The film Gulaal is about an innocent student Dileep who comes to Jaipur to study, accompanied by his faithful servant Bhanwar. Here he comes in contact with Rananjay Singh "Ransa" (contemporary intelligent, sensitive young man who refuses to abide by traditions; his ideologies clash with his father's, the local raja), Jadwal (with old school of thought he is the college goon who rags Dileep); Anuja (professor ragged with Dileep; despair brings both together and a strong emotional bond develops between them) Dukey Bana (powerful local figure who leads an army of radical Rajputs struggling to get the Rajputana back from the Government of India challenging the very idea of democracy); Kiran (uses Dileep for power and personal interest).
Against a backdrop of local political intrigue, the film begins with a Rajput conglomerate gaining strengthen as Dukey Bana and a few ex-Royals convince a reluctant Ransa to contest for the college elections on behalf of the Rajputana party; Ransa and Kiran battle it for General Secretary's post. The rivalry between the two gangs intensifies and Ransa is forced to withdraw, which he resists. Eventually this leads to his murder by Karan (Kiran's brother and Rasna's illegitimate sibling). Using the sympathy wave, Dileep is compelled to contest elections in Ransa's place and made to win.
After losing the elections Kiran tries winning Dileep's trust, gets close to him and pretends to fall in love. As he tries to fit into the shoes of the General Secretary an insecure Dileep gets emotionally dependent on Kiran and distance grows between him and Anuja. Dileep finds himself trapped in political maneuvers and realizes that this is not what he had wanted. It dawns to him that he is being used by Dukey; when Dileep confronts Dukey, he is faced with a horrifying truth!
Dukey Bana is masterminding a Rajputana movement, to have a separate state ruled by Rajputs. In a gamut of Red faces (Gulaal is put over the faces to mask their true identity), Dileep sees the truth behind Dukey and his actions. So Dileep decides to resign from the post of the General Secretary.
Dileep resign and Kiran takes charge. As soon as in power, she refuses to meet Dileep and tries to get close to Dukey using her feminine charm. A lovelorn and rejected Dileep gets more and more frustrated, abusive and violent in desperation. This behavior creates a distance between Dileep and the people who truly love and understand him.
Blinded by his love for Kiran, Dileep goes into a frenzy becoming a sorry and inevitable victim of circumstances. The whole madness around Dileep intensifies; sense of conspiracy and feeling of a fake unrequited love push him to the edge... Gulaal races to an unforgettable climax... out of the faces painted in Gulaal, a face is revealed... the face of the new leader...
Gulaal
Maxabout Review
Complex, But Compelling!
Friday, March 13, 2009
For those who love undiluted dry colours of cinematic drama, indulge in Gulaal this Holi.
Bollywood has witnessed enough of Bihar-based politics. Anurag Kashyup takes us to new land and breaks new ground with Rajasthan’s rajniti . Gulaal is set around the members of erstwhile royal community who want to claim back their Rajputana province and royalty regime from the democratic government.
Gulaal follows a multidimensional narrative and Kashyup adopts a dark, brooding and relentless storytelling pattern that doesn’t simplify the dense plot.
Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) comes to Rajpur to study law. From campus ragging to college elections, he is soon embroiled into local politics when his roommate Rananjay Singh (Abhimanyu Singh), who is contesting for the college elections, is murdered. The local kingpin Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) compels Dilip to contest in place of Rananjay on behalf of the Rajputana party and makes him win.
Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) who loses to Dilip in elections lures him with her feminine charm and soon takes charge of the party. Once in charge, she refuses to acknowledge Dilip’s advances and attempts to attract Dukey. Blinded by his love for Kiran, the diffident Dilip turns hostile.
The story starts from Dukey Bana’s call for revolution, works towards Dilip’s evolution from a nervous nerd to a vehement lover and concludes with the conquest of the illegitimate Rajput claimant (Aditya Srivastava). None of the tracks are episodic with all running parallel at equal momentum.
Kashyup’s treatment is such that none of the characters are distinctively defined, introduced or established. As a keen viewer, you are expected to acclimatize to each of them on your own and learn their conflicts, as the story progresses promptly. Further with the story’s setting in untried terrains, at times, it becomes a little difficult to relate to the characters or their immediate concerns. But then you enjoy the exercise.
The writing by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Aparna Chaturvedi and Anurag Kashyup is intricate in terms of story but has a straightforward narration. The screenplay had the potential to be tweaked into a suspense crime thriller but it chooses to be a forthright political drama. The scenes are shorter in length but larger in number and alternate from being expressive to abstract, at times. In several scenes, Anurag attempts to communicate through unspoken word and metaphorical frames. In many others he tries to capture the most unusual human reaction to situations.
The chemistry between the lead pair of Raj Singh Chaudhary and Ayesha Mohan isn’t as tangible as the bloody aftermath it leads to in the climax. Perhaps that’s because the director wanted to subdue the romance, which could have otherwise outshined the primary essence of politics. The Jesse Randhawa track isn’t properly fleshed out either. Also the half-baked character of the body-painted ardha-nareshwar isn’t explained, though he offers some funny moments.
Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi uses red-pink frames to light up scenes to the Gulaal symbolism. Aarti Bajaj’s editing is effective though the length of the narrative could have been crisper. Piyush Mishra makes use of poignant poetry while penning the provoking lyrics and his ethnic tunes are brought to life by some brilliant rustic rendition. The superlative soundtrack that plays in the background for most part perks up the mood of the film. Even the two frontline item numbers aren’t much of cinematic intrusion.
Rest assured, performances from an Anurag Kashyap film are always promising. Kay Kay Menon has a towering presence in Gulaal through his stimulating speeches and enraged outbursts. Co-writer Raj Singh Chaudhary is a perfect cast in the role of the loser and the faint-hearted protagonist. Ayesha Mohan befits her confidence-personified character of a scheming politico. Deepak Dobriyal gives the best of expressions with effortless ease. Abhimanyu Singh is impressive in his short but strong characterization. Piyush Mishra as the foreign-return simpleton extends his musical poetry from songs to dialogues. Mahie Gill has two songs and four scenes but still leaves a mark with her immense screen presence. Aditya Srivastava speaks less but convey more.