Calendar Girls

Five girls, Ruhi Singh, Avani Modi, Kyra Dutt, Akanksha Puri and Satarupa Pyne hail get selected as faces of the coveted ‘Calendar’. They are touted as the next-big-things of the showbiz. The Calendar happens and the girls are flooded with various offers. Each one starts their own individual journey and life happens to them. They encounter good, bad and ugly side of the glamour industry and deal with it on their own terms. The film takes us through their individual journeys and tries to connect the dots to give us a perspective on the industry. When you watch the film through its bizarre twists and turns, you come to only one conclusion. This filmmaker, has picked up a few ‘calendars’, read a few glossies, spoken to a two or three has-been Calendar Girls, took notes from some gossip columns and weaved a ‘story’ out of it. It is unimaginable that National Award winning filmmaker would envision a plot so obsolete, to portray the dynamic glamour industry. The irony is, Madhur, while ‘exposing’ the so called ‘dirty, underbelly’ of showbiz, exposed himself. You can almost feel his judgemental tone throughout the film. In a bid to make an honest film, he has shown his real side. Which is pompous and holier-than-thou. So, after watching this film there is only one question which pops in my mind. Why, Madhur, for the love of God, would you dare to make such a film?

Akanksha Puri as Nandita Menon, Avani Modi as Nazneen Malik, Kyra Dutt as Sharon Pinto, Ruhi Singh as Mayuri Chauhan and Satarupa Pyne as Paroma Ghosh. In the film, these gorgeous ladies hail from five different regions of the country and are aiming to become the ‘Calendar Girls’. They belong from Hyderabad, Lahore, Goa, Rohtak and Kolkata respectively. These girls leave their family behind and come to busy city of Mumbai to make their dreams come true. This film was something that we already knew. Sadly, Madhur could not surprise us with something new that happens in the dark world of entertainment industry.

Madhur Bhandarkar has always tried to make women centric films exposing the ugly underbelly of society. Here too he tries to do the same and as usual fails miserably. What could have been a thought provoking depiction of the dizzying heights of stardom becomes an unimaginative piece of humdrum. Save yourself the trouble and give this one a miss.