Cover picture copyrights: UTV and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment

Venue: Odeon Big Cinema, Connaught Place
Date: 10 December 2015

We have more reasons to thank our traditions than we are aware. Dastangoi (Urdu story telling form) or Kathakata (Bengali story telling form) are among the several story telling art forms practiced in India since centuries. In fact we had reviewed a documentary, “Katha Loknath” that is about a story teller from Orissa .

Imtiaz Ali has given this art a modern twist in Tamasha. His protagonist Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) is a story teller at heart. He fights the battles of Ram, abducts Princess Sanjukta like Prithviraj and lives all the tales that he has heard. However, he is trapped in a 9 to 5 marketing job that he finds mundane and stifling. He meets Tara (Deepika Padukone) and sparks fly, rather crawl. But things happen and life moves.

Many of us are in situations like that. We may have wanted to be a lyricist but landed being a lawyer. Or a painter who is struggling as a production engineer. Or a back-packer who is stuck as a banker. This film is for us. Ved’s progression from the corporate slave to a story teller may be a romantic and oversimplified depiction of how can one break the rut and follow their heart. Nevertheless, it is indeed a call for all such people who may be sales rep during the day but become Spiderman at night! A call for knowing and fighting for their passion no matter what parents, peers or the society tries to force on them.

The film is therefore drawn from life. It is extremely relatable. Ved’s character has been skilfully brought to life by Ranbir Kapoor and that helps. The narration style that goes back and forth in time and space is an experiment that we like. Though it is clearly inspired by Birdman, albeit sans Birdman’s technical brilliance and special effects, somehow this approach has worked for the script.

Not to say that the film is flawless – the starting scenes are stretched; some situations contrived, the unnecessary Kolkata connect and overdose of (decent) music.

But Tamasha has a soul. It is an honest effort that is thoroughly enjoyable.

The case is rested.