Salaam 'Salaam Bombay'

To gear ourselves with enough stuff to endure the then imminent threat of Mid Sem Exams, we recently went on a DVD hunt. (Pirated, that is. But then, we don't get the originals even if we want them. Do we?) We managed to get a good many. Thanks Pete, we are through that exam stuff. And we enjoyed the movies too. Some were just bland while others OK and a few really entertaining. But one was just great.

And the great one is Salaam Bombay. Just great. It was just too good. Totally engrossing and entertaining too. Unlike most other parallel cinema we get to see here in India, this film isn't all depressing.

The film is about a kid who is thrown out of his home and reaches Bombay. And it is about how he faces the life in the big city along with his brothers and sisters in arms, the other urchins. Don't worry I'm not gonna give out any spoilers. But it isn't just the plot or some other thing that makes this film worthwhile. It's just the whole thing.

Salaam Bombay has good script and great direction along with power packed performances. Every character just lights up the screen. The characters, their bodylanguage, the backdrop, which we get to see in many towns and cities, and the background sounds just give you feel of experiencing some thing real instead of watching a cinema. But hey, that doesn't mean this film is like documentary. Ms. Nair made sure that this film isn't a documentary. She gave it a life and little dramatic touch.

One thing that deserves a special mention is the cast. Shafiq Syed as Krishna, the protagonist is great. Nana Patekar is superb as Baba. Real surprise is the character 'Sweet Sixteen' who never even utters a single word through out the film. Other characters too just grab your attention with their subtle and in some cases, sublime performances.

The film is very thought provoking. But what's more interesting and a bit disconcerting is the fact that though made in the later half of the 80s, the film's backdrop and characters can still been seen in every nook and corner of our country. That might leave us wondering whether India has ever cared for its nameless and faceless millions.

While a few scenes are gloomy & sad and a few others are entertaining, every scene is riveting. The fight the characters put up in life leaves us with a great hope.

This film is a must see for every who wishes to see something worthwhile.

P.S.: Hey, I was just too mesmerized with film to actually notice any pitfalls and shortcomings. So don't blame me if you find any.