Shor In The City: Get Hooked To This Mesmeric Noise!

Move over pretentious Slumdog Millionaire, its time the world took notice of a brilliant and true-to-life indigenous ode to Bombay. Shor In The City has the potential to create a loud Shor not merely in India but across the world. Varied stories crisscrossing seamlessly, fallacy of human relationships and the little big emotions superbly amplified by fantastic camerawork and crafty direction. This film scores in every department. And scores very high.

Several films have been made on Mumbai. Several films have been made, which are an amalgamation of multiple stories. In that context, Shor In The City is another film on the similar lines. The narrative structure is obviously Non Linear. So, how is it different from other films? Technically, its a very superior film.Tushar Kanti Ray's breathtaking Cinematography makes this film world class. Many a times, the camera movements have a delightful hand-held rawness that is extremely captivating. Even the colour scheme gives each frame an earthy grainy effect. Ashmit Kunder's Editing is bang on. The pace is delectably laid-back and yet the story keeps on getting layered with new dimensions. The climax has a subtext that zaps you completely.

The background score and the original soundtrack are top notch. In fact, the sound design of the film at many places is like an independent character in itself. For e.g. the Visarjan sequence is accentuated by the manner in which the music tempo goes up and down, thus highlighting the mood swings of principal characters and the prevailing situations.

The real hero of Shor In The City is its screenplay. Directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK have also been credited with the Story-Screenplay. There's fluidity in the manner in which each character unfolds and the kind of language that is used. Once again it gets established that Mumbai is a city that assimilates any and every culture. There's the hard core Mumbai lingo of the three petty criminals played by Tushar Kapoor, Nikil Dwivedi and Pitobash Tripathy while Sendhil Ramamurthy and Preeti Desai with their British accent find a context of their own. Aspiring cricketer Sundeep Kishan, like many others in the city, finds a cozy corner on a sea facing promenade to get intimate with his girlfriend. Each character has their dreams-n-aspirations smeared with a quest for self respect and self preservation.

The casting director deserves full marks for putting together a wonderful ensemble cast. Tushar Kapoor is brilliant. The shades of grey-n-goodness have been gelled superbly. When he helps out an injured kid or the manner in which he elevates his performance in the end is awesome. Nikhil Dwivedi holds his own and sensibly doesn’t try to overshadow others. Pitobash Tripathy as the firebrand Mandook is the real find of the film. “Chal English mein sorry bol,” he says and you end up cracking with laughter. Tripathy is in the same league as Deepak Dobriyal and will surely be an actor to watch out for in the days to come.

Sendhil Ramamurthy delivers a nuanced performance. He looks real with a flabbergasted expression when he is asked for protection money. The much hyped Preeti Desai has a miniscule role. Radhika Apte as Tushar’s wife is a revelation. She speaks so much through her eyes. Sundeep Kishan as the young cricketer effectively showcases an ability to keep the viewers interested. Zakir Hussain as the hot headed local gangster is expectedly impressive.

Directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK have made everyone stand up and take notice of their tremendous talent. They have managed to make a film that not only entertains, but also makes you think and introspect without being preachy-or-profound. Their objective approach of being true to the screenplay and expertly navigating through a tricky climax inter-cutting all the stories is masterful. I really hope the makers push this film internationally so that it could get it due share of recognition.

Shor In The City: Do yourself a favour…get mesmerised with this Noise…Today!

Star Rating: ****