Movie Review: Madras Cafe (Hindi)
We have had our share of 'formulaic' spy thrillers like Agent Vinod and Ek Tha Tiger in recent times, but filmmaker Shoojit Sircar of Vicky Donor fame steers clear of such everyday Bollywood stereotypes to present a gripping and compelling action drama on the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka. Making films out of real-life events in India is an exacting task considering the political pressures and protests that one has to contend with. And Madras Cafe has been no exception to this rule (or intolerance). With a sensitive subject as its backdrop, it's not perhaps surprising that the espionage thriller has so far not seen the light in Tamil Nadu.
Loosely based on the events leading to the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, MC competently blends fact and fiction without taking any sides. After a rather tacky start, the film quickly proceeds to narrate what began as an ethnic conflict between Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese snowballing into a full-blown civil war with the emergence of LTTE. Led by Velupillai Prabhakaran, the separatist militant group's demands for an independent state for Tamils reached a fever-pitch that eventually an Indian intervention was necessitated.
The peace keeping force (IPKF), sent to seek a peaceful solution as part of the Indo-Sri Lankan peace accord, ironically embroiled in battle with the LTTE to enforce peace. Amidst mounting casualties on both sides, the repeated skirmishes between LTTE and IPKF paved way for the latter's withdrawal from the country with the ouster of Rajiv Gandhi-led government in the 1989 general elections. The debacle at Sri Lanka ultimately cost Gandhi his life while attending an election rally in Sriperumbudur.
Told in a series of flashbacks, writers Shubhendu Bhattacharya and Somnath Dey's meticulous research and Sircar's skillful direction comes to the fore as the film gathers momentum post interval. By treating the subject matter with restraint and adequate seriousness, Madras Cafe is as close to reality as it can get given the cinematic liberties taken. The Prime Minister is never named, he is always either 'the PM' or 'ex-PM', LTTE is LTF, and Prabhakaran is Anna, but you needn't be an expert to identify the political undertones in place. John Abraham as intelligence officer Vikram Singh who is sent to penetrate the militant organization, quiz master Siddhartha Basu as his boss Robin Dutt, and Nargis Fakhri as war correspondent Jaya Sahni all chip in realistic performances, and it helps that the makers stay away from the usual melodrama.
What doesn't work in its favor is the flashback style of the narrative and the clumsily written scenes between Vikram and his wife Ruby. These are minor foibles in an otherwise riveting film. Backed by a first-rate background score from Shantanu Moitra and Kamaljeet Negi's stupendous camera work, Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe deserves full marks for projecting the futility of war and in expecting the audience to be informed and attentive. This is a cafe definitely worth a visit, and a welcome break from the endless drivel we have been served of late.
The peace keeping force (IPKF), sent to seek a peaceful solution as part of the Indo-Sri Lankan peace accord, ironically embroiled in battle with the LTTE to enforce peace. Amidst mounting casualties on both sides, the repeated skirmishes between LTTE and IPKF paved way for the latter's withdrawal from the country with the ouster of Rajiv Gandhi-led government in the 1989 general elections. The debacle at Sri Lanka ultimately cost Gandhi his life while attending an election rally in Sriperumbudur.
Told in a series of flashbacks, writers Shubhendu Bhattacharya and Somnath Dey's meticulous research and Sircar's skillful direction comes to the fore as the film gathers momentum post interval. By treating the subject matter with restraint and adequate seriousness, Madras Cafe is as close to reality as it can get given the cinematic liberties taken. The Prime Minister is never named, he is always either 'the PM' or 'ex-PM', LTTE is LTF, and Prabhakaran is Anna, but you needn't be an expert to identify the political undertones in place. John Abraham as intelligence officer Vikram Singh who is sent to penetrate the militant organization, quiz master Siddhartha Basu as his boss Robin Dutt, and Nargis Fakhri as war correspondent Jaya Sahni all chip in realistic performances, and it helps that the makers stay away from the usual melodrama.
What doesn't work in its favor is the flashback style of the narrative and the clumsily written scenes between Vikram and his wife Ruby. These are minor foibles in an otherwise riveting film. Backed by a first-rate background score from Shantanu Moitra and Kamaljeet Negi's stupendous camera work, Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe deserves full marks for projecting the futility of war and in expecting the audience to be informed and attentive. This is a cafe definitely worth a visit, and a welcome break from the endless drivel we have been served of late.
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