Der Zauber in dir - Tamasha

The film begins with an act of a ‪Tamasha‬ whereby we get introduced to a joker who is laughing at a robot having stuck between Dil & Duniya. The robot symbolizes most of us, our mechanical existence whereby we are killing our dreams each passing day by being unwillingly part of a routine life which we abhor but then we need the money.. The stage is set for another Imtiaz Ali extravaganza ----- On analyzing Imtiaz Ali film we can see he has an inclination towards characters that are aberrations to societal rules and traditions. They are not anti-social or asocial but are non-conformist in nature. Be it mild nature Viren Oberoi from Socha Na Tha or cutely hyper Geet from Jab We Met or rebellious Janarthan from Rockstar his protagonists are different who antics influences their contradictory counterparts thus shaping into an unusual love-story. And for someone like me who distants himself from mushy romance are attracted by Imtiaz Ali's characters who comes across as free-spirited and hatke.

With Tamasha he brings back his non-conformist lead in the form of Ved but unlike Janarthan Ranbir Kapoor's character is an apparently soft- spoken dreamer who is a byproduct of materialistic societal existence. He is bored & wants to get rid of his mundane daily life which brings him closer to a bipolar personality. Well I guess majority of us can connect with him as he webs several stories and lives each of them in his mind. The world of dreams kind of gives him a freedom and there begins a fairy tale journey which culminates into self-actualization with Ved realizing his potential through the eyes of Tara Maheshwari.

Last month Vikas Behl tried to narrate a similar tale but the surreal setting and quirky humour boomeranged. Imtiaz Ali tried the same story but gave it a dark & poetic tone, dealing with the complexities of human emotions. Ali dares to experiment with the narrative as it goes past, present and future as he paints 3 phases of Ved's life. He dexterously uses mirrors and shadows (as props) to reflect the inner conflict of the central character. In several sequences he proved why he is one of the finest directors around. One of my fav is the repeated scenes with cut shots of the following frames - his alarm clock waking him in the morning, brushing teeth, having breakfast, getting stuck in traffic, getting into office lift, swapping his card and settling at his cubicle. The gloominess of monotony and monstrosity of lifeless survival is effectively displayed which probably haunts 90% of those watching the film. Ali deserved accolades for many sequences like the one in an auto which leads to "wattu watu" songs is creative or the one where he confronts his father "lecture" on responsibility and blah blah blah... Ved's blabbering in client presentation or the scene where he confronts his boss. But honestly few frames looked manipulative and the one where his father's heart showed a change in the pre-climax seemed hurried and badly written.

Ranbir simply puts his teeth into the role and proves why he is one of the best actors around. He should be also applauded for choosing this film. The complexity of bipolar Ved comes alive through him and the vulnerability of the character could be felt. Personally I wish this film at least works in the BO to give him confidence to select more bolder scripts. Deepika Padukone is one actress who had simply taken all the criticisms seriously in her early stage of career. Over the years she has improved a lot and after Piku this is another performance for her to cheer. Piyush Mishra's voice has a narrator is an apt one for a script which deals with human ambiguity. A.R Rehman's music, Ravi Verman's cinematography and Aarti Bajaj's editing compliments Ali's vision.

Tamasha is not for those who are looking for a popcorn rom-com, but it is not a pessimistic film either. What make me delighted about Tamasha is that it hits on the plastic "holier than thou" society & urges people never to lose the child within one and try to follow one's heart. I couldn't dare to follow my heart but at least I can surely say that the child within me is very much alive And as the story-teller old man (a brilliant Piyush Mishra in a cameo) confronts Ved he gives a valuable life-lesson - there is no point in cribbing, end-of-the-day it is your own story and you have to find a resolution. Indeed, the pursuit of happiness continues

Imtiaz Ali's fondness with regard to exploring life and free rein was evident in all his films in the past may it be Highway,Jab We Met or Rockstar,and Tamasha too falls on the same line,nevertheless being a really intriguing piece of film-making that has trademark Imtiaz stamp throughout the narration.

'Agreed All The World's A Stage' as Shakespeare quotes in his famous play,but there's always a chance to decide or re-write your own story rather than waiting for someone to write yours and act in consequence - an interesting thought that's exploited many a times before have been recycled here,but with finesse by Imtiaz in this the movie that prompts millions like Ved (Ranbir Kapoor)to choose their own destiny-An inspirational affair in all means!

