STORY: Back in the 80s and 90s, Sudheer (Sanjay Mishra) was an ‘aloo’ – a moniker given to character actors – and while he has enjoyed his fair share of popularity for his larger-than-life roles, Sudheer is now a recluse. However, an unsuccessful video interview with the media stirs up old memories and instils a new ray of hope in his heart, to reach a new benchmark and face the camera, even if it is for one last time.
REVIEW: Once a household name, and known for his eccentric portrayal of some of the most outlandish characters Indian cinema has ever witnessed in the golden era of Bollywood, Sudheer knows he’s been moderately famous. But, ‘the old man’ has now accepted his fate – his prime days, as a character artiste, are long over. A widower, living alone in his family home and drowning himself in alcohol, Sudheer shows very little interest when an enthusiastic broadcast journalist shows up for an interview with the ‘Forgotten Stars of Bollywood’. The journalist also requests him to mouth his iconic dialogue – ‘bas enjoying life, aur koi option thodi hai.’ But, a mere piece of paper highlighting his career graph (which she sources online), grabs his attention and he realises that he gave up on acting just one film short of his 500th movie. Apprehensive and out of touch, an avid Sudheer conjures up the strength to chase his newfound dream and hit the movie studios one last time before hanging his boots. But, with the industry undergoing drastic changes over the years – both in terms of acting and its treatment of character actors – how will he find his feet in what now seems like an alien world?
‘Kaamyaab’ cherry-picks the fascinating and lesser known world of character actors (aka ‘sidekicks’) and delves deep without generating too much chaos and commotion around it. The tonality of the narrative is light, subtle, funny and emotional. It carefully navigates through the era of 80s and 90s cinema and focusses mostly on the supporting actors of that generation. While the protagonist’s character is sketched in such a way that he has to be over-the-top, there is something about this film that strikes as refreshingly different.
Writer-director Hardik Mehta has beautifully weaved Sudheer’s character, who is an indifferent artiste with a sudden interest in dreams, goals, aims and ambitions and would stop at nothing until he achieves what he’s set out to do. True, the forgotten actor is deeply flawed – an adorably compulsive liar and a chronic drinker – but one’s heart cannot help but melt when the details of his personal life unfold – a wife gone too soon, a loving daughter torn between her love for her father and all the ‘disappointments’ he has put her through. And so, when life presents itself with an opportunity to achieve a personal milestone, Sudheer knows he has to redeem himself and get this one right; one way or the other.
Sanjay Mishra, as the aging and mostly forgotten small-time actor, channelling the inner conflict of a man whose 499th film was a disaster and brought disgrace to the family, is a vision to behold. In hilarious scenes, Mishra wears a poker-faced expression throughout but pitches his dialogues in a way that hit you hard and also tickles your funny bones. In emotional scenes, where he is grappling with the reality of his situation, Mishra totally draws you in with every single expression. Deepak Dobriyal pulls off an excellent portrayal of a former friend-turned-casting director, Gulati, and their camaraderie leaves you in splits. Sarika Singh, who plays his daughter Bhavna, stands out for one scene in particular, where she has an emotional meltdown in front of her father.
Set in the present day, the mood of ‘Kaamyaab’ is 90s – big wigs, flashy clothes, caricature-ish characters, a lot of ‘buddy time’ on sets and some serious loud theatrics. The film’s music, by Rachita Arora, balances the otherwise blaring depiction of the industry with its soothing numbers and barely-there background scores; a perfect fit. Sure, this drama has used Sanjay Mishra’s fall from grace and his subsequent redemption (or the lack of it) as a metaphor for the good-old saying – it’s never too late to chase your dreams – but not once do the writers get preachy about it. The writers deserve brownie points for some witty writing, and keeping things real, too.
