B.A. Pass

Keeping in mind the way, erotic & sexual content is both served and seen in a very restricted manner in our Indian Cinema, B.A. PASS certainly needs to be rated as another bold step forward by our Indian film-makers as well as the Censors, without any arguments. Yet, contrary to the above statement, here the best thing about the movie is that its makers and director Ajay Bahl have not made this project just to en-cash all its sensual scenes at the box office like a B-C grade venture. But defying the set parameters of the trade, they do have a thoughtful meaning put into its entire erotic content and also have a fine story to convey to their mature audiences in a truly appreciable manner.

Based on a story "The Railway Aunty" by Mohan Sikka from the book 'Delhi Noir', B.A. PASS firstly continues with the passion of showing the city of Delhi in a bad light (as repeatedly in films nowadays)and then uses the plot of an unemployed youth and his dilemmas with a novel insight. It revolves around the story of a young boy, who has to stay in Delhi with his aunt (after his parents die) and has also got two young sisters to take care of (staying at a hostel. Now during this stay, along with continuing his studies, he meets a middle aged, good looking lady who teaches him some new lessons of life which bring in sex, lust, greed and crime into his innocent persona turning him into an entirely different person heading towards a tragic end.

The film begins calmly and then goes on to deliver some of the boldest scenes ever seen in a mainstream (A Grade) Hindi film promoted decently. However, the fact remains that despite of being much bolder and adventurous in its execution (than what the promos suggested), the erotic scenes in the film are exceptionally shot with a sensitive approach without getting into some extreme skin show or cheap vulgarity. Plus its these sensual scenes only which very insightfully depict the lonely, empty & scary life lived by the richer sections of the society. So till interval it does turn out to be an explosive film with a realistic subject which probably stresses more on serving the hidden instincts of the viewers quite skillfully.

Post intermission, as the focus shifts towards the other problems of life faced by the young man (not boy), the pace drops and it more becomes an intense film moving towards a shocking climax which might be depressing for many. But all stories do not have a happy ending and here we have the one which daringly talks about those dark and ugly, avoidable phases of life which do not give many choices to a person caught in their unbreakable trap.

The second half gives more attention to its story progression and less to its erotic scenes which might disappoint the viewers coming in just for them. But that's exactly where B.A. PASS excels and gains a fine distinction of being a sensitive film made on an engrossing tale. Its concluding moments make you feel sorry for its main protagonist and then you also have that anger towards everyone who betrayed him along the path, posing as true friends.

With a less than 2 hours duration, it has a taut screenplay with no interfering sub-plots of love angles thrown in just for the sake of it. The characterization is brilliant with a special mention of Deepti Naval featuring in only two scenes, who rightly portrays the state of a depressed, lonely but loyal lady, superbly. Also was extremely relaxed to see the dialogues in Punjabi written & spoken as they should have been, without molding the words into Hindi.

Regarding the performances, it really needs guts to accept and then also live this kind of negative as well as lustful character on screen with such conviction. And for this Shilpa Shukla surely deserves an applause from one & all. She simply can be called the backbone of the film getting complete support from Shadab who also perfectly plays the part of an innocent boy with conviction. Dibyendu Bhattacharya acts fine as the chess playing friend and the actress playing Shadab's bua (aunt) is equally good.

The musical department delivers a soothing track "Shab" and an adequate background score to enhance its various sequences. Cinematography (by the director himself) captures all those erotic scenes with a subtle elegance and adds to its dark feel throughout. Yet on the story part, I couldn't digest the angle of sisters continuously calling for help and the boy regularly ignoring them in a strange manner. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the film is not able to connect with the viewer emotionally as desired.

Secondly, I strongly oppose to this wrong presentation of DELHI, in many of the recent Hindi films, probably beginning from DEV-D. By just showing the neon-lit lanes of Paharganj area, you cannot represent Delhi as the city of lust, crime and dubious activities like this.

So ending on that note, B.A. PASS is a dark, shocking and brutal tale of an unemployed youth caught in the trap of sexy lady. Though marketed as an erotic film, it's an honest attempt with a soul partially reminding you of many worth watching classics of World Cinema. Its few shortcomings don't allow me to rate it as a perfect film but this is indeed the next brave step taken by Hindi Cinema in the recent years undoubtedly. Having said that, one does need to have the vision to look beyond its sensuous stuff and reach the real essence of its story as told by the writer. Because in absence of that this might remain just another stimulating morning show B-C grade film with many erotic scenes for most of the viewers.

