Movie Review: Madras Cafe

I’ve known Shoojit Sircar from way back when he was a young guy in search of a future.  In the late eighties and early nineties in Delhi, he was a kid hanging out with us, a group involved in Advertising and putting together a TV show for NRIs called India Live. I remember him as a person with huge enthusiasm doing the theatre and waiting for that transformational twist/turn to propel him to his real calling.  Ad films were his next stop and his Red Ice production house very soon made a big name.  His migration to Mumbai, his debut film Yahaan (2005) and its lukewarm response.

Then the recent Vicky Donor (2011) a sleeper smash hit, as audacious and entertaining as hell, that took the audiences by storm and rocketed him to centre stage.  Now, Madras Café …

Is it a trailblazer paving the way for modern-day political cinema in a country notorious for intolerance across all spectrums?  Its too early to say, but unlike a lot of corny pseudo-political films that do posturing and go zoop on jingoism,  Madras Café honestly attempts to be realistic while engaging – a huge challenge.  A continent away from Vicky Donor (but hitting the same button as the terror-ravaged Yahaan) this thriller about Sri Lanka in the time of Civil War and the events that led to the assassination of our ex PM Rajeev Gandhi, is a bold attempt to showcase realism.  Admittedly, in India, we can’t go the distance like Hollywood (Body of Lies. Green Zone) but Sircar tries hard and despite flaws – Nargis Fakhri speaking English to Johnny boy’s Hindi, weird huh? – does manage to portray, with passion and purpose the madness, uselessness and futility of war; a bloody space where there are no winners!

Firstly, huge kudos to stud, dude and poster boy John Abraham for co-producing it and using his star power to get guys to bank roll it. Also, for unleashing his best performance till date. Vikram Singh too is brilliant, as the hard-drinking superior.  Ultimately, full marks to Director Shoojit Sircar, for having the guts, patience and ability to pull a gutsy, smart, political thriller through in the time of bindaas and starry Chennai Express!  Nah, there is hope yet for viewers who believe that you need not always deposit your brains into your locker at home while seeing a movie!  Don’t miss it!