At a time when meaningful and nuanced roles are being written for character artistes, ‘Kaamyaab’ is a film that stands out for its story and storytelling. Also, to see veteran actors like Birbal, Avtar Gill, Viju Khote, Ramesh Goyal, Guddi Maruti and others in one frame brings back a glut of emotions – all happy ones.
‘Kaamyaab’ is an ode to Bollywood, the larger-than-life movies and their actors, bizarre wigs, love, drama, friendship passion but most importantly, it is about one’s ability to realise their dreams even when the chips are down. After all, a man’s got to enjoy the madness that is life – ‘aur koi option thodi hain?’
REVIEW: Once a household name, and known for his eccentric portrayal of some of the most outlandish characters Indian cinema has ever witnessed in the golden era of Bollywood, Sudheer knows he’s been moderately famous. But, ‘the old man’ has now accepted his fate – his prime days, as a character artiste, are long over. A widower, living alone in his family home and drowning himself in alcohol, Sudheer shows very little interest when an enthusiastic broadcast journalist shows up for an interview with the ‘Forgotten Stars of Bollywood’. The journalist also requests him to mouth his iconic dialogue – ‘bas enjoying life, aur koi option thodi hai.’ But, a mere piece of paper highlighting his career graph (which she sources online), grabs his attention and he realises that he gave up on acting just one film short of his 500th movie. Apprehensive and out of touch, an avid Sudheer conjures up the strength to chase his newfound dream and hit the movie studios one last time before hanging his boots. But, with the industry undergoing drastic changes over the years – both in terms of acting and its treatment of character actors – how will he find his feet in what now seems like an alien world?
‘Kaamyaab’ cherry-picks the fascinating and lesser known world of character actors (aka ‘sidekicks’) and delves deep without generating too much chaos and commotion around it. The tonality of the narrative is light, subtle, funny and emotional. It carefully navigates through the era of 80s and 90s cinema and focusses mostly on the supporting actors of that generation. While the protagonist’s character is sketched in such a way that he has to be over-the-top, there is something about this film that strikes as refreshingly different.
Writer-director Hardik Mehta has beautifully weaved Sudheer’s character, who is an indifferent artiste with a sudden interest in dreams, goals, aims and ambitions and would stop at nothing until he achieves what he’s set out to do. True, the forgotten actor is deeply flawed – an adorably compulsive liar and a chronic drinker – but one’s heart cannot help but melt when the details of his personal life unfold – a wife gone too soon, a loving daughter torn between her love for her father and all the ‘disappointments’ he has put her through. And so, when life presents itself with an opportunity to achieve a personal milestone, Sudheer knows he has to redeem himself and get this one right; one way or the other.
Sanjay Mishra, as the aging and mostly forgotten small-time actor, channelling the inner conflict of a man whose 499th film was a disaster and brought disgrace to the family, is a vision to behold. In hilarious scenes, Mishra wears a poker-faced expression throughout but pitches his dialogues in a way that hit you hard and also tickles your funny bones. In emotional scenes, where he is grappling with the reality of his situation, Mishra totally draws you in with every single expression. Deepak Dobriyal pulls off an excellent portrayal of a former friend-turned-casting director, Gulati, and their camaraderie leaves you in splits. Sarika Singh, who plays his daughter Bhavna, stands out for one scene in particular, where she has an emotional meltdown in front of her father.
Set in the present day, the mood of ‘Kaamyaab’ is 90s – big wigs, flashy clothes, caricature-ish characters, a lot of ‘buddy time’ on sets and some serious loud theatrics. The film’s music, by Rachita Arora, balances the otherwise blaring depiction of the industry with its soothing numbers and barely-there background scores; a perfect fit. Sure, this drama has used Sanjay Mishra’s fall from grace and his subsequent redemption (or the lack of it) as a metaphor for the good-old saying – it’s never too late to chase your dreams – but not once do the writers get preachy about it. The writers deserve brownie points for some witty writing, and keeping things real, too.
