With a title like 'Summer 2007', I was expecting a typical coming-of-age film of the 'Dil Chahta Hai'/'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' sort but what I got was a surprise, a mostly pleasant surprise. I'm actually glad at how the misleading the title stays true to the film. 'Summer 2007' opens with a man setting himself on fire in the middle of a crop field. This is followed by three pot-smoking guys discussing nothing. Then, we are introduced to a hospital and learn that the three guys and two pretty women are med-students. The hospital drama reminds one of 'Grey's Anatomy' but after this sequence is over, it takes quite an unexpected turn that refers back to the opening sequence. The 4 frivolous students ask for a transfer (to attend rural service) in order to escape the school politics. With the expectation of enjoying the title summer in Goa, they insist on a placement nearby. Only the fifth student is determined to make a difference.
Debutant director Sohail Tatari deserves credit for tackling a relevant, less talked about issue. He grabs the viewer's attention with the opening sequence and then cleverly introduces the five protagonists. The characters are fleshed out. During the first hour, Tatari spends quite some time for the audience to get to know the characters. All five are of distinct personalities: Rahul (Sikander Kher) is the 'head' of the group. Qateel (Arjan Bajwa) is a flirt who doesn't take anything seriously. Bagani (Alekh Sangal) is the horny one who desperately (but not too desperate) wants to get laid. Priyanka (Uvika Chaudhary) is sort of a bimbo with a heart. Vishakha aka Mother T (Gul Panag) is the down-to-earth girl with a mission, she's the conscience of the group.
In the second hour, Tatari introduces the village. It is quite well presented and even though it is extremely poverty stricken, unlike the clichéd 'Gaon', here the villagers are indifferent towards the 'visitors'. They're not enthusiastic. They've seen too much and are too frightened to care. Then there's the village doctor who could care less about their arrival but he too has his needs and takes advantage of the situation.
The film boasts of some very good performances but the lead man Sikander Kher does not impress. He seems too confused and he appears to experience great difficulty expressing Rahul's ambivalence. The three newcomers, Arjan Bajwa, Alekh Sangal and Uvika Chaudhary do a much better job. Vikram Gokhale springs a surprise in a new avatar. Prashant Narayanan is suitably menacing. Sachin Khedekar leaves a strong mark. However, it is Gul Panag and Ashutosh Rana who deliver the best. It's been a while since I've seen Rana perform so well and what a great 'comeback'. Panag seems to be making the right choice ever since the critically acclaimed 'Dor' and here she is simply outstanding.
'Summer 2007' isn't without its share of flaws. Some scenes really drag on. Also the songs were totally unnecessary and the first one is quite awful.
Overall, this film is very much worth watching. Tatari bravely presents an issue that one has only read in the newspaper or heard on the news channel and immediately forgotten thereafter. He does not throw the message in your face nor does he preach to us about solutions. He only shows us the situation as they are and how the fate of five medical students is affected by it. With 'Summer 2007' one can at least dedicate a few hours to these hard-working people just by understanding their pain and feeling for them.
