My Take on Dear Zindagi and a look into some of the classic Coming-of-Age Films

"Hey, should you judge a book by it's cover?"
"Of course no goose, let alone the book release first!"

Yes, that's right. The film - Dear Zindagi hasn't release just yet but, not pointing the fingures to anyone they didn't release the full trailer too! So, in the parlance of literary greats, I'm just providing my interpretation of the teasers.
Firstly those who hasn't watched the teasers yet, here are the links:

Dear Zindagi - Take 1
Dear Zindagi - Take 2
Dear Zindagi - Take 3
Dear Zindagi - Take 4

The film does not have an official trailer as of now and the movie is about to release next week, 24th November 2016. I don’t know what they are waiting for? May be for the film to release! :-p

Anyways so, there are four teasers of the film, each adding different layers in our mental imagery story of the film.

Some trailers always make you feel ecstatic and it boosts up our desires to see the film. For me anticipation isn’t the only thing that suffice me whenever I see the trailer of a film. Often I go an extra mile by constructing a mental image which depicts my own version of the film and make a Bohemian Rhapsody out of it.  

My first impression of Dear Zindagi teasers was a really good one and it led me to believe that it is a coming of age-drama film. I will come to this film by Gauri Shinde later, first let me dunk my biscuit into the tea and take you back to the past and tell you about similar coming-of-age films that have been released over the years.

Boyhood (2014) was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Arquette. It also was nominated for five BAFTA awards, winning for Best Director and Best Film. Additionally, it was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Hawke and Best Supporting Actress for Arquette, which she won.

Last year we witnessed one of the fantastic coming of age-drama film, I’m talking about Boyhood (2014) here, directed by Richard Linklater. Boyhood shows every ingredient of parenting and adolescences. But, what more outstanding about that film was that it was shoot from 2002 to 2013, depicting the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans, Jr. (Coltrane) from ages six to eighteen as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents. All though not even a single independent director or a studio has ever produced such a movie in India and not even in Hollywood, yikes! But, is Dear Zindagi the starting point?

Interestingly Richard Linklater also made a coming-of-age (coa) film in 1993, Dazed and Confused.

A climax scene of The Breakfast Club (1985)

Speaking about the troubles that one face during the adulthood, The Breakfast Club (1985) by John Hughes vividly covers every aspects. Five high school students, all different, meet in detention (library), where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. The film takes us back to our very own teen hood and makes us think that how naïve we were. The choices that we made often makes us question our very self. But, not until we are 25 or 28 we realize, it was all about learning from the mistakes and no mater how good or bad we become the society has the very own perception of us and they would stereotype us the way they want to. The last letter from one of the protagonist sums up:

Respected,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention for whatever we did wrong. But we think that you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms, and the most convenient definitons. But what we found is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? 

Sincerley yours,
The Breakfast Club
  

In fact it also makes us realize that even though we are from different pasture but, we as a dandelions share same problem! We all try to swing in our own way but, most of time we end up swinging in the direction of wind. How many students in their early years are forced to do what society and parents wants them to do? Almost all! Have you seen Udaan (2010) by Vikramaditya Motwane? or Tamasha by Imtiaaz Ali? Both these films beautifully depict how society cannot come up to the terms that you can be good and get success from doing what you're good at. 

Most of us have seen the Udaan film but, only a few know that it is loosely based on the life of Anurag Kashyap.

Who will believe that Aunt Mimi used to scold John Lennon saying,
  
"The guitar is allright John but, you'll never make a living out of it."
 

Wake Up! Sid (2009) Poster

Other than the cynical side Bollywood has also brought the positive story on the screen, like Nil Battey Sannata (2015) by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Wake Up! Sid (2009) by Ayan Mukherjee. Hey! Is Ayan Mukherjee is our Richard Linklater or what? 

