Amid the noise of cinematic lockout and the growing popularity of OTT platforms in the Corona era, the Shoojit sarkar-directed ‘Gulabo Sitabou’ was released on Amazon Prime Video with subtitles in 15 languages in 200 countries.
‘Gulabo Sitabo’ will be remembered in Indian cinema for being the first film to hit theaters directly on the mobile screen. However, despite Amitabh Bachchan’s excellent performance, his ‘Masterpiece’ will not be included in the list of films.
The stories of ‘Tom and Jerry’ relationship between landlord and tenant are well received in small towns and cities. Writer Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote for Shoojit from ‘Vicky Donor’ to ‘October’, has made this relationship the center of the story this time.
Story-screenplay
The film’s story revolves around Mirza, a 78-year-old greedy, quarrelsome, stingy, and irritable temper who lives in a dilapidated mansion. Haveli is the ancestral property of Mirza’s wife Fatima. That is why its name is Fatima Mahal. Mirza is not only greedy either. Steals the old things of the mansion for money. He is waiting for Fatima to die 17 years older than herself so that she can find the mansion.
The years-old ‘Girau’ mansion houses many tenants, one of whom is Banke Rastogi. Banke lives in the mansion with his mother and three sisters. Has read till the sixth and runs the flour mill shop. Banke falls in love with a girl who is pressing for marriage.
Mirza does not like Banke at all. Finds new ways to harass her and wants to evict the mansion. Juhi Chaturvedi has spent a large part of the screenplay on the plight of these two. But after a while, this tussle starts to seem dull and boring. The film does not feel like going anywhere. The twist and pace in the story come when Mirza, together with a lawyer, prepares to sell the mansion to the builder.
On the other hand, Banke plans to hand it over to an archaeology department by meeting an officer of the Department of Archeology under the greed of the LIG flat. However, one of Begum’s masterstrokes derails Mirza and Banke’s plans, and both have to leave the mansion, for which the two were enemies of each other.
Acting
Amitabh Bachchan has been lengthened with prosthetic make-up to make Mirza. Loose kurta and pajamas have been worn. The head has been given a round cap and the eyes have thick lens glasses. For the role of 78-year-old Mirza, Amitabh walks down his waist. Also used with voice.
It is not a challenge to play such a character for Amitabh, who is called the great hero of the century. The challenge lies in front of the writer and director. It seems Shujit could not handle this challenge properly this time. Mirza’s character is not as tickling as that of Bhaskar Banerjee of ‘Piku’, despite the perfect getup, make-up, and precise physical gestures.
At the same time, Ayushman Khurana has worn dirty clothes to play the role of a beau of lower-middle-class families. have taken a little belly. Ayushmann has also changed his accent. He is quite natural in his character. It is Amitabh and Ayushmann’s nappy-looking actress that has saved many scenes from piling up. Among the supporting cast, Srishti Shrivastava, Vijay Raaz, and Brijendra Kala seem to fit their respective characters.
Cinematography, music
The glamorous Lucknow had no place in the film’s story, so cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay has captured the old parts of Lucknow in a camera on the best. In shabby Havelis, Nawabi chic signs are embossed. Shantanu Moitra’s background score is simple, but the scenes of Haveli and Mirza have music and lyrics playing in the background. The good thing is that the tradition of needless lip-sync songs is now decreasing in Hindi cinema.
Direction
Shoojit, who directed Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Piku’ and Ayushmann Khurrana in ‘Vicky Donor’, dagged in ‘Gulabo Sitabo’. Despite good acting and technical aspects, Gulabo Sitabo does not appear to be a complete film. While watching this film, again and again, Shoojit’s films ‘Vicky Donor’ and ‘Piku’ continue to knock in the mind, who had a humorous departure in every frame. Gulabo Sitabo proves to be weaker than him.
The final scene of the climax of ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ actually gets itself reviewed by the film. In the last scene, it is shown that the antique chair that Mirza sells from Haveli for Rs. 250, is put in the showroom to be sold on the same chair with a tag of Rs.1,35,000.
The message is clear, the right becomes the one who knows the price of that thing. After the film is over, it comes to mind that Amitabh is like that ‘antique chair’ which is priceless and like Shoojit Sircar’s goofy ‘Mirza’, who sold that Lakhtakiya Kursi for a penny.
Artists – Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushman Khurana, Farooq Zafar, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, Srishti Srivastava etc.
Director- Shujit Sarkar
Producer- Ronnie Lahiri, Sheel Kumar
Verdict – ** 1/2 (two and a half stars)
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