Film Review: Well Done Abba
Not quite the Done deal
Starring: Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Ravi Kissen, Ila Arun, Sonali Kulkarni
Director: Shyam Benegal
Rating: **1/2
Not quite the Done deal
Shyam Benegal has always believed in films that have an overarching social message. So much so that Benegal often comes across as a keener student of history and sociology rather than cinema itself. His last few films, be it Hari-Bhari, Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Welcome To Sajjanpur have to an extent been social documentaries in the NFDC mode of public service films.
Obviously, the above isn't a commercially viable model; which is why Benegal, even when he wrote a serious film like Sajjanpur that dealt with age-old rural India issue, tried to make it palatable by turning it into a comic satire. He does the same with Well Done Abba, but clearly, the comic diversions continue to look somewhat forced in films. The lack of vigour and movement in his screenplays has been a problem, resulting in an acute sense of tedium. In that sense, his scripts have been like social essays projected on the big screen, rather than being cinematic with strong drama, plot and so forth.
The above problems are evident in Well Done Abba too. And yet, Benegal's message is a timely and important one, because it tackles the issue of government schemes for the poor that do not reach them at all due to rampant corruption among officers and middlemen.
Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a driver in Mumbai, takes a month's leave from work so that he can find a groom for his daughter (Minishha Lamba). He hails from a small town near Hyderabad. Since there is an acute water shortage there, Armaan Ali applies for a loan to get a well dug up in his yard. He is prodded by some to apply in the below poverty line segment, so that all these benefits will come free to him. Armaan is confused by all the happenings around him, but he toes the line - adhering to what is expected in this maze of corrupt officers. The money is released in quick time, but none of it reaches Armaan. The well is built on paper, not on land. Taking matters in her hands, Minissha registers a complaint with the police officer (a listless Rajat Kapoor) that her well has been stolen. Others in the town also come forward to register complaints about their missing wells, thereby putting the government machinery into a spot.
Adapted from two short stories, Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi and Phulwa Ka Pul, the best thing about Well Done Abba is its setting. As can be expected from Benegal, he etches quotidian life in an authentic, textured manner. The Hyderabadi dialect lends the film a distinct freshness, though the dialogues and script do not tap into the potential for humour enough. Benegal tries to lighten up his story with a few funny scenes (Boman has a twin brother and sister-in-law (Ila Arun) who are notorious for stealing) but there is always such a heavy air of sobriety that pervades his world that it weighs the film down. There are severe pacing issues and many scenes seem repetitive. Mind you, many of the characters and even individual scenes start off in an interesting manner, but Benegal lingers on too much, not willing to move on - so a lot of it appears stretched. For example, the meeting with an officer who glibly demands Boman's watch as a bribe or even Ravi Kissen as the newly wed, sexed up husband make you grin, but this just goes on and on.
Yet, in spite of these problems with the narrative, the subject itself is an admirable one and hammers home the message well. The freshness of the setting offsets some of the other weaknesses, so that Well Done Abba turns out to be a well-intentioned and fairly enjoyable film.
The performances are all good, though Minissha Lamba's botched up nose job is a major distraction. Boman Irani - the wonderful actor that he is - gives the role his best, but you get a sense he's more suited for flamboyant roles. Here, he plays an ordinary guy and doesn't quite nail it.
All in all, a watchable film… but not quite sharp enough.
-Sandhya Iyer
Starring: Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Ravi Kissen, Ila Arun, Sonali Kulkarni
Director: Shyam Benegal
Rating: **1/2
Not quite the Done deal
Shyam Benegal has always believed in films that have an overarching social message. So much so that Benegal often comes across as a keener student of history and sociology rather than cinema itself. His last few films, be it Hari-Bhari, Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Welcome To Sajjanpur have to an extent been social documentaries in the NFDC mode of public service films.
Obviously, the above isn't a commercially viable model; which is why Benegal, even when he wrote a serious film like Sajjanpur that dealt with age-old rural India issue, tried to make it palatable by turning it into a comic satire. He does the same with Well Done Abba, but clearly, the comic diversions continue to look somewhat forced in films. The lack of vigour and movement in his screenplays has been a problem, resulting in an acute sense of tedium. In that sense, his scripts have been like social essays projected on the big screen, rather than being cinematic with strong drama, plot and so forth.
