Black [2005]

Black
Reviewed: 5th February 2005

Expectations
My expectations from Black were pretty huge. Simply because I think Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the most celebrated directors in our country, and rightly so. As a filmmaker, he is beyond words and as a director; he has always been amongst the best. On top of that the cast bought together two of my favourite actors – Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji. Amitabh Bachchan, is, as we all know – the ‘actor’ we all love… Rani has been a personal favourite since the day she entered the industry. And Sanjay Leela Bhansali has this power of creating a wonderful aura around his actors, bringing them to their best and churning out some of their best performances.

When you think of Sanjay Leela Bhansali – you think ‘bigger than life’… Black is big, it’s made on a huge canvas, and it’s obvious that the film has had a lot of money spent on it. However, it is not larger than life, in fact it brings you down to a certain reality in life that maybe you’ve never experienced, and possibly you may never experience. Black IS an experience that our cinema was in great need of.

Promotion
To be honest, the promotion of the film I felt was not as good as it could’ve been. The audio never managed to be released, and the television promos, though extremely eye-catching, were hardly always ‘there’… There was an extreme lack of promotion for Black. But for those who are ‘movie buffs’ there was enough. Interviews from the cast and crew, makings on the television and a lot of industry hype around the film.

Comments on Story
Black is a story that I felt I was waiting for my entire life. The way each nuance was portrayed, everything about it, just had this amazing feeling. Black has taught me a lot, I did not even know existed.

You cry with Michelle, you cry for Michelle. You cry at her achievements, you cry for her happiness… Black is all about happiness… One thing I realised was that Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rani Mukerji were more than right in saying that Black is not a story of depression, it’s not a story about feeling sorry for the protagonist, you don’t get time to feel sorry for Michelle… You feel her anguish, but more than that you feel her power to learn, her power to ‘know’ more, her strength, her achievements…

Something that shocked and surprised me was the comedy. I did not expect so many ‘light’ (quite an ironic word for this film) moments from the film! Debraj, as a character, brings you many comical situations, as well as bringing you extremely emotional points towards the end.

Michelle and Debraj interacting has to be the most beautiful, the most stunning, interaction I’ve seen developed between two lead characters of a film. Their relationship is dealt with such sensitivity, such power… It’s just too good.

Moments That Stood Out
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

- Near the beginning when Michelle (Rani) is told by her sister Sara (Nandana) that Debraj (Amitabh) is back… when they meet him near the fountain, and how Michelle draws that cross on the car window and then runs to meet Debraj… Awesome scene…

- Interaction between young Michelle (Ayesha) and Debraj, at the dining table, when he begins teaching her ‘table manners’…

- When Debraj teaches young Michelle in 20 days… Especially the moments where she learns ‘spoon’ and he tries teaching her ‘napkin’, and then soon after when she learns ‘water’ and then ‘mother’ and ‘papa’… These moments were breath-taking, absolutely mind-blowing…

- When Michelle is being interviewed by the Uni people to see whether she will be accepted, and Mrs Nair is their with her… I felt so sorry for Michelle here, but then I realised not to feel sorry for her, because she’s so intelligent and strong, she finds her way out and excels…

- At the dining table when Sara gives a speech, when her fiancé is there… Oh God I felt like hitting Sara so much lol… And then Debraj reads Michelle’s speech aww

- When Michelle moves into her new house, near her Uni… Man that was a wonderful scene… When she trips up and then laughs at herself aww

- At school, when Michelle argues the teacher saying that she can also ‘see’ dreams, so you do not need eyes to dream…

- When Michelle gets angry and types 60+ words in 2 minutes…

- When Debraj takes Michelle out for an ice cream and forgets her, and when Michelle comes back she tells Debraj never to forget her…

- When Michelle and Debraj are in the garden at school and some student bumps into them and Debraj shouts at him and Michelle is having a go too and she’s about to hit the guy with her stick but she’s aiming the wrong way… aww that was too cute!

- Sara’s wedding day when Debraj is narrating what’s happening to Michelle, that was really sweet…

- Michelle’s graduation speech, that her mother, Mrs McNally, narrates… Oh this is too awesome, very emotional…

- When Michelle goes to Debraj in the hospital, she takes the chains off him and walks away holding the chains, so cute!! And when she goes to visit him again, wearing her graduation robe and hat… That’s awesome…

- And of course the ending, going to church… Fantastic ending…

Screenplay & Editing
The screenplay and editing of Black is outstanding! I did not expect it to have such a tight screenplay and such classy editing, because usually Bhansali’s films tend to… drag, slightly… But Black is his best screenplay till date, and also his sister Bela’s best editing to this day. Both the screenplay and editing are top form. Each frame of Black haunts you hours after watching the film. You can close your eyes, and visualise it all, it’s beautiful… Too beautiful.

Costumes
I absolutely loved the costumes, which is why I’m writing a part of this review dedicated entirely to the costumes! Hats off to Sabysachi for contributing, hugely, in making the film have such a beautiful look! The costumes are extremely different for a Hindi film, but definitely in a positive way. Move out Manish Malhotra, someone just replaced you on my favourite designers list hunnie!!

