Manu finds his way to Neeru's place on a rainy day in a borrowed raincoat.
The movie is all about both of them meeting in Neeru's depilated house
and the conversation they have with each other as they relive their
past. It is nostalgic with flashbacks, and both of them pretending that
everything is well. Neeru tries to act as though everything is well
with her marriage and her life but the wreckage shows through her demeanor
and her surroundings. Meanwhile Manoj does his part of playacting by
pretending to be a a serial maker. Both of them convey different emotions
through out their conversation- Neeru at times is the disinterested,
passive housewife that she is and at other times shades of her romantic
playful old self sees through. Manoj is confused, desperate, uncomfortable
or withdrawn during different times of their conversation. He keeps
smoking cigarettes one after the other. In the end, finally their put
up demeanor breaks down and the real truth is revealed and their intense
feelings for each other comes out.
Rituparno Ghosh of Chokerbali fame fails to meet the expectations this
time. The movie falls to the art film category which may not appeal
to the common crowd but for a few. Including big stars like Ajay Devgan
and Aishwarya Rai may not save the film from its commercial failure.
The conversations between Neeru and Manu becomes monotonous after some
time but the entry of Annu Kapoor after the interval gives some relief.
The conversations between Manu and Annu gets interesting as he seems
to understand their real dreary lives behind the facade but is cut short
after the character leaves soon leaving the protagonists alone again.
But the movie leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia of bygone days
that have left the protagonists emotionally strained. The ending doesn't
leave much impact. Spiritual compositions by Debojyoti Mishra that linger
in the background gets well with the mood of the film. Photography by
Aveek Mukherjee is okay.
Aishwarya in a totally non-glamorous disposition does her part well.
The characters poignant and desperate delusion as a happily married
woman is portrayed very well. Ajay's acting as the middle class desperate
man is commendable especially in the sequence where he cries in the
bathroom and his landlady finds out. Annu Kapoor who appears for a short
while leaves the real impact.
Overall the film may appeal to art film lovers and critics, but commercially
it leaves much to be desired.