At a time when meaningful and nuanced roles are being written for character artistes, ‘Kaamyaab’ is a film that stands out for its story and storytelling. Also, to see veteran actors like Birbal, Avtar Gill, Viju Khote, Ramesh Goyal, Guddi Maruti and others in one frame brings back a glut of emotions – all happy ones.
‘Kaamyaab’ is an ode to Bollywood, the larger-than-life movies and their actors, bizarre wigs, love, drama, friendship passion but most importantly, it is about one’s ability to realise their dreams even when the chips are down. After all, a man’s got to enjoy the madness that is life – ‘aur koi option thodi hain?’
निर्देशक- हार्दिक मेहता कलाकार- संजय मिश्रा, दीपक डोबरियाल, ईशा तलवार हीरो के दोस्त हों या विलेन का साथी, डॉक्टर, पुलिस इंस्पेकटर, मां, पिता, भाई, पड़ोसी आदि.. फिल्मों में कितने ही ऐसे किरदार होते हैं जिन्हें सराहना तो मिल जाती है, लेकिन उनके नाम को पहचान नहीं मिलती। ये वो कलाकार हैं, जिन्हें देखकर हर बार आप और हम कहते हैं कि ये गजब का अभिनय करता है, नाम क्या है इनका? ये अलग अलग किरदारों से सालों साल दर्शकों का मनोरंजन करते जाते हैं, लेकिन हीरो की एक झलक, एक सेकेंड में उन पर हावी हो जाती है। हार्दिक मेहता ने इन्हीं कलाकारों की कहानी पर बनाई है 'कामयाब', जो इन कलाकारों की ज़िंदगी को काफी पास से दिखाती जाती है। फिल्म में सिर्फ दर्शकों की ही नहीं, बल्कि इंडस्ट्री के दृष्टिकोण पर भी काफी फोकस किया गया है।
फिल्म की कहानी एक समय में बैक टू बैक फिल्मों में काम कर चुके चरित्र अभिनेता सुधीर मुंबई में एक पुराने से फ्लैट में रहते हैं.. अकेले। एक बॉलीवुड पत्रकार उनका इंटरव्यू लेने आई है। लेकिन उसके सवाल सुधीर को ऊबा रहे हैं। ना उन्हें अपने पुराने निभाए किरदारों में दिलचस्पी है, ना ही पत्रकार के सवालों में। एक जवाब में वह कहते हैं- 'चरित्र अभिनेताओं को आलू कहा जाता है, उसे बच्चन, कपूर, कुमार किसी के साथ भी मिला सकते हैं.. दर्शकों के दिलों में सिर्फ हीरो बसते हैं, साइड हीरो नहीं।' लेकिन अभिनेता की दिलचस्पी अचानक तब करवट लेती है, जब पत्रकार उन्हें अहसास दिलाती है कि अभिनेता ने अब तक 499 फिल्मों में काम किया है। जो कि अपने आप में एक काफी बड़ा आंकड़ा है। खैर, इंटरव्यू तो सफल नहीं होता, लेकिन सुधीर के दिमाग में 499 को 500 में बदलने की धुन सवार हो जाती है। वह शेविंग कर, विग लगाकर पूरे आत्म विश्वास के लिए दोबारा फिल्मों की दुनिया में लौटने को उत्साहित है। इस सफर में उनका साथ देते हैं साइड एक्टर से कास्टिंग डाइरेक्टर बने गुलाटी (दीपक डोबरियाल)। लेकिन अपनी 500वीं फिल्म को लेकर उत्साहित सुधीर का सफर कितना आसान या मुश्किल रहता है, इसी के इर्द गिर्द फिल्म की पूरी कहानी घूमती है।
