Movie Review of Bhindi Baazaar Inc.

Director : Ankush Bhatt

Music : Sandeep Surya

Lyrics : Ghalib Asad Bhopali

Starring : Kay Kay Menon, Prashant Narayan, Piyush Mishra, Pawan Malhotra, Shilpa Shukla, Deepti Naval, Gautam Sharma, Shweta Verma, Vedita Pratap Singh and Jackie Shroff

"Khel mein haarna ya jeetna maaine nahin rakhta, aisa usi nein kaha hoga jo hara ho. Khelna sirf jeetne ke liye hona chahiye," quips Tabrez aka Tez while talking to Shroff in a scene from the avant-garde film, BHINDI BAAZAAR INC... Apart from Kay Kay Menon in a cameo, the film boasts of no big stars, but manages to score high on the entertainment quotient.

Set in Mumbai's popular Bhindi Bazaar area, the story oscillates between the past and present over a game of chess between Tez and Shroff. Through flashback scenes we are introduced to the two rival pick-pocketing gangs headed by Mamu and Pandey respectively.

A treacherous game of love, deceit, betrayal and malice ensues, involving a host of other characters. You'll find a lot of filmmakers falsely claiming that their film is different, but the tag certainly holds true for BHINDI BAAZAAR INC... It might be director Ankush Bhatt's debut film, but he certainly knows how to do his job.

The style of narration using chess is unique and makes for a compelling watch. The characters are excellently related on the chess board. Also, the sub-plots of all the characters are culminated with precision.

Ram Shreyas Rao's cinematography captures the by lanes of Mumbai effectively. Sandeep-Surya's music is disappointing.

Gautam Sharma underplays his raw character perfectly. Prashant Narayanan delivers an excellent performance. Piyush Mishra is impressive. Pawan Malhotra is good in his menacing act. Kay Kay Menon, who only appears intermittently, is great.

Vedita Pratap Singh has scope for improvement. Deepti Naval, who plays Mamu's wife, is efficient. Shilpa Shukla, who falls for Fateh, acts well. Shweta Verma, who plays Gautam's girlfriend, is passable. Caterina Lopez sizzles in her item number. Jackie Shroff sleepwalks in his cameo.

A riveting thriller backed by superlative performances make this BHINDI BAAZAAR certainly worth shopping.

Big B Dons "Yaarana" Light Bulb Jumper Again

Amitabh Bachchan was seen glowing at the shoot of his forthcoming flick Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap at Filmistan Studios, on Thursday.

As part of a special medley composed for him, the Big B shot the famous Sara Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana track in the exact same way he did in 1981. In sunglasses and an electric light bulb suit !!!

Shaad Ali, the director of Bunty Aur Babli in which Bachchan starred too, called the shots for the shoot and Shiamak Davar did the choreography. Says a source, "Amitabh Bachchan and the background dancers (24 girls) wore similar costumes as in the original song.

The sets were also identical to the original. Art director, Amrita Singh, had been given the brief to create a replica." Adds the source, "It was nostalgia time for Bachchan. He was shooting for the same track he shot for 30 years ago. He still clearly remembered every move. The shoot wrapped up late last night."

The song is part of a medley of Big B's yesteryear tracks like Khaike Paan Banaras Wala, Rang Barse and Pag Ghungroo, which have been specially redone for the movie.

The Original Track

It was Amitabh Bachchan's suggestion to use light bulbs on the jacket, for the song Saara Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana from Yaraana in 1981. He got this idea after watching a bull fight sequence from an English film starring Robert Redford.

He told director Rakesh Kumar, who instantly agreed. The switches for the lights on the outfit were in Bachchan's hands. He synchronised the flashing of lights, while dancing to the rhythm of the music.