3 stars
Narrated by Irrfan Khan, the tale has its genesis during 1971 against the backdrop of Bangladesh Liberation War which established the sovereign republic of Bangladesh. It also gave birth to two young orphans – Bikram (Darshan Gurjar) and Bala (Jayesh V. Kardak). They were refugees then and witnessed the war and its aftermath, where the world tried to trample over them. To make a living, they became gun couriers. They clung to each other and escaped to Calcutta (known as Kolkata, latterly), stealing & trading coal and erasing their refugee status. Before they knew the world, they knew each other. Such was their bond, such was their friendship. Each time they sought new beginnings, each time they would rise, the world would crush them down. So, they fought again and again. Together they were unbeatable. They were unstoppable. They were inseparable. In the years that passed, Bikram and Bala's unanimity/comradeship spread all over Calcutta and they became Bikram Bose (Ranveer Singh) & Bala Bhattacharya (Arjun Kapoor) legally and simultaneously Calcutta’s most loved, most celebrated, most reckless, most fearless and most powerful GUNDAY, a rare combination of vigour and wit. Calcuttians start taking vows of their infrangible friendship. They have everything then. But one fine day, bells clang and Nandita (Priyanka Chopra), the most bodacious cabaret dancer, walks into their lives and they lose everything to her. Their murky world turns magical and colourful. They fall head over heels for her and fear none but Nandita. She is not merely an apple of their eyes but brings layers to their bonding. But that was only a blissful lull before an imminent storm. Amid all the romance, ACP Satyajeet Sarkar (Irrfan Khan), the right for every wrong, a law for every outlaw and a counter force for Bikram and Bala, is plotting his net to end their world of black market by haltering them. How their friendship survives through all these hurdles, forms the denouement. Bikram, the elder of the inseparable duo, is the driving force of their illegal business. Ruggedly handsome, charming with a deep inner strength, Bikram will go to any extent for those he loves. His maturity belies his age and experience. He trusts his guts and sticks to his guns. Younger of the two, Arjun Kapoor is impulsive like a child and possesses a tendency to boil over at odd confrontations. Strongly built, he is passionate and fiercely loyal to the one close to his heart. He is expressive and honest and doesn't know when to hold back his emotions. An artist at heart, he is gracious and generous with the needy. He lets his actions speak more than his words, especially at the heat of the moment.
Once an Assistant Director to have worked under directors like Sanjay Gadhvi and Vijay Krishna Acharya, Ali Abbas Zafar (story/screenplay/direction/dialogues) has taken a quantum leap forward after debuting as a director with the YRF's romcom Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). Ali, having inspired by Kaala Patthar (1979), has come up with the *most* brazen, belligerent & yet stellar male bonding story to have churned out of India's premier production house, Yash Raj Films. Ali adapts and pay his homage to Salim-Javed’s style of cinema with brooding angry young men and outrageous or egregious one liners. The soot-laden hullabaloo from auld lang syne of Kaala Patthar -- quite a forgotten look and feel -- entwined with the mystic charm of Kolkata, entice the viewers. The characters, having a sense of youthful exuberance, are etched worthily and on the same time, the story is high on emotions, romance, humor and action. Kudos to Ali Abbas Zafar for envisioning and executing GUNDAY on such Brobdingnagian scale. Though the bromance of Ranveer & Arjun is halted by the entrance of Priyanka, it tickles the audience's funny bones at the same time. Additional dialogues by Sanjay Masoom are spirited too. The cinematographer Aseem Mishra along with production designer Rajat Poddar and art directors Kailash Sahu & Parijat Poddar have prowess and deserve special mentions for capturing and delineating, respectively, the old world ambiance of Calcutta & the coal mines with such virtuosity. They are the real winners of the enterprise, avowedly. Subarna Ray Chaudhuri's costumes are out and out in sync with the setting/mood of the film. She is a consummate master of outfits. Clocking in at precisely 2 hours 34 minutes and going by repertoire of the editor Rameshwar S. Bhagat, the editing is taut and fast-paced, which is an achievement indeed. Going by the bold & brazen feel of the film, Ranveer & Arjun's bare chested hand to hand combat and the savagely violent stunts (Sham Kaushal) are treat to watch. The shootout scene following the interval, Priyanka's outburst following Saaiyaan song in the second half, Irrfan Khan's scene with Priyanka in the graveyard, Ranveer's face-off with Priyanka where she discloses her identity and the penult 20 minutes leading to the climax, which accentuates their friendship, are highlights of the enterprise. The scene of child sexual abuse in the backstory is a daring attempt.
