I should actually write Rafcalfs as Charlie would say!!
What would be recipe for a “good cinema”. Something that entertains yet makes you think, keeps you on the edge of your seat and yet relaxes you. End result – you come out of the theater humming “Dhan ta nan’ na na na na.
A friend remarked that he found Kaminey to be very violent – my take is, we live in violent times. However, I prefer the violence shown in Kaminey to the dark, and extremely depressing torture shown in a film like NewYork (and even in the movie Khuda ke liye). The violence in Kaminey is a mockery whereas the ones shown in Newyork and Khuda ke liye a reality.
A fast paced movie with music to match, the movie has such a wide ensemble of characters that makes one marvel. Bengali mafia don, a Maharshtrian don (who is also an aspiring politician), some corrupt policemen a UP wala uchakka who has a lifp, an Anglo Indian and some firangs thrown in for good measure. Heroine, horses and diamonds are their thing. Not to forget the good guy who who who.. st.. st.. sttt… sttt (uh! you know what i mean), a decent girl from a background she would rather not reveal and their unborn child. Its a story of one night in their lives.
The twins with speech defect would rather see the other dead – a dark past haunts them. One leans towards the dark side – into the world of crime; the other, an innocent, friendly and law abiding (well mostly). They keep their worlds separate, they do not interact, living their own individual lives. Till one night, when their paths collide. The plot is tight, the cuts just right and the camerawork phenomenal specially considering the movie has been entirely shot hand held.
These lines by far sum up the movie for me.
Koi chaal aisi chalo yara ab ki
samundar bhi pul par chale
Phir tu chale uspe ya main chalun
shahar ho apne pairo tale…
(from the song Dhan ta nan)
The movie goes in my list all time favorites.