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Zoran009
PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:14 pm 
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Maqbool

By Taran Adarsh

MAQBOOL stars some of the best talents of the country – Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Pankaj Kapur. So, obviously, the expectations from the film are gargantuan.

An adaptation of Shakespeare's MACBETH, MAQBOOL is set in present-day Mumbai. The underworld and the police-gangster-politician nexus, which has been witnessed time and again in Hindi films, has been attempted in MAQBOOL as well.

In a nutshell, MAQBOOL relocates Shakespeare's lurid tragedy to present-day Mumbai. It's a surprisingly easy transfer!

Maqbool [Irrfan Khan] is a trusted lieutenant of underworld don Abbaji [Pankaj Kapur]. Nimmi [Tabu] is Abbaji's mistress, who hates her situation and is in love with Maqbool who, she perceives, is the only one who can get her out of her misery.

Other important members of the gang happen to be Kaka [another faithful lieutenant of Abbaji and a good friend of Maqbool; Piyush Mishra], Guddu [son of Kaka; Ajay Gehi] and Sameera [Abbaji's daughter; Masumi]. Two police officers, Pandit [Om Puri] and Purohit [Naseeruddin Shah], who also predict the future course of the lives of the protagonists, assist the gang.

Driven by his love for Nimmi and his ambition for power, Maqbool murders Abbaji and declares himself the leader of the gang. The underworld is in a state of shock and all suspect Maqbool to be the perpetrator of this crime, but no one dare say so as now it is Maqbool who rules the underworld.

Yet, Maqbool perceives a threat in the form of Kaka and Guddu, who stand in his way of absolute supremacy. This leads him to commit more crimes against people who were once dear to him. Meanwhile, the police and the politicians seem determined to see the last of him.

Circumstances spiral out of control and with little or no help from Nimmi, who is suffering an extremely difficult pregnancy and fatally severe guilt pangs which is disturbing her mental equilibrium, Maqbool finds himself surrounded on all sides.

But Maqbool has encountered harsh circumstances before; only does he have the resolve to fight it anymore? Despite the fact that MAQBOOL falls in the same genre as PARINDA, SATYA, VAASTAV and COMPANY, it's shades different from these films. It goes into the psyche of gangsters and actually peeps into their mind.

Director Vishal Bhardwaj holds your finger and successfully transports you into the psyche of the Mumbai underworld.

MAQBOOL's strength lies in its narrative. The film has a number of sparkling sequences that remain with you. The message it intends conveying [crime doesn't pay] also comes across loud and clear!

Bhardwaj and writer Abbas Tyrewala have tried to be as realistic as possible. The guilt pangs that Nimmi and Maqbool suffer after Abbaji's murder is one phase that takes the film to a different high altogether.

Prior to that, the sequences between Nimmi and Maqbool after Abbaji gets his daughter engaged to Kaka's son keeps the viewer wrapped up and completely immersed in the goings-on.

Bhardwaj takes giant strides as a storyteller. Not only has he handled the plot with precision, without resorting to gimmicks, he has also extracted outstanding performances from the principal cast.

But if the realistic atmosphere is the USP of MAQBOOL, it's also a downer in the sense that the real-life situations tend to get too heavy after a point. In fact, the film abounds in tense moments that tend to put you off after a while. Though expertly handled, one gets the feeling that Bhardwaj has made the film more for the [international] festival circuit than for the average Indian cinegoer.

Cinematography [Hemant Chaturvedi] is first-rate. The music is functional, while the background score heightens the impact of several sequences. Dialogues [Vishal Bhardwaj] are power-packed.

As mentioned above, the performances are of a high order. The film clearly belongs to Pankaj Kapur, Tabu and Irrfan – in that order. Pankaj Kapur delivers his career-best performance. Unfortunately, the mainstream cinema has never given the actor his due, but one hopes that MAQBOOL will make the Big Daddys sit up and take notice of this amazing performer.

Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After CHANDNI BAR, this is another role that'll be remembered for a long, long time. Irrfan Khan is astounding. Here's an actor who can set the screen ablaze with his expressive eyes.

Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri provide some light moments in the enterprise, enacting their parts with élan. But how one wishes the roles were as substantial as the above-mentioned three roles.

