Story Anahata Menon
Screenplay Sidharth Sengupta
Dialogue Varun Badola
If you are the kind who likes and understands the genre of PULP FICTION or if you are a fan of Bollywood Cliched, you may like YEH KAALI KAALI ANKHEIN in bits and parts.
By the very nature of belonging to this genre, it has immense scope of having a number of plot holes and “Why the hell is this happening?” moments. A pulp fiction fan can overlook these only if, the writer doesn't try justifying these plot holes.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is - ANURAG KASHYAP meets VISHAL BHARDWAJ meets SHAKESPEARE but fails to keep up with the master QUENTIN TARANTINO.
A pulp fiction however pulpy is true to its genre and doesn’t explain itself.
THE LOGLINE
Relentlessly pursued by a powerful politician's daughter who will do anything to make him hers, a man slips down a dark, risky path to reclaim his life.
The logline itself makes no big claims and you know for sure, it is a story that is over and done a number of times. But Pulp Fiction Genre fans are always curious to know HOW?
Sadly, the logline tells nothing about the protagonist which could have added the much needed central conflict to it.
STORY IDEA and SCRIPT
The story is not new. We have seen our mainstream Bollywood HERO (Man) pursuing a Woman using his power and brawn ( R Rajkumar, Tevar).
Here, we see it with a gender reversal. But haven’t we seen that too? (Chahaat, Aitraz)
Also, the ode to Bollywood cliched is adorable but after a point, it vanishes. Either the writer ran out of ideas or felt that it may hinder the narration.
Episodes 1 and 2 are truly gripping, crazy, absurd and you are left wanting for more of that absurdity. But from here on there are dips in the narrative leading to the further episodes slagging a bit. Again, major reason - Songs, some of which are entertaining and add to the scale but not always to the story.
The Romance between Vikrant and Shikha has a small town, an old-world charm to it with a dash of cute Bollywood cliched and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish the writer would have explored their relationship a bit more even during the chaos that ensues.
Some of the twists like the one at the end of episode 2 are amazing and each time you think there is a plateau in the narrative a twist is thrown in. Some work, some fall flat.
SCREENPLAY
The screenplay is crisp and tight for the first two episodes and even the songs don’t hinder, they add. "Tu kissi rel si guzarti hai" inspired - "Bheeg Bheega", too, is refreshing and takes the romance further. The writer doesn’t waste any time and pages of the screenplay in letting us know what exactly is the story about. I love that!
BUT
The screenplay was probably for maybe six or a maximum of seven episodes so the gaps are filled with songs (some unnecessary ones) and slow-mo, follow-shots.
I like the fact that the writer depicts patriarchy very subtly in Vikrant’s family scenes without actually highlighting it.
I loved the intro scene and Vikrant’s voice-over worked for me. I so much wanted to come back here and know more. But we are kept hanging for an obvious season 2.
The scenes where Vikrant visualizes his options, which are sometimes laced with special effects add to the craziness, for good.
The Russian Roulette scene and the wedding song, break the narrative.
DIALOGUES
The dialogues are well written and filmy to the hilt. But sadly they lack the intelligence of a pulp. Yes, that’s where Tarantino scores.
Here, they are written with the purpose of garnering an effect so sometimes they appear off-beat with the character.
The family scenes are my favourite. Finally, a writer has been able to get the flavour of authenticity and comic timing in these naturalistic settings correct.
Lately, some others have simply been poor copies of Dum Lagake Haisha and Badhai Ho.
Varun Badola’s clever dialogues help these scenes.
CHARACTER ARC
Vikrant is not our quintessential hero, his helplessness may get to you but as a viewer, you know ki Jab Kuch Karega toh Mazaa toh ayega. And the absurdity with which each of his plans fails, surely, adds to the fun but not to Vikrant’s character arc. After 8 episodes he remains the same old dumb Vikrant who was more assertive as a kid.
Shikha is Vikrant’s love interest, equally helpless and at the mercy of a boyfriend who carelessly keeps risking her and her families life.
I would have loved to see some arc in Shikha’s character. She should have been a part of certain plans that Vikrant makes. Imagine, Vikrant and Shikha both, together, pitted against Purva and her gang of goon family.
Purva’s words “Kya tum mere dost banoge?” and her “killing, cold smile” define her but nothing beyond that. The menace that she can create could have been meatier.
Suryakant, Vikrant’s father is one of the very few well-carved secondary characters.
Akheraj and Dharmesh come across as slow and dimwit, at times.
Forgiven! It’s Pulp Fiction!
But definitely, we could have lived without watching Golden’s character. We have seen far too many of these. Hero ka friend, for laughs.
Here, he gets crude and vulgar!
THE PLOT-HOLES
Why does Purva take so long to discover about Shikha?
Why does Vikrant have a friend like Golden? He blatantly insults his girlfriend by body-shaming her, he runs a porn theatre, he has absolutely no regard or respect for the other sex. His language is coarse.
Why does Vikrant use foul language in front of his parents and girlfriend?
The foul language is justified for characters like Akheraj, Dharmesh and their entourage but not for Good Boy, Studious, Topper, Engineer Vikrant.
Why does Dharmesh or Akheraj take so long to recollect who could have leaked the info?
Akheraj is very powerful and has his clout so he can get the electric power, water supply to be cut off, but mobile services? I am not sure!
Can he do that?
Vikrant’s father ideally should have personally spoken to Akheraj about this, instead, Vikrant is shown going to various Babus only to discover after so many years that his city is corrupt.
Why Vikrant is always so slow in sharing vital information with his girlfriend, Shikha, whom he loves so much?
Shikha gets to know that Vikrant is going to be married to Purva, through the news.
Why does Vikrant search for the News Article in various newspapers?
He has shared the news with only one channel reporter and that channel isn’t running the story.
What are the chances of it being on other channels or print media?
WORST SCENE
The Gay sequence is in very bad taste and the dialogues in those scenes may sound offensive to many. Totally unnecessary and irresponsible.
Just because we have free reign on the web, we, writers cannot simply go overboard with crutches of choicest of Abusive language.
Remarks that are intended to be demeaning, humiliating, mocking, insulting, or belittling a race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity of an individual need to be used cautiously and responsibly.
Calling out the character who makes these remarks onscreen is also essential.
ON THE SCRIPTOMETER
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein could have been a GOOD Script but remains averagely stunted. A proper culmination to season one could have really worked wonders for it.
An early season 2 with a powerful Act 3 could really make season 1 more watchable.
NOZZER PARDIWALA
*Since I review the film from the perspective of the SCRIPT alone, I may not comment on the acting, music, and other aspects of the film, however exceptional they may be.
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