The Daunting Cafe!

There is something daunting about Madras Café. Is it brilliant cinema? Is it a movie that shifts the paradigm of Indian film-makers? Honestly, not at all! In the overview of it all, it is an above average thriller, the ending of which we all know. It’s like Zero Dark Thirty- “Yeah! We know Osama is going to die in the end”. So what makes this movie stand out? What is all the hullaballoo about?

So we have established that it isn’t exactly a ground-breaking Aamir Khan-esque serious movie type thing that makes you question your own existence. It is not anything that will move you. What really clicks for the movie is that it is trying to explore a genre of cinema that has practically not existed in India. Zodiac, Frost/Nixon, All the President’s Men. Ring a ghanta? All these movies have one thing in common. They show the reality of something that has happened. In India, to do something like that you need to have balls or well, be Gulzar! When Gulzar made Aandhi on Indira Gandhi, that movie was not allowed to release until after the Emergency.

Madras Café talks about another Gandhi. It’s like the Indian version of ‘The Death of Michael Corleone’, Indira being Vito, Sanjay being Sonny and Rajiv, the Michael we all loved to hate. Except, of course, there is no Vito here, no Sonny, just Michael. It’s more about the people around that Michael. In this case, maybe one of the capo régimes. Okay too much Godfather talk. I don’t even remember what my point was, anymore!

So, John Abraham finally finds some use of his expressionless face. A pained, drunk RAW agent. Perfect role for him, because we all know that RAW agents have no facial expressions. But Shoojit does a good job using that man. Also, it would help that John is the producer and all, so naturally he takes the lead.

The movie explores the time before Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, about how the bureaucratic bull-shit and rogue Indian agents (read, little help from well.. Madras?) brought about the eventual end. The movie seems realistic, with some brilliant cinematography, gritty background score and a vague whodunit feel. The way the story goes about is absolutely engaging, though at times it does get a little documentary-ish. But so did ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and that was one crappy movie that did painfully, surprisingly well.

But what really makes this movie click besides the obvious brilliant direction is that it brings a whole new genre into the limelight- Historical Drama. The last historical drama we saw was ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and yowzah! I am just glad that that movie is history! Madras Café is a brave effort that could start a whole new segment of cinema that has lay dormant for a long time. Maybe, just maybe, we could have a movie called ‘Edwina-Nehru’. Ooooh! That will be hot. Of course, going by the naming from Madras Café, if Prabhakaran becomes Anna Bhaskar, Jawaharlal Nehru could be.. I dunno Jwala Singh Nihal? Whatever the fuck man! Just bring the reality into the cinema. The bleddy freedom of expression and all. If I wanna tell the story of how Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah look shadily similar, then let me!

And that is what is special about Madras Café. It’s a tad tongue in cheek and plays it safe throughout(dunno what pissed off those chaps where Kaveri goes). In the end, what’s daunting is what Abraham’s character says: “I lost a PM”. We lost a PM and we have done nothing about it. Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to India!

P.S: Oh oh oh! Special Mention to Siddhartha Basu. Man can he act! He is classy as fuck and ethereal! Love that man!