The other day I was watching the movie Well Done Abba of Shyam Benegal. It portrays the true picture of corruption in the government offices in a witty manner, in Benegal's way. It is a story of an illiterate Muslim car driver of Mumbai who visits his native village in Andhra Pradesh. His struggle with the government authorities to grant him money under a government scheme to build a well in his village where there is water scarcity.
Shyam Benegal can narrate a story by touching many social issues in a humorous way. Never it appears in his movies that he is forcefully intertwining the social issues with the story. Here too he touches many issues like oppression of women in Islam, innocent Muslim girls' exploitative marriages with dubious Arab Shaikhs, communal riots, all-pervasive corruption, un-empowered women representatives of local self governments, unaccountable politicians who always indulge in blame game etc. There are many funny moments in the movie.
The actors too acted well in their roles. Boman Irani as the driver, Minissha Lamba as his dauther, Ila Arun, Ravi Kishan, Rajit Kapur etc all have done their bit. Music was nothing to write about. Aesthetics like sets, costumes etc are believable as always in Benegal movies. Not much to write about the cinematography.
When compared with his other satirical comedy Welcome to Sajjanpur, this is not that good. Welcome to sajjanpur was lot better. The witty dialogue in that movie would have you in splits through out the movie. This movie too has that kind of dialogue but comes infrequently in between. The character of the brother of the driver was not that funny. That thread of love story between the daughter of the driver and the automobile mechanic is not that good.
On the whole it is nice movie to watch. I dont know why Benegal's movies don't get popular response they so deserve.
Shyam Benegal can narrate a story by touching many social issues in a humorous way. Never it appears in his movies that he is forcefully intertwining the social issues with the story. Here too he touches many issues like oppression of women in Islam, innocent Muslim girls' exploitative marriages with dubious Arab Shaikhs, communal riots, all-pervasive corruption, un-empowered women representatives of local self governments, unaccountable politicians who always indulge in blame game etc. There are many funny moments in the movie.
The actors too acted well in their roles. Boman Irani as the driver, Minissha Lamba as his dauther, Ila Arun, Ravi Kishan, Rajit Kapur etc all have done their bit. Music was nothing to write about. Aesthetics like sets, costumes etc are believable as always in Benegal movies. Not much to write about the cinematography.
When compared with his other satirical comedy Welcome to Sajjanpur, this is not that good. Welcome to sajjanpur was lot better. The witty dialogue in that movie would have you in splits through out the movie. This movie too has that kind of dialogue but comes infrequently in between. The character of the brother of the driver was not that funny. That thread of love story between the daughter of the driver and the automobile mechanic is not that good.
On the whole it is nice movie to watch. I dont know why Benegal's movies don't get popular response they so deserve.
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