There is nothing in the world that can prepare one for the brilliantly disturbing allure of Aamis,
except for reviews that are never quite sure how much of the plot they should discuss. It is a
futile exercise, and one that can take away from the experience, especially for a film that
provides so much thematic meat to devour that makes film theorists salivating in the theatre a common sight. No
one reads M Night Shyamalan films’ reviews for the plot or the premise, they read them to see if
it works. And Aamis works like a charm. <br><br>

It follows Nirmali (Lima Das), a married paediatrician stuck in the lonely monotony of her daily life
with a husband who is more often away than in town, and a young PhD student Sumon (Arghadeep Baruah) who is an unusual food enthusiast (his research paper is on meat eating
habits of North-East India). Meat plays a bigger role in the film than one would think. In fact, the
two people bond over their love for unusual meat dishes, and they are more enamoured than in
love at the beginning. Nirmali is taken by Sumon’s youthful passion for life, he falls for her
grace and kindness. 

<h2>Illicit love has always been a taboo in Indian films, and surely, Aamis explores it at its purest.
Bhaskar Hazarika deprives his lovers of the sensuality of touch. </h2> He takes the physicality of a
relationship out of the picture and replaces it with love flowing with sexual undercurrents. It
allows for parallels to classic tales of love, those of Heer and Ranjha, Shirin and Farhad. Perhaps their
embraces felt so euphoric to them because they spent years fantasizing for a simple touch.

<br><br>
Das is mesmerising as a conflicted woman, constantly aware of the guilt and taboo of her
situation. She is sensual, gracious and deprived, at the same point, of time. Baruah’s constant
cluelessness works for the character of a hopeless lover, who is hell-bent on doing anything to
please his lover. However, their love is an unhealthy transaction, much like the many love stories of the legends. 
<br><br>
Hazarika explores the ebbs and flows of their growing love in a nuanced manner. The
audience barely realises when the story takes a dark turn - where it hits the point of no return. By then the story is too likeable to look away. <br><br>

The wonderful thematic elements of the first half lead to the dark absurdity of the second. There
is a postmodernist twist on everything that is established, and a brilliant movement of the narrative makes the film
ripe for analysis and multiple viewings. <h2> The characters quietly go insane together, crumbling
under the pressure of society, under the guilt that renders their relationship illicit. By the time it
ends, one can only look back and wonder how they got there. Yet everything makes sense. </h2>
The cinematography is experimental, and partakes of the gluttony of the couple as well as their
fantasies. The editing is euphoric, often piecing together linear and the fantastical with the same
thread, being completely subservient to the whims of the script. The colour red is used
sparingly in the beginning, while it grows and grows until it takes over in the latter half.
The experience itself is one of abject horror and curiosity combined. Ultimately the film
becomes a cautionary tale too - a parable of the things people can do for love. It might also just
be the greatest PETA ad ever made.<br/><br/>
<b><i>Written by <span class="text-gradient">Nimish K Sharma</span></i></b>

Aamis (Ravening) | Anurag Kashyap | Review

In cinema sometimes less is more and this rings even more true for animation. Most blockbuster animation films market themselves as being hyper-realistic, but often only provide lacklustre results. Animation works at its best with a clear stylistic vision. Miyakazi's Spirited Away looks completely different from Up. Both are great films in their own right and that is the flexibility of the medium. Geetanjali Rao has done the same with her hand painted animation film.<br>

<h2>'Bombay Rose' has wonderfully used Indian pulp magazine art, comics and vintage movie posters for reference points for Mumbai, painting the landscapes and figures with blurred lines while keeping the characters' features sharp and well defined. Shadows and depths are painted religiously, frame by frame. Some sequences even find inspiration in folk art and Mughal art of miniatures and side portraits. </h2>

The stylistic choices give the film a look that is groundbreaking in Indian animation. It oozes the flavour of Mumbai in a manner that an amalgamation of different cultures becomes a towering presence in the narrative. The soundtrack features songs from Goan music, groovy and erratic, juxtaposed against a Hindi heartland ballad invoking Maa Rewa(Narmada) on a modern rendition. <br/><br/>


The film revolves around three characters, Shellie D'Souza, Kamala and Salim who are tied together by, among other things, a rose. The brilliantly chosen characters allow an exploration of different parts of Mumbai.
 <br/><br/>

Miss D'Souza clings to a glorious past. She reminisces a retro Bollywood film she starred in with the love of her life. Her memories are haunted by the days far gone. Piece by piece, she pawns her invaluable relics that no one really buys. Her narrative progresses to reveal that even her house is a symbol of the city's past - a garden where fresh flowers grow only to reach a graveyard.
 <br/><br/>

These flowers find Salim, a migrant with a tragic past, and then Kamala. Both are outsiders who come to the city, the land of opportunity, seeking escape from a terrible life. Similar to countless other films, they find themselves stuck in the city's ugly underbelly. This interaction between the old and the new isn't merely black and white. As dance bars are replaced by high-end clubs where dancers continue to get trafficked, vices of the past persevere for an existence in the present.
<h2>All three characters come from different religions and social strata. Their stories coalesce into a larger picture of a city's consciousness - one that is dying and rejuvenating at the same time. </h2>

Miss D'Souza is a doomed romantic who walks through the streets as we see them returning to how they looked in previous decades. Salim and Kamala often find respite from their mundane daily lives through fantasy and escapism. Salim seeks solace in movies and imagining himself in legends of heroes; Kamala fantasises about being a rich bride in the Mughal era. 

