That Girl In Yellow Boots

Just watched the movie "That Girl In Yellow Boots" (TGIYB) which basically was a Kalki Koechlin movie, directed by her husband Anurag Kashyap.  I have to tell that I missed the first 15 minutes of the movie after getting stuck in the bad Delhi traffic.  I had already read about it and then quickly caught up with friends about the story line.

Kalki Kochelin 

I never write movie reviews, because I don't think I have any expertise in doing that. I don't have the expertise to comment on some one's labour of love!

I only write about how I felt about watching the movie and afterwards.  Well, to begin with, I feel I went with huge expectations (doesn't mean that they were not met at all) I think, thankfully, the Indian audience is getting the taste of some refined delicacies.  Earlier, one had to classify movies as "Art" or "Masala" to know what it would be like.  But now, there's a mix breed of movies, a completely new genre of movies which are narrated from the point of view of an ordinary urban man or woman ; which not necessarily be big budget but will move you with its honesty of expression.  

I have written about the  movie  "Dhobi Ghat" and I feel this movie TGIYB  falls in the same genre... the amalgamated form of story telling and movie making.  It makes you look at things as they are, how they are and where they are.  They bring out the filth and dirt on the large screen without being labelled as a documentary film or an art cinema.  They just show things and stay away from preaching anything to the audience.  

The movie is based in Mumbai ( Please some one make movies on Delhi ! It's versatile in texture and feel).  The story revolves around a poor girl searching for her father in India, working at a massage parlour (and you know what that means.... in Indian context), falling in all wrong hands and getting exploited by everyone.  You face a big shock at the end..... you are left asking questions... there are too many unanswered questions in the movie. 

Watch it for the good acting of Kalki.  She has done full justice to her role in the movie. Avoid it if you are salivating by seeing the Censor Board's "A" on it because there's nothing for you there.  Expression was symbolic mostly, so wasn't really vulgar except for a few terms used.

Another that struck me is that she has been portrayed as a very courageous and determined girl.  But the brutality of the world around has been shown in dim light.  She could have suffered badly, worse than what she faced now.  But surprisingly she was spared by a lot of trouble possible for a single and foreigner girl in a big merciless city.

Also, a few questions which am not able to find any answer are lurking in my mind... as to what stopped her mother to tell about the abusive father, whom she came searching to India? So I can say the story was not very very well spun, but definitely a class apart from some of the bollywood no-brainers!  

The movie brings to the fore certain societal issues, which I don't think are very relevant to Indian society.  It talks of incest. Now, I don't think incest between a father and a daughter is common in Indian context.  Familial ties and bonding and above that the basic set of moral responsibilities still act as a dominating factor even when parents and children and siblings share close and cramped living space in India.  So, somehow I felt this was a foreign element to Indian scenario.

Overall, a good movie for the one's who like to watch something less entertaining and more meaningful. But honestly, I'm not awed by it! Or may be I expected a lot lot more from it.

RESTLESS