Veteran music director cum singer, Bappi Lahiri (famously known as Bappi Da) is working with Yash Raj Films for the very first time. The highly versatile music composer Sohail Sen is teaming up again with Ali Abbas Zafar after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, along with the ever-reliable lyricist par excellence Irshad Kamil. The songs, reminiscent of a glorious past, are absolutely in sync with the '80s style composition. "Jashn-e-Ishqa" (singers: Javed Ali & Shadab Faridi) is the perfect introduction for the two male leads with peppy music and a rock vibe. The catchy music and quirky lyrics of "Tune Maari Entriyaan" (singers: Bappi Lahiri, KK, Neeti Mohan & Vishal Dadlani) are simply wow. The romantic ballad "Jiya" has some superb background arrangements, Arijit Singh’s melodious voice backing it and Ranveer Singh serenading Priyanka Chopra in some exotic locales. "Asslam-e-Ishqum" (singer: Bappi Lahiri & Neha Bhasin), a cabaret number fused with Western arrangements, has the required sexy oomph in the vocals itself. "Saaiyaan" (singer: Shahid Mallya) is a serene separation track with lovely fusion of Hindustani raga, soft rock and Bhakti elements along with simple Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi lyrics in its core. Title track "Gunday" defines the two leads and the movie as well with Ali Abbas Zafar turning lyricist and Sohail Sen rendering his voice with rapper Kinga Rhymes. Hazrat Amir Khusro's legendery "Mann Kunto Maula" is a semi-philosophical sufi based theme song with guitar in the mainstay, adapted lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Altamash Faridi & Shadab Faridi doing complete justice to the track. Julius Packiam's background score is smashing and uplifts the mood at every single juncture. Caesar Gonsalves & Bosco Martis exhibit euphoric direction of choreography, that adds immense value to the songs.
On the flip side, the movie takes an investigative shape in the latter half which is repetitious. The romantic frills, since inception, are unconvincing. There is sheer lack of conviction in portraying the conflict between Bikram & Bala, that has been infused in the plot. Unfortunately, the screenplay traps the flick in the distorted ways of predictability and cliches (read the twists are thoroughly foreseeable).
Casting director Shanoo Sharma has done a laudable job yet again. Priyanka Chopra is visually attractive. She sings, dances and brings down men to their knees quite literally like a dream but fails to rise up beyond being the bone of contention between the two male leads. As always, the veteran Saurabh Shukla excels as the lawyer. But the three male leads take the cake. Their characters are more powerful than the flick itself. The protean and superlatively talented Irrfan Khan as cool-headed, calculative and rogue cop portrays a razor sharp wit and no-nonsense delivery, playing with the minds & emotions of the leads. When in frame as the parallel lead in the film, his mien commands poise to iron out the wrongs. He is the most beguiling thing in the movie. The USP, Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor, infuse undying energy into every frame they appear in. They're amusingly chucklesome rather than hilarious and display a violent or ferocious aggressiveness with equal finesse. They are bound to be regarded as the epitome of bromance, indeed, in days to come. They are nip and tuck until Ranveer took the lead. The way he emotes, his silent aggression, humor, dialogue delivery and chiselled physique, make him shine like a diamond in this soot-laden film. He is phenomenally terrific with elan. One cannot take his/her eyes off from him. The enthusiastic, flamboyant and boisterous Arjun Kapoor, when pitted against Ranveer Singh, can be clearly seen as relatively inexperienced. But the two films old lad had done exceedingly well overall. I must admit that his dialogues are notch ahead of Ranveer, for instance, 'Hum Gunday Hain Madam, Ek Baar Jiske Saath Jee Liye, Marte Bhi Ussi Ke Saath Hain. Long way to go man! Abhay Bhargava, Manu Rishi and Deepraj Rana appear in competent cameos. Jameel Khan and debutant Anant Sharma are accomplished.
