Frames And Angles

I know I am very late on this, thanks to my inability to follow the language. I had to wait patiently to lay my hands on the original DVD, and after watching it I couldn’t stop myself from writing about it.

“Aamir” is a spectacular delicious little film, outstandingly made on a shoe string budget. It is probably one of the brilliant directorial debuts (Raj Kumar Gupta, a one time associate of Anurag Kashyap) of Bollywood in recent times.

The opening scene at the airport gives you a clear picture of the unwanted suspicion clouding around a particular community of people. And that sets the mood right for the ensuing drama. Aamir, a doctor returning from London, becomes a victim of bizarre turn of events. The lives of his family members are at stake and he is literally stranded in the streets of Mumbai, with a mobile which keeps ringing all the time. What Aamir is supposed to do is to follow blindly the orders that he receives via the mobile.

It is a thrilling journey, “enlightening” Aamir about the social status of the people belonging to his own community. The rich-poor divide, the holy “war” and the lower class of Mumbai – everything has been handled with clarity and maturity. This is no amateur’s work. Thankfully, there are no sermons on what is right and what is not. The director avoids any kind of verbal duel, and presents a visually enriching depiction.

The narrative is highly cohesive and focused. If you are one viewer who expects commercial distractions, check out this movie. It proves more than one point by hitting you hard in your face with its engaging narrative.

And the cinematography(Alphonse Roy) is the work of a man, who is a master of its craft and who is passionate about his work. The flavour of Mumbai is radiant and intact through his lens. The art direction deserves a special mention too.

Rajiv Khandelwal, a small screen actor, makes optimum use of his big ticket to bollywood. He plays Aamir with brilliant sensibility & sensitivity. A worthy addition to the art house talent list. The rest of the acting ensemble is natural and believable.

The music, surprisingly, is as appealing as any commercial film album and in fact better than many of them. Long time since we heard a simple theme music which resonates the feel of the movie. The background score is clever and interesting, seldom a bit overdone.

The best thing about “Aamir” is that it is amazingly genuine and stays honest to the intention and motive behind its making. As a result, you empathize pretty much well with the Aamir. You move to tears when he cries, you smile when he smiles and you feel like Aamir himself. That is a great success, given that this is a debut. And it is inspiring indeed, for it has brought out the best from every individual involved in this project.

I don’t want to classify this as a multiplex fare – “Aamir” has everything, and more, that is required for an engaging watch. A must watch.

Wow!: Almost everything – direction, performances, cinematography and music.

Awwwwwww!: Nothing, really.

Verdict: Recommended.