A Not So Wonderful Ghai in Black & White

As I watched Subhash Ghai's latest film, Black & White, I reflected upon his successful career and its recent rockiness. I realized that Subhash Ghai never once attempted meaningful cinema. He always catered to the masses by giving them what they want: music, pretty and talented faces, action, comedy and melodrama. And this formula worked. I guess Pardes and Meri Jung are the closest he got to poignancy but Pardes lost all of its credibility to its gargantuan bias against the West and Meri Jung fell victim to Rock and Roll and large pianos. I reflected upon the failures of Yaadein and Kisna-The Warrior Poet. Both of them suffered from weak storylines, something fans of Subhash Ghai found weird. No matter how much he packed his films with formulas, they always had an emotionally charged story, unlike those two. With B&W, the powerful story returns. I'm not saying that this new film is perfect and flawless--far from it!

Starring Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah and Habib Tanvir, the film is the vehicle for debutantes Anurag Sinha and Aditi Sharma. The superb soundtrack is by Sukhwinder Singh. This is the 17th film directed by Subhash Ghai.

Mehmood (Sinha) is a suicide bomber convinced that India is the villain against Islam. He is assigned to become a martyr for Allah by bombing the Red Fort in New Delhi on Independence Day (August 15th). He assumes the identity of Numair Qazi, an man whose parents were burned alive in Gujurat by Hindu extremists. Two weeks before the 15th, he goes to Chandni Chowk to live with the grand-uncle of his alias Gaffar Chahcha (Tanvir), a poet. He meets Professor Rajan Mathur (Kapoor), an Urdu professor who is known throughout Chandni Chowk as a professor of peace also. His wife is Roma (Shah), a firecracker of a woman who can't stand to see any kind of injustice and lets the world know that. Shahgufta (Sharma) is Gaffar's neighbor with whom Numair falls in love. During his two week stay, Numair gets to know the Mathur family and they introduce color into his "black & white" world. He then must make the decision to go ahead and bomb the Red Fort or choose to live with love, peace, joy and color.

I applaud Subhash Ghai for making a film with a sensitive premise. His other films are larger than life and rarely get to examine the conscience of the human mind and heart. Showing Numair/Mehmood's past in black and white is a cliched, but effective, device. Actually the cinematography is exceptional; Chandni Chowk looks gorgeous. Also, the music is catchy and meaningful but when did a Ghai film ever have bad music? These songs are not chartbusters but they're thoughtful and sweet and very traditional. Jogi Aaya is my favorite. Peer Manaava is choreographed well. I like it when the dancing isn't too intricate (especially in this kind of film) because it makes everything more realistic. Haq Allah is typical but a good composition. Yeh Hindustan Hai is of the annoyingly patriotic variety. Main Chalaa is sung exceptionally by Sukhwinder Singh.

Like I said earlier, however, the film suffers from a weak script. The actual events are kind of boring and cliched. Subhash Ghai just doesn't take it far enough. Numair's slow entrance into the peaceful, happy lives of the Mathurs is just that--slow. Not gradual, but slow. The script takes its sweet time to change Numair/Mehmood but by the time he does, it is surprising. He still exhibits his extremist/traditional character until late in the picture when it is too late for both the characters and the film itself.

Of course, none of this is helped is by Anurag Sinha who is completely lost in the picture. His classical training was either a lie or a joke because all he does is stare coldly. Yes, he plays a cold character but there seems to be no beating heart; he is just a statue. Also, Ghai has him do some ridiculous things. Anytime he gets angered, he shoots the culprit. A better actor could have made this chilling but Sinha makes it laughable. It would be a fun drinking game for those over 21. Take a shot whenever Numair shoots someone!

Aditi Sharma is a waste of time. Though she is mildly pretty, her performance is ultimately lacklustre. I don't blame Ms. Sharma, however. I blame the Showman himself for doing Shahgufta an injustice. Ghai's films almost always contain strong women essayed by strong actreeses (even Yaadein had Kareena Kapoor's strong turn as Isha) but Ms. Sharma isn't allowed anything.

Perhaps the team felt that Shefali Shah filled the quota for strong women. She is an explosion in her every scene and never hesitiates to pull out all the stops. Her chemistry with all the actors is high and her body language is stellar. Shefali Shah is the one thing in B&W that is gloriously brilliant.

This brings me to Anil Kapoor, whose name I once chose as my middle name ("Call me Manish Anil Kapoor Mathur!"). He is as much as a fire as his onscreen wife. Of course, we all knew that. Anil Kapoor has done many, many films with Subhash Ghai and each is better than the last. His passions, his monologues, his restraint--just marvelous. Anil Kapoor gives a performance for the ages.

The supporting cast is good and is filled with names unfamiliar. Habib Tanvir is a stage actor of India and his performance is also noteworthy. Everyone else is fine except for the woman who plays Mehmood's mother or sister. I couldn't stand her during her one scene.

I would reccomend this film to anyone who can appreciate a film's message despite its flaws. Also, parts of Anurag Sinha's performance need to be seen to be believed. Jokes apart, Anil Kapoor and Shefali Sinha save this film from being barely tolerable. Oh, yes, I forgot something really important about the cast as a whole. The fact that they can say or respond to the name Shahgufta without sounding awkward or laughing is really commendable. Black & White rates a 6.5/10.