Life in a Metro (2007)

The screening of this Indian film I saw was not the final cut and didn't have the final soundtrack, nor did it feature any background noise. Saying then that this is a review of the film is not 100% correct, but I'll give you an impression of what I did see. Hovering in a genre caught between traditional Bollywood and cinema as we know it in the West, Metro tries to appeal to a wide audience. The trouble is I can imagine it alienating Indian viewers with it's discussion of sex and lust, infidelity and corruption- while repelling western audiences because most of this serious film is laughable. It's not unknown that Bollywood and Hollywood have different ideas about what makes a good film, so at any of the many many points in the film when the three-man band come into shot and start wailing while the foreground displays a montage of characters' situations it becomes ever harder to take the film seriously. So much so that it was excruciating for occupants of the screening room to try to quell our laughter. Shilpa Shetty is this film's most well known actor outside of India, but her acting here doesn't support the fame she found through Celebrity Big Brother, and of the rest of the cast, only Sharman Joshi puts in a notable performance. Anurag Basu certainly doesn't lack ambition (this is the first Indian film to achieve a Leicester Square premier, even if it is on a Tuesday evening while the cinema is being refurbished and without any movie posters) but I have an inkling that the film will be lost on non-Asian audiences.

Fmovies: Telling parallel stories inter-related to various degrees had been the flavor for some time now in Hindi cinema. Success, however, is almost absent. Anurag Basu had almost pulled it off except for three things - incorrect branding, lack of originality and wannabe rock stars showing up everywhere.

The story as such had nothing to do with the city of Mumbai. It could have been set anywhere. Also how the city adds to the plights and joys of the character is not very clear. Rat race, lack of time for family, sexual confusions/frustrations are all a reality today of even mid-range cities, not only metros. This is what I meant by incorrect branding. I think the film should have been promoted as story of the time we live in, irrespective of the city. It would have appealed to a larger audience base.

Basu has been liberal in copying the classic 'The Apartment'. You cannot copy a classic just like that. I'm not sure if the makers of 'The Apartment' are at least credited. Originality is the biggest virtue of any art. Then, the rock stars. Pritam and his band were omnipresent throughout the film. The songs are fantastic but they popping up everywhere started to irritate very soon. A more imaginative filming of the songs would have added to the film's value.

Inspite of all this, Metro is a very good film to come out in recent times. Though Basu does not go deep into the torments of the characters and just touches them fleetingly, he does manage to capture the essence. Casting is almost precise and all actors do a good job. You get the import of the film that how we are losing ourselves in the maze of the paths laid down for us by everyone except ourselves. It is hard to stand up and reclaim your life. It is difficult to open the car's door and walk out like Kangana does at the end, but probably that's what most of us want to do most of the time.

Anurag Basu has mastered the art of copying Hollywood movies. He flicks popular Hollywood or world movies/themes and presents them in an Indian context. So in my opinion he is just a smart businessman and not an auteur as he is made out to be. The mainstream media in India is for sale and it's possible to re-paint a cat and call it a Lion. And hence he has a good reputation going for him. Unfortunately due to this hype, people are comparing Anurag Basu to his namesake - Anurag Kashyap - who plays many leagues above him.

Other users who like his movies seem to comment based on the entertainment value (some of which should be credited to Mr.Basu as it takes some smarts to be keep his output entertaining) or are totally unaware of the original.

I would to distinguish *copying* from *inspiration*. For example, "Dev D" by Anurag Kashyap is inspired by the Novel/movie "Devdas", but it's a thoroughly original take on it. However "Murder" by Basu is almost a scene by scene copy of "Unfailthful" - till the twist-in-the-end gimmick : pretty much like how so many b-movie makers take a hit movie, add a twist but they are pretty much unoriginal. At least most B-movies don't pretend to be original.

Similarly, "Life in a metro" is inspired by the Hollywood trend of parallel, nearly disjoint story lines (Magnolia, Playing by Heart (1998) among many others). Here most characters are one dimensional (but that's just my opinion) and unconvincing in their actions. There is no catharsis that a movie of this nature would aim to inflict on the user. In fact at times it seems to go the Madhur Bhandarkar populist way - where by showing something big (a metropolitan city) in a negative light, he tries to win the masses. Yup, so while writing this comment, I found a peer for Anurag Basu - Madhu Bhandarkar. They represent the so called new breed of Bollywood cinema who claim that they'll re-invent the industry. All the will succeed is in re-inventing some beaten story lines. (Okay, Madhur might be slightly more original than Basu but he is uninspiring and populist).

Life in a Metro fmovies. This is a good blend of lives of different kinds of people staying in a metro and the conditions and situations they come across. The story is interwoven with different characters related to each other and takes care of all kinds of people not to miss any kind of character that is found in a metro. It is sensitive at times but entertaining. The plot is so nicely woven that you would be in touch with each and every character. The songs are also good and situational. Finally the end being really very crucial and the situations that come up treat everybody in a very practical way to manage everything and you wont feel it unrealistic because the directors and the script writers have done their job....

In short, once watchable, worth spending few hours for entertainment. I hope everybody enjoys......

They say all's well that ends well. And what if it starts well, runs well and ultimately ends well. Then it's something really good. That's the case with Anurag Basu's Life in a Metro.

The film has promising start, with 7-8 different characters being introduced, with Mumbai rains in backdrop. Then a rock band, as drenched as the city, appears from nowhere to churn out a fabulous opening song. You prepare yourself for a good cinematic experience during the song itself. And the best part is the promise is not broken till the end.

It's a story of different characters, interwoven together with some link. The narrative is tight and gripping. And that rock band keeps appearing in between, giving soul to the narration. Pritam has done a good job in music department. The film depicts how lives have become in today's fast living cities. People are always in top gear. Chase, rivalry, competition, dreams, compromises, sexual frustrations, exploitation, opportunism, disappointment, love, ecstasyÂ… you'll find all emotions in the movie. The film tells the story of people who in search of destination forgot to enjoy the journey, who listen their minds over their hearts. The story is very believable, very true to life. Don't be surprised if you find yourself in one of the characters.

Anurag Basu has assembled a line of best performing actors. Kay Kay is impeccable as ever. Shilpa Shetty looks as good as she acts; she's finally getting roles to show her acting prowess and not only those never ending legs. Irfan and Konkana are at equal élan with comedy as they are with intense roles. Sharman Joshi is one actor who seems to fit any bill. Kangna is improving, both her looks and dialog delivery. But best performer remains Anurag Basu. He has handled the script and actors wonderfully to give a very good cinema. A very good effort by the whole team.

After long Hindi cinema has finally taken the jump and started dealing with more in depth emotional subjects. We get intelligent dialogue that looks and comes across naturally. Real issues faced by the modern Indians of today brought to life in this brilliant thought provoking films. that leaves you questioning several aspects of the movie. Shilpa's acting is the best I have seen out of all her movies. Konkona, Kangana, Irfan, Shiny, Kay Kay and Sharman have all acted brilliantly. the scenes between Shilpa and Shiny have been done brilliantly as have the scenes between Dharmendra and Shivani. The film starts of interestingly and engrosses you further, as the story unfolds. the soundtrack lends itself beautifully to the surroundings and you get a sense of a modern vibrant moving city with real people leading real lives (not your usual song and dance sequences around the world) This film portrays a deeper unexplored side of human nature that is very rarely addressed in Hindi films. Brilliantly shot and acted. A must see film.