Director: Amit Masurkar
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tiwari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani
Indie films are a rarity in India. Rarer still are good ones. Sulemani Keeda is a little film that satires life in the periphery of the film industry. It’s a bittersweet tale of how struggling writers’ lives unfold in the glitzy by lanes of Mumbai. Some of it is truly hilarious, some profound and a little bit just doesn’t make sense. Like any piece of art, it has its imperfect strokes. The story for example, is a tad too simple. Yet, the movie reflects upon certain insider truths of the industry that make for an invigorating experience.
This is the story of two writers waiting for their big break. They’re dug into the dream of making a film called Sulemani Keeda. But neither has any serious professional guile other than their honest aspiration. They also come with a set of prejudices and stereotypes. Mainak (Mayank Tiwari) for one is the trash talking guy who thinks he’s better than the world. Dulal (Naveen Kasturia) on the other hand is a classic case of hesitation getting the upper hand on talent. The two make an unlikely writing pair and you’re introduced to their lives as they beg for a chance to the likes of Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Sharma and Amrita Rao. Let’s just say their career prospects are borderline pathetic and it doesn’t help that the two know nothing about scoring with chicks. But when Dulal meets Ruma (Aditi Vasudev) things seem to change for the better. But they also run in with trouble when Mainak and Dulal decide to write a film for Gonzo Kapoor (Karan Mirchandani). The only big conflict in the film is predictable and yes you could argue that’s how the cookie crumbles in real life. But then again, good writing can make fact stranger than fiction. That’s what worked for films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaro and Chashme Buddoor. With Sulemani Keeda, it’s the dialogues that steal the show. They’re funny, quirky and then on moments they’re a revelation. The ‘perhaps it’s time to grow up’ line hits you like a rock. Masurkar does a fantastic job with the lines, not so much with the script though.
Then to say that visuals could’ve been better is really nitpicking. End of the day, this is an indie film. It doesn’t even have the budget of a commercial b-grade movie. Even so, one has to contend with unimaginative camera work. This point only becomes a subject of criticism because we’re talking mainstream exhibition. If Sulemani Keeda had been a niche product one could’ve overlooked the lack of quality in its imagery. Especially because certain parts show you the team was capable of shooting good frames. But the inconsistency robs the movie of its punch. It’s not a major deterrent. But it is enough to put off the average movie viewer.
The great thing about the movie though is its cast. Naveen, Mayank, Aditi and Karan are the four pillars on which Masurkar builds his story. Naveen’s performance with the subliminal nervous energy and the totally gullible personality is good. Better still is Mayank’s performance which shows a character with brazen disregard for the system. He swears everywhere and he’s just spearheading into everything he jokes about. These are real characters and the actors do a more than good job. Aditi and Karan are in shorter roles but their performances are superb. Karan especially looks creepily awesome in his Tarkovski inspired role.
This is the story of two writers waiting for their big break. They’re dug into the dream of making a film called Sulemani Keeda. But neither has any serious professional guile other than their honest aspiration. They also come with a set of prejudices and stereotypes. Mainak (Mayank Tiwari) for one is the trash talking guy who thinks he’s better than the world. Dulal (Naveen Kasturia) on the other hand is a classic case of hesitation getting the upper hand on talent. The two make an unlikely writing pair and you’re introduced to their lives as they beg for a chance to the likes of Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Sharma and Amrita Rao. Let’s just say their career prospects are borderline pathetic and it doesn’t help that the two know nothing about scoring with chicks. But when Dulal meets Ruma (Aditi Vasudev) things seem to change for the better. But they also run in with trouble when Mainak and Dulal decide to write a film for Gonzo Kapoor (Karan Mirchandani). The only big conflict in the film is predictable and yes you could argue that’s how the cookie crumbles in real life. But then again, good writing can make fact stranger than fiction. That’s what worked for films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaro and Chashme Buddoor. With Sulemani Keeda, it’s the dialogues that steal the show. They’re funny, quirky and then on moments they’re a revelation. The ‘perhaps it’s time to grow up’ line hits you like a rock. Masurkar does a fantastic job with the lines, not so much with the script though.
Then to say that visuals could’ve been better is really nitpicking. End of the day, this is an indie film. It doesn’t even have the budget of a commercial b-grade movie. Even so, one has to contend with unimaginative camera work. This point only becomes a subject of criticism because we’re talking mainstream exhibition. If Sulemani Keeda had been a niche product one could’ve overlooked the lack of quality in its imagery. Especially because certain parts show you the team was capable of shooting good frames. But the inconsistency robs the movie of its punch. It’s not a major deterrent. But it is enough to put off the average movie viewer.
The great thing about the movie though is its cast. Naveen, Mayank, Aditi and Karan are the four pillars on which Masurkar builds his story. Naveen’s performance with the subliminal nervous energy and the totally gullible personality is good. Better still is Mayank’s performance which shows a character with brazen disregard for the system. He swears everywhere and he’s just spearheading into everything he jokes about. These are real characters and the actors do a more than good job. Aditi and Karan are in shorter roles but their performances are superb. Karan especially looks creepily awesome in his Tarkovski inspired role.
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