Bollywood has often faced flak for its melodramatic plot and clichéd endings. But YRF's latest offering Meri Pyari Bindu is different. And by that I mean, good different.
Genre :- Romance/Drama
Run-time :- 1 hr 59 mins.
Cast : - Parineeti Chopra, Ayushmann Khurrana, Aparajita Auddy,
Director : - Akshay Roy
Plot – (Later in the review)
Direction and Screenplay:-
Director Akshay Roy seems to be away from the regular formula of love stories. He is definitely good at his craft of telling a simple story in a quirky manner. His film surely breaks the idea of 90’s about two individuals can’t be just best friends. Childhood love, college friendship, heartbreaks, Meri Pyaari Bindu has every conventional trope ingredient of a love story but still, stands out in the crowd.
Written by Suprotim Sengupta, Nostalgia is the essence of this film. The journey of two people, spanning three decades is not less than a nostalgic trip to the old cities in 80’s and 90’s. The film has its own share of glitches - There might not be many takers for the kind of platonic combined with love relationship that has been portrayed by the Writer-Director duo.
Cinematography :-
Tushar Kanti Ray paints this world with a warm light– so it’s beautiful but not so much that you don’t believe in it. The atmosphere feels authentic and lived-in.
Music :-
Sachin-Jigar’s music is extremely apt and novel. Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin, Haareya and Afeemi are not just incredibly hummable but also have been shot beautifully.
PERSPECTIVE
Okay so as I've heard opinions from many that this movie is "half-baked, slow, average, what's the point if it focuses just on the man, etc."
Skipping the 'Highs and Lows,' I am trying to put forth my (or maybe the writer's) understanding/perspective of the movie.
The framework of a typical Bollywood heroine has already been set - No matter how maverick or full of life the woman is, she will eventually settle down with a romantic, disillusioned secure hero who has left no stone unturned to woo the lady, because that's what a hero should do, right? This is the outcome of most romantic flicks these days. Always about what BOTH the protagonists achieve/strive to stay together and that's it. Definite.
This is exactly where Meri Pyari Bindu distinguishes.
Here, Bindu is a game changer. She is THAT GIRL who does how she pleases, who'll not settle for less, who'll go to any heights to achieve the satisfaction she desires from life. Volatile, unreliable, warm, cold, shrewd, selfish are all her second names. Since she is determined to live life on her own terms, she doesn't bat an eye to storm out of a relationship or even wreck her own engagement. (Much like 'Gayatri' and 'Raina' from 'Shudh Desi Romance' and 'Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu' respectively).
She is the type, Bollywood parents warn their sons about. She is like living art. It's easy to feel bitter about her, but too hard to get over her.
And in this film, the Writer-Director have demonstrated a progressive perspective. It is about one person, not a couple. And since the film is about one individual, it doesn’t carry the narrative baggage of having to explore and analyze the other person.
Therefore if it's half-baked, one-dimensional, incomplete or whatever you might have felt, that's because the writer (Ayushman) who is writing a romantic story with Bindu as the protagonist, remembers her that way. If she isn’t convincing, it’s perhaps because he didn’t understand her. If there isn't any chemistry or reciprocation from her side, that's probably because it wasn't there, to begin with. It’s a story of a writer who is using his own heartbreak as fuel for his next book.
THIS MOVIE IS A MOTION BOOK!! Getting it?
You may find the non-linear narrative, plastic supporting characters like family for friends (who are merely there for entertainment purpose), the breaks in emotional continuity, as that's all playing in the hero (Ayushmann's) mind. And he is recollecting all the pieces to form a book.
On the contrary, the main problem is the mere crux, which prevents the director from tapping into the true moods of romantic closure. Therefore, leaving the audience unsatisfied, not being able to accept the climax.
I bow down to the makers of this film, for they have managed to make Meri Pyari Bindu quite quirky, fun and lovely, overshadowing the reality that a writer's life can be quite boring to watch.
Perhaps at a different stage of my life, I might not have liked this movie at all. I might not have found the need to engage with it. As of now, owing to certain circumstances, I do, which is why I expected to be more moved – or shaken, healed or affected – by Abhimanyu’s plight. By Bindu’s callousness and energy. By the writer’s words. By his coming of age.
Performances :-
▶ After the sleeper hit 'Dum Laga K Haisha,' the bar has already been set quite high for this beautiful man with a soulful voice. Although he got no songs to his credit this time, he certainly amazed everyone with an exceptionally good performance as Abhimanyu "Buubla" Roy; a horrotica writer, with a gracious heart and an innate innocence.
▶ Parineeti's portrayal of a bright and bubbly woman is repetitive but that doesn't take away from the fact that this woman is extremely convincing as a lady from Kolkatta who aspires to be a singer like veterans Asha Bhosle, etc. She displays her fine acting chops in 2-3 particular scenes -
during the hospital sequence, towards the climax and through a conversation with her dad.
With Ayushman and Parineeti being the central characters, not much focus is dedicated to the supporting characters but each of them does a fine job with the little that's offered to them.
Watch o Not?
YESSSSS!! I insist. It's been a while since Bollywood has produced a decent romantic flick with nothing OTT. Do give it a watch.
YESSSSS!! I insist. It's been a while since Bollywood has produced a decent romantic flick with nothing OTT. Do give it a watch.
Verdict :
If you are into films that take a while to build on, but is worth the wait, this one might excite you. Meri Pyaari Bindu is slightly different from the typical run-of-the-mill love stories. It's a light-hearted romance saga which will melt your heart whilst making you laugh, cry (might) but man oh man it certainly will make you smile. ❤
Ratings: 3.5/5
Ratings: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment