Mumbai Cutting

When you get country’s top-notch auteurs to put their brains in one film, it becomes insanely difficult to contain the excitement in film buffs like us. And this one film called ‘Mumbai Cutting’ which has been brewing for quite a long time (it has been delayed of its release for almost two years) has teased us enough now.

The movie has travelled all around the globe, has been showcased in some 10 festivals including one in India (Osean’s) but has been never been given a chance to be released here in India because ts production house Sahara One Motion Pictures (now known Sahara Motion Pictures) went bankrupt.

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But it seems the banner has recovered from recession and is ready to hit the audience this month with the film which was made to make a statement in star struck Bollywood. Yeah. There are no stars in the film. There are just actors playing characters which could be you, us or that jerk you always hated. Not to say that our film-stars can’t act. They have marvelously kept the cinemagoers engaged in their senseless charade for long which of course requires some skill. But anyways before our frustration resurges, lets get back to the point.

Mumbai Cutting is a collage of 11 short stories being directed by mavericks like Sudhir Mishra (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi), Jahnu Barua (Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara), Ayush Raina, Shashank Ghosh (Waisa Bhi Ho Raha Hai Part II), Ruchi Narain (Kal), Rahul Dholakia (Parzania), Manish Jha (Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women), Revathy (Phir Milenge), Kundan Shah (Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron), (Rituparno Ghosh (Raincoat) and Anurag Kashyap (Black Friday).

But how was it so easy to get all of these filmmakers together was one equation our minds refused to decifer so we decided to get in touch with the producer of the film Niyati Shah to know what exactly happened.

“This one was purely to make a mark in Bollywood. To make a movie without stars that do not really entertain first time producers. Well I am friends with Sudhir and Anurag so I discussed the idea and they really liked it and then they attracted all other directors. They really got excited with this short film idea and the experiment. And all of these directors are known to be stubborn and arrogant but they were very sweet because they got the idea what I had in mind and were genuinely excited about it,” Niyati said.

Excited about experimenting can be very well seen. For instance Kundan Shah’s story ‘Hero’ starring Deepak Dobriyal (who has films like Omkara, Delhi 6, Gulaal, Maqbool to boast of) is a comedy and, hold your breath, a comedy. It reminds us of ‘Jane Bhi Do Yaaro’ times which is a cult classic now and makes this one a must watch.

Anurag Kashyap who as a producer gave us one of the most articulate and empathetic film on teenage issues is donning the director’s cap again for the story named ‘Pramod Bhai 23’. The story is about a child deliquent who is obsessed with underworld and Bollywood whose life gets entangled with Pramod Bhai, an out of work actor who conducts drama work shop in the remand home. Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Bombay Mumbai Same Shit’ starring Jimmy Shergill is about a South Mumbai crook who is a pseudo and leads a “freaky” life. While Revathy’s ‘Parcel’ is on human trafficking, a perfect plot since Mumbai is a hub for it.

Well that was just a teaser to keep your tongues wagging for more. Go watch it, World Cup or no World Cup.

From the March 2011 issue of FHM India.