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Wednesday, September 11, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD BARFI
EDITOR'S PICK
Charming,
pure, `Barfi!` a modern masterpiece
Rating: **** 1/2
Silences seldom spoke so eloquently. It`s been a while since we saw a film that
set style at a subsidiary state to substance, put the characters` inner life
ahead of the flamboyant manifestations of self-identity in a world governed by
benevolence and charm.
"Barfi!" is a very charming film. It`s remarkably devoid of vanity.
The story of a deaf-and-mute man who could have grown up watching Chaplin and
Raj Kapoor`s cinema, and an autistic girl who has definitely not seen Shah Rukh
Khan in "My Name Is Khan", is told without the props of a loud
background music and other prompters to get audiences` involved in the
proceedings.
This is a picaresque world of artless charm which invites you in without band
baaja or baaraati. Fanfare is for the circus. "Barfi!" is pure cinema.
Goodness! I am already gushing. It`s the narcotic effect that Barfi has on you.
Within no time at all you are swept into the protagonist`s world, the two lovely
women who breeze in and out of his existence and various other characters, all
etched with a compassion and vividness that one associates with the cinema of
Frank Capra and Ritwik Ghatak.
"Barfi!" exudes the warm glow of a life well lived. This dazzling glow
originates from the protagonist Barfi who lives his life king-size with many
Chapliesque comic antics creating a chain of comicbook adventures for our
`happy-go-looking` hero, even though he can`t speak or hear. But then speech was
always supposed to be the least essential component of cinema. Ask Ingmar
Bergman or Satyajit Ray. Their character spoke through lingering silences.
It`s been a while since any protagonist on screen said so much to us without
speaking. Rani Mukerji in Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s "Black" said it all
through her muted mode of communication. But she had the formal sign language
plus a voiceover for articulate support.
Significantly Anurag Basu, a master storyteller (and never mind the tormenting
tepidity of his last film "Kites") does away with the crutches of a
sign language and a voiceover.
Ranbir Kapoor as Barfi or Murphy whatever!...is left to his own devices. An
incredibly enterprising actor, he brings a Chaplinesque aura to Barfi`s
character. Blending a very physical pie-in-the-face style of comic acting with
an intangible poignancy, Ranbir turns his character and the film into a muted
celebration of life. The tears are hidden from view. But they are there.
His grandfather, Raj Kapoor, has never been very far from Ranbir`s acting
skills. Raj Kapoor was highly influenced by Chaplin. Ranbir brings both the
legends into the same line of vision, and yet creates a character which is
unique in its buoyancy and optimism, never mind the sleeping dogs. Just let them
bark in their sleep.
Priyanka Chopra as the autistic Jhilmil steals the show from Ranbir, if that`s
possible. Lately, she has been found to be guilty of overacting in "Agneepath"
and "Anjaana Anjaani" (with Ranbir again). In "Barfi!", all
her recent sins of excess are washed away.
Priyanka`s inherent glamorous personality simply disappears into her character.
We don`t see the actress on screen at all! We see only Jhilmil who reminds us in
a very pleasant way of Sridevi in "Sadma". This is one of the most
flawless interpretations of a physical-psychological disability seen on
celluloid.
While Ranbir and Priyanka effortlessly prove themselves the best actors of their
generation, Ileana D`Cruz makes a confident engaging debut into Hindi cinema. Is
she here to stay? Time will tell.
As for Basu, in his earlier films "Gangster - A Love Story" and
"Life... In A Metro", he proved himself a maestro of the inner life.
"Barfi!" too is shot on location within the hearts of the characters.
Not just the memorable protagonists, even the smaller players specially Roopa
Ganguly and Akaash Khurana and Haradhan Bandhopadhyay, leave a lingering impact.
"Barfi!" celebrates life without dismissing the dark passages and
roadblocks that we often encounter as we travel through that craggy road to
death.
To be able to celebrate life so warmly and sensitively the filmmaker has to know
death closely. Basu, a concer survivor, has been there.
"Barfi!" comes as close to being a modern masterpiece as cinematically
possible. To miss it would be a crime. To embrace it is to serenade the sublime.
Actor Rajkummar Rao is happy with the way "Fanne Khan" has turned out, and says he had fun working with actors Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan."'Fanne Khan' has shaped out quite well. I am very happy with the film," Rajkummar told IANS."I had a great experience working with both Aishwarya and Anil Sir," he added. Read More
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari hungry for more love from audiencesDirector Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, who got the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award, hopes to continue telling stories and getting appreciation from the audience.She got the best director award for "Bareilly Ki Barfi" at the ceremony held here on Saturday.Read More
He is cute. He`s shrewd. The girls love him. The cops hate him. He can`t speak but is always talked about. His naughty antics will make you scream, but he will never listen. Cos he can`t! Next summer ride a roller coaster of emotions with Barfii - the Chalu Chaplin!
