छीने वही, जी ले जी ले जी ले

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is an impressive, inspirational piece of film-making from director Frank Darabont. It is a combination of prison/dramatic film and character study. It illustrates the redemptive power of hope and religious themes of freedom with the words-“Fear can hold you prisoner, Hope can set you free.” Darabont’s film is a patiently-told, combination of friendship, patience, hope, survival, and ultimate redemption and salvation by the time of the film’s finale. The actors of the film are Tim Robbins as Andy Dufrane and Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding. It is a story in which Andy, a vice-president in a bank, is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover. However, only he knows that he didn’t commit the crimes. He is sent to the Shawshank prison and now, he has to learn to live within the brutal confines of prison life. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates most notably, Red Morgan Freeman and even many of the prison’s staff. But Andy’s stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. Red specializes in smuggling items into the prison for the other prisoners. Red soon discovers that Andy is a most unusual prisoner, although at first it seems to do him little good- he is brutalized by other prisoners. He starts to get both other prisoners and guards on his side when he offers to help one of the most notorious guards with a tax problem in exchange for bottles of chilled beer for everyone of his inmates. From then on, Andy always seems to be working on one thing or another. He improves the prison’s tiny library, and helps those prisoners who want to study. He also handles the guards’ tax returns, and even helps the Warden Bub Gunton in keeping his incriminating accounting records straight and secret. Over the years, he gains the respect of most of the other prisoners and guards. More importantly, he never loses hope for the future- a hope he tries to pass on to the other prisoners he never stops believing in life possibilities but to make the most of them he needs to be free. With a really small hammer used by the rock collectors, he inches his way to freedom night by night over a period of decades. He conceals the hole, he is making into the wall, with a big poster of Rita Hayworth. Every day, he disperses the pieces of the wall he chipped last night, on the ground outside. He hides his hammer in a bible that even the warden holds and reads on from one occasion. In the end, Andy reaches his way to the freedom through a sewage pipe. He uses his knowledge of his banking industry and tax system to recreate his identity. He claims all the money that he laundered for the Warden in various accounts, frames the Warden for his misdeeds, and heads overseas. At the end of the film, Red- one of Andy’s friends from prison is released on parole. A note is left for Red which leads him to Andy’s location and his boat. This is a simple story of hope made remarkable by the interaction between the two lead characters. Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman did a fine job in terms of making their roles genuine & appealing and also in the way they work so well together. The main theme of the movie is hope, not despair and the violence serves only as a background to that message. Without any hesitation, I can say that this movie shall be a life-time memory for all critical moments to come.