Highway

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I waited for three whole weeks before writing this post. At one point I did start writing and then wanted to hold my horses. In my heart, I was hoping for a miracle. I was hoping and praying that Randeep Hooda gets his due in the film Highway. He is brilliant in the film. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge that? Being born n brought up in Dhanbad, we saw people like him all the time. The shirt n sweater colours and the muffler were so normal and the colour combinations were so from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Everything about him is so authentic in the film. His dialogue delivery and accent is perfect to the T. I was amazed at the talent house he is. This is not taking away the good work done by Alia Bhatt. That's where the gene pool matters as everyone in the industry is praising her. For me, the surprise is Randeep's portrayal of Mahavir. This is the first film I have seen of  both the actors, Randeep n Aalia. I just remember a bit of him as Sushmita Sen's boyfriend and driving her around town. He looked physically fit and young compared to her. Did he never get good roles or did he not  get his due?I saw the film on the second day and hoped that now someone will praise the male lead. But alas that was not to be. He merged into the background and that for an actor must be so difficult. He was the one who provided the space for Alia Bhatt's acting to show up. One small article in DNA After Hours, after two weeks of the film's release, saying he never got a hit song to dance on. Wonder how many read that supplement. Some people lose out on getting acknowledged for their good work. Mahi ve song has a haunting tune. 


The  male film stars will now be scared of Alia and may not want to work with her because of her power packed performance. She might steal their thunder. But will Randeep get a few good films because of the success of this one? When I was young, I liked Jaya Prada more, when people were crazy about Sridevi. I was naive enough to believe that Sanjay Dutt was innocent and had no role to play in the bomb blasts. I thought a drug addict, a host elite and a motherless child can never do such harmful things. Some sense of justice with my own self, of liking the underdog of the film world. 

I had good friends who were almost penniless and the same people when they made a lot of money were not good friends anymore. I do not mean they changed in any way. I mean that I changed. I liked them till I was the 'Mother Teresa' to them. Then this is not about my friends at all. Its about me feeling that I am helpful and kind. May be it is the effect of all the Moral Science classes we attended in our convent school. I think we actually had a text book for it. By the time I came to college , the Philosophy classes I took, differentiated things between moral, amoral and immoral. Suddenly all 'virtues' that I learnt in school became words with lengthy explanations by Aristotle, Kant, Descarte and Indian philosophers. They did not remain 'virtues' for me but things to look at in so many different ways. It got me present to everything shifting with a new context. The background or the context being decisive of all our actions. Why am I being kind to someone? Is the reason for my kindness I want to or the person needs it or I shall be in their good books for ever or I have a hidden agenda or…..
Rahman singing Ali Ali Ali ….in the end of the film Highway, stays with me.

Comments

  1. RupaMarch 9, 2014 at 12:49 PM

    Amazing. I liked the way you have appreciated the actors.
    I also love the way you have spoken about being helpful and how that shifted.

    ReplyDelete

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