The Hungry

Totally enjoyable, if you like tragic stories. Great cinematography, great mood film. Abrupt at times. Anglicised characters (sons) first seem not to fit in the film but slowly it makes sense. Overall, a one time watch for those who like shock in films presented peacefully.

This movie is not for everyone. The direction of the movie is outstanding as the story portrayed feels real. Nasruddin shah has as always done a fantastic job and does justice to the charecter.

There are numerous buyers/ audiences for Shakespeare's well- known tragic plays such as "King Lear," "Othello," "Macbeth," "Hamlet," and "Julius Caesar" and there is "Titus Andronicus" which is dubbed as the least impressive. Hell, not for me, it is quite absurd with glory gory dark revenge drama. I appreciate Bornila Chatterjee for choosing Shakespeare's least known tragedy in "The Hungry" and handling the complex subject with gore and care. It is an insane film, like a big weird mess but it's fascinating, the flow narrative is quite dark supported by the spectacle of the strong visuals and amazing cinematography. This is a rewarding piece of art, which will not satisfy the gorehounds but the arthouse fans. I have given this movie a 7 on 10, which it easily deserves. As for the acting, all the characters are tremendous, especially Tathagat (Naseeruddin Shah) and Tulsi (Tisca Chopra). Regardless, this is a required viewing to appreciate Borniala Chattejee for retelling an imperfect story with arresting emotional and aesthetic experience.

The Hungry is well paced revenge drama that is based on a tragic play by Shakespeare. I hadn't heard or read about that play before watching this movie but the screenplay and characterization certainly was influenced by the fact that it was adapted from a play. It is a dark movie that brings out the selfish side of all the characters and the meaner a person, the longer it stays alive to witness the horrors unfold. The story is well set in two business families of Delhi and Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of Tathagath, the patriarch who wants to own up the whole business, by marrying off the daughter of his deceased business partner, Tulsi, to his son, Sunny. The alliance seems misplaced as Tulsi is a widow who is way older and smarter than the dimwitted Sunny. But the lady has a mission of her own, to avenge the bloody game that Tathagath has played to her dismay. Tisca in the role of Tulsi, really stands out in the movie. Naseeruddin Shah as Tathagath does justice to the role for which he wasn't particularly fit. The support characters play out their roles well in this well edited script. Certainly worth a watch!

There's a scene in The Hungry where a herd of black goats devour a feast decorated on a lavish table meant for the dignitaries of an event that is going to bind two families into one and which would mean the binding of their joint businesses into a single entity. That's the crux of the film but we are not interested in that. We are interested in the power dynamics and the greed for power and money. Hence, The Hungry. It's so profound, and along with the sudden jarring scenes throughout the film since its 30th minute, I was gobsmacked. Since it's based on a Shakespeare play you get the idea how the characters are going to be connected and it's haunting to say the least. Every single event in the film is worth your complete attention and if you serve it with that you will be rewarded, again thanks to the arresting, hum-based music that rips your ears as the invisible weapons rips through flesh of some of these characters that have been written with so much relevance I don't think I have seen a dark film as The Hungry that is set in modern day Delhi in a long time, especially with Hindi cinema. It reminds me of Vishal Bhardwaj's films and his adaptations of the Bard. Neeraj Kabi and Tisca Chopra pit against each other to grab the best actor award but it's difficult to judge because all the remaining actors including Naseeruddin Shah and Sayani Gupta also join the competition. The conclusion, therefore, is not about who wins but is in the form of a question: how many times are you going to let your jaw drop? TN.