Why I Feel Deepika Doesn’t Deserve An Award Bearing Smita Patil’s Name

I know who Smita Patil is. She was one of the best actresses of Indian cinema; she was not a star but just an actress, a true thespian. Do you know who Smita Patil is? Don’t think you do, otherwise how could anyone take it so lightly that an award in the actress’ name is being given out with such callousness. Yes, that is the news. Smita Patil Memorial Award is being given out to Deepika Padukone, this year. Who decides these awards and what are the criteria? I think we all have the right to know this. Earlier on as well the award has been given to popular mainstream actresses of Bollywood only. But this one takes it too far.

Deepika Padukone to receive Smita Patil Award for Excellence in Cinema. Does she deserve it, truly?

Who is Deepika Padukone? She is a mainstream Bollywood actress whose first film, Om Shanti Om, was a blockbuster hit the box office. Her kitty is filled with occasional box office hit films, here and there. Her last film, Cocktail, was a success story, and the actress too received good reviews on her performance. But does any of it has any bearing on the star’s talent as an actress? If you ask me…. No. Giving her credit for any of her successful films would be like telling Sonakshi Sinha that Dabanngg became a hit because of her (Please don’t tell her that, ever). Deepika got good reviews for her performance in Cocktail, because everyone was as atrocious as she was good in her role (simply saying, andhon mein kaana raja). I don’t mean to spew any fire against the actress, I’m not film critic or expert to put her down, but so far I’ve been pointing just the obvious here, nothing more nothing less.

On one side there is an actress who is regarded as the finest talent of Indian film industry, who was a feminist and an activist in her life and work. On the other hand, you have a newbie whose talent is to be in news constantly for her on and off link-ups; and well choosing projects that have a huge male star to helm it at box office. One is a thespian who is said to be a fore-runner for India’s parallel/art cinema, while other is a fore-runner for every chick-flick possibly coming her way. One chooses to break stereotype of women and actresses on screen while other works towards asserting the stereotypes. I hope you can make the distinction between which one is which here.

In 2010, this award went to Vidya Balan. Yes, Vidya Balan didn’t have much of the latest acclaimed projects to her name, back then. But she still showed an ounce of talent, if not more. Vidya Balan proved her acting skills with films like Parineeta, Paa and Ishqiya. Do you still think I’m being biased here? But yes, even I agree that more than often the Smita Patil Memorial Award has been given out quite off-handedly time and again.

Take a look at the list of previous recipients of this award:

Vidya Balan – 2010
Priety Zinta – 2008
Kareena Kapoor – 2006
Urmila Matondkar – 2004
Karisma Kapoor – 2002
Aishwarya Rai – 2000
Tabu – 1998
Madhuri Dixit – 1996
Manisha Koirala – 1994
Meenakshi Sheshadri – 1993
Dimple Kapadia – 1991
Sridevi-1990

This just shows that the award that bears its name to an actress whose excellence in acting, whether in any art film or mainstream film, remained mostly un-matched, is being given out with callousness often. Give me reason (logical of course, not that you like her and she is hot), just one good reason, and I would willingly bow down from my stand, and accept the fact that Deepika Padukone is indeed a worthy recipient to get Smita Patil Memorial Award. Until then I hold that giving out this award to Deepika Padukone is giving impetus to the growing numbness of sensibilities in current lot of Indian actresses, who refuse to challenge their boundaries of talent, least to expose they have none.

(This article was first written for www.popcracker.com. To read more article and interesting pieces on pop-culture, visit http://www.popcracker.com)

Homi Adajania’s ‘Cocktail’: Presentation is Good But Film is Not Stirring Enough

Cocktail seems like a neat film, yet it leaves you demanding some more…. ok! Honestly a lot more. It needs a little more heart in it. It seems like a safe popcorn flick. There are no unseen twist, no exciting attractions. It is neither ‘good’ nor is it ‘bad’.

Homi Adajania’s Cocktail is just a popcorn flick, that is too predictable, nothing stirring

 

Cocktail is a safe rom-com. It has light-hearted comic moments in the first part while second part goes for ultra-heavy drama. Maybe it is this striking contrast between the two parts of the film (before and after interval) where film looses it balance, and gets sucked into a vortex of slow and stagnant narrative. What would be perfect for a handsome serial flirt, Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) than being in a casual relationship with hot and wild Veronica (Deepika Padukone)? Bunking with Veronica is Meera (Diana Penty), who is shy, introvert and clueless in London. Meera came to London looking for her husband, played by Randeep Hooda, who refuses to accept her and shoos her away, when he sees her in the country. The situation between the three couldn’t be more perfect, three become inseparably good friends, and too close. But complications arise when Gautam falls in love with Meera and Veronica falls in love with Gautam. Then begins the whole milna-bichadna (meeting & separation), jealousy and sacrifices portions.

