If you haven’t seen Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola and are half-inclined to do so, just do it, please. But if you’re one of those who have a hunch it’s simply not the sort of movie you are going to like — well, it probably is. It’s that kind of movie.

You probably know the storyline by now (and it’s but a Google click away), so let me get to the point. Which is that hardcore masala addicts are likely to ask, somewhere before the interval: Where is this film going? The short answer to that very valid question is: nowhere or everywhere. The journey is the destination.

And what a ride it is. This is the kind of commercial Hindi movie we haven’t seen in a long, long time, and are unlikely to, soon — unless Vishal Bhardwaj sets out to make another film of such inspired lunacy.

Watching this film is like being set free and riding a breeze: darting here and there in incredibly light moves, driven by a sense of exhilaration, doing nothing else but taking in the marvels whooshing past you. It’s as if the filmmaker decided to let his imagination and writing soar unfettered, and then fashioned it all into one break-free film.

Watch it to see the work of a director of immeasurable craft and for Pankaj Kapur, who turns in a performance that separates the men from the boys, the actor from the stars. And for comedy and satire that is rare to find in Hindi cinema. After years of being bludgeoned by the heavy-handed, vulgar antics that pass for comic acting in Bollywood, what a joy it is to see such clever, subtle writing, given life by some really terrific acting and accomplished direction.

This is, without doubt, one of Pankaj Kapur’s best performances, certainly his most enjoyable one. To watch this great actor at work is, simply, a thing of joy. It’s the ‘less is more’ principle in action in gloriously subtle shades. And it makes us realise how overdosed we’ve been on the hyper-acting style of mainstream Bollywood.

Of the rest of the cast, only Shabana Azmi comes close in yet another beautifully calibrated performance.

Imran Khan tries very hard and it shows, but he does acquit himself decently. It is Arya Babbar who turns out to be the surprise package of the film as a rich dimwit. But I have to say that if I have to see Anushka Sharma in one more over-chirpy role, I will need to see a doctor. This is about the only complaint I have about the movie: why has Bhardwaj fallen prey to Anushka’s image when he has broken the mould so successfully with Imran Khan?

The incomparable Gulzar’s lyrics and Bhardwaj’s own music are the pink icing on this deceptively light-as-air cake. Deceptive because, if you want to look for social comment or message, there’s plenty — from alcoholism to SEZs to nefarious politicians… But it’s all cleverly wrapped in wit. Like the Mao Tse Tung spinoff jokes, or when Shabana Azmi (playing a scheming politician) raises a toast and says “ Kursiyaan !” (‘Cheers’, often pronounced ‘chairs’ in the North; thus, aptly, kursiyaan ).

Given that much of the dialogue is in a Haryanvi dialect, you’re likely to miss some of the lines. I couldn’t catch them all myself certainly; definitely need to see the movie again.

Hopefully there are more filmgoers like me, for it is so important that films like this don’t lose money at the box office. The weekend collections have been reasonably encouraging (Rs 22.4 crore) but at a budget of Rs 33-plus crore, it has some way to go. However, these figures are some indication of the winds of change blowing favourably for good cinema.

More indications followed at the Screen Awards and the Filmfare nominations. The lists are near-identical in the four big categories and it’s so heartening to see small films like Vicky Donor , Paan Singh Tomar , Kahaani and English Vinglish and mid-budget ones like Gangs of Wasseypur and Barfi! edge out the all-too-predictable, been-there-done-that biggies like Jab Tak Hai Jaan , Dabangg 2 , Heroine , Agneepath and Talaash in the Best Films category.

Of course, the acting nominations featured the big stars too — the three Khans, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan — and rightly so. Star power propels the business. And let’s give the supernovas some credit for trying to be convincing in yawn-inducing roles.

What’s exciting is to see actors like Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpayee alongside the supernovas in that list. Some years ago, these actors might have found a place only in the Critics’ Awards, with not enough popular votes to get them to the main category.

So, to see Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar win Screen ’s Best Film award was a heart-warming surprise. Even better, Irrfan shared the Best Actor trophy with Ranbir Kapoor. Hopefully, this will be an inflection point in our cinema.

shashibaliga@gmail.com

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