अभिनय 499 फिल्में कर चुके 'चरित्र अभिनेता' सुधीर के किरदार में संजय मिश्रा ने शानदार अभिनय किया है। संवेदनशीलता, आत्म विश्वास, जिद, हार, जुनून, प्यार सभी भाव उनके चेहरे पर साफ झलकते हैं। अपनी स्वर्गीय पत्नी की याद में पुराने टेप रिकॉर्डर पर गाने सुनना हो या पड़ोस की aspiring एक्ट्रेस के साथ उनका दोस्त वाला रिश्ता। इन भावनाओं को कहानी में बेहतरीन पिरोया गया है। वहीं, एक्टर से कास्टिंग डाइरेक्टर बने गुलाटी के किरदार में दीपक डोबरियाल ने पूरी तरह न्याय किया है। बतौर सह कलाकार ईशा तलवार, अवतार गिर, लिलिपुस ने अच्छा काम किया है।
निर्देशन हार्दिक मेहता ने इस फिल्म की कहानी बहुत ही सच्चाई से लिखी है और उतनी ही सच्चाई से इसका निर्देशन किया है। उन्होंने फिल्म के लिए एक ऐसे विषय को चुना, जिस पर कहानी बुनना आसान नहीं रहा होगा। इसके लिए निर्देशक की तारीफ बनती है। चरित्र अभिनेताओं की यह कहानी संवेदनाओं से भरी हुई है। निर्देशक ने लिलिपुट, विजू खोटे, अवतार गिल जैसे कई नए- पुराने 'साइड एक्टर्स' को फिल्म में शामिल कर इसे वास्तविकता से करीब रखा है। हालांकि फिल्म को थोड़ा और बांधा जा सकता था। फिल्म का सेकेंड हॉफ धीमा है, जिस वजह से आप धीरे धीरे कहानी से जुड़ाव खोने लगते हैं और क्लाईमैक्स का इंतज़ार करते हैं।
तकनीकि पक्ष फिल्म की कहानी और संवाद भी हार्दिक मेहता ने ही लिखे हैं, जिसमें उनका साथ दिया है राधिका आनंद ने। फिल्म के संवाद काफी दिलचस्प और दमदार है। एक दृश्य में सुधीर (संजय मिश्रा) एक पत्रकार से कहते हैं- 'कैरेक्टर एक्टर को आलू कहा जाता है, वह बच्चन, कपूर, कुमार किसी के साथ भी फिट हो जाता है'.. फिल्म में किरदार कम हैं, लिहाजा, उनके बीच किया जा रहा संवाद काफी मायने रखता है। पियूष पूटी की सिनेमेटोग्राफी अच्छी है और कहानी को गढ़ने में निर्देशक का पूरा साथ देते हैं। मुंबई की सड़कों से लेकर ऑडिशन रूम तक, फिल्म से एक जुड़ाव महसूस होता है। वहीं, प्रशांत रामचंद्रन की एडिटिंग थोड़ी और चुस्त हो सकती थी। खासकर क्लाईमैक्स को और प्रभावशाली बनाया जा सकता था, जिससे फिल्म का संदेश दर्शकों तक सीधे पहुंच सके।
संगीत फिल्म का संगीत दिया है रचिता अरोड़ा ने। फिल्म में तीन गाने हैं, जो कहानी के साथ साथ ही आगे बढ़ते जाते हैं। लेकिन अफसोस फिल्म का संगीत आपके दिल- दिमाग पर छाप नहीं छोड़ता। फिल्म का संगीत इस कहानी को एक अलग ऊंचाई पर ले जा सकता था, लेकिन यहां निर्देशक चूक गए।
देंखे या ना देंखे यह एक अलग तरह की फिल्म है। चरित्र अभिनेताओं के काम को तो हमने खूब सराहा है, लेकिन शायद ही किसी के नाम याद रहे हों। हार्दिक मेहता ने 'कामयाब' से उन अभिनेताओं के काम को एक पहचान, एक ऊंचाई देने की कोशिश की गई है। संजय मिश्रा की बेजोड़ अदाकारी के लिए यह फिल्म एक बार जरूर देखी जानी चाहिए।
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