Baabarr

After watching the trailers of Baabarr I expected it to be a regular film about the under-world, filled with violence, blood and gore, corruption, politicians and cops in cahoots with gangsters...you know the deal. But the movie came as a complete surprise. It may not be as slick as Shootout at Lokhandwala, but is definitely worth a watch. 

The film is shot in Amanganj, Uttar Pradesh; the starting point being the year 1993. Sarfaraz (Shakti Kapoor)-a butcher is the oldest of 6 brothers and a 12 year old Baabarr, the youngest. Crime is at its peak during the time, and the circumstances sway in such a way that the kid is sucked into the dark world of crime. 

Can you imagine a 12 year old killing someone? Not accidentally, but intentionally. No remorse, no fear, no planning. An act of spontaneity that lures him into a world that exists parallel to ours- the underworld. A harsh reality, not just fiction made up to scare or entertain. 

10 years after his first murder he is now Baabarr Qureshi (Soham Shah), the crazy, short-tempered gangster. His very name evokes fear like nothing else. He does everything from contract killings to abductions to extortion. 

The movie follows his dealings with other gangs, his brother Nawaz (Mukesh Tiwari), his girlfriend Zia (Urvashi Sharma), the corrupt and twisted cop Chaturvedi (Om Puri) and more. He even gets married and has a child, but predictably dies at the end of the film.

Baabarr's eventual death may be predictable, but the plot of the film is definitely not so. Unexpected twists in the film, great dialogues and some amazing acting keep you rooted to your seat.

That being said, some of the fare dished out is regular, like the incessant killings and gang wars and the nexus between criminals and ministers. In shoot outs the bullets never get over on either side. Excpet when Nawaz is to be captured. Convenient.

Coming to the acting. The kid Baabarr is so skinny that you can count all his ribs. But when he kills he does so with conviction. The older Baabarr, Soham Shah, may not be excellent, but he is good. The fact that he is not a great looker probably helped in keeping the character real. His dialogue delivery and diction are fine. He comes across as strong; but his eyes lack the fire that you can see in the eyes of seasoned actors like Ajay Devgn. 

Mithun Chakraborty as Mritunjay (SHO/SP), and Sushant Singh as Tabreesh (gangster, Baabarr's enemy) have given flawless performances. 

The best amonst the lot was perhaps Om Puri. Cunning and shrewd, he is the very epitome of evil. One minute on Baabarr's side, the other second a good cop. The very next moment on the criminal's boat. A standing ovation to the writer, Ikram Akhtar, for creating such a brilliant character.

Urvashi has a small but pivotal role; from being Baabarr's love interest she goes on to become his keep and has a major role to play in his capture by the cops. Her item number "baje raat ke baara" fails to look raunchy though. 

Tinu Anand plays Mamu, Urvashi's uncle. He probably has the best dialogue in the film..."Sookhi tatti pe patthar fenkne se koi faayda nahi hai". Kudos.

The film sends out a message, that crime never dies, merely changes faces. They are all criminals: whether it is Baabarr, Chaturvedi, or the politician Bhaiyaji (Govind Namdeo). And ultimately they all die like dogs.

My suggestion: watch the film once. And though the soundtrack isn't great, you will find yourself humming "Maula ye bata" as you get out of the hall.