Masumi is excellent, especially in the outburst sequence. Ajay Gehi is competent. Piyush Mishra is superb. An actor to watch!

On the whole, MAQBOOL is targeted more at the intelligentsia than the hoi polloi. The film is sure to win acclaim with critics, a niche audience and in the festival circuit. But being a Mumbai-centric film, it may find flavour in Mumbai mainly. Elsewhere, it may find the going tough. Lack of aggressive promotion may also prove disadvantageous.

Rating:- * * ½.


**** 4 Akrayne, u r RIGHT

On the whole, MAQBOOL is targeted more at the intelligentsia than the hoi polloi :baaa:



Edited By arsh on 1075499460
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Zoran009
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:20 pm 
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TABU 4 sure!! will be a BIG WINNER!

Maqbool

Kudos!

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Producer: Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt Ltd
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Irfan Khan, Tabu
Rating: * * *

By Parag Chandrabala Maniar

Based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Maqbool mainly revolves around three principal characters Maqbool (Irfan Khan), Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur) and Nimmi (Tabu). The underworld background provides a perfect set up for a web of complex relationships. Nimmi is not happy being the wife of patriarchal gang leader Abbaji. She lusts for Maqbool who always rebuffs her overtures. On the other hand, there's Abbaji's loyalist Kaka's son Gulal in love with Abbaji's daughter. On the eve of their engagement, Nimmi and Maqbool make love passionately. The plot thickens when Maqbool kills Abbaji and announces his decision to take over as the gang leader. Fearing that Kaka and his son Gulal would be the thorn in the flesh, Maqbool gets Kakaji killed. Gulal manages to escape unscathed. He decides to settle scores with Maqbool. He, one by one, kills Maqbool's henchman. Attacks Maqbool's home to unite with his fiancé. But before they leave they hurl abuses at pregnant Nimmi. Nimmi and Maqbool who have fought all odds to make their love triumphant cannot fight their guilt.

Director Vishal Bhardwaj's sincere attempt deserves a pat on the back. Right from the word go Maqbool keeps you engrossed. The characters are well built whether it is Pankaj kapur as Abbaji, Tabu as Nimmi or Irfan Khan as Maqbool they grow as you as the film unfolds before you as a viewer. The three principal characters have enacted their part brilliantly. Watch Tabu and Irfan in the scene when he gets her home from the hospital. The characters of corrupt inspectors Pandit and Purohit are excellently enacted by Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah respectively. Bhardwaj has also paid meticulous attention to the other characters Kaka and Guddu (Kaka's son). The typical Muslim ambience one finds it easy to relate to. There are a few drawbacks too! The film is heavy and grim! The common man may not find the plot so easy to relate to though the film has hit headlines at various film festivals. If films with dark and grim ambience, complex relationships with a slight touch of humour are your forte, then go for it!

Poor : *
Strictly OK : * *
Average : * * *
Good : * * * *
Excellent : * * * * *

B4U
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Zoran009
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:42 pm 
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REDIFF, CLASS for CLASS AUDIENCE:

Watch Maqbool. It is class!

Sita Menon | January 30, 2004 10:33 IST


All humans are said to have scruples. Right?

But the underworld is no stranger to murders and takeovers. Right?

Now, the tough part is believing that Miya Maqbool (Irrfan) goes through such intense guilt that he starts hallucinating after he murders his mentor Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur).

Maqbool is the righthand man of ganglord Abbaji. So my conflict is not so much in director Vishal Bharadwaj 'planting' Shakespeare's Macbeth -- on which he based Maqbool -- in the underworld, but in attributing so much guilt and self-recrimination to someone born into ruthlessness and autonomy over life.


If you can overlook that and the fact that Maqbool speaks high Urdu, which I am unfortunately blind to the nuances of (and that goes for many people in my country), there is plenty to savour in Bharadwaj's Maqbool.

Here's why: this film offers some of the most imaginative visualisations seen in Hindi cinema (take a bow, cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi and Vishal Bharadwaj). The director personifies Shakespeare's conniving witches as corrupt cops -- Inspector Pandit (Naseeruddin Shah) and Inspector Purohit (Om Puri), for whom the future is as tangible as the present. For Pandit, the world is a planetary chart meant to be animated by kababs, rainwater, sand or dry fruits. And the crafty Purohit can smooth-talk anyone into doom. He blithely tells Maqbool that in six months, he will reign over Abbaji's terrain.

