A
feeling
of
foreboding
and
damnation
builds
up
in
the
narration
from
the
first
frame
itself.
Here's
a
gloriously
gutsy
film
exploring
the
underbelly
of
Mumbai
through
the
lives
of
two
slum
kids
who
grow
up
in
identical
circumstances
but
with
somewhat
disparate
values.
First-time
director
Faruk
Kabir
displays
remarkable
skill
in
creating
a
pastiche
of
mammoth
crime
and
punishment.
The
pace
leaves
meagre
space
for
grace.
And
yet
Allah
Ke
Banday
creates
a
world
filled
with
acute
aggression
repression
and
damnation
with
a
reasonable
amount
of
pace
to
the
edgy
narrative.
The
world
that
Faruk
Kabir's
characters
inhabit
is
reminiscent
of
Danny
Boyle's
Slumdog
Millionaire,
Irrfan
Kamal's
underrated
Thanks,
Maa,
Mahesh
Manjrekar's
City
Of
Gold
and
Chandan
Arora's
Striker.
Deriving
its
lingering
study
of
juvenile
delinquency
from
these
sources,
Allah
Ke
Banday
moves
forward
and
acquires
a
life
of
its
own.
The
gripping
narrative
takes
us
through
the
world
of
petty
crime
and
underage
lawlessness
quite
non-judgementally.
Faruk
Kabir's
deeply-felt
concern
for
children
who
dodder
dangerously
on
the
edge
of
society
is
never
over-done.
This
is
a
hard
and
disturbing
look-see
at
quicksand
existence.
The
director
creates
a
world
of
uncertainties
with
unwavering
confidence.
The
nervous
anxiety
of
the
characters
is
rather
aptly
replicated
in
the
film's
rough
and
unvarnished
look.
Kabir's
cameraman
Vishal
Sinha
goes
through
the
rugged
merciless
slums
searching
for
only
Allah-knows
what.
The
actors
wear
their
unwashed
demeanour
casually,
so
much
so
that
at
times
we
forget
the
existence
of
the
camera.
At
the
same
time
there
are
uneven
sections
in
the
narrative
that
mar
what
could
otherwise
have
been
a
stand-out
exposition
on
the
genesis
of
social
outcasts.
Sharman
Joshi
and
Faruk
Kabir
play
the
two
driving
forces
of
the
plot
with
a
deep
understanding
of
their
characters
and
the
milieu.
Both
seem
to
have
got
right
their
characters'
physicality
and
then
proceeded
to
explore
their
inner
worlds.
For
a
first-time
actor
and
director
Faruk
Kabir
handles
both
his
jobs
with
more
than
a
reasonable
amount
of
compelling
confidence.
The
others
in
the
cast
merge
into
the
relentless
milieu.
As
usual
the
extraordinarily
brilliant
Naseeruddin
Shah
is
under-used.
Whenever
he
shows
up
on
screen
an
extra
dimension
is
effortlessly
added
to
the
proceedings.
Notches
above
the
run-of-the-mill
entertainer
Allah
Ke
Banday
reveals
a
genuine
concern
for
juvenile
delinquency.
The
lives
on
the
streets
never
looked
more
dangerous
and
less
glamorous.
This
time
crime
is
not
glorified.
Thank
God
for
small
mercies.
Check
the
review
of
Allah
Ke
Banday...Click
Here
Story first published: Monday, November 29, 2010, 12:55 [IST]