Before bringing this review to an end, I would say that some movies are meant to be felt and *not* judged. Friendship has a new meaning and GUNDAY, is one such movie. Ranveer and Arjun's bromance is one of the best ever seen on celluloid. Falak Ke Bande Hain Hum, Gunday The, Gunday Hain aur Gunday Rahege Hum. Cheers for the fabulous film. Woot!
first appeared on http://www.desimartini.com/movies/gunday/md2629.htm
Narrated by Irrfan Khan, the tale has its genesis during 1971 against the backdrop of Bangladesh Liberation War which established the sovereign republic of Bangladesh. It also gave birth to two young orphans – Bikram (Darshan Gurjar) and Bala (Jayesh V. Kardak). They were refugees then and witnessed the war and its aftermath, where the world tried to trample over them. To make a living, they became gun couriers. They clung to each other and escaped to Calcutta (known as Kolkata, latterly), stealing & trading coal and erasing their refugee status. Before they knew the world, they knew each other. Such was their bond, such was their friendship. Each time they sought new beginnings, each time they would rise, the world would crush them down. So, they fought again and again. Together they were unbeatable. They were unstoppable. They were inseparable. In the years that passed, Bikram and Bala's unanimity/comradeship spread all over Calcutta and they became Bikram Bose (Ranveer Singh) & Bala Bhattacharya (Arjun Kapoor) legally and simultaneously Calcutta’s most loved, most celebrated, most reckless, most fearless and most powerful GUNDAY, a rare combination of vigour and wit. Calcuttians start taking vows of their infrangible friendship. They have everything then. But one fine day, bells clang and Nandita (Priyanka Chopra), the most bodacious cabaret dancer, walks into their lives and they lose everything to her. Their murky world turns magical and colourful. They fall head over heels for her and fear none but Nandita. She is not merely an apple of their eyes but brings layers to their bonding. But that was only a blissful lull before an imminent storm. Amid all the romance, ACP Satyajeet Sarkar (Irrfan Khan), the right for every wrong, a law for every outlaw and a counter force for Bikram and Bala, is plotting his net to end their world of black market by haltering them. How their friendship survives through all these hurdles, forms the denouement. Bikram, the elder of the inseparable duo, is the driving force of their illegal business. Ruggedly handsome, charming with a deep inner strength, Bikram will go to any extent for those he loves. His maturity belies his age and experience. He trusts his guts and sticks to his guns. Younger of the two, Arjun Kapoor is impulsive like a child and possesses a tendency to boil over at odd confrontations. Strongly built, he is passionate and fiercely loyal to the one close to his heart. He is expressive and honest and doesn't know when to hold back his emotions. An artist at heart, he is gracious and generous with the needy. He lets his actions speak more than his words, especially at the heat of the moment.
Once an Assistant Director to have worked under directors like Sanjay Gadhvi and Vijay Krishna Acharya, Ali Abbas Zafar (story/screenplay/direction/dialogues) has taken a quantum leap forward after debuting as a director with the YRF's romcom Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). Ali, having inspired by Kaala Patthar (1979), has come up with the *most* brazen, belligerent & yet stellar male bonding story to have churned out of India's premier production house, Yash Raj Films. Ali adapts and pay his homage to Salim-Javed’s style of cinema with brooding angry young men and outrageous or egregious one liners. The soot-laden hullabaloo from auld lang syne of Kaala Patthar -- quite a forgotten look and feel -- entwined with the mystic charm of Kolkata, entice the viewers. The characters, having a sense of youthful exuberance, are etched worthily and on the same time, the story is high on emotions, romance, humor and action. Kudos to Ali Abbas Zafar for envisioning and executing GUNDAY on such Brobdingnagian scale. Though the bromance of Ranveer & Arjun is halted by the entrance of Priyanka, it tickles the audience's funny bones at the same time. Additional dialogues by Sanjay Masoom are spirited too. The cinematographer Aseem Mishra along with production designer Rajat Poddar and art directors Kailash Sahu & Parijat Poddar have prowess and deserve special mentions for capturing and delineating, respectively, the old world ambiance of Calcutta & the coal mines with such virtuosity. They are the real winners of the enterprise, avowedly. Subarna Ray Chaudhuri's costumes are out and out in sync with the setting/mood of the film. She is a consummate master of outfits. Clocking in at precisely 2 hours 34 minutes and going by repertoire of the editor Rameshwar S. Bhagat, the editing is taut and fast-paced, which is an achievement indeed. Going by the bold & brazen feel of the film, Ranveer & Arjun's bare chested hand to hand combat and the savagely violent stunts (Sham Kaushal) are treat to watch. The shootout scene following the interval, Priyanka's outburst following Saaiyaan song in the second half, Irrfan Khan's scene with Priyanka in the graveyard, Ranveer's face-off with Priyanka where she discloses her identity and the penult 20 minutes leading to the climax, which accentuates their friendship, are highlights of the enterprise. The scene of child sexual abuse in the backstory is a daring attempt.
