Sulemani Keeda

I watched Sulemani Keeda in an almost empty theatre and throughout the film I just kept asking the question: Why? Before I begin writing anything about the merits/demerits of the movie, I must say that we need more movies like this. The story of Sulemani Keeda is nothing to go gaga over but the almost non existential direction in its depiction of friendship gives it a conspicuously vicarious emotion; almost nostalgic at times. The story starts with a couple of aspiring writers trying to make it big in the big bad world of Bollywood. Dulal played by an excellent Navin Kasturia marvelously underplays his character. His naivety in many scenes makes you root for him. And, Mayank Tewari playing Mainak, complementing the almost tangible innocence of the Dulal with his loudmouth and unkempt attitude makes us believe the character even more. In one particular scene of the movie, Mainak recites a profane poem in a bar with gusto and 'I don't give a damn' attitude just after Dulal had read a poignant poem. The scene becomes extremely sweet and corny in equal measures. The title 'Sulemani Keeda' refers to the title of the film which Mainak and Dulal desperately want to write. In the pursuit of becoming writers, they meet with a producer's son called Gonzo (Yeah, the name is enough to crack you up) who is hell bent on making Bollywood film in Eastern European style cinema with full frontal male nudity. What ensue are some really funny scenes and an emotional one towards the end. The love track between Dulal and Ruma (Aditi Vasudev) is a sweet and introspective one. The discussion between them inspires Dulal to not succumb to the societal pressures but chase his dreams. Ruma's pragmatism makes you appreciate the character. The film's bare bones depiction of friendship, the anguish of lost love and most importantly the struggle to make it big on your own terms resonates long after the movie is over. It is mature and fun in equal parts. The only problem I had with the film was its ending. It felt like a desperate attempt to make the film unconventional and hatke. It certainly could have been different. This minor qualm aside, the film is a little gem and definitely deserves a watch.

~Shubham Rakheja

An original, autobiographical portrayal of struggles so unique to anyone who dares to follow his/her dreams. 'Sulemani Keeda' is about two bumbling amateurs struggling to make a mark in the world of script-writing for Hindi cinema, their attractions and distractions, with a lot of fun and hilarity thrown in.

The character portrayals are amazing and many of them are funny especially the lead actor's sidekick Mainak, Gonzo, Sweety and Nene.

Masurkar has done a great job with the script and direction. The chiaroscuro of hilarity with spells of seriousness, the international influences neatly tied with 'desi' locales and deliberate kitsch with sublime poetry all blends in superbly in the yarn he has spun with words as well as with the visuals.

This movie has a lot of taste and in that it is very Woody Allen - the writers' influences are from Andrei Tarkovsky; the movie collection shows 'Cinema Paradiso'; the book being casually read is on Francois Truffaut; the cat is named 'Fellini' (feliney?) and even the title of the movie, and this is my guess, is inspired by Salman Rushdie. The poetry and music in this movie is little but profound and timely. And Masurkar's muse, Mumbai, is depicted charmingly using local trains, Colaba eateries, beaches and bachelor pad apartments, right down to the last detail.

A thoroughly entertaining, fresh and hilarious watch - one of the best I have seen in a long time.

I first saw the movie at Mami and then at a college festival, i genuinely loved the movie. Title of the movie is something which also caught my attention but i would like to praise about the movie for one and one reason.. The Dialogues! Every dialogue is just so right and real.

Characters are quirky and the movie is full of witty dialogues and fun elements. Actor Mayank, Naveen, Aditi and Karan(especially) have done a fantastic job with their characters. I would recommend to watch it in theaters.

Kudos Amit"Sulemani"Masurkar!

Cheers:D

A funny comedy with adult themes but without the cheapness you'd expect in some alternate movies.

The chief protagonist is a decent struggling writer in Bollywood who is teamed with a typical horny male writer. Together they dream of writing the next blockbuster.

The film explores the world of the struggling youth today - the social interactions at various levels and the perpetually antagonistic society which appears to suppress the artistic qualities of otherwise gifted people.

The downside is that while there appears to be some pace to the story, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere - and if you want to know what this contradiction means, go ahead and watch it for yourself !

Both Naveen and Aditi make for decent lead artists, with a calmly suppressed personalities in a not so volatile background.

One of the better low budget Hindi film, not as good as it's often made out to be. I would like to see more such films though and I have seen Newton from the same director which I liked a lot. I think both the movies have the same writer as well. Sharp writing, some catchy lines and a good sweet climax made it memorable. The struggling filmmakers thing was fun to watch but I wish it had more depth, they almost seemed like caricatures. Good lazy watch if you don't expect too much.