Katha

Gone are those days when films were more about storytelling and that too simple stories that one can relate to.

Well Katha is one such film that grabs your soul right from the beginning and neither tries to impress nor amuse you randomly. It just shows the events as they could appear.

Performances are outstanding and the entire cast is too perfect with Naseer and Farooq being the perfect leads.

Overall a great experience and really worth watching!

This 1983 Naseeruddin Shah- Deepti Naval- Farookh Sheikh starer is a take on the popular children's tale- 'The Hare and the Tortoise'. It is a light-hearted comedy with a simple narrative that shows the daily hustles and bustles of a Mumbai 'chawl', and how the life of the simple- helpful-naive-idealistic Rajaram (Naseeruddin Shah as the Tortoise) changes when the confident-clever-manipulative-complacent Bashu (Farookh Shiekh as the Hare) re-enters his life. The sequence of events brings out a stark contrast between the two characters and how they approach each and every situation and life in general. Very subtly the film also paints a comparative picture between the 'high society' and the 'chawl class people'. The unity that binds the 'chawl' people and the way they enjoy simple joys of life is shown in a very adept manner. Although this is an ensemble cast film, there are almost no sub-plots or distractions and the movie sticks to its core idea. The end is beautifully done and is really thought provoking. The old story has it that the tortoise always wins. But in today's times, as a character rightly sums up- 'yeh jeet bi koi jeet Hui?'

A very little known classic by Sai Paranjpaye movie- this certainly deserves a watch. No big budget- no foreign locales- no big stars- no popular songs- no thrills and action- just a simple engaging story that will make you smile a lot. Farookh Shiekh plays the brat really well and Naseer excels as the simpleton. In a way this a role reversal of sorts as Farookh Sheikh was known to play simple sad characters and Naseer would be thought of as more suitable for what his anti-thesis in the movie is.

For my views on more such lesser known movies from the world of Hindi cinema, do check moviesandnomore. blogspot. com

One of the best, but not very well known satires to come out in the 80s. The comedy is very subtle, repeated viewings sometimes brought out some hidden gems. Naseeruddin Shah as Rajaram is amazing, but it is Farooq Shaikh who steals the show as a twisted charmer. Usually he excels in films as a helpless onlooker type of character, but here he tries out a completely different type of role. Set in a chawl in Mumbai, the atmosphere is brought out perfectly, notice the constant background "chawl noise" throughout the film. Watch it !!

The title Katha means story in Hindi. The movie is about two friends Rajaram (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and Basu (Farooq Shiekh)living in a Mumbai chawl. Rajaram is the tortoise, helpful and kind but "the silent type". Basu on the other hand is what we call as a "gas bag" who brags a lot but does nothing concrete. You need to see the film to find out who wins the race The film is a light hearted comedy. Most American/European readers may not be aware of what a chawl is. A chawl is a three to four storied building where each family has a single room to itself. Chawls in Mumbai and other Indian cities has their own culture and lifestyle. This movie captures the lifestyle in the chawl authentically without making it a documentary. The directors skill lies in creating humor out of everyday situations in a chawl.

Naseeruddin Shah is excellent (as always). Farooq Shaikh does the role of a "gas bag" beautifully. Sai Paranjpee's direction makes this movie a worthwhile watch

Good things come to those who wait but by that time all the better stuff is gone. The above quote is so true in concomitant world and the movie too gives the same message quite strongly. The movie is basically a satire on the Rabbit(Farookh) - Tortoise(Naseeruddin) story. Rajaram (Naseeruddin) successfully depicts the tortoise and Basudev (Farookh) doesn't disappoint either. But the real credit for this movie goes to the auteur- Sai Paranjpye. She builds the character so well that the story despite lack of any Indian movie spice flows smoothly. Both the protagonists have done their parts superbly. Rest of caste is used beautifully to develop the two main conflicting characters. In the end the Rabbit migrates and Tortoise wins and our story teller- Daadi Maa says "Ye bhi koi jeet hui bhala" As all tortoise gets is a bouquet of wilted flower (Used metaphorically).