As a school going kid of 80s, I had wondered looking at
the pulp posters of those queer B & C grade cinemas running in my small
town. In those days, Ramsay Brothers are in full form as 'Veerana' scaled a new height at box office in my home town. Hemant Birje was a new He-Man with this and his smashing debut in B Subhash's 'Tarzan'. I enjoyed watching ‘Veerana’, ‘Bandh Darwaja’, ‘Saamri’, ‘Tahkhana’
of cult Ramsay Bros enterprise. As each of these horror flick also fulfilled the desirable fun through its formulaic sex scenes; I managed to watch some of them with all guilty pleasure
enjoying my first trip of immature adulthood. The titles of the film resembles
much with those of Hindi pocket books, ranging from ‘Ek Raat Shaitan
Ke Sath’, ‘Raat ke Andhere Main’, ‘Chudail Ki Raat’, ‘Khoon Ki Pyasi’, ‘Khooni Panja’ to ‘Shaitani Dracula’ and many
other varieties. Some of the titles I’ve
watched either on local cablewallah's VCR screening in those days. Those were the days, when I digest all sort of shit with equal amount of enthusiasm! Watching ‘Miss Lovely’ is quite a surprising
treat on that account, as amid all other impressions, being nostalgic for a while is first and quite a personal one!
Ashim Ahluwalia’s this recently
released film has garnered enough attention due to its showcasing at Cannes and
the rave reviews it generated in cinephilia from quite some time. And then for its long awaiting release as the
director was struggling with Indian Censor Board to release it with lesser
cuts. Reading Ashim’s happy and satisfactory remarks, I am sure; the audience
isn’t missing anything significant in the cut version. As the film opens, it
leads us to the narrative of younger Duggal brother, Sonu trapped as misfit
into the business of B and C grade horror- sexploitation cinema produced by his
elder brother Vicky. What we see next is the seedy and dark nexus of this underground
filmmaking. Struggling callgirls, extra artists or occasional escorts wanted to
climb the ladder by showing their skin. Producers and directors aiming big
connections, financers satisfying their hush hush fetish and fantasy to new
girls each night and amid all a misfit protagonist struggling to find an escape
route through feelings and impulse for love. And then we see the shattering
chaos first with breach of trust followed by Police raid and exposing the double
face of authority and society through some detached and un-emphasized observation.
It’s from here onwards the film lost its connection and touch. The film crumbles
in the last half an hour and letting the audience feel the drag and shoddy;
first it questions the screenplay, then made a flat appeal to characterization
and finally to the very base of the film. Somewhere in the last half an hour,
Ahluwalia lost the grip and control of its overall interesting hybrid fragmentary
psychedelic trip.
Though what seem interesting and impressive part of the film
is its minimalist and experimental form than content. The inspiration here is
ranging from some of the finest Masters of the world cinema. From Giallo king Dario Argento’s
flauroscent color palettes to Japanese Masters ranging from Imamura,
Oshima and Seijun Suzuki to current New Wave filmmakers of South Korean cinema.
The film is refreshing helluva treat in style for
its experimental play with the medium. Especially the Visuals and textures to the
frames and eye for detailing to 80’s Hindi pulp horror cum sexploitation
cinema. The overall mood of the first half of the film transport its viewers to
that milieu and its grimy underground of
sleaze and regressive and repressed Indian sex satisfied at general under
popular dark and private chambers of cinema halls! What is interesting about
the film is that it pays fine homage not only to 80s B & C Grade horror- sexploitation
cinemas of Talwar-Ramsay Bros but also
authentically detailed feel it gave to its visuals. Whether it’s 80’s
underground Mumbai to its meticulous detailing of the period ranging from
B&W Television with Delhi Doordarshan Newreader vibrating on blurring screen to
stereo Cassette player, All India Radio advertisements, Ambassador cars and above
all amazing background score reminding 80s trendy pop music
score. Illaiyaraja & Biddu-Nazia Hassan are fine choices, even though the senior
Southern Maestro hasn’t scored much for Hindi cinema, he knew the technical
pulse and sound of that period in musical terms a way better than any of today’s talent.
Biddu-Nazia’s ‘Disco Deewane’ and ‘Aap jaisa koi’ are major happening cult hits of that
period, the climax club house track is quite a nostalgic to the period too!
The actors have surely done their
credible parts well but each and every time good actors lost something to screen when the director tries
hard to prove himself as the next auteur and the happening New Wave of Hindi
cinema is terribly suffering from that infectious syndrome. Even Ahluwalia is not an
exception here. Nawaz once again played character so appropriate for him and I’m
so hopeful to see more of his capabilities to play versatile characters, even if
belong to same class and milieu. Niharika as Miss Lovely has nothing much to offer
except playing the expected bait of her character. But for me its Anil George,
playing Nawaz’s elder brother grabs enough attention as fine surprise. Didn’t
know that the man is a wonderful stage actor, hope we’ll see more of his talent
to cinema pretty soon.
Two of my facebook friends and
fellow ciniphiles sum up their opinion about the film so succinctly-
“What lacks here is a definite, cohesive vision that could have taken all the
jarring elements and unified them into one harmonious whole,” said Amitava Das.
“He (Ahluwalia) lost it somewhere in the middle of making a documentary and a gripping
fiction,” said Ankita Ghosh. Hope next
time, we see better cinema from a controlled filmmaker. All the best Ahluwalia!
