No Smoking

You read thru the comments here, either its in 8-9-10 range or its in 1-2-3 range. Its funny to see the movie invokes such drastic reactions in different people. That itself talks a lot about the cinematic power of this masterclass movie of "A", (Anurag Kashyap).

To some extent, its a director's indulgence. He didn't make the movie for you or me, he made it for himself. It's a movie made for film school. The movie can be a textbook for various film-making subjects. Technically brilliant! A very dark movie indeed, probably first movie of the film-noir kind to be made from Bollywood stable. Anurag Kashyap is a sort of rebel in the industry. I am glad he was able to express himself cinematically through this movie.

Honestly, its really hard to understand the movie. And I didn't quite follow it either. But somehow, I really enjoyed watching it.

Vishal Bharadwaj produced it - who else but another master of dark movies will understand this movie.

Vishaal's music is infectious in the movie. He surprises me with his never-ending creativity. Musically I associated him with Omkara, Maachis type music, mellow, neo-classical, haunting. But his experimentation with Jazz in this movie is truly outstanding. Apart from the songs, the movie SHOULD get recognition for its background score. Deep rooted in jazz, I had to rewind the movie several times to listen to some background jazz scores. What else Vishaal has in store for us??? Its interesting to get a piece of director A's mind through his blog, where he really expresses himself, go to passionforcinema.com to read his blog. If you are anywhere close to film-making, you will love reading his writings.

Anurag Kashyap is a different class of movie director. I am not sure if he can make much money trying to follow his passion, because it is very hard to get accepted with this kinda movies. However, I wish he make a few semi-commercial movies to give him the money to experiment with true gems like No Smoking. Last thing I want him to be branded as a crazy lunatic of the bollywood.

Bravo Mr Kashyap!!

One of the best hindi movie John 10/10 Paresh rawal 11/10 Anurag 20/10 Vishal Bhardwaj Music 50/10

For all those illiterates (the numbers of these great unwashed I do not doubt, it is hardly surprising that the movie bombed) who give it 1-2 stars and talk about preserving sanity, a question: Ever heard of Franz Kafka? I saw this movie just after I had read The Trial and The Castle back-to-back. It is a brilliant tribute to the genius of Kafka: I wonder that is what Anurag Kashyap intended in the first place. The plot follows the same twists and turns that one would have in a Kafka novel, particularly the descent to meet the Baba. It is not just any shady place, it is a passage from The Trial faithfully replicated: when K first approaches his accusers (note the name: another Kafka hallmark). Sheer genius. Both the original writer, and the film-maker.

I watched this movie once and couldn't resist myself from watching it again only 10 mins later. A black metaphor of life, which poses some serious questions to the thinking mind. Lust, and how far can you go to pursue your lust? What if some supernatural entity is destined to stop you from committing the lust? And what if the darker side of nature forces you to commit it?

Questions answered and many others unanswered.. this is a movie brilliantly crafted; though at times the pace is slackened. And who says its a copy of the Game? The questions this movie asks and forces us to think is totally different from the game. The treatment of this movie is very different, but i am afraid this difference will become too much for the general audience to grasp or to digest.

Kudos to you Anurag Kashyap, for giving hungry people like me ( those who have hunger for watching movies which are a class apart) a classic movie to feast upon, on the risk of losing most of your other customers.

"No Smoking" is the most brilliant,daring,unconventional film ever to come out of Bollywood. It could have been written by Franz Kafka or begotten by Stephen King upon John Grisham. John Abraham is outstanding as the arrogant selfish Indian yuppie "K", a Kafka hero if there ever was one. When his bullied wife leaves him, he's referred by a peculiar friend and his own peculiar family doctor to a mysterious clinic that guarantees he can kick his most nasty habit, smoking. The clinic turns out to be a nightmarish set-up (The Firm) from which there is no back-sliding without dire consequences. "K", the master of all he surveys immediately rebels and brings down hellish results upon himself and his family. The viewer is jolted along on this queasy and horrific experience just as is "K". Will "K" ultimately kick his "habit" and eradicate much of his personality along with it....will "K" become a model "Stepford" husband? Watch this disturbingly entertaining allegorical fable and find out!