Movie Review: Zubaan speaks up, quite loud and clear

No fluff or truffles here. This one’s all about loathing the family, and some more.

Welcome to the world of gore, secrets behind closed doors, ill-begotten Italian marble floors, the works. Cut rightaway, then,  to a despotic dad, a diabolical mom and their spineless son who’re  joined, one tempestuous evening, by an underling employee at the ritzy dining table. Sparks fly.



In fact, that single scene in Zubaan, co-written and directed fervently by Mozez Singh, grabs you by the collar. It’s disclosed that all’s not well with the Sikands: a filthy rich clan which adds more bucks to a business empire by hosting corporate guests from Japan to a cabaret, and has no compunctions about resorting to violence and bribes. Yikes.

All the money in every bank from Gurgaon to Swiss scapes, can’t buy this nouveau riche family a shred of love. Now it’s up to that dining-table intruder – Gurdaspur-born boy Dilsher (Vicky Kaushal)— to help himself to a piece of the pie with the cunning of a talented Mr Ripley. Stealth means wealth? Right.

Hang on though, the outcome isn’t all about avarice, deceit and woe though. On the contrary, there is something refreshingly placid about the introduction of the knee-high Gurdaspur boy who reveres his father, a gurdwara singer. Impaired by a pronounced stutter, the boy can’t ever aspire to  sing with as much devotion and dedication. His mind’s boggled by confusion.

Optionally, Dilsher resolves to look for a  placement somewhere in the booming satellite townships of New Delhi. Inspired by the rags-to-riches story of  construction site supervisor Gurucharan Sikand (Manish Chaudhary), the boy dreams big. After all, hadn’t Sikand once gifted him a pen, saying words to the effect, “Keep that. You can become like me some day.”



That’s easier dreamt than done, of course. The boy uses every fair’n-foul trick in the book, gains entry into the Sikand real-estate empire, and with Machiavellian ease assumes the role of a surrogate son to tycoon Guru Sikand aka the ‘Loyan from Gurdaspur’. Any allusion to Ajit the Loin, unintended.

Meanwhile Sikand’s ditzy son is in a terrible tizzy. Mrs Sikand has her own game-plan. So what if a 1,000 skeletons begin to tumble out of her wardrobe? Tough.

There’s  more:  Dilsher who’s quite a Dude by now strikes up chemistry with a pop singer (Sarah-Jane Dias). Oh oh. Unwittingly, the female quotient emerges as an airhead. However, if you’re the sort to have a thing about nostalgia, Lady Pop’s an updated version of Zeenat Aman’s flower-child from Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Dumb maaro dumb anyone? Sorry but this romantic section, serves as a speed-breaker to the otherwise snappy storytelling tempo.

Indeed the cooing-billing, vaguely existential dialoguebaazi and a drug-induced hallucinatory interlude, erode the plot’s central and far more exploratory conflict. How you wish the clash of nerves between Guruchand Sikand and his ‘surrogate’ son, had been elaborated to the maximum degree. That both the 50-something tycoon and the 20-something ersatz son, are actually clued into each other’s tactics is stated, yes, but insufficiently.

Such grouses aside, the film has lots of uppers. It’s a hard look at the facade behind smile-flashing hi-society types who in reality are as uncouth as they come. It’s as critical of the youth’s aspirational drive towards successdom. Best of all, the finale –let’s keep it under wraps -- is pitch-perfect, leaving you with goose pimples.

Of the music score, there’s an overload. The traditional ballads,  devotional songs and an oriental-Sufi fusion, are excellent. Not so the pop-rock ditties, especially the TV talent audition thingy, which is an ear-sore.

Stylewise Swapnil Sonawane’s moodily-lit cinematography, the authentic locations and Khyatee Kanchan’s production design are top-of-the-line assets.



For most part of the way, Mozez Singh’s direction reveals an iconoclastic edge  tempered by senisivitity. Plus, he has extracted remarkable peformances from his acting crew. Meghna Malik as the dread-exuding dragonette of a mother is impressive.  Harmehroz Singh as Dilsher Jr is eminently likeable. Despite their ill-written parts, Sarah-Jane Dias and the ne-er-do-well son, Raaghav Chanana, carry out their alloted vignettes competently.

As the nouveau riche tycoon, Manish Chaudhary is near-flawless. And it’s a pleasure to watch Vicky Kaushal as the hick-turned-smart-Alec. Close on the heels of Masaan, he affirms that he’s an actor who applies intelligence, study (note his accurate accent and well-punctuated stutters),and conviction into a role of severe complexity.



Notwithstanding its unevenness,  Zubaan speaks up quite fluently. It’s a welcome addition to B-town’s output which dares to buck the formula.

For those who relish the daringly different, here’s a ticket to ride.


Image Source: facebook/ZubaanTheMovie