Bharadwaj and Abbas Tyrewala's story speaks much of Maqbool's servility which is gradually unseated by his ambition to topple Abbaji's Don Vito Corleone-like stronghold; and Abbaji's mistress Nimmi's (Tabu) beauty. Bharadwaj accords Nimmi much of the plot's twists and turns. She uses her sexual control over Maqbool, plants the seed of murder in his head, uses all her wiles to cast her spell over him and Abbaji, such that Maqbool spends more time with her.

So when the -- cinematically well conceptualised and executed -- murder happens, all Maqbool can do is surrender to fate's whims and suffer its consequences.

This is when Irrfan's performance comes into play. He assumes the righthand guy role with ease, stumbling when Maqbool assumes control (strangely, Bharadwaj symbolises this transition with nothing more than a change in attire for Maqbool -- suits and sunglasses replace shirt and slacks), and then lets destiny take over his life. Tabu has a plum role. She takes on the challenge gamely, from a seductive woman to a guilt-ridden expectant mother, quite naturally. Now if only she would improve on her dialogue delivery.

Pankaj Kapur as the short-statured, potbellied, shuffle-footed Abbaji lends a lot of intensity to his role, along with deadpan speech. The actor knows it is a significant role and he delivers.

As for the other two stalwarts, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, it is tough to find them anything but consummate. Shah seems uneasy with Mumbai street lingo though; the role of a comical villain sometimes sits uncomfortably on him. Puri, on the other hand, is easy. From his lines: "Shakti ka santulan chahiye sansar mein. Aag ke liye paani ka dar hona chahiye," to his unselfconscious body language, he is top-notch.

A word for Piyush Mishra, who plays Kaka, Abbaji's 'lefthand' man. He is effortless and conveys all the edgy rivalry and nervousness Kaka goes through as his son Guddu (a very competent Ajay Gehi) is soon to be wed to Abbaji's daughter Sameera (Masumi Makhija).

Technically, this film is class. From the watertight editing (Aarif Sheikh), the pacy screenplay, the extremely evocative art direction (Jayant Deshmukh), Robert Taylor's interesting sound design (in spite of the occasional clichés: watch the scene where Maqbool stakes out the mafia in Rajasthan, and the sound-level intrusions), and the amazing camera of Hemant Chaturvedi.

Watch out for the execution of: The lovemaking scene; the murder; Nimmi's breakdown scene with Miya; and the climax sequence.

Maqbool is a visual gallery that is an intelligent blend of dark, tragic overtones and comic, satirical undertones.

Watch it.

And yes, Bharadwaj is definitely a talent. Hopefully, he will only grow with his next projects, Mantra and Timbaktu.

It would be interesting to see how this very niche and well-made film fares at the box-office; whether the audience is as discerning as recent reports claim.

CREDITS
Cast: Irrfan, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Tabu
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Producer: Bobby Bedi
Story & Screenplay: Abbas Tyrewala, Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar
Sound: Robert Taylor
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi
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Aarkayne
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:44 pm 
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arsh wrote:
**** 4 Akrayne, u r RIGHT

On the whole, MAQBOOL is targeted more at the intelligentsia than the hoi polloi :baaa:

And when did anyone here think too highly of the Adarsh nincompoop's view in any case :D
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kamran
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:45 pm 
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See this movie, it's really one of the highlights of Hindi cinema so far. Irrfan Khan and Tabu are astoundingly good - hopefully they won't be forgotten (and the film itself) during awards season next year.
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Zoran009
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:15 pm 
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- Engrossing!
By Prema K. ©2004 Bollyvista.com


Credits
Producer/s: Kaleidoscope
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Tabu, Irfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Masumi Makhija
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj


Buy the DVD here
Although 'Maqbool' deals with a done-to-death subject in Bollywood; the underworld, the treatment makes it different. This film is a must-see for the sheer pleasure of watching the best of our actors coming together in one film. The intensity of their performances makes the film engrossing and is an example of how brilliant and natural performers can elevate a film from its run-of-the-mill status.