Veteran music director cum singer, Bappi Lahiri (famously known as Bappi Da) is working with Yash Raj Films for the very first time. The highly versatile music composer Sohail Sen is teaming up again with Ali Abbas Zafar after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, along with the ever-reliable lyricist par excellence Irshad Kamil. The songs, reminiscent of a glorious past, are absolutely in sync with the '80s style composition. "Jashn-e-Ishqa" (singers: Javed Ali & Shadab Faridi) is the perfect introduction for the two male leads with peppy music and a rock vibe. The catchy music and quirky lyrics of "Tune Maari Entriyaan" (singers: Bappi Lahiri, KK, Neeti Mohan & Vishal Dadlani) are simply wow. The romantic ballad "Jiya" has some superb background arrangements, Arijit Singh’s melodious voice backing it and Ranveer Singh serenading Priyanka Chopra in some exotic locales. "Asslam-e-Ishqum" (singer: Bappi Lahiri & Neha Bhasin), a cabaret number fused with Western arrangements, has the required sexy oomph in the vocals itself. "Saaiyaan" (singer: Shahid Mallya) is a serene separation track with lovely fusion of Hindustani raga, soft rock and Bhakti elements along with simple Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi lyrics in its core. Title track "Gunday" defines the two leads and the movie as well with Ali Abbas Zafar turning lyricist and Sohail Sen rendering his voice with rapper Kinga Rhymes. Hazrat Amir Khusro's legendery "Mann Kunto Maula" is a semi-philosophical sufi based theme song with guitar in the mainstay, adapted lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Altamash Faridi & Shadab Faridi doing complete justice to the track. Julius Packiam's background score is smashing and uplifts the mood at every single juncture. Caesar Gonsalves & Bosco Martis exhibit euphoric direction of choreography, that adds immense value to the songs.
On the flip side, the movie takes an investigative shape in the latter half which is repetitious. The romantic frills, since inception, are unconvincing. There is sheer lack of conviction in portraying the conflict between Bikram & Bala, that has been infused in the plot. Unfortunately, the screenplay traps the flick in the distorted ways of predictability and cliches (read the twists are thoroughly foreseeable).
Casting director Shanoo Sharma has done a laudable job yet again. Priyanka Chopra is visually attractive. She sings, dances and brings down men to their knees quite literally like a dream but fails to rise up beyond being the bone of contention between the two male leads. As always, the veteran Saurabh Shukla excels as the lawyer. But the three male leads take the cake. Their characters are more powerful than the flick itself. The protean and superlatively talented Irrfan Khan as cool-headed, calculative and rogue cop portrays a razor sharp wit and no-nonsense delivery, playing with the minds & emotions of the leads. When in frame as the parallel lead in the film, his mien commands poise to iron out the wrongs. He is the most beguiling thing in the movie. The USP, Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor, infuse undying energy into every frame they appear in. They're amusingly chucklesome rather than hilarious and display a violent or ferocious aggressiveness with equal finesse. They are bound to be regarded as the epitome of bromance, indeed, in days to come. They are nip and tuck until Ranveer took the lead. The way he emotes, his silent aggression, humor, dialogue delivery and chiselled physique, make him shine like a diamond in this soot-laden film. He is phenomenally terrific with elan. One cannot take his/her eyes off from him. The enthusiastic, flamboyant and boisterous Arjun Kapoor, when pitted against Ranveer Singh, can be clearly seen as relatively inexperienced. But the two films old lad had done exceedingly well overall. I must admit that his dialogues are notch ahead of Ranveer, for instance, 'Hum Gunday Hain Madam, Ek Baar Jiske Saath Jee Liye, Marte Bhi Ussi Ke Saath Hain. Long way to go man! Abhay Bhargava, Manu Rishi and Deepraj Rana appear in competent cameos. Jameel Khan and debutant Anant Sharma are accomplished.
Before bringing this review to an end, I would say that some movies are meant to be felt and *not* judged. Friendship has a new meaning and GUNDAY, is one such movie. Ranveer and Arjun's bromance is one of the best ever seen on celluloid. Falak Ke Bande Hain Hum, Gunday The, Gunday Hain aur Gunday Rahege Hum. Cheers for the fabulous film. Woot!
first appeared on http://www.desimartini.com/movies/gunday/md2629.htm
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