Review: Metro

Life in a… Metro

Directed By: Anurag Basu

*ing: Shilpa Shetty
Konkana Sen Sharma
Irrfan Khan
Kay Kay Menon
Sharman Joshi
Kangana Ranaut
Shiney Ahuja
Woof!

Rating: [7/10]

After the critically acclaimed, box office smash hit Rang De Basanti, UTV is back with Anurag Basu’s Metro. Metro is very different from the director’s previous works (Murder, Gangster) in regard to the emotions, sensitivity and reality it portrays.

Based in Mumbai, Metro is the story of a handful of individuals caught up in the hustling bustling, typical city life. The major advantage to the director here is that he has managed to rope in an Avant grade, splendid star cast to play all his characters to perfection.

Ranjit (Menon) is in a down-hill marriage with Shikha (Shetty) leading to an affair with his employee Neha (Kangana). Rahul (Sharman) who works for Ranjit too, loves Neha.
Neha is Shruti’s (Konkona) room-mate and Shruti is Shikha’s sibling.
Enter Akash (Shiney) who creates new feelings and excitement in Shikha’s dull, meaningless life.

Standing uniquely apart from this relationship-bhendi-masala is Debu (Irrfan) who likes Shruti but its only one way.

There’s also a sensitive, heart-felt oldie romance going on between old-school sweethearts Amol (Dharmendra) and Vaijanti (Nafisa Ali) who is also Shikha’s ex-dance master.

As you must have realized, all the characters though poles apart are inevitably inter-connected. Though this might look highly confusing and time-consuming, Basu successfully manages to wrap up the proceedings in a neat 2 hour package. He also succeeds in giving every character, story and plot ample space and equal time to develop beautifully.

Metro is more true to real life than any other film I have seen this year. Its sincere, sensitive, passionate, cold and unfair just like life itself. It will especially steal your heart in some superbly crafted and enacted scenes. Like when Rahul lends his home to his seniors for one-night stands or the scene where Akash and Shikha get a little too close in a dimly neon-lit room. Also the light-hearted confession scene between Shruti and Debu at Marine Drive is inventively natural and spontaneous. Such moments and many more build up into an entertaining, timeless experience - Metro.

The cinematography is soft and easy on the eye, especially the touchy rainy scenes.

The music by Pritam’s Band Metro which pops up at any given circumstance bursting into a song (concept copied from There’s something about Marry) is hot and cold all the way.

Metro’s highest advantage that works, is the textbook star cast.
Menon is brilliantly aggressive as the call-centre boss. Shetty puts in her best performance to date.

Kanaga is eye candy with a cute north accent. Sharman and Shiney blend in instantly like sugar in to the story. Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali are likeable.

Now, the best performances come from Konkona and Irrfan which isn’t surprising.
Konkona as the 28 year old virgin is so damn loveable that you wanna marry her immeditaely. Irrfan as the 30+ deaperate-to-marry Debu is natural and unintentionally funny.

Metro, despite being very true to LIFE is also extremely entertaining. Anurag Basu has proved that he is one of the most smartest and sensitive director around.

Grab a big bag of popcorn and go get a LIFE…

- Abbas Aziz Dalal.