The Hindu : Karnataka News : A hilarious portrayal of ‘darkness’

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Sunday, Jul 12, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

A hilarious portrayal of ‘darkness’

In sync: Kay Kay Menon and Rimi dance to a number in Sankat.

Sankat City (Hindi)

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Anupam Kher, Rahul Dev,

Director: Pankaj Advani

The fresh breeze is back from Bollywood after a few dreary weeks. It combines a series of crazy characters set in the craziest of cities, Mumbai. A con woman cons a car thief, a menacing gang lord is deferential to a non-vegetarian godman, a film producer wants his actor dead…the list is complex but hilariously engaging. Kay Kay Menon plays Guru, a small-time car thief, who together with his aged mechanic friend, Ganpat, masters in giving the stolen cars a makeover and then sells them for a neat profit. One day, he walks away with a Mercedes and one crore rupees stashed in it, not realising that it belongs to a ganglord, Fauzdar (Anupam Kher).

This spirals a series of events, each nicely linked to the other. Guru tries to sell the big car to a hitman (Rahul Dev), who recognises the car because he has worked for Fauzdar in the past. As Guru runs for his life, he bumps into a con woman, Mona (Rimi), who had cheated him some years back. Mona wants to con a builder (Yashpal Sharma), who has taken money from Fauzdar. The builder wants to return the money by selling his land to the film producer, who plots for his actor’s murder so that the film could become a hit!

At the core of this roller coaster ride, there is a subtext, which subtly brings out man’s insatiable greed for material needs. He doesn’t mind digging deep into heaps of waste for a fortune.

Such films work only when the surprise element lasts the screen time and builds into a taut climax. Director Pankaj Advani is up to the task. He remains one step ahead all through and the frayed edges give it a raw feel. When the logic looks like it’s going for a toss, he questions it and comes with believable excuses. The one-liners are original and come at the opportune moment. Above all, the characterisation is meticulous and that is the reason that even the outlandish ways of the performers appear plausible.

Take the risk, this city is worth a visit!

ANUJ KUMAR

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