By:
Taran
Adarsh,
IndiaFM
Thursday,
April
27,
2006
It's
not
a
film,
but
an
idea
that
works!
Mahesh
and
Mukesh
Bhatt
have
always
believed
in
the
power
of
content.
Continuing
with
the
practice
of
making
films
within
limited
budgets
and
casting
new
talent,
their
new
endeavor
Gangster
also
relies
on
a
robust
storyline
than
extravagant/grandiose
sets
or
star
power.
But
let's
clear
a
few
myths
pertaining
to
Gangster
first
and
foremost...
-
The
title
Gangster
may
give
an
impression
that
it's
a
violent
film.
Or,
perhaps,
it
abounds
in
inter-gang
rivalry.
Is
it
one?
Gangster
talks
of
a
dreaded
Gangster
and
there
are
sequences
that
depict
violence.
But
Gangster
is
more
of
a
love
story
than
a
violent
saga.
-
Does
that
make
Gangster
a
love
triangle?
In
Gangster,
the
woman
is
torn
between
two
men,
who
love
her
unconditionally.
She
has
to
make
a
choice.
It's
at
this
point
that
you
realize
the
power
of
a
great
screenplay
because
the
serpentine
twists
and
turns
in
the
plot
catch
you
completely
unaware.
Post
Murder,
the
Bhatts
have
produced
a
number
of
noteworthy
films,
but
the
ones
that
stood
out
were
Zeher
and
Kalyug.
Their
new
effort,
Gangster,
charters
into
an
alley
that
has
rarely
been
visited
by
Bollywood.
Of
course,
there
have
been
Gangster
films
in
the
past
[Parinda,
Satya,
Vaastav,
Company,
D],
but
Gangster
is,
without
a
shred
of
doubt,
one
of
the
best
Gangster
films
Hindi
cinema
has
produced.
A
film
like
Gangster
proves
the
power
of
pen
[story
idea:
Mahesh
Bhatt,
screenplay:
Anurag
Basu,
dialogues:
Girish
Dhamija]
and
coupled
with
bravura
performances
[Emraan,
Shiny,
Kangana],
razor-sharp
and
acidic
dialogues
and
brilliant
execution
[director:
Anurag
Basu],
this
one's
a
winner
all
the
way.
All
said
and
done,
this
Gangster
makes
you
surrender
to
its
charm
due
to
its
rich
emotional
appeal,
not
gunpowder.
Simran
[Kangana]
is
an
alcoholic,
heading
towards
doom.
The
only
person
who
comforts
her
when
she's
feeling
low
in
far-away
Seoul
[South
Korea]
is
Aakash
[Emraan
Hashmi],
a
singer
in
an
Indian
restaurant.
Their
relationship
gradually
changes
from
friendship
to
love.
And
one
night,
Aakash
learns
of
Simran's
past
and
the
prime
reason
for
her
loneliness.
From
a
bar
dancer
in
Mumbai
to
a
lonely,
pointless
existence
in
Seoul,
Simran's
journey
is
full
of
thorns.
She
is
the
girlfriend
of
the
dreaded
Gangster
Daya
[Shiny
Ahuja],
a
man
on
the
run.
He
is
in
Mauritius,
then
Dubai,
later
Seoul.
He
has
no
place
he
can
call
his
own.
When
Daya
learns
of
Simran's
relationship
with
Aakash,
he
promises
to
mend
ways
and
fulfill
her
dreams
of
a
normal
life.
But
there
are
complications.
Simran
discovers
that
she
is
pregnant;
she
is
carrying
Aakash's
baby.
She
is
now
torn
between
the
two
men
in
her
life.
She
has
to
make
a
choice!
But
she
is
in
for
a
rude
shock
when
she
eventually
chooses
the
right
man
for
her!
A
complex
subject,
Gangster
would've
got
ruined
in
inept
hands.
