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A world around the traffic signal

Mandira Nayar

DEPICTING REALITY: Konkana Sen Sharma and Madhur Bhandarkar.

NEW DELHI: There are probably many reasons to watch "Traffic Signal'', a film slated for release this coming January. Director Madhur Bhandarkar is definitely one of the top reasons; Konkana Sen Sharma is another. But perhaps the main reason would be to get a brief glimpse of a world that most people see whizzing past in their cars without really noticing it.

A realistic film, like Madhur Bhandarkar's much talked about "Page 3'', "Traffic Signal'' takes viewers into the seamier side of life on the streets. Concentrating on the lives of the people who live and work at this traffic signal, the movie brings to life the complex world that exists at these intersections. Bound together by a web of relationships, there are varied characters that are part of this large family. And the "hero" of the film is Kunal Kemu, a young boy born on the streets.

While the story might be too "real'' for some people to take, Bhandarkar has always maintained that his characters are never larger-than-life. They are rooted to the ground. Whether it was the darker side of the glitzy world of the rich and famous in "Page 3'' or the cut-throat competition in "Corporate'' or the depressing lives of bar dancers in "Chandni Bar'', Bhandarkar has stuck to presenting a slice of life in a way.

His latest movie stars Ranvir Shourey and Neetu Chandra and has director Sudhir Mishra switching sides to acting. Mishra is playing the villain in the film. The last part of Bhandarkar's trilogy that started with "Page 3'', "Traffic Signal'' is believed to have been inspired by Bhandarkar's walks to Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple. He religiously walks from Bandra to Prabhadevi for the temple and is fascinated by the people living on the pavements.

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