Monday, March 19, 2007

Yeh Zindgi Hai To............


How would you react if you bump into a soberly dressed person in a multiplex buying popcorn and cola for his accompanying wife and realize, “Aaree! This is the same person who begs at traffic signals behaving like a mentally shaken and I gave him alms generously”?


Despite my strong will to watch asap, I only could manage last Sunday to watch Madhur Bhandarkar's another creation called 'Traffic Signal' painted with the same true and harsh colors of life.


Don't watch the movie if you are for 'entertainment'. Don’t watch if you wanna get amazed by Swiss exotic sceneries. Don’t waste your money if you wanna get ideas of latest fashion trends by hero and heroine’s outfits. Don’t spare your time if you are looking for the actions of muscled hero fighting single handed with evil forces.

Just like Chandani Bar, Page 3 and Corporate, this movie is a sheer hardcore icy image of truth. The naked truth which remains before our eyes all the day long but still we are blind towards this one.

This epic is only about a traffic signal , a signal at Kelkar Marg in Mumbai where two roads cross each other and where almost every passing vehicle carrying all types of persons halts for few seconds. And on these few seconds thousands of lives are nourishing. The beggars, hijras, small article sellers, rangoli maker, mobile snatcher, newspaper boy and various such people those who earn their bread from such traffic lights, are the sole wheel rotators of this story. This movie make you think that there are so many issues in the world we don't even realize that they exist even though we are very part of it.

The business of begging is growing to billions and is catered by gangsters and some corrupted politicians. The network is so sophisticated that a single traffic light manager reports to his local mentor bhai , that bhai to a mafia chief and he to big don in Dubai. Disable people from far away areas are throng is this trade and this trade is so easy, lucrative and flourishing that even healthy people are actually ready to get their limbs cut off. Not only that there are dirty doctors available for this job too. Mostly this place is a shelter of people who came to Mumbai in the hope of money and bread. There is guy from middle class family who act as a crazy dirty beggar and go to watch movie at multiplex. Main character is Silsilla (Kunal Khemu) who is an orphan and found himself on that signal since he got his senses. He is now manager of that signal and collects hafta from all these business persons.

Simply as Madhur’s tech there is not a single track but a blend of stories. Every character have his/her own story buried in its soul. There are some characters who touched me so real, one of them is Dominick (Ranveer Shorey), an educated young drug addict who cheats people for petty fifty or hundred bucks for his daily dose of smack, at a stage he appears so cunning and scoundrel but then when you see the pain in his eyes he will simply melt your anger. He mostly talks with his bare eyes in the whole movie. The second is Chinnaswamy Vedgiri alas Sunami, a young cute boy who survived tsunami and have lost his entire family. He collects rubbish from the roads and keeps spending his hard earned coins to call Tsunami Relief Camp in far south to get clue of the whereabouts of his missing family. He has no idea that all the members of his family are dead and some corrupted officers have grabbed his part of compensation. But his full of confidence eyes will urge you to hug him tightly. There are hijras who are irritated by fake and pretending hijras snatching their part of earning. And there is a pedestrian prostitute (Konkana Sen) who is stunned by the competition from a gay. A gigolo, traffic constable, executives calling people for new loan schemes, corrupt politician, gangsters, a rich socialite having chewing gum type sexy wife, and of course a sincere social worker Khadi, who cares for these assorted people are important part of this story. There is another boy who have passion to get his complexion fair and keep trying new fairness creams in the market.


Every word spoken in the movie has a big meaning hidden behind and there are many moments that can bring moisture in your eyes. The climax comes all of sudden and looks like not fairly done. But I can’t think of another idea for the same. Silsilla did what he could do to his best.


One will feel here that no matter how all these people look so dirty, filthy, ill mannered, uneducated or cheap but are not less humane, sensible and filled with emotions than us, or may be they are more human than us.


Just loved that song by Hariharan ‘Yeh Zindgi Hai to Kya Zindgi Hai’.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

just thinking....... since i read ur post about the movie........ should i see it or not???????

I feel i see it when i m in mood to face the reality. not now since i m feeling quiet weak myself .

Anonymous said...

In ur lines i feel the feelings..Wish u write on Love.Like to see how u handle it.In Love there is no COMPLAINS hope u rember that dear.

Shikha said...

i didnt read ur whole post..maybe aftr watching the movie:)

Praney ! said...

Peggy : You should see the movie, may be after watching even weaker people keeping life alive in themselves will inspire you to uplift your spirits.

Anony : Thanks for your comments, I would try my best to take care of your wish. And I got your point of complains so I would keep this in mind boss :)

Shikha : Thanks and Welcome for dropping in and putting your words here. Though I have not revealed the whole story but its fine if you wanna read only after watching the whole movie. Do tell me your views after you watch it.

Anonymous said...

I also have not got chance to watch this film.

I would definitely watch it as it's Madhur Bhandakar's film :).

I didn't read your review as I want see film without reading any reviews for enjoy it fullest but don't know when I will get chance to watch it :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, yea. I forgot to mention that I'm in your reading list. :D

Thank you so much. :D

Unknown said...

Very nice review Praney. Madhur is exceptional, and daring. His scripts are so real and yet they suprise.

My only complain is that since the sucess of Page 3 he using the same template like the gossiping drivers in page 3 and similar gossiping chaprasis in Corporate.

Praney ! said...

Juneli : Yeah do watch it. It's really nice and come back with ur thoughts

And you dont have to mention, I know you are on my list. In fact I did that. :P

Manish : Thanks buddy, surely he is.

And he gonna surprise you again as he has not repeated any such template in this one. Go for it.