But
director
Anurag
Basu
peels
layer
after
layer
with
utmost
care,
giving
you
an
inside
view
of
an
ordinary
mortal,
who
happens
to
be
a
Gangster
on
the
run.
The
film
begins
with
a
startling
shootout.
And
the
mystery
only
deepens
when
the
film
gets
into
a
flashback
mode
and
the
story
changes
tracks
from
a
Gangster
film
to
a
complicated
love
story.
Just
when
you
thought
that
Kangana
had
finally
found
true
love,
there's
a
major
twist
in
the
tale.
The
viewer
is
zapped
at
this
juncture
and
you
await
the
hurt
party's
next
move.
The
graph
of
the
film
only
goes
higher
in
the
second
hour.
The
sequence
after
the
interval,
when
Shiny
almost
kills
Emraan,
is
hair-raising.
There's
a
twist
in
the
tale
again
as
Shiny
decides
to
start
life
afresh.
There's
yet
another
twist
when
Kangana
decides
to
turn
to
Emraan.
Yet
again
when
Kangana
turns
cold
and
hostile.
Once
again
when
Kangana
realizes
her
folly.
And
a
twist
in
the
climax.
In
actuality,
you
just
can't
guess
what's
in
store
next
in
Gangster.
Director
Anurag
Basu
deserves
distinction
marks
for
handling
the
subject
with
such
conviction.
Every
vital
point
in
the
story
has
been
handled
expertly
by
the
storyteller,
besides
working
hard
on
the
performances
of
the
three
principal
characters.
Basu's
execution
gets
a
major
boost
due
to
the
writing.
The
twists
and
turns
in
the
storyline
take
the
film
to
another
level
completely.
Pritam's
music
is
another
highpoint.
The
songs
have
a
different
sound
and
the
placement
of
each
track
in
the
narrative
make
you
cherish
them
all
the
more.
'Tuhi
Meri
Shab
Hai
Subah
Hai'
and
'Bheegi
Bheegi'
are
the
best
tracks.
Even
the
song
in
the
second
half,
'Ya
Ali',
has
a
strong
story
running
simultaneously.
Cinematography
[Bobby
Singh]
is
consistent.
The
locales
of
Seoul
give
the
film
that
extra
zing.
Gangster
rests
on
three
players
and
each
comes
up
with
sterling
performances.
Emraan
delivers
a
power-packed
performance,
more
so
towards
the
post-interval
portions.
The
sequence
in
the
Indian
Embassy
[in
the
second
half]
proves
that
Emraan
has
grasped
the
grammar
of
acting
to
perfection.
This
is
his
most
accomplished
work
to
date.
Kangana
is
not
just
a
photogenic
face,
but
also
a
first-rate
actor.
It's
rare
for
an
actor
to
get
such
a
difficult
role
in
her
very
first
film
and
its
all
the
more
difficult
for
the
newcomer
to
carry
it
off
with
Élan.
But
Kangana
takes
to
Simran
like
a
fish
takes
to
water.
An
actor
to
watch!
Shiny
is
remarkable.
In
fact,
the
actor
has
to
rely
on
expressions
[he
doesn't
get
many
lines
to
mouth]
and
the
impact
he
makes
cannot
be
described
in
mere
words.
He
is
fabulous
in
three
sequences
specifically,
first
when
he
reaches
unannounced
at
Kangana's
residence
in
Seoul
[interval
point],
then
when
he
breaks
down
in
Kangana's
laps,
asking
her
to
give
him
one
more
chance
and
the
outburst
scene
in
the
pre-climax.
Reserve
all
the
awards
for
this
powerhouse
of
talent!
Gulshan
Grover
is
exceptional
in
a
small
role.
His
dialogues
are
soaked
in
acid.
On
the
whole,
Gangster
is
one
of
the
finest
films
to
hit
the
screens
this
year.
At
the
box-office,
it
has
the
potential
to
prove
a
major
success
story.
Strongly
recommended!
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