Subhash
Ghai
is
synonymous
with
larger
than
life
movies.
Movies
that
cater
to
the
popular
tastes.
With
Black&White,
Ghai
changes
lanes.
Deviating
from
the
large
canvas,
extravagant
sets
and
soulful-music-with-lavish-settings,
he
comes
up
with
a
film
that"s
real,
that
pricks
your
conscience…
a
film
that's
in
sharp
contrast
to
his
earlier
accomplishments.
It
truly
requires
courage
to
swim
against
the
tide.
With
Black&White,
Ghai
enters
a
lane
not
many
master
storytellers
would
dare
to
venture
into.
Black&White
signifies
the
coming
of
age
of
a
seasoned
storyteller.
Sure,
he
has
made
great
entertainers
that
have
tremendous
recall
value,
but
Black&White
is
a
gutsy
step.
It's
realistic,
it"s
thought-provoking,
it"s
topical,
but
not
dark,
depressing
or
preachy.
As
a
storyteller,
Ghai
has
handled
the
subject
with
maturity
and
a
few
scenes
do
leave
an
indelible
impression.
But
Black&White
could"ve
done
with
a
shorter
length
and
a
tighter
screenplay.
Yet,
all
said
and
done,
Ghai
deserves
marks
and
praise
for
this
courageous
step.
Watch
it
for
a
different
experience!
Rajan
Mathur
[Anil
Kapoor]
is
a
Professor
in
Urdu
literature.
He
resides
in
Chandni
Chowk
with
his
activist
wife
Roma
[Shefali
Shah].
Professor
Mathur
comes
across
Numair
[Anurag
Sinha],
who
introduces
himself
as
a
victim
of
communal
riots
in
Gujarat.
But,
in
actuality,
he
is
a
suicide
bomber
commissioned
by
a
Muslim
fundamentalist
group
to
detonate
a
bomb
near
Red
Fort
on
15th
August.
During
his
fifteen-day
journey,
Numair
manages
to
take
shelter
in
the
Professor"s
house
and
wins
the
trust
and
fondness
of
the
couple.
While
helping
Numair
to
get
an
entry
pass
for
15th
August
celebrations
at
Red
Fort,
Professor
Mathur
introduces
him
to
the
warm
and
loving
people
of
Chandni
Chowk.
Amidst
all
the
tension,
he
is
caught
in
an
emotional
dilemma
whether
to
go
ahead
with
his
mission.
Despite
his
deep-rooted
fundamentalist
beliefs,
he
sees
this
as
one
of
the
most
colorful
and
loving
areas.
Nevertheless,
he
moves
on
with
his
mission.
But
something
is
disturbing
the
mind
of
this
young
lad...
The
story
of
Black&White
[Varun
Vardhan]
is
one
of
its
USPs.
Black&White
tries
to
peep
into
the
psyche
of
a
human
bomb,
a
fanatic
who
has
a
change
of
heart
gradually.
The
transformation
of
a
heartless,
cold-blooded
murderer
to
someone
whose
inner
voice
tells
him
to
revolt
against
his
'masters",
the
change
is
well
depicted
on
screen.
But
Black&White
is
not
without
its
share
of
hiccups.
The
romantic
track,
for
instance,
stands
out
like
a
sore
thumb.
It
could"ve
been
avoided.
Also,
the
reasons
that
change
the
fanatic"s
thinking
aren"t
powerful
enough.
To
be
specific,
the
portions
from
Shifaali"s
brutal
murder,
to
her
last
rites,
to
Anil
and
Anurag
entering
the
Red
Fort
premises,
to
the
cops
arresting
the
terrorists
–
the
sequence
of
events
should"ve
been
more
dramatic
and
convincing.
But
the
last
few
minutes,
when
Anurag
confronts
Milind
Gunaji
and
assaults
him
brutally,
is
simply
outstanding.
One
of
the
finest
sequences
ever
filmed
in
this
genre!
Directorially,
Ghai
rises
beyond
the
script
and
has
canned
a
number
of
sequences
well.
The
portions
depicting
Afghanistan
as
also
the
pre-climax
[Anil"s
emotional
breakdown]
are
exemplary.
Sukhwinder
Singh"s
music
has
a
soothing
effect.
'Jogi
Aaya" and
'Main
Chala"
are
melodious
compositions.
Somak
Mukherjee"s
camera
captures
the
bylanes
of
Delhi
well.
Dialogues
are
well
worded.
Black&White
belongs
to
new-find
Anurag
Sinha.
The
newcomer
carries
the
cold,
murderous
look
with
gusto,
living
the
role
with
his
electrifying
presence.
Ghai
has
been
instrumental
in
carving
the
careers
of
several
names
in
the
past.
Now
add
Anurag
to
this
illustrious
list.
Anil
Kapoor
proves
his
versatility
yet
again.
In
his
last
outing
[Welcome],
he
enacted
the
role
of
a
person
who
was
on
the
other
side
of
law.
In
Black&White,
he"s
a
law-abiding
citizen
and
Anil
is
memorable
in
this
film
too.
This
performance
should
occupy
a
coveted
place
in
his
impressive
repertoire.
Shifaali
Shah
is
excellent.
Although
the
length
of
the
character
isn"t
substantial
enough,
the
actor
stays
in
your
memory
thanks
to
a
highly
competent
performance.
Aditi
doesn"t
get
much
scope.
The
senior
citizen
is
first-rate.
Aroon
Bakshi
is
efficient.
Milind
Gunaji
does
a
good
job.
On
the
whole,
Black&White
is
a
fine
effort
from
a
master
storyteller
who
dares
to
change
lanes
with
this
film.
In
that
respect,
an
effort
like
Black&White
needs
to
be
lauded.
Targeted
at
the
thinking
viewer,
the
makers
and
distributors
have
rightly
released
the
film
at
multiplexes
primarily
and
the
multiplex
junta
should
appreciate
the
effort,
at
big
centres
mainly.
It
will
have
to
have
the
backing
of
a
strong
word
of
mouth
to
climb
the
ladder.
More
than
anything
else,
a
film
like
Black&White
deserves
to
be
tax-exempted,
so
that
it
reaches
out
to
a
wider
audience
across
the
length
and
breadth
of
the
country.