I am surprised, that there is no mention of the clear inspiration that Mr. Chopra must have had from Alistair Macleans' Bear Island, which has a very similar setting, characterisation, and result. Though the execution by Mr. Chopra is commendable, but we cannot forget Mr. Macleans' contribution to this Bollywood classic !!
Re: A brilliant film from a director who has lost his craft with
by Opinionated Man on Jun 07, 2013 12:28 PM
I dont think he has lost his craft.....
Albeit, might have lost the desire to recreate the magic again and again, when money comes so easily producing stuff, and helping with story, screenplay here and there.
Thanks to a rediff article some time back, I and I am sure many like me, became aware of this movie. Fortunately I was able to obtain a copy and watch it. It is definitely a superior kind of film-making, at least by bollywood standards. It is awe inspiring to see stalwarts of Hindi cinema and TV, in small (but significant) roles. And this is one area where Vinod Chopra excels. Despite the big star cast, he still manages to utilize almost everyone, a rare feat for any director. The story itself, although nothing new, is told straight and tight, just the way it should be for any murder mystery. Scenes play out logically and the storytelling is certainly way ahead of its time.
There are flaws of course, and glaring ones. The mystery aspect is pretty lame, and character development is left to minimal. Naseeruddin Shah, gives a rather lackluster performance and everybody hams. The clever idea to name lead characters after their real name is an unnecessary gimmick and contributes nothing to the story. The movie feels and looks like a summer project of a film institute curriculum, not necessarily because of the small budget. All in all, Khamosh is a hidden gem and an essential showcase of its era.
By the way, there are two homage scenes that run back to back. The psycho "shower" scene is followed immediately by the Godfather inspired "dead animal in bed" scene. A copy of the book is included to hammer the point home!
Re: Definitely Worth a Revisit
by NY Desi on Jun 07, 2013 12:13 AM
Don't know who is the idiot sitting there to delete important messages. REDIFF SUCKS!!!
Thanks to a rediff article some time back, I and I am sure many like me, became aware of this movie. Fortunately I was able to obtain a copy and watch it. It is definitely a superior kind of film-making, at least by bollywood standards. It is awe inspiring to see stalwarts of Hindi cinema and TV, in small (but significant) roles. And this is one area where Vinod Chopra excels. Despite the big star cast, he still manages to utilize almost everyone, a rare feat for any director. The story itself, although nothing new, is told straight and tight, just the way it should be for any murder mystery. Scenes play out logically and the storytelling is certainly way ahead of its time.
There are flaws of course, and glaring ones. The mystery aspect is pretty lame, and character development is left to minimal. Naseeruddin Shah, gives a rather lackluster performance and everybody hams. The clever idea to name lead characters after their real name is an unnecessary gimmick and contributes nothing to the story. The movie feels and looks like a summer project of a film institute curriculum, not necessarily because of the small budget. All in all, Khamosh is a hidden gem and an essential showcase of its era.
By the way, there are two homage scenes that run back to back. The psycho "shower" scene is followed immediately by the Godfather inspired "dead animal in bed" scene. A copy of the book is included to hammer the point home!
