Yeh Saali Zindagi

Yeh Saali Zindagi:

Cast: Arunoday Singh, Chitrangda Singh, Irrfan Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh, Vipin Sharma, Yashpal Sharma, Prashant Narayanan, Vipul Gupta.

Director: Sudhir Mishra.

Sudhir Mishra does a Vishaal Bharadwaj version of Thakshak. Replete with cusswords and motivated abettors, this is a look at the Delhi Underbelly. Sudhir Mishra is not new to dealing with the grey shades of the human persona. His Is Raat Ke Subah Nein, Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi is legendary. Add to this the crisp and sharp Yeh Saali Zindagi. There is a little of a strained effort that reflects in the end product. This notwithstanding YSZ makes wonderful viewing. At a time when our cinema is exploring and evolving, this is a fluent essay on lovers with an angst. In a way this is an interesting anti thesis to the Yash Chopra Karan Johar shiffon-diamond love sagas.

The storyline deals with two parallel love stories. One involving Arun (Irrfan Khan) and Priti (Chitrangada Singh) who actually is romancing with a rich businessman’s son Shyam (Vipul Gupta) who in turn is engaged to a minister’s daughter. The other love story is about Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh) and Shanti (Aditi Rao Hydari). The seemingly elitist love triangle and the raw street-love story get entangled in a cure sequence of events. It is not as independent as the new genre of multiple stories merging into one. It is in a way not even multi-layered but so dramatically interconnected that you sit engrossed watching the film. The minister’s prospective son-in-law is kidnapped for ransom. Instead of the minister’s daughter it’s the pop singer. Stalking to track her is lover Arun who is forewarned against his love life yet drawn into it. I would be playing spoilsport spilling any further detail of the film.

Another interesting aspect that makes for compelling viewing is a range of brilliant performances. The ever reliable Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh and Yashpal Sharma deliver as ever. Irrfan Khan is wonderful. One only yearns to watch this actor stretch a little out of his predictable stance. It is a tragedy – cinematic and cultural that viewers get more of Katrina and Kareena than a Chitrangda. Reminiscent of the great Simtha Patil this amazing mix pic of dignity and vulnerability is ever so pleasant.

Even for the non voyeurist Aditi Rao Hydari and Arunoday Singh makes wonderful viewing. The record breaking smooches not withstanding Aditi Rao Hydari takes her task with amazing sincerity and energy. One sincerely wishes to see more of her. So is it with Arunoday Singh. He has the stride and grace of a cheetah, amazing screen presence, raw appeal and great promise. A good answer to the Khans and Kapoors.

Sudhir Mishra makes quick amends to his Khoya Khoya Chand. This is engrossing interesting cinema. The director gets some fine technical support. Cinematography (Sachin Kumar Krishnan) and screenplay (Sudhir Mishra) give excellent support to a twist and turn screenplay that obviously has timelines and placelines to help the viewer move along with the script. Not the most approved of styles but to a by-design jerky grammar. A plausible imperative.

Our cinema is going through an interesting phase. Not only interesting thought but avant–garde style is throwing up amazing alternatives and opportunities. Outside mainstream cinema there are interesting prospects. Some in style, some in content, some both. Yet art is bound to be imperfect. So is it with Sudhir Mishra.

One wonders if such amazing talent ruefully at the more successful and less talented star brigade and it is their collective cry that says: Yeh Saali Zindagi.

L. Ravichander