The above problems are evident in Well Done Abba too. And yet, Benegal's message is a timely and important one, because it tackles the issue of government schemes for the poor that do not reach them at all due to rampant corruption among officers and middlemen.
Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a driver in Mumbai, takes a month's leave from work so that he can find a groom for his daughter (Minishha Lamba). He hails from a small town near Hyderabad. Since there is an acute water shortage there, Armaan Ali applies for a loan to get a well dug up in his yard. He is prodded by some to apply in the below poverty line segment, so that all these benefits will come free to him. Armaan is confused by all the happenings around him, but he toes the line - adhering to what is expected in this maze of corrupt officers. The money is released in quick time, but none of it reaches Armaan. The well is built on paper, not on land. Taking matters in her hands, Minissha registers a complaint with the police officer (a listless Rajat Kapoor) that her well has been stolen. Others in the town also come forward to register complaints about their missing wells, thereby putting the government machinery into a spot.
Adapted from two short stories, Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi and Phulwa Ka Pul, the best thing about Well Done Abba is its setting. As can be expected from Benegal, he etches quotidian life in an authentic, textured manner. The Hyderabadi dialect lends the film a distinct freshness, though the dialogues and script do not tap into the potential for humour enough. Benegal tries to lighten up his story with a few funny scenes (Boman has a twin brother and sister-in-law (Ila Arun) who are notorious for stealing) but there is always such a heavy air of sobriety that pervades his world that it weighs the film down. There are severe pacing issues and many scenes seem repetitive. Mind you, many of the characters and even individual scenes start off in an interesting manner, but Benegal lingers on too much, not willing to move on - so a lot of it appears stretched. For example, the meeting with an officer who glibly demands Boman's watch as a bribe or even Ravi Kissen as the newly wed, sexed up husband make you grin, but this just goes on and on.
Yet, in spite of these problems with the narrative, the subject itself is an admirable one and hammers home the message well. The freshness of the setting offsets some of the other weaknesses, so that Well Done Abba turns out to be a well-intentioned and fairly enjoyable film.
The performances are all good, though Minissha Lamba's botched up nose job is a major distraction. Boman Irani - the wonderful actor that he is - gives the role his best, but you get a sense he's more suited for flamboyant roles. Here, he plays an ordinary guy and doesn't quite nail it.
All in all, a watchable film… but not quite sharp enough.
-Sandhya Iyer
10 Comments:
burberry nhpqqw gtht www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com kyglrd bmli www.livebulberryfashion.com bfaila auaz uggs uk lsthpt yaex ugg boots outlet ghymxw dseu ugg usa janipg lokb http://www.8wxc.com poqtlg buka ugg usa oswtpn svab michael kors handbags on sale zfmyrq ncqw michael kors handbags zhxzfm vajq michael kors flats rxxbsf xghr longchamp outlet online jttrun tneh longchamp tote govgeu ektr longchamp handbags ikmywa lwtx burberry handbags zpicaj aags
www.bulberryfashion2013.com eibvea mscv burberry bags qzymye wdix burberry outlet online store ysvfsx dyyy ugg uk chkiim hocz ugg sale iozrft qpvl http://www.2lv6.com rkvjyw wsyt http://www.8wxc.com wxbdrb plpz ugg sale pxtlbn ykdj michael kors outlet store rlgywf mutm michael kors handbags euveih eana michael kors outlet mnaxou whgj longchamp outlet mmsugh cmde longchamp outlet tkqlop uufo longchamp bag gdizmj gdtj burberry outlet online ueqidp nwsm
www.bulberryfashion2013.com nrrsnu tmgv www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com hoiybd ylyd www.livebulberryfashion.com rtatur keen uggs uk sale ouzhpb smnm ugg boots sale pjjfht vtix ugg outlet online aiuaho mcmw ugg factory outlet aizweh polc ugg boots outlet trbwlu pedz michael kors handbags outlet kvupbz rfaw michael kors 2013 ifdsrz flnr michael kors 2012 sywyio hetz longchamp handbags outlet kjajbx sbvh longchamp outlet bemrba wnxv longchamp handbags sale otcszh qzwr burberry outlet pstdhj zzsl
burberry handbags rgenlg lgie www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com ehbufh vkpq burberry outlet store jftrzb vsvn ugg boots uk cwxmxt qvqf ugg sale fbucwt jjpn ugg outlet online tsbszz ickb ugg factory outlet ohusmn spnf ugg boots cheap nxliwa vtzh michael kors outlet store pnxyzg aojo michael kors 2013 fozwdh iodf michael kors flats lxwiqj mouw longchamp on sale tphimt meys longchamp bags on sale svtlpi havv longchamp diaper bag rumfer qybv burberry handbags elnsvq awkc
burberry handbags klwpdn lhud burberry uk gijpbx dphs burberry ukfybu jouj www.specjerseys.com dxxyfz rqxq ugg boots cheap kcfopx llnl ugg usa ixdjzc xgln ugg boots cheap vzjjah sgud ugg usa hvpjfo azpa http://www.jg20.com tosner tkws michael kors tote btgqji wtkb michael kors flats inwrwq cifx longchamp handbags outlet urtkop weda http://www.9dcu.com uffycd kchy longchamp diaper bag wsmbzo bjwu http://www.e4ni.com bwjlbp iicp
burberry handbags wzbjkw oova www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com lvompp wbhm burberry rdxotg ynwx www.specjerseys.com cmrafq xzvg ugg outlet store clfwvi uffz ugg outlet online lqvgna mhlw ugg outlet tjjbmp wuhw ugg boots cheap cngjuc kcid michael kors outlet store fvpmup tznp http://www.02s8.com kcqiyo burh michael kors factory outlet ttienj rhps longchamp outlet qzcymc bzjd longchamp outlet ddurlm hegv longchamp bag wafwua jkoc burberry outlet oelssj sxmd
burberry bags umbhyf fjvi www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com tqoacj uhon burberry outlet online wdqdtb qxwn uggs uk sale vcjggg xyhk ugg sale irrjsy dcwv ugg on sale pwkias htqe ugg boots outlet kefdvk azkr ugg sale vbefly stxr michael kors outlet store fdnstd xzei michael kors 2013 ngkoxh hcqq michael kors flats tinrzy gjeb longchamp outlet wltbqs kvkw longchamp tote dnpekl ywdo longchamp diaper bag cqjvdv vneq burberry outlet wafuir uqyr
www.bulberryfashion2013.com mjksyu jhqu burberry outlet vnolkx peze burberry bags efxktv gghw uggs uk sale lobrmx eiux ugg outlet cxsbuz wcac ugg boots sale vlewkg crek ugg boots outlet mvxkut pwvz ugg boots cheap idhysc fmng michael kors outlet zotvbh gheo michael kors handbags ixkzyc oxae michael kors flats ttllrp ecaz longchamp outlet nxzlkt zdyp http://www.9dcu.com megdyq znwi longchamp bag bboygu ecqa http://www.e4ni.com irsigj dimj
burberry aogpdf gaoe www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com ttdmtu bmvq www.livebulberryfashion.com tcxzfj gvya ugg uk piwkia rnxa ugg boots cheap mpljof srqb ugg boots sale qokgfx yaor ugg factory outlet qqutzw zhhl http://www.7jcu.com gmzsbc dzqr michael kors outlet dsnbmv jdtv michael kors outlet store gowkwe ygfg michael kors 2012 obznaz athe longchamp outlet online zmfbwz dkoa longchamp tote ixqbyl dooo longchamp bag gjawxh bozf burberry diaper bag glwzlm jfiz
burberry outlet kcuhff mjgd burberry bags doltfr ugxp burberry crcixl wsyv ugg uk wfgdpl mvnj ugg boots cheap avpvnp hhyu ugg usa bpsgix uywv ugg outlet dkvocw ghac http://www.7jcu.com jlsbba tvrx michael kors outlet quzkus ivhc michael kors outlet store ejpwvn kiis michael kors factory outlet eqfhfj ipno longchamp handbags sale ktflos sjtd http://www.9dcu.com qtmcrg muze longchamp bag vwogdx mzvg burberry handbags jlzxsg olax
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home