David Review

What is it all about?

`Shaitan' famed Bejoy Nabira's next `David' may not be an entertainer at its best but it's certainly an interesting, new and different cinema for the rest by the generation next.. the only problem is Bejoy's `David' creates its own goliaths by the time it progresses in all style and flair shifting times like we are watching television on an arm chair and forgets to explain the logic, point behind this mash of bullets tears and beers in different years...

The Story... Of Course

William Shakespeare said what's in a name... Bejoy Nambiar with Natasha Sahgal over here plays all his games with one name `David'. The plot revolves around the lives of three different men named David, who are about to take a step which is going to change their lives forever. Neil plays the 1975 Gangster David in London, Vinay as 1999's Mumbai based musician David and finally Vikram as 2010's David a Goan fisherman. More in next para

What to look out for?

Interesting set up of three men with one name in different era's.. to make it simpler let's take the plus in each stories one by one

David 1975: The most striking is the tribute to the 70's and gangster flicks in Neil Nitin Mukesh version which celebrates the hippy pop culture with elan. Bejoy Nambiar as director is at new heights when he narrates the gangster part shot in black and white which gives a deja vu kick in this flattering of movie making technique.. the frames the shot takings, the execution the presentation is a fine tribute to the cinema we have grown up on and continue to cherish. Neil performance has the required pause which speaks a lot.. Monica Dongra as Neil's love interest is ravishing and delivers a power packed performance.. This girl has an amazing screen presence.. Priyesh Kaushik as the gangster is brilliant..

David 1999 : a social drama where Vinay Virmani plays a musician who dresses like a reggae artist and plays guitar does a commendable job .. Vinay has the poise of a good actor Vinay raises to the occasion in this section where he has to share screen with the south veteran Naseer who plays his father and is not at all at discomfort against the season performer who once again delivers.

David 2010 : this part comes with unexpected humor which is not surreal but above common heads.. Vikram shines all the way as the alcoholic lover who has his own weird hallucinations coming now and then. Isha Sharvani as the love interest brings those beautiful moments which are lovingly done. Tabu is spontaneous as ever.

Technically `David' is very smart and above conventional bollywood standards the team of cinematographers R. Rathnavelu, Sanu John Varughese and P.S. Vinod do a superior well polished work. Brilliant editing by A. Sreekar Prasad adds to the film technical glories. The background score moves with the film so does the songs by Remo and Lal Meri ..

What's not

its strange but true.. after agreeing to all the technical brilliance in `David' am still trying to register the right kind of emotion for this film.. I don,t know whether I should be sad, happy or angry to the fact that at the end of the film Bejoy Nambiar's polarities where so perfectly lined up in opposition to my own that it might be possible that Bejoy wanted to shoot right through my brain without striking a single cell. This makes the entire effort seems wasted the way actors like Satish, Kaushik, Saurab Shukla and Sarika are in the film.

Conclusion: 3 stories, 3 Davids, and three eras where the amalgamation in the end failed to made any great sense. Shakespeare said `What's in a name, Bejoy says there is and made three different movies with one name with a hope that at least the niche might give some scope..

Still the movie deserves 3 stars and that is purely for its stylish technical flattery

Rating ***