Music composer-turned-director Vishal Bharadwaj has managed to give it a touch of poetry and a Muslim 'nawabi' grace that sets it apart from the other underworld films. Of course, the inspiration from Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' also helps. After having said this, let me also add that this is not a regular commercial mainstream film.

'Maqbool' revolves around three main characters; an ageing underworld don, Abbaji (Pankaj Kapoor), his young mistress, Nimmi (Tabu), and the second-in-command of his gang, Maqbool (Irfan Khan). Abbaji is aided in his crime by two police officers, Om Puri (Inspector Pandit) and Naseeruddin Shah (Inspector Purohit). They are portraying the witches that one has read about in 'Macbeth'. Nimmi lusts for Maqbool. He in turn reciprocates her feeling but does not reveal it. She decides to use him to get rid of Abbaji (in true 'Macbeth' style). The result- Maqbool gains power and Nimmi along with a heavy dose of guilt. Nimmi too is full of guilt and carries it around her throughout the rest of the film.

There is a parallel track involving Abbaji's daughter (Masumi Makhija, who delights with her sincere performance and cute unconventional looks) and his faithful accomplice's son but the main focus is on the ugliness and violence in the underworld.

While Pankaj Kapoor and Tabu have won enough accolades for themselves as actors, it feels good to watch Irfan Khan coming into his own as an actor. Besides, women have also begun to fall prey to the raw sexuality that this gifted actor exudes on screen. Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shan are funny but seem wasted in their roles as cops who only provide comic relief.

**** (FOUR STARS)

*poor; **average; ***good; ****very good; *****excellent


bolyvista
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Zoran009
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 6:36 pm 
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Tantalising( by screen)

Sukanya Venkatraghavan



Cast and Credits


Producer& Director
Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Vishal Bhardwaj
Music
Vishal Bhardwaj
Cast
Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Tabu, Irrfan Khan





n the middle of running around trees and prancing around in snow-clad mountains, once in a while a movie comes along that threatens to blur the so called defined lines of formula based cinema. Not that Maqbool is structurally different. It has a definite beginning, a middle and an end with some songs and dance thrown in. The confident screenplay holds your attention right from the beginning, not releasing you from its hold even after the last reels have flashed. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Vishal Bharadwaj has expertly crafted a tale infested with power, love, deceit and manipulation. Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur) rules the underworld with an iron hand. His Man Friday and most trusted lieutenant, is the smoky-eyed Maqbool (Irfan Khan). Abbaji’s mistress Nimmi (Tabu) has a secret dangerous liaison with Maqbool, an obsession that sets the stage for the blood-soaked drama in the later stages. Nimmi urges Maqbool to murder Abbaji, thereby making the mafia empire and as a result the temptress, his own. ’Murder most foul’ follows, tailed by chaos, bloodshed and betrayal. Gradually, the ghosts of conscience haunt both Maqbool and Nimmi, driving them beyond the borders of insanity. The film’s denouement is almost poetic in its futility.

The director’s interpretation is fascinating and his conviction admirable. He has effectively mapped out Maqbool’s and Nimmi’s emotional journey strewn with manipulation, temptation, anguish and angst. Tabu is tantalizing as she strokes the rich grey shades her character is steeped in. She holds the film with her brilliance and fearlessness. Irfan Khan, gifted with arguably his best role to date, leaves a lasting impression. He vacillates between strength and weakness, restraint and surrender, and his chemistry with Tabu is volatile to say the least. Pankaj Kapur in a Brandoesque sketch of a Mafia don is powerful. The witches in Macbeth replaced by the two corrupt policemen played beautifully by Om Puri and Naseerudin Shah is an interesting touch.The moody,sombre visuals add the starkness .Shakespeare won’t be turning in his grave as this murky tribute does him proud.
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Zoran009
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 12:56 am 
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(((MAQBOLL A MASTERPIECE ON MANY ACCOUNTS)))

