Bhardwaj's hilarious movie
By K N GuptaEye TV India Bureau
Cast: Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Shabana Azmi, Arya Babbar
Direction : Vishal Bhardwaj
Critic's I-view
'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' (MKBKM) is filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's unusual comic movie. He is known for his umpteen meaningful movies. But, this time he has proved his mettle in the satire genre too. He has not only written the script but also directed the film and provided the music to it. The movie is an excellent entertainer though stretched a bit longer than the script's demand. Vishal has drawn a true picture of a Haryana village with all of its rustic characteristics, including the famous Haryanvi expletives. Wish he hadn't repeated some of them to maintain sobriety. Though there is plenty of sex but all decent and nothing regrettable. Vishal hasn't let his movie go without the usual masala of songs and dance for which he is more competent than anyone else. The long kissing scene picturized on Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma towards the end gels well after both get married with the consent of Anushka's dad Pankaj Kapur though he was initially inclined to get her wedded to Shabana's otherwise dim-witted Aryan Babbar.
The movie moves is slow for the first half, presumably to let the viewer understand the issue. In the second session, the film moves fast and clarifies the real message. The story is about Paresh's son who was victimized by actor Rajeev Khandelwal, playing Vivaan, during ragging in their college days. Paresh plays a game to bring Rajeev to the pain when he finally confronts the truth. It's indeed a great task to make the victim realize that he had once inflicted more injury!
The USP of the movie is the cast's superb performance. The director gets the credit for the right selection. He cast veterans like Shabana Azmi and Pankaj Kapur who lend him full support. Shabana has shown that she could also play a negative role equally brightly. Pankaj is known for his versatile acting. In fact, he shoulders the movie. Imran Khan isn't behind though he doesn't fit too well in the skin of his role. The handsome actor tries his best to use Haryanvi diction, especially expletives, but seems to be finding it difficult. He doesn't look comfortable in his long lip locking sequence with Anushka, who acts exceedingly well throughout the movie. She seems to have made a niche for herself among top Bollywood actresses even in her short stint in the industry. She plays perfect in the movie.
'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' (MKBKM) is a movie based on a drunken Haryanvi feudal Harry Mandola played by veteran Pankaj Kapur who wants to sell village lands for building malls. However, his daughter Bijlee played by Anushka Sharma and his driver Matru played by Imran Khan are opposed to his move. Strangely, Mandola himself turns soft towards villagers though only after having a peg! There is a twist in the story with the entry of CM Choudhary Devi played by none other than Shabana Azmi who chides her mediocre son Badal played by Arya Babbar to marry with rich Mandola's daughter Bijlee and fulfill her greed. Devi Chaudhary herself doesn't leave any stone unturned to lure landowner Mandola in her love. Incidentally, Mandola too dreams of big money and is ready to marry even his loving daughter to Chaudhary Devi's son Badal. In fact, Mandola has a double personality; he is Harry when drunk and Mandola when sober.
The movie begins with a limousine, hit in the middle of a flourishing wheat field, crashing into a liquor store. It takes back 10 minutes into the past, where a drunken boss and his equally cracked driver are denied liquor on a 'dry day'. The storekeeper abuses them for trying to bribe him. Henceforth, the movie moves fast through director Bhardwaj's very well narrated and excellently crafted story. The director mixes humor to turn the politics of an otherwise unequal society to satire. That's why Bhardwaj introduced Mandola as inebriated and pushing the poor farmers to start a revolution against his own unjust practices. He even leads the villagers' procession to his own palace and re-appears into the crowd with a loaded gun and chases them. His driver Matru maneuvers to help the unlucky villagers from losing their land and walking out of a debt trap.
But, Matru's plan misfires when Mandola announces to quit drinking. His only hope reappears in the form of a 'pink buffalo', which haunts and tempts Mandola. So, Matru decides to break the Mandola move to wed his daughter Bijlee to politician Chaudhari Devi's son Baadal. Critically analyzing, we find that the story is good, well written and very well directed. He uses plenty of Haryanvi phrases likes Kapur telling his daughter: "Bachpan se dekh raha hoon, tum dono ki jodi jaise Mukesh aur Nita Ambani!" and "Apne andar ke jaali saaf karo". The director puts enough fun to make it hilarious though Haryanvi language and environment are adequate to create this. He introduces pink buffaloes and deep wells, Sheila Dixit, even a laal rang ka kachcha! As said earlier, Bhardwaj has provided topical music that synchronizes with the movie.
'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' turns out to be a good entertainer!
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