Gulab Gang Hindi Movie
To rule out one thing upfront - except for the Pink saris there isn't much similar between Gulaab Gang and Sampat Pal's life who has been going all out to oppose the release of this film. That however, is not a good sign for the dramatisation of events in Anubhav Sinha's Gulaab Gang is what takes this film to unfathomable lows of boredom.
Rajjo (Madhuri Dixit) is a messiah for unfortunate or supressed women who not only provides for basic schooling for girls but also runs a gang of pink sari clad women called Gulaab Gang to stand up against the atrocities on downtrodden women. She is a powerful figure in a village called Madhopur where a local politician wants her to lend support to politician Sumitra Devi (Juhi Chawla) who represents all things bad. In a typically hero vs villain plot, the battle begins between the two women, and needless to mention it's the good that wins in the end.
Soumik Sen takes a different approach towards addressing women issues in the Indian heartland but in the bid dramatises the plot to make the film appear extremely boring and banal. The movie is highly predictable and borders lunacy, especially in scenes like the one where Rajjo in a bid to run for the cover sprints on an open ground when she knows people out to get her are open firing.
Gulaab Gang is caricaturish from the word go. Not only does the movie have set-ish backdrop with raw huts being places in shooting locations instead of real locations but also has characters that are very filmy. So you have pink sari clad rural women with manicured hands, waxed legs, lipstick and kohl in eyes portraying their parts in a flawed manner.
Perhaps it is filmmaker's over dramatised attempt to show equality in genders or an idea of showcasing heroism gone wrong, you have Madhuri Dixit in a female Salman Khan manner doing action stunts of beating countless men to pulp or flying in the air.
Who would've though actors like Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla would come together for the first time after years for a film as indolently written as this? Both leading ladies appear miscast for a film that requires women who don't get on board with an image that may be far too strong for them to fit into a character that realistic. However, even at that, it's Juhi Chawla who outshines Madhuri in this film. Infact it's quite a tragedy when some of the interesting characters from Rajjo's gang who actually bring some spunk in the sordid tale die much too soon.
What's worse throughout the film is the music which keeps interfering for no reason time and again. There are way too many numbers in the movie which is supposed to be hardhitting and it isn't quite a convincing sight to watch a gang leader such as Rajjo break into jigs or croon away to glory.
To sum it up, Gulaab Gang is a half baked attempt to present a gritty action drama. A movie which wastes potential of two brilliant actresses.