The first half of the film has its funny moments. The scene where Gautam’s conservative mother (Dimple Kapadia) come to Veronica’s house, and finds him dancing on her couch in a weird drag act; and the scene where Gautam is all over Veronica, but moment he sees his mother arrive he pretends she has passed out and he is giving her CPR and then she too tries to do the same. The cinematography in the film is just perfect. It presents such a beautiful and exciting picture of London and Cape Town. 

The film seems like a well-directed, well-shot music video. Songs are essential to this film, and well they are pretty good as well. Composer Pritam has done a pretty good job on the film’s music. Particularly liked the picturization of the songs Tumhi ho bandhu.  The song ‘Lutna‘ that is picturized in a disco, after Veronica finds out that Gautam loves Meera, the song shows Meera dancing on a crowded dance floor, but with good use of lighting and effects, she is shown as if she is standing all alone. One of the songs in the film is sung by Pakistan’s talented singer, Arif Lohar, this is Jugni. It is a version of the song that the artist had sung in Pakistan’s Coke Studio as well. Another song used in the film is by Honey Singh’s currently raging song, ‘Angreezi beat‘. Well, at least this time, Pritam, has given the due credit from where he got the songs in the film.

What I actually didn’t like was the second part of the film; there script seems to become a little lazy and too predictable. There is hardly any scope given to any development of the individual characters of these three people, nor are their well-referenced ‘backgrounds’ explored at any time. You hardly get idea as to why the characters behave as ‘tormented’, at times. The film lacked moments that might have jilted anyone to attention. 

The film seems too comfortable on being laid-back with use of just being too contemporary. It’s flashy, and tries to hard to look cool and hip. The film, written by Imtiaz Ali, seems to draw significant influences out of Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, and Socha Na Tha. It seems to have resorted too a tried and tested formula, for safe rona-dhona, milna-bichadna; and the background of ‘cool’, contemporary Gen-Now situations in it. Wish the writer would have resorted to using his last success, Rockstar, as the main point of influence. 

Homi Adajania’s Cocktail is too concerned about its look and feel, and the pulse of its audience, that it becomes lazy and predictable in between.

 

Though I also wish that Homi Adajania, would have brought some of his debut film’s sensibilities and twists, while directing this film as well. Homi Adajania’s, directorial debut, Being Cyrus, was an interesting offbeat psychological thriller, which had established him as a brilliant new talent. But sadly with Cocktail he misses the mark. It seems the director forgot to bring any personal touch to the table. Blindly following the script, you see few moments of Homi’s sensibilities emerging just in few scenes in between.

Saif overacts a lot, seems like an understatement, it was irritatingly a lot. Well his character has far too many similar shades to the one in ‘Love Aaj Kal‘ and ‘Hum Tum‘ (Hum Tum was definitely a much better film, much better); Casanova serial flirt. Deepika is looking good in the film, it would definitely be one of her best performances so far (ok! yes, agreed. Don’t like her at all). Wild, hot, attention seeking, Veronica definitely got a lot of hoots in the theatre, for sure. Deepika exudes confidence in her character, that does seem to come naturally to her, but so far hadn’t come out in any of her previous films (or so let’s hope, because then only we can be sure she will continue in this good-natural-way in her other projects as well). Diana Penty is really beautiful, she looks refreshing and she seems to fit well in her character of shy, introvert, sacrificing, Meera. But yes, this is another model, which might be able to work wonders in Bollywood ahead, if her talent is well explored. Dimple Kadapdia looks good in the role of a conservative Punjabi-Indian mom, who gets scandalized at the slightest acts of her son and his friends, therefore adding necessary humor in the film. Humor is also added by the performance of Boman Irani, who plays Saif’s maternal uncle in the film. Randeep Hooda, as Meera’s husband for whom she comes all the way from India to London, does a fine job in whatever little time he gets to be on-screen.

Cocktail is a film that has all right ingredients but fails to use them to their full potential

 

The success of the film lies in its casting and right choice of crew (basically the sound department, cinematographer and editor), they all help the film positively, in whatever way they could. It is a decent time pass flick, with cliché melodrama. Especial praises for Anil Mehta, as the film’s cinematographer. Anil has earlier shot some really beautiful films, such as Khamoshi: the Musical, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Lagaan, Wake Up Sid, and even Rockstar.

Cocktail has its funny moments, but it doesn’t hold much fizz in it. This cocktail lacks the necessary dash of Vodka that might have hit the viewers with something out-of-the-box, that would have even worked on to make the film a huge success. 

I would give the film a 2 out of 5. This is basically for it being a well-shot picture, music of the film, Anil Mehta’s cinematography, and well also because of Deepika Padukone (OMG! can’t believe I would ever give any credit to Deepika, ever, but there is always time to appreciate something good when you see it).

 

Cocktail (2012)
Directed By: Homi Adajania
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Diana Penty, Dimple Kapadia, Randeep Hooda, Boman Irani
Written By: Imtiaz Ali & Sajid Ali
Cinematography By: Anil Mehta
Edited By: Shreekar Prasad
Music By: Pritam
Produced By: Saif Ali Khan & Dinesh Vijan