Pink

"Pink" grabs our collective biases and age-old notions about permissible boundaries for feminine behaviour by the shoulder and shakes them hard. This a film that can change gender equations in our society. The first-half creates an atmosphere of terror through little scenes that convey so much of the truth about gender inequality and sexual politics without sweating over the drama generated in cinema of this sort. The background score is minimal and mellow, almost scoffing at our perception of high drama associated with cinema on male oppression. Aveek Mukhopadhyay's camerawork is so majestically unobtrusive that it takes us into the heart of Delhi without getting emotionally drenched in the journey. Taapsee, who plays the main target of gender assault, sheds no tears. She conveys her character's textured torment with an austerity of expression that is remarkable. Andrea as the girl from Meghalaya who gets caught in the vortex of a murky scandal is the portrait of vulnerability. But it is finally Bachchan who holds the key to this remarkable film's incontestable power and efficacy. He is the voice of reason and the conscience of a morality tale where right and wrong are not easily identifiable. Yet when he sets forth reasons as to why a no from a woman means no, we are looking not at a rousing courtroom performance but a voice that ricochets through generations of patriarchal smugness. Verdict: Don't miss this film, and don't walk out during the end-titles or you will miss out on two vital experience. Of knowing what really happened "that night" and of hearing the Bachchan baritone recite Tanveer Qausi's powerful poetry on feminine awakening.

Three Delhi girls - Minal (Taapsee), Falak (Kirti) and Andrea (Andrea) - are on the run after one of them escapes a molestation attempt by a pig-headed, powerful guy, Rajveer (Angad). Minal attacks Rajveer with a bottle injuring him grievously. This is just the beginning of their nightmare! Pink is a powerful statement on the existing feudal mindset of a majority of India, where men and women are judged by a different yardstick. And if the man happens to be from a powerful family, then the fight for justice is even more skewed. The performances are pitch-perfect with Bachchan leading the way. Creative producer, Shoojit Sircar, who directed (Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Piku) makes another valuable addition to his repetoire.

The movie might remind you a little of Sunny Deol, Rishi Kapoor and Meenakshi Seshadri’s Damini, especially the courtroom scenes but Pink addresses a rather larger issue which is consent. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Deepak Sehgal who used to be a famous lawyer and quit his practice after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He lives under the shadow of his ailing wife who is in the ICU. He, himself, has several health problems and constantly wears a mask to breathe properly (which reminds you of Darth Vader a little bit). Taapsee Pannu (Meenal Arora), Andrea Tariang (Andrea) and Kirti Kulhari (Falak Ali) are three flatmates who become best friends. They party together, laugh together and spend time with each other while focusing on their individual careers. Life changes for them after they get involved in a fight with Rajvir (Angad Bedi) and friends. Naturally, the girls are scared since the guys have been blackmailing them ever since they had the fight. The second half of the movie is more gripping and Big B steals the show in the second half. The last scene in the movie is bound to give you the chills. This is Bengali film director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Bollywood debut and is produced by Shoojit Sircar. All in all, this is the Movie of the Year for me. I urge you to watch it with your family and friends.

This is the third renaissance in Amitabh Bachchan's career. After masterfully playing a concerned grandpa harbouring a secret in Ribhu Dasgupta's Te3n, he returns with this megawatt performance where he packs in his quiet reserve and explosive outbursts with equal flourish. While his death stare is sufficient to do the job, when he drops the bass and picks it up again in his dialogues, we're assured the baritone is trademark. Taapsee Pannu distinctly stands out from the female cast and lends her Meenal Arora a feisty edge of a determined woman. Kirti Kulhari's Falak is portrayed throughout the film as the most collected of the three but when her character is thrown from the pan to fire, even she cracks. Daughter of Shillong-based musician Rudy Wallang and guitarist of Lavender Groove, Andrea Tariang may be an accidental actor but going by the Andrea she essays on the big screen, we'd surely like to see more of this petite wonder. Veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee's voice may have turned a bit quivery with age, but he draws much attention through his dramatic pauses and his almost-clinical dialogue delivery. This film makes one think of the benefits the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat campaign could derive if a small part of it were assigned to the cleansing of our minds.