So, in all of these films we witnessed how the protagonist’s growth from his/her youth to adulthood, learning important lessons in the hand All those Coming of age genre films tends to emphasize dialogue or internal monologue over action, and are often set in the past.I would recommend you to see the films mentioned below if you are interested to explore the coming-of-age genre of films

• Goodwill Hunting (1997) by Gus Van Sant
• Scent of a Woman (1992) by Martin Brest
• Ferris Bueller's Day off (1986) by John Hughes
• What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) by Lasse Hallström
• Boyz n the Hood (1991) by John Singleton
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) by Stephen Chbosky

Coming to Dear Zindagi, from Teaser 2 you will come to know the names of the protagonists of the film. Shah Rukh Khan plays Jahagir Khan (Khan - from the epiglottis) and Alia Bhatt as Kayra. All the teasers will tell you that Alia is playing the role of the young girl who is going through some emotional strain in life, may be a break up or by the demise of a person close to him. Interestingly you can also see that Alia is fetching an education in fine arts and is working part time or may be as a part of her curriculum with film production company. To fight her anger or anxiety issue she comes in contact with Jahagir Khan who in turn not only heals her but they together form a special bond. This plot might sound a bit similar with Goodwill Hunting (1997) by Gus Van Sant but, hey! I'm just playing ball here :-p

Anyway I'm expecting a lot out of this movie, ever since I've watched Goodwill Hunting I want a hindi film to be made and I want our production house to go fearless now! Big banners films like Haider and GoW (part 1 and 2) have already shown that our audience is changing. May be the time has come.
Anyhow I'll not be surprised if I see Alia and King Khan sitting by the sea shore and the later dishing out some great life philosophies. Who knows?

A perfect frame! Isn’t it?

Pulp Fiction: The Curious Case of the Case

Pulp Fiction (1994) is one of the most talked about and magnum opus among all the crime cinemas which are released in last 30 years. Every scene just poised you for a moment where you develop the kind of  famishment until you realize that you need to consume more and more every time you watch it. Be it Vincent's counterpoint personality where he plays a hit man yet fantasize about cop life style by reading Modesty Blaise comic strip, or the act of god mark by Jules Winnfield which forces him to drive his life towards nirvana, there is every little detail in the movie which falls into place just right and you are not gratified even after the movie is finished. You just want to know more and think about those lovely details more. 

There is one thing in the movie which leaves many questions to answer. What was in that case? There are many theories floating on Internet with some interesting remarks, some with illogical hypothesis, and some with hilarious reasoning. I would like to share my theory.

I don't know why but it makes me to reach to a conclusion where I want to believe that there is no Gold Bricks or Diamonds in the case, but, some sort of antique or historic piece. That's because anyone who opens it, is astonished by the thing inside it and in their eyes you see a kind of exclamation which one can only get on seeing a captivating and resplendent beautiful piece. So it was not greediness that you see in their eyes. So we need to have things which are artistically significant or historical important. May be something similar to a piece-of-museum. 

Now here is the thing, since it belongs to Mr. Wallace and Mrs. Wallace (Mia) being a big big Elvis fan, it leads me to believe that the suitcase has the golden suit of Elvis. (Read The Story of Elvis Presley’s Gold Lamé Suit )

Now the question is how did I came to this conclusion ? Well, think about the last diner scene when Jules opens the case in front of Ringo. There is an interesting conversation:

Ringo: Is that what I think it is?

Jules: Mm..mm

Ringo: It's Beautiful..

Surely the thing that leaves Ringo spellbound should be some unique antique item or historic material.

 The golden suit is actually seen in the movie... Don't believe me ? See this yourself (on far right)

The Name is Pool, Dead Pool

I’ve started to think there is a reason I begun this movie-blog some months ago. And that’s not because I was bored-to-death-and-thriving-to-do-at-least-one-coolest-thing in my life. And also the intention of this blog was not to tell you about what happened to Frodo’s fucking ring or how miserably bad Ben Affleck was in Daredevil. It was about fanism and love for an out-of-the-box dark neo-noir hard hitting cinema. And I want to tell you something. Yes, YOU! My rarest-of-the-rare and coolest reader, you know dark-cinemas are the most beautiful thing and when you find it the whole world tastes like daffodil daydream. So, it’s one thing you got to do. You got to hold on to them – TIGHT and Never-Let-It-Go. And not to make the same mistake as I did ‘coz the whole world would taste like Mama June after the hot yoga. And don’t ask me what Miss Mama June tastes like ‘because it’s like two hobos fucking in a shoe filled with piss. OK, enough! The point is that the Christmas is far out and I’ve to make a blog entry about one coolest movie on my naughty list. I’m waiting for this like 4 months 3 weeks 4 days, 14 hours and 5 minutes to explain you what it did to me. And what exactly that movie did to me?

