sundeepv80 Reviews

Devdas (1955)

Masterpiece of Indian Cinema before Bollywood!

[9/10 · 24 September 2020]

The haunting tragedy of a man's unrequited love has not been given more deserving tribute that this Bimal Roy masterpiece.

I watched Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955) and Bansali's Devdas (2002) On the same day.

Shahrukh, Aishwarya, Madhuri and Bhansali's Devdas look like school children play In front of this cinematic masterpiece. To be honest it was so painful to watch Shahrukh as Devdas after watching Dilip Kumar that I had to skip many scenes.

Devdas' story is dark, haunting and a painful journey of a man's self destructing spiral that leaves him empty at the end of his character arc. He is beyond saving and all the efforts of people around him goes in wane. There has been no better tragic character written than Devdas. If west has Shakespeare than India had Sharad Chandra Chatterjee.

Bimal Roy's understanding of the atmosphere of the story, the chronologically spawning darkness of the inner world of lead character and his visual aesthetics are so true to the actual book that you can do nothing but marvel at the masterpiece that you witness.

You should watch this movie to witness the true Indian cinema. I do not even want to compare it further with (2002) Devdas for it will be disrespectful for it!

Maachis (1996)

Maachis in 2013

[8/10 · 1 May 2013]

I watched this movie first time in my life in the year 2013. I have always loved the songs of Maachis as a kid but never got a chance to see the movie. However, better late than never and this saying couldn't have been more true than in this case. Maachis is one of my favorite movies on terrorism even including many Hollywood and western movies that I have watched. I always asked myself that why in all these other movies that I have watched they never talk about what makes a terrorist, there is no insight given into the turning of a man's character from a human to a man full of rage who wants to kill other people. Even the recent Hollywood blockbusters like Zero Dark Thirty, Hurt Locker etc are more action movies of FBI agents than anything else. Maachis answers that question so beautifully and passionately. The story doesn't justify the act of terrorism, it doesn't make evil out of the other men, it just brings to surface how a system of injustice brings everyone into it and destroys innocence of people and their lives. There are some plots in the story which makes you feel a lump in your throat, some scenes makes the hair raise on your hand and some just makes you love the poetry of Gulzar, the director, lyricist and writer of the story. The final scene leaves you in confrontation with a hard truth. One of the best movies ever made on terrorism and humanity. I give it 8/10.

Creation (I) (2009)

Darwin-a tale told without Darwin.

[5/10 · 20 March 2013]

I just finished watching Creation and to be honest i am a little confused about what the director tried to tell. The most part of the movie is dedicated to the family life and the sufferings Darwin and his wife endure because of the death of their daughter and illness of Darwin. The story speaks very little about Darwin's struggle to publish the theory and the debate around Theory of Evolution in the society at that time, which to me, would have been the essence of Darwin. That said, the movie is made beautifully with amazing cinematography and art direction. I love the background score of piano and violins creating a sense of melancholy and drama in the story. Some dialogues are also very well written and stays with you afterward. However, don't except to witness the struggle of a scientist that has a proved thought against the society and church. This is a family drama of a scientist's life. I give it 5/10.