No pun intended and not that many colors to be honest. The rest is sort of "if you know, you know". But that aside, let me say up front that I am quite surprised by how the movie tackles certain things. Do not expect nudity in this, but just the fact that it does engage in erotic situation alone ... I did not expect that at all.

I mean a movie that has to put a disclaimer (while the movie is running on the bottom of the screen), that smoking is bad for your health ... well you know you can't really do everything or rather show everything. Although violence does not seem to be an issue here either. Not that there is too much of it. But certain scenes may offend you ... depending on your thresshold and how sensitive you are of course. The ending is a bit of shocker ... and may make you give this a point more than I did.

A movie so great that it simply blows your heads off. Every character is grey. No one is moral and every body is a victim of circumstances.

The film is the pinnacle of movie making. the sheer audacity, rawness, and unrealistically realistic treatment creates magic on screen. and believe me one time is not good enough.Director Ajay Bahl has handled sexuality in a very mature manner, without being sensationalist.

I'm the kind of person who watches movies for their rawness and realism.Udaan,Dev.D,Gangs of Wasseypur,Shaitan and Kaminey are among my favourites.Now I'll add B.A Pass to my list.

Don't miss this one!

B.A.Pass-It is not just an erotic thriller but also an emotional saga & deals with the reality.based on the short story 'THE RAILWAY AUNTY',this 95 minutes movie is really a worth to watch.an extraordinary work by debutant director Ajay bahl,&some brilliant performances by lead actors... Movie deals with a young boy journey (MUKESH)who is orphan & has the responsibility of 2 younger sisters...then he meet a married woman(SARIKA)who gives him a way to live his life on his own.The need of money force him to be a gigolo... the topic of the movie is very well explained by the director which deals with the life of houswifes in higher society & the life of a young boy who got trapped in it...What happens next with him is that what the movie...... Shilpa shukla is marvellous as Sarika....Shadab kamal is brilliant & promisig as debutant....

In a voice-over during the film's opening scene, as he stares emptily at his parents' corpses before him, Mukesh, the protagonist of BA Pass describes their untimely deaths as a betrayal. It's the first of many to come for this unsuspecting young boy, played by Shadab Kamal, who's at the cusp of discovering that it's every man for himself in the world outside.Adapted from a short story by Mohan Sikka titled Railway Aunty, which appeared in the 2009 anthology Delhi Noir, the film traverses the neon-lit streets of Paharganj, even poking and probing its way into the city's posh parts to ultimately lift the veil on the seemingly simple veneer of middle class life in Delhi.Taken in reluctantly by his aunt after being orphaned, Mukesh seems destined to live a life of humiliation and quiet desperation, until one day he encounters bored housewife Sarika (Chak De India's Shilpa Shukla), who seduces him Mrs Robinson-style. What starts off as an illicit affair quickly spirals into a dangerous web of prostitution and deceit, and we're mostly transfixed by this tale of innocence lost and conscience compromised.A little over ninety minutes, BA Pass is crisp and compelling because director Ajay Bahl, also the cinematographer of the film, reveals a firm grasp over the unflinching narrative. With minimal flourish or show-off, Bahl creates a moody noir that is at once irresistible. Yet, where the film slips is in the superficial, surface-level manner in which it addresses macro themes like empty marriages, sexual power games, and the frustration caused by extreme poverty.It doesn't help either that Shadab Kamal delivers a one-note performance as Mukesh, turning him into a singularly uninteresting fellow, and seldom allowing us a glimpse into his heart. Shilpa Shukla, as the ravenous cougar, is inscrutable throughout…but that approach works for her character, whose motives must remain sketchy till the end. The pair is surrounded by good actors in bit roles, including Geeta Sharma as Mukesh's unwelcoming aunt, Dibyendu Chatterjee as a chess-loving undertaker, and Rajesh Sharma as an angry husband who must take charge.BA Pass exposes a cold, dark, and bleak universe that is in equal measure grotesque and intriguing. Bahl creates the right mood, but doesn't leave you with much to think about when it's all over. Still I'm going with eight ratings as bollywood has started making real movies.Not perfect, but nicely done.