BOOM!

Oops, I almost forgot to warn you! Fan-Spoiler alert! Yeah, Sorry about that. Out of the shitload of things I loved about the movie Deadpool, one thing that stands out is the kind of tranquility and assuredness it carries. Although there are scenes featuring several head shots, where itty-bitty pieces of skulls are flying and falling around, ninja swords cutting human flesh into pork chops and making a fucking kebab, highly perturbing swords and tube stabbing scenes, genital references in a most casual way and some rough and kinky sex. But still there is a sense of easiness around, thanks to Mr. Deadpool who is totally Merc with a mouth, talkative and tendency to break the fourth wall, which is used by writers to the best humorous effect. (Hey, are you still on the kinky sex line?) To tell you more about the protagonist and his love interest, they both have a pretty mournful childhood and a strained son-father or daughter-father relationship as in the latter’s case. Still, unlike, Spiderman, Batman and rest other superheroes they both don’t keep crying around instead they keep calm and chill the fuck out of themselves from Halloween to Christmas and New Year to all the way to Thanks Giving. OK! Cue the music…

Speaking of the sense of humor of Mr. Pool he is as witty as Tony Stark and as prompt and agile as Spider-man when it comes to one liners. It’s almost like he is the combination of both, but what you will be seeing and remembering after getting out from the cinema hall is he is none but Dead-fucking-pool in the end of the day. You betcha! He doesn’t leave a single moment to take a dig on X-men, Wolverine, Green Lantern, Batman-Robin, and Avengers. I can easily spill out some gags from the movie here.

Colossus: We’re taking you to the Professor

Deadpool: McAvoy or Stewart? O God! This whole timeline is so confusing.

(Seeing Colossus and Mega-sonic in X-men mansion)

Deadpool: Only two of you living in a mansion this big? It’s almost like Fox Studio couldn’t afford to have any more X-Men.

And the best part is he doesn’t even leave a chance to take a dig at his own history (green lantern and x-men)

Deadpool/Wade Wilson: Hey just make sure the color is not green and not animated!

Even though his appearance after the mutation is like Ryan Reynolds’s melting wax statue in Madam Tusad’s museum that has been pissed over by every audience that came to see him, but this never comes in between us, because his venereal remarks glues us to the screen and before we understand his trademark sarcastic one-liners there is another coming through. Of course, since it is a superhero movie there are some superhero movie clichés but it treats those clichés with its own unique brew of insane depravity and in the process, carves itself a giant, bloody and perverted niche. Example? If you ask… here is the one. 

Colossus: Do you have the OFF-switch?

Deadpool: Yea right next to the prostate or is it the ON-switch!

OK! Time to make the chimi-fucking-changas!

 

Firstly, as you know Deadpool is no superhero. He’s an anti - hero. He is not like other superheroes who always wins in the end, whether he’s trying to save his friends, discover his past or even make a quick dollar to pay his rent, Deadpool just can’t catch the break. Plans backfire, friends die, and every day he seems to lose more ground in the battle for his sanity. Moreover, there isn’t any moral ambiguity to his character. He is just a villain. He bends and breaks rules that guide more mainstream heroes. He is happy to call himself a villain than a superhero and as Mr. Wade Wilson pro-cons the super hero thing in the movie itself. Speaking about the Pro – They pull down a gaggle of ass, local dry cleaning discounts, lucrative film deal both origin stories and larger ensemble team movies. Con – they’re lame – ass teacher’s pets! And my word, Deadpool is way way far from that and for the record, he is super but he’s nooooo hero. 

Ah, shhhhhiit. Did I leave the stove on?

 

Deadpool is a cannibalistic mercenary like Beatrix Kiddo from the Kill Bill (2003-04) series and is undoubtedly the worst mercenary ever, but, on a demarcation he is not carrying a People-to-kill list. He kills people for money to alleviate boredom and only occasionally does the “right” thing. And most importantly, he doesn’t believe in altruism, he does what he wants as he has no one to answer to and no one to see through. 

          Now, you might be wondering that you are too cool to read a movie blog about Deadpool like this and you can be anywhere than here. ‘Coz you’re more about sullen silences followed by a mean comment and then more silences…So now since I’m finished what’s it going to be, sullen silence or mean comment?