First things first. Kaminey is a landmark film. Because it has something that the bhangra-and-bosom-obsessed bollywood seldom displays – balls!
A giddy cocktail of drugs, deceit, diamonds and brotherhood, Vishal Bharadwaj unleashes the story at a kinetic pace paying due obeisance to his influences – Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie in particular. (And a nod to Rodriguez’s mariachi series as well - the guitar!)
Like Tarantino’s best, the plot is inconsequential here – it’s just an excuse to bring together a bunch of quirky and well-etched characters, and they cheerfully run amok in a screenplay that is dazzlingly original.
Loosely, it’s about two brothers - Charlie and Guddu, both played by Shahid Kapoor in a career-defining performance. Bharadwaj has a ball etching the twins’ characters – one lisps and the other stammers, and some brilliant wordplay originates out of this. Then there is Sweety, Priyanka Chopra’s feisty, de-glam Maharashtrian turn. (It would be a pity if these two return to bollywood mawkishness after tasting blood with this one).
Then there are the real stars of the film – Mikhail, Charlie’s coke-addled, unpredictable, spiderman-theme singing friend; Lele and Lobo, the two corrupt cops who go about their deviousness with utmost sincerity; Tashi, the suave, chillum-smoking, bon vivant gangster; and drum roll please – Bhope Bhau, the Marathi manoos politician and Sweety’s brother – easily the best of the lot. Played with relish by first timer Amol Gupte, he is so naturally, splendidly slimy he has you transfixed. There is a standout scene in which Mikhail stumbles into Charlie’s house to find Bhau and gang and what ensues is a brilliant opera of exceptional writing and acting. Bhau’s amused expressions and his cat and mouse game with Mikhail makes this one of the best scenes you will see on celluloid for a long time. There is also a priceless sequence wherein the policemen try to get a stammering Guddu to give his statement in song. The film is strung together with so many spectacular scenes laced with wit and black humour it’s really impossible to single out a few.
Suffice to say, some wonderful mayhem is unleashed by this motley crew.
The writing is delightful – irreverent but nuanced. Notice the graffiti outside a men’s toilet and Sweety’s comment on condoms coming between lovemaking. And the banter on Marathi manoos is parody at its best. It’s bold, audacious and in most places, deliriously funny.
At the end of it all, what makes your jaw drop is the sheer virtuosity of Vishal Bharadwaj – the man handles screenplay, dialogues and music and steers the film into a direction where Indian Cinema has never gone before. He just blows the lid off the bollywood poseurs and demonstrates once again, that he is the best in the business. All you can say is - Salute!
Finally, I don’t know how Kaminey will do at the box office. But I will tell you one thing. This is the kind of film we should encourage. Its progressive, incredibly entertaining and leaves you thinking about it long after you exit the theatre. Now when was the last time a bollywood film did that to you?
