Film Review

A day in the lives of Mr. Wood and Mr. Grumpy (with Ms. Hefty thrown in) is what sums up this short but fairly interesting film. Milan Luthria moves several notches upwards from Deewar and Chori Chori, but does not still encompass the flourish exhibited in his debut Kachhe Dhaage. In principle Taxi 9211 is much like that film- two men from extreme strata of society meet, and their destines intertwine making them realize about some harsh realities of life.

The story is quite nice, and I won’t reveal it here leaving the viewers to discover it – that’s the fun of watching the film.

As a film, it is not a spectacular work – neither ostentiously esoteric nor overtly compelling. Much of the film is left back in the theaters like the thrown away pop-corn packet. There is nothing urging enough to go back to stand in ticket queues to have another look. Yet, there is nothing wrong with the film while it unspools its content on screen. In fact, time passes pretty fast in theater.

Milan Luthria is competent in building up tension – especially the chase/run sequences. The thrill is evident in majority scenes. Plus, keeping the length close to two hours was his major USP – he makes it beefy enough cutting out loose fat. Also, the script works hard on the two protagonists – character delianation, in, what is primarily an action film, is strong, yet subtle and seething.

Performances are good – and Sonali Kulkarni, playing a typical Maharashtrian housewife, is the best, followed very closely by Nana Patekar. Scenes between the two are the most interesting ones. Though Patekar retains his grumpiness, yet he manages to put in such subtle facial expressions that only a seasoned actor can portray. A small example – do watch the scene carefully when John is pushing him to drive the taxi faster. Just a small twitch on the face conveys Patekar’s fear of fast speed excellently!

John Abraham and Sameera Reddy are quite ok. But what in good heavens has Reddy done to herself – she looked stocky and overweight!

There is a small surprise packet in the end. After Sameera’s ‘heavy’ presence, this surprise comes as a breeze of fresh air.

Production is extremely slick; dialogues are pithy; music fits into the narrative (though that scream in background score jars the ears); and cinematography is A-class – shot entirely in Mumbai, it gives a remarkable collage of the city. Sanjay Dutt’s voice-over in the intial scenes gels well.

Overall: Good Timepass

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