'Kaminey' takes Indian cinema beyond Tarantino

Aug 23, 2009 IANS

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) Internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is quite impressed with Vishal Bharadwaj's "Kaminey" and says the film "catapults Indian cinema in modernity beyond (Quentin) Tarantino".

"The greatest thing about Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey' is that you cannot work out why it is working. You cannot work out why you are laughing amidst the ugliness of violence in perhaps India's first real dark comedy. And why in the final moments of the film with the brilliant background song by Vishal himself, you finally get the point of the film," Kapur posted on his blog www.shekharkapur.com.

"With violence all around you, you sense innocence caught in the crossfire of unnecessary violence. And finally you come away with a great sense of the pointlessness of it all. It's terrific... Vishal better think hard about how to surpass this one," he added.

A thoughtful director himself, Kapur further praised the technical aspects of the film that has Shahid Kapoor in a double role.

"The cinematography (by Tassaduq Hussain) is great as are some of the performances, the script and the editing. It is ultimately a director's brilliant vision of the world that is playing through," he said.

The 63-year-old, however, didn't seem to be too impressed with Bharadwaj's idea of making the lead characters lisp and stammer in the film.

"Did Vishal have to use the idea of stuttering and stammering with the main character though? It was a little over done and the only thing that harked to a more traditional form of comedy in Indian films. The film could have done with a little less of that," he wrote.

"Kaminey" is Bharadwaj's first commercial hit. It earned about Rs.330 million in its first weekend at the box office. Click the Movie button below for more info:
Kaminey