Ironically,Tamasha begins with a stage play about a robotic man caught between the mechanized life and his love,which symbolizes Ved himself as we get to know in the progress of the story.The film is all about protagonist Ved caught in the dilemma of identity crisis and his reinvention of himself after he make acquaintance with free-spirited Tara (Deepika Padukone).

The complexity in presenting the lead characters and their emotions goes a bit overboard unlike other films from Imtiaz,but manages to engage till the end,thanks to soulful score by A.R. Rahman,beautiful visuals by Ravi Varman and foremost the lovely chemistry that Deepika & Ranbir share with each other.

The movie can boast of some brilliantly shot sequences like the vibrant and quirky adventure in Corsica (Teja Ka Sona)hilarious conversation between Ved & his boss,Tara's catching up with Ved for the second time and Ved confessing his story to his parent that stands out in the narrative that's a bit lengthy around 151 minutes giving a feel of minor lag particularly in the second half.

The film is certainly not for the usual masala audience in the north who are more into thoughtless entertainers in the recent past,the reason why the movie is finding it difficult to register big numbers at the B-town box office.For someone who loves the medium called cinema and respects the genuinity of a film maker Tamasha and the lead characters are to find a place in the heart for sure.

When Ranbir steals the show with his matured portrayal of protagonist Ved,Deepika's charm and innocence will make anyone fall in love with Tara in no time.The quirkiness that Ranbir and Deepika instill to the characters whenever needed is unmatchable and lifts the mood when the storyline falls in the dark patch for an instant.

Songs and backgroundscore by A.R.Rahman couldn't get better and added another dimension to the narrative.All the songs were perfectly suiting the storyline,with my personal favorite being"Tum Saath Ho" rendered by Alka Yagnik & Arijit Singh.The cuts by Aarti Bajaj could have been better.Cinematography by Ravi Varman was impressive.

Overall,Tamasha is a wakeup call for finding our true self,an enjoyable fare that's worth the money invested.Longing to see Imtiaz try something hatke next time from this similar plot though.

My Rating : 8/10

This is rather experimental for a Bollywood rom-com and I found it to be very enjoyable. The second half is on another level for a movie from this genre.

Some very good cinematography, brilliantly edited, the songs are well-placed and fun, the acting is awesome, all in all : a REALLY good Bollywood rom-com is what you have here.

Highly Recommended.

When I went Horse ridding for the first time, the next day there was a lot of pain in parts of my body that I didn't even know existed.I had a similar feeling last night after watching Tamasha. Imtiaz Ali to me is a director who gave us Jab We Met and many good movies, but I don't watch movies for the directors as geniuses have a tendency of losing it. But Ali seems to have matured like a bottle of Vintage wine.I couldn't help but noticed that people had mixed feeling of the movie, well sometimes you don't have to understand something a 100% just to see and know how beautiful it is, Tamasha is without a doubt beautiful. I cannot tell you more about the movie without revealing spoilers, so I won't. But what I can tell you is that this movie is shot in the most exquisite locations and done with fantastic camera work and direction. The background score is good. Ranbir leaves his performance in Barfi a mile behind with his acting in Tamasha. He makes you smile, laugh, angry and also embarrasses you when you shed a tear in front of your spouse. Deepika makes it seem so natural and you don't for one second think that she's acting, that is how good she is. The chemistry is like what I haven't seen before. Tamasha is not a Love Story, it's a story about Love. This movie made me stay back in my seat for a minute after the credits rolled out. All I'm saying is that this Movie makes you think in ways you might have never thought before, which is a good thing once in a while.

Superb direction, superb movie, superb acting and yes Imtiaz Ali did it again. Not a Romeo Juliet movie like love, separating and then happy ending. It is different from routine love stories. A powerful message of an ordinary human with a powerful expression of unorthodox. Coming to cinematography beautiful scenic locations with awesome camera work.Literally an unconventional experiment to be watched for its writing & making !!! Second half goes for Ranbir and Deepika is cute as always.

At last these types of movies regain faith about Bollywood. We can also do it Hats off >>>>>> Amazed