Man Dola Re!!!!
Scene is set, warning titles of harmful effects of addictions and minute later, white limousine in Haryanvi village runs into an alcohol vending shed closed on dry day!!! Reason, an alcohol can’t get his fix and few scenes later the drunk leads marching revolution against his own capitalist agenda only to realize in his sober state of repercussions that he has fallen into. The movie has set the pace; key is in the ignition and engine jump-started. The latest installment from Vishal Bhardwaj is no adaptation unlike his earlier masterpieces, but a moral questioning rhetoric presentation. He wants to use witty humor to highlight the lefties movement that gave light to activists like Medha Patkar, Anuradhati Roy and Mamta Bannerjee a way to break 30-year rule of CPM on West Bengal.
Set in a rural Haryana village Mandola, movie wants to highlight capitalist agenda in form of Mandola’s (Pankaj Kapur); a merchant named after village; dreams of building factories and malls. He has a moral side that comes out after alcohol intoxication, which not only self revolts but also files planes and jumps out of parachutes. Thus to restrict his self-conscience he hires a law graduate Matru (Imran Khan) to stop him from alcohol indulgence. Soon revealed Matru has hidden agenda, and it isn’t courting Bijlee (Anushka Sharma); Mandola’s daughter. Also to define a clear villain, Bharadwaj creates MLA chaudary Devi (Shabana Azmi) and her wannabe shrewd son Badaal (Arya Babbar). The characters chosen, plot set now he plays with script to get farmers, Matru, even Bijlee after second half , alcoholic Mandola and mystery Mao the agricultural land off the claws of Chaudri Devi, Badaal, sober Mandola and his goons namely bank chief, inspector. Thus the line drawn ;it’s the socialist movement against the capitalist dreams of progress and humor used well but can get lost in the screen. The movie travels through the Matru’s socialist movement to protect the weaker class from getting exploited, Mandola’s self discovery awakening journey, Chaudary Devi’s ambitions of self progress for herself and Baadal and the raw romantic undercurrents between Matru and Bijlee. As there is usual pattern and the proper defining characters, the climax also follows the routine of good guys win against bad guys
Bhardwaj from his past presentation has set our expectation on fire; hence it is no surprise when many of us don’t feel the appetite attended to. Although a good movie with loads of bearing issues it lacked the underbelly. It did ignite the engine but spark wasn’t enough to last the journey, needed refueling. Movie is like a good foreplay with an unsatisfying intercourse and non-orgasmic climax. The reason being over indulgence of part of director, the screenplay got him carried away. The darkness of script is lost, so is humor. The acerbic tone has replaced by slapstick and in some cases accidental funny. The script bears weight of social, political, moral and ethical issues; but screenplay doesn’t singe them well making it a sectional movie and not a continuous presentation.
Even with all this flaws, one can forgive them for certain beautiful parts and well written dialogues. There were masterpieces in parts like Chaudary Devi explaining her agenda of progress to her son, the drunkard Mandola asking why has a law graduate Matru come back to village only to serve as chauffeur. Then there is scene where drunkard Kapur wants to protest against himself; also Matru and Bijlee moments with their sexual undercurrents were powerful. Another USP for movie is characterization of Mandola, and which Pankaj Kapur exploits it powerfully. Weakness comes from poor characterizations, like Matru; played brilliantly by Imraan Khan; is too idealist and lacks personality unlike Bhardwaj’s previous protagonists. Then there is Bijlee, manic-depressive complex personality who has fire but lights the wrong matches and in my opinion would have been a good Mao again whose identity was very predictable and clichéd, revealed far too early in movie. Chaudary Devi, another powerhouse performance by Azmi, is the same old power-hungry, corrupt single mother, female political figure that visits frequently these days in Bollywood, Badaal a silly son of powerful mother another species which noted commonly these days in media. One cannot question music by Bhardwaj and lyrics of Gulzar but some songs are very badly placed and lengthens script especially post intermission when the climax although predictable doesn’t come too quickly enough,
All in all, MKBKM has good tone for a good stage presentation but lacks in screenplay writing and editorial display. Acting has been good for limited characters given to actors but dialogue and humor uplifts the script. But some humor is lost and some is clichéd, sarcasm would do just to a script like this. The light comedy misses the dark nature of script which might have had come handy. Kapur’s dual personality portrayal is definite star of the show. The movie hits the spot but fails to quench the thirst. As said in the start of movie, too much texting causes pain in fingers, too much ghee causes heart attack, Bhardwaj’s too much indulgence made this movie likeable not loveable.
Rating-*** (Good)/5
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