Traffic Signal

I think Madhur has excelled once again with traffic signal. Be warned this is a not your regular Bollywood movie but a very different affair. Unlike Page3 and Corporate this one walks one the edge of being a serious documentary which is almost realistic and immensely enjoyable. It does make you think how fortunate you are for not being where the characters in the movie are. Having stayed in Mumbai for almost 25 years before moving to the states, I can really appreciate the work that has been put into it. Seeing foreign locales in every second movie that comes offshore (I am sick of it), it is nice relief to see Mumbai (even if it is elaborate stage) at its raw best (or worst?). Excellent acting by everyone but a special mention of Ranbeer Sheorey(I hope I got the name right). You can almost feel the character and feel relieved that it is just a movie. I think this guy deserves stronger roles similar to this. he is by far one of the most talented new faces that has come to Bollywood. I am trying my best to not give away any of the movie because I want people to be hit by it when you see it. To make long story short - you will not feel that you wasted your money if you see this movie in theater or at home. It is much better than many of the movies that you must have seen in recent times. Madhur - take a bow - you have more talent in you than you know - just needs a little bit more polishing and then you on par with any of the Hollywood directors. Highly recommended - stark reality !!!

After profiling seedy bars (in Chandni Bar), scheming politics (Satta), high society parties (Page 3) and the business circus (Corporate), Madhur Bhandarkar now eyes the Traffic Signal.

Well to start with 'Traffic signal' has portrayed the dark side Mumbai gullies .Why? Traffic signal, depicts what the relationship is between the "beggars" of the traffic signal and the politician's. Not only the politicians but also the underworld don.

Its not only that about, but what traffic signals shows is how one suffers, lives, smiles, earn's money in these eerie streets of India.

Kunal Khemu as 'Silsila' has done an impressive job. Obviously the dark make-up that he wears to show that he is a poor person is shown. Neetu Chandar as Rani has portrayed her character in a very tender and delicate manner. Noorie played by Konkana deserves a very big mention. Her role as a prostitute has been done with passion and complete fluency. Also a mention to the 'lady-boy' gay character who sells himself on the street.

Here are oddities to the likes of eunuchs, handicapped and impaired beggars, lepers, street kids, drug addicts, and prostitutes, vendors selling flowers, fruits, sunscreens to sunglasses.

Traffic signal is a tale of a person(S) who need not decide what they need to do in live but to decide how to live is these nasty streets .

"Traffic Signal " delves into the lives of beggars and street vendors, highlighting how their existence is upended by the presence of traffic signals, the oppressive burden of an imposed, non-existent tax demanded by a gang leader, and the devastating impact on their daily lives when a flyover is constructed over the road where the traffic signal once regulated.

The narrative is truly compelling and kept me engaged throughout. Though the story at times feels like moving blindly forward into uncertainty, this effect is clearly intentional. The title Traffic Signal serves as a metaphor, illustrating the harsh realities faced by those living in slums, struggling to survive through begging and small-scale trade.

Kunal Khemu consistently chooses to engage with distinctive and thought-provoking projects, and this film continues that trend.

What is truly striking is that I regard this movie as superior to many conventional Bollywood films, as it consciously avoids the repetitive, formulaic patterns so common today. Despite knowing that the film might not achieve commercial success, the filmmakers proceeded undeterred, driven by a commitment to conveying a meaningful message to the audience.

Definitely should watch this piece.

Very ambitiously this movie tries to deal with more plots than are usually expected in a single movie. I am sure Madhur had his hands more than full with all that he wanted to communicate through this movie. Even though the actors have done a decent job, and some pretty insightful sub plots emerge during the course of the movie, in the end it leaves one with a feeling of things having been dealt with incompletely. The movie is in fact more like a series of sketches, each dealing with a different sub-plot or idea. This feeling is enforced by the fact that it's scenes do not fit together as a tight, cohesive production. This is because even though they involve the same characters, each of them tells a very different story.

Traffic Signal seems to be the perfect example where a director should have gone for an extensive treatment of all these ideas through a serialized production rather than trying to put everything into one grand movie where the limitation of time is a huge constraint. Give me this movie's reel and a pair of scissors and I'll neatly cut out about 10 different episodes that could be independently developed to create a wonderful hard-hitting docu-drama series. With how much the movie attempts to cover of the Indian society and really, also the human condition at a deeper level, I really believe it would have been served better if executed in the way of Kieslowski's work on Dekalog.

6 out of 10.

The movie "Traffic signal" was a good plot as you mentioned. But I would rather say it lacked the director's extract of every individual cast in it. Moreover, movie could have been well played with raw'ness it actually had in it. Director had tried to show almost every possible incident that we come across in a day to day traffic signal but lost his focus on the deepness of the plot . Over all I would say " it was almost over killed by too much but saved only by its subject ". The story could have been handled better if it was in safe hands.

I will rate it 2.5/5. Just for the core subject and for the actors struggling to make use of their best opportunity in this movie.

Dx..