MACBETH MEETS EAST IN MAQBOOL

By S Pankaj

Critic's I-view

click for larger view

There used to be an advertisement where one saw a famous wicket keeper of the Indian team bowling with full vigor and the scene ending with the catch line, 'You never know what you can become.' The line has always been an inspiration for the few who dare to be different in their approach. Vishal Bhardwaj incarnates these lines verbatim in Bollywood. He landed in the film industry from the crowded streets of Delhi to become a music director. He did some great films with eminent persons like Gulzar and Ram Gopal Verma. However, everyone thought that his rustic approach to music and his plain soul might not meet the requirements of the too demanding film industry. So, he turned in a totally new avatar in 'Makdee', by daring to be a producer and director. Even then not many took him seriously as everyone thought that making a children film is no big thing. Now, he is in yet another avatar in 'Maqbool', to prove his mettle. Besides, his entering into direction is not just for his survival. In fact, it's to prove that he knows cinema better than those who sought from him to compose odd songs in their films, which Vishal declined to do. 'Maqbool' is an Indianised version of Shakespeare's Macbeth in a different time and space. There have been many stage presentations of this play around the world. Some films have also been made but not in Indian context. 'Maqbool' is a path setter in many ways and is a winner in terms of its presentation and style.


Good men have always ruled Bollywood. Not many directors dare make films. Hardly have there been films, which are titled after a villain's name. So let the reels unreel this classic cult film in 'Maqbool'. The film starts with a scene where two corrupt cops make prophecies, which come out true. Enter Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur). He is a don of Indian underworld. He rules the atmosphere around him in his unique style. He also has a mistress like other goons of Hindi films, Nimmi (Tabu). She is young and has a sensuous body to attract any one to love her. However, Maqbool (Irfan Khan) resists this temptation with his will power and the devotion to Abbaji.

Maqbool is true protégé to Abbaji. He will do anything on his command and Nimmi will go to any extent to bring Maqbool in her embrace. Abbaji is fighting a war for his dominance. Maqbool thinks that he is being sidelined in the entire happening for no reason. So he takes things in his own hand. Here again the two police officers -- Pandit and Purohit (Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah) enter. They predict that Maqbool will lose the battle of the power (as were the prophecies of witches in Macbeth). There are gritty scenes that remind us of Sorcerer's movies as in Macbeth. The blood battle also has its parallel drawn from 'Tarantino'.

There is a noteworthy scene. Nimmi with moist eyes and full satisfaction of attaining womanhood tells Maqbool that she is pregnant. And Maqbool remarks that she hasn't slept with Abbaji since ages though with quite an ease. This leads to the reflection of a horror on Nimmi's face. This indicates that a director is born in Bollywood. Vishal Bhardwaj has arrived with 'Maqbool' after having bagged films from producers of the likes of Shekhar Kapoor. This is wroth waiting for more from Bhardwaj.


'Maqbool' is a masterpiece on many accounts. First, it defies the set formulae of Bollywood of a hero and a heroine falling in love and making rounds of trees with dozens of other dancers. It also doesn't have a battle between the good and the bad. It is a film where the bad meets the worse. The heroine is not an ideology bearer. She doesn't suppress her desires. The film also walks on the rough patches of denial. It talks of denial of power, denial of desires and denial of supremacy. Every character fights against these denials with a desire to mend the life in his or her own way. The fight is for self and not for society, and this very approach makes this film look realistic and very contemporary though the basic idea of the film (Macbeth) is centuries' old.

click for larger view

In 'Maqbool', Vishal Bhardwaj has dared do something different once again and also with success. His hold on the film's narration is impressive in every scene, and it is he who commands the goings from behind the screen and the not the other way. But it will be injustice if we forget the character portrayal of all the three main artistes in the film. If it were heartening to see a talented actor like Pankaj Kapur back on the big screen after a long time, it was more pleasing to watch his performance moving ahead of time. Last time he was seen in the crucial role of a Hindi film 'Roja'. Can some one cast this talented actor and his son Shahid together before it's too late? Tabu as Nimmi is, indeed, wonderful. Her body language and the way with which she emotes her desires are beyond comparison. On one hand, she tries to pose herself as true courtesan of Abbaji, and on the other, she acts excellently while expressing fulfillment of attaining womanhood. And, what to say about Irfan Pathan? Voted as the best villain of last year, Irfan has been moving ahead with not each and every film but with his every single scene that he enacts on screen. 'Maqbool' will be liked by all patrons of good cinema and will do good business in multiplexes. However, the movie might not have much to rejoice when it comes to small territories and towns.


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