<h2>As these fantasies exist in the world of crime and moral degeneration, one as real as the other, Gitanjali Rao fluently moves from fantasy to reality, often blurring the line between the two and splashing paint all over the screen. </h2>

The screenplay is tight with the visuals threaded together so fluently as if they are a part of one gigantic canvas, where colours dictate the cuts, not a camera. The narrative moves freely from the story to fantasies or extended sequences with roses to dance numbers.
The real achievement of the film, however, is the homage it is able to pay to Indian cinema, to Mumbai and to the diverse people who inhabit it. <br><br>

<b><i>Written by <span class="text-gradient">Nimish K Sharma</span></i></b>


Bombay Rose | Anurag Kashyap, Gitanjali Rao

The point Moothon starts off at and the story it ventures into eventually are
so fundamentally different that any details would take away from the experience.There is no
question about the ambition of the film. It is hard to pin down the film to a particular genre or 
language. It is as much a Hindi film as it is Malayalam. It is a drama, a mob flick and a social
commentary. It should also be noted that Malayalam star Nivin Pauly has redefined himself to play a
challenging role that challenges conventions, both of the industry and how films are
made. <br><br>
Moothon is set in a peaceful part of Lakshadweep. However, we are quickly introduced to the world of the
protagonist Mulla, an introverted kid. Bullied at school and ready to be sent away from the island
by his caretaker, he yearns for an identity. The story of Mulla in itself is harrowing, but as
soon as the audience starts to settle with the lush cinematography and the tranquil, slow life of
the island, the film takes an interesting turn.<br><br>
From them on, it is a film that covers new ground constantly and very competently. Its focus is never on one place or a particular story. Ultimately, it tackles the life of the island and juxtaposes it with
Mumbai, its underbelly and crime syndicates.
<h2>Influences are easy to find in the narrative. The film evokes memories of Salaam Bombay. The mob children
run around like in City of Gods, the villains and heroes are active volcanoes like in Satya.
Additionally, Anurag Kashyap staples can be found as well, but not with the earnest heart they come with in his
directorial ventures. </h2>
Mumbai is seen at its darkest, dingiest and most volatile. The brilliant cinematography of Rajeev
Ravi keeps the claustrophobia of Mumbai’s crowded and coagulated spaces intact, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. The editing is fine-tuned, but the pacing of the film takes a hit, no less thanks to its unorthodox script that goes back and forth between high octane chase
sequences to peaceful conversations on a beach. The background score
too is a nuisance in an otherwise smart film. It dictates the feeling a scene must have,
ultimately having the opposing effect. <h2>
The actors, however, drive the point home. Pauly can blow up and sit in silence with the
same effect, and Roshan Mathew stuns with his elegant vulnerability. The child actors work well
within the film and Shashank Arora delivers yet another great performance. </h2>
The narrative never unfolds in its entirety. Geetu Mohandas brilliantly withholds information and
introduces red herrings, visually and with the story. The film
ventures into themes that are unimaginable in its first act, and eventually provides the audience with memorable twists. However, despite being an ambitious film that will haunt you long after you are done watching it, Moothon remains a hard film to watch with no light
at the end of the tunnel. <br/><br/>
<b><i>Written by <span class="text-gradient">Nimish K Sharma</span></i></b>  

Moothon | Review | Anurag Kashyap, Nivin Pauly, Shashank Arora, Sobhita Dhulipala

A broker in Delhi is not the first character to come to mind while thinking of a film protagonist, won't you agree? This is one of the many points of uniqueness of Kartaa. <br><br> It takes the viewer into the struggles and obstacles of a broker as he tries to keep his family afloat. The short film delves into the murky, seedy aspects of society in the most poignant manner. While revealing the extent of its ruthlessness, it further affirms that sometimes there indeed is no ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

Kartaa | Short Film of the Day

Women's accessibility to public spaces is fraught with threats of molestation, street sexual harassment and sometimes even far worse. The film attempts to draw attention to this limited space that is allowed to women, and how the entire society, from family and friends, to colleagues and complete strangers, are implicit in reducing it further. <br><br> The narrative makes the most skilled use of hand-held shots, tight frames and dim lighting to drive this message home. It's written in a manner that makes the viewer deeply invested in the fear and the anger of the three main characters. As their families tell them to avoid stepping out and confronting their harassers, the women find their strength in each other. However, more than trusting each other, they have to find that strength and trust in themselves. Once they manage to conquer the enemy within, there is little they cannot defeat without, emphasises the film. 



That Day After Everyday | Short Film of the Day

The short film is sharp, unexpected and embellished by a wonderful performance by Tisca Chopra. It takes the viewer into the all too familiar reality of a long marriage now afflicted by the husband's infidelity. <br><br> While the children protest and blame their mother of inaction, looks like she has finally made up her mind to take charge. The confrontation scene between the two women is a smoothly scripted crux which is surprising, entertaining and delivers everything that the title of the film promises. With a subtle comment on gender, male entitlement and dual-standards, Chhuri will show you how cheating can often turn out to be a double-edged sword.

Chhuri | Short Film of the Day

This Anurag Kashyap-starrer is a story of one night in the life of a woman who has returned home with a date. Everything seems to be going fine, but something unexpected waits right around the corner.  While her date takes a turn for the worse, the viewer is introduced to another aspect of her life she has been trying to move on from for a while. But is there an end, a release in sight for her? The answer is available for the viewer who sticks out till the end.<br><br> The beautiful cinematography and the effortless progression of the narrative would ensure this turns out to be an easy task. With balance, skill and the right amount of colour, the frames also have plot details for the more attentive viewer. Further, the film earns extra points for unexpected doses of humour; for instance, in the manner in which an unwitting character finds himself tied up (quite literally) in the embroglio of two lovers. The whole film is also supported by a background score several would find familiar. It performs well on all fronts, but the same cannot be said for the story and writing. Additionally, the performances are not extraordinary, much like the rest of the film. However, when all of it is put together, one might be convinced to overlook the weaknesses of Fool for Love.

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