Film: The Dark side of life: Mumbai City
Cast: Mahesh Bhatt, Kay Kay Menon, Neha Khan, Alisha Khan, Avii Pardasni, Deepraj Rana, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Jyoti Malshe, Gul Hameed
Director: Tariq Khan
Rating: * *
The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City, is a chronicle on the dark shadows that haunt the people who look to the city for their sustenance. About individuals who are pushed to the brink of depression while battling emotional and financial problems, this film tries to focus on issues of loneliness, depression, suicide, mental health and communal bonding in a congenial manner. It’s a sincere well-meaning effort but the story-telling is a little oblique and appears contrived. Director Tariq Khan’s attempts to forge a socially relevant drama is creditable even if not technically sound.
The lead characters have been developed to fit into specific ‘types’ living in the metropolis. There’s Stock broker Sumit Balsaria (Kay Kay), Parul (Jyoti Malshe), Insurance Agent Anand (Nikhil Ratnaparkhi), Cop Warren Lobo (Deepraj Rana), Wannabe Singer Prince (Avii Pardasni), Actress Kadambari Chauhan (Sayed Gul), a high maintenance ‘princess’ Kavya (Neha Khan), Muslim bleeding heart Zulfikar Hussain (Mahesh Bhatt) and Meer Hassan (Irfanouz Zaman). At some point their lives intersect and we get a glimpse of a broader picture – one that deploys its communal harmony and mental well-being goals with sincerity. Unfortunately the acuity and empathy are largely missing.
The style and structure appears inspired by Hollywood, but the sentiment and play on emotions are pure Bollywood. The cinematography and performances are pretty much sloppy. Mahesh Bhatt and Kay Kay hold their heads up though. The writing is entirely superfluous with characters represented largely by their mental afflictions. Mumbai is a mere backdrop. So the film is less about Mumbai and more about the characters and their lack of resilience. And the ending, though well meant, is a little preachy and therefore unpalatable.