Nov 29, 2008

The Best 'GoodBye' Ever !

What would you do if you came to know one fine day that you have got your last 90 days on earth?
And especially if your life till now had nothing to make you feel worthy about ?
And every morning you woke up and made a mundane , silly 'Things To Do Today' list and finished your day crossing each of those things...
And if you had no love, no wife , no close friends, no one to talk to except your old mom who's hard on hearing....
Hmm, thats the story of Amar (Vinay Pathak) the plump, bespectacled accounts manager with a penchant for making things-to-do lists. His life takes a U-turn when a routine visit to the doctor reveals that he has stomach cancer. Faced with the prospect of dying without having truly enjoyed life and egged on by his flamboyant alter ego, Amar makes his umpteenth list — 'things-to-do-before-I-die.'
He quits his job, plucking up courage to settle a score with his obnoxious boss and embarks in pursuit of his dreams — a shiny red car, a foreign trip, confessing his love to a childhood crush, guitar lessons and reuniting with an estranged brother...all within the span of his last days.

Touchy, poignant yet interspersed with comical elements and some erratic screenplay, 'Dasvidaniyan' is a film about fulfilling your wishes and dreams ...and how to say your last 'Good Bye'.
Infact , the title is derived from a Russian word 'Dosvidaniyan'which means 'Alvida' or Goodbye. Interestingly, it was modified to 'Das'vidaniyan ..'Das'(ten) representing Amar's last 10 wishes or Things to do !

I could touch an instant chord with the protagonist Amar, a kind-hearted soul who longs for love, friendship and some meaning in his life....I could feel the shy, quiet, submissive Mr.Missunderstood.

Kailash Kher's soul stirring 'Alvida' , mesmerising 'Muskura' and the eminently lively track 'Mumma' make it an exemplary musical sojourn. The background music makes up for some slack pace of the movie.
The lyrics are just too good ..."zindagi na mil ajnabi ban ke..." (hey life..don't meet me like a stranger)

A few scenes in the movie stand out , almost making you weepy, shedding your tears or smiling at yourself ...which I think is the hallmark of this film.
The interaction between Amar and a Russian hot chick who seduces him and eventually falls for his simplicity is dealt with sublime and subtle romanticism.
Almost lyrical.."pal bhar ke liye koi humein pyar kar le ...jhootha hi sahi " (can somebody love me ...for a moment , just for a moment...no matter if itsnt true or false, just love me..for a while)

And he pays her due by leaving behind an audio cd of her favorite Bollywood songs.

He pays everyone their due...even as he complained that he never received any gifts in his lifetime...
he leaves behind his new car for his guitar teacher,
his apartment for the salesgirl who helped him buy his car,
his guitar for his boss...
a photo-album for his childhood love.








Best shot : Amar meets his childhood crush after 12 years. She is married now and has a beautiful home , a nice hubby and a sweet daughter. She is happy to meet Amar and invites him to dinner.She tells her hubby over dinner that Amar is great at dumb charades and they both used to beat everyone in this game in their childhood.

He leaves and then returns after a while, walks into the rain, stands at her door, and plays this game of Dumb Charades for the last time.
In the silence of the night. With no sound except of those raindrops.
He signals. She decodes.
Three words.
English.
Last word ....
You.
First word....
I.
Second Word...

He places his hands on his heart...she decodes, moves towards him...he moves back...in slow motion...the camera shows him walking away...drenched in the rain...smiling....
'Goodbye.'

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, I saw this movie Sat night only.... But I felt as if I saw it once again.

Sumran said...

Indeed, its a collector's item.

Anonymous said...

One of the best movies I have seen in recent times. The Cine board should consider sending this to the Oscars rather than craps it usually sends. Then we have a fair chance of winning.

Anonymous said...

very nicely written... amar toh amar ho gaya :)

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