Art Direction
Wow… Superb, stunning… As always, Bhansali makes sure that his film’s art direction is a scene-stealer! You cannot help but be left in awe of the beautiful sets… It’s absolutely fantastic!

Cinematography
Oh my God, the cinematography was awesome. Too awesome! It’s one of the best cinematographed films I have ever seen. Crystal clear! The film does have black shades, but it makes black look like the most beautiful shade available!

Background Score
As always, as expected, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, once yet again, excels with it’s background score. The background music makes you ‘feel’ the tension, it contributes hugely to setting the atmosphere. Well done Monty!

Dialogues
OK, yes the dialogues are very much in English… But the way they have been written, and the way the film is made, I cannot imagine it any other way. The film was destined to be written in part English, part Hindi… It’s just the way it is, it had to be this way. I cannot explain why I feel so, but I just cannot imagine having watched Black fully in English or fully in Hindi… I just loved the mixed-ness of it all… Dialogue delivery was good and SPECIAL MENTION, VERY SPECIAL MENTION to the Sign Language… I loved the hand movements, everyone was really good and clear… Beautiful.

Performances The supporting cast, were all – fantastic. Whether it be Michelle’s father, or the professor, her caretaker, or Mrs Nair… Everyone left a mark!

Shernaz Patel as the mother, Mrs McNally, was the best onscreen mother, I’ve ever seen. Her characterization was definitely superb, and her performance, heart-warming…

Nandana Deb Sen as the jealous sister, Sara, was in full form. I’ve never seen Nandana, the actress, before, so for me this is her debut – and was she fantastic or what! She looked gorgeous and performed fabulously!

Ayesha is outstanding, she was the surprise package of the film! For a little child, innocent and naïve, to churn out a performance which possibly some of our ‘top’ actors/actresses couldn’t churn out in their entire career of experiences, Ayesha excels, and saying she excels does not begin to cover how amazing she is in Black. This little girl is the most promising newcomer I’ve seen in the history of Cinema! I cannot believe her performance. Her eyes, her facial expression… They spoke volumes… The best performance I’ve seen from a child artiste, no doubt, and one of the best performances I’ve seen EVER, actually, regardless to age!

Amitabh Bachchan Mr Bachchan – the name spells success and his success is one no one would want to argue. His talent is such, that someone should not argue, but arguing Mr Bachchan’s talent, is like arguing the word – ‘talent’ itself. I have not seen every one of his films, so I don’t know if Black is his best, he’s always so amazing, but one thing is for sure, that I do not know how many actors can reach the age of 60 and give a performance so strong, so powerful… He is full of strength. Amitabh Bachchan in Black is amongst one of the finest performances any actor has ever given, if not the best all time. His dialogue delivery leaves you in awe, but I think the best thing about his performance is his hand movements, the power he has in his hands is amazing. You have to see the film to believe his performance.

Rani Mukerji Saying Rani is amazing, would be the understatement of the year! Black has assured me that Rani is my favourite actress, ever. She’s the most amazing actress, ‘in my film-watching time’, and there is no doubt about that. Versatility from now on will remain her middle name. I don’t think there is any actress in the past 10 or more years who has been able to give such diverse performances and excel at them so beautifully. From now on, Rani Mukerji tops the list of my favourite actresses. The grace with which she enacts Michelle, makes it undoubtedly the best female performance I’ve seen in my entire life, from any actress! Absolutely mind-blowing, breath-taking… Her facial expressions… Her eyes, her smile… She oozed innocence, warmth and such a child-like touch, that no other actress could dream of doing.

I can go on using adjectives to describe the performances given by Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Ayesha; forever and ever, because they have truly given performances which the audience can be blessed in seeing probably only once in a lifetime. Oh God they were just too good.

Direction
Sanjay Leela Bhansali… The name reminds you first of ‘Devdas’, then of ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and then of ‘Khamoshi’… Strangely, I feel, for me at least, I think of his career the ‘other way round’… But from yesterday onwards, Sanjay Leela Bhansali for me, means Black… And Black, for me, means Sanjay Leela Bhansali! I think this is the most challenging film a director (who has previously tasted success with Devdas and HDDCS) could’ve directed. I don’t know what to say about the way SLB directed Black. All I can say is that this man is the best director we will ever see in our cinema. He surpassed not only everyone else, but also himself, with Black. I don’t think the performances could’ve been a spot of what they were, without Sanjay Bhansali. I don’t think anything else, either (every aspect of the film) could have been what it was without SLB. Black was entirely Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s show, and this film assures me that this man is the best director I have seen. No other director would risk making a film like Black, and I don’t see any other director excelling at making such a film, but Bhansali has, and I love him for that. He’s the best, and I say that today, without any doubts!

Audience Feedback & Box Office
I am not going to become Taran Adarsh part II so do not worry! lol… The cinema in which I saw Black (Odeon, Uxbridge, The Chimes) was in absolute awe of the film. Every person in the cinema hall was enjoying and loving the film. I do not know if I’ve ever witnessed such a fantastic response! Everyone, men and women, were crying their hearts out at the emotional scenes, and laughing from their hearts at the comical moments… OK I do not know whether the audience will accept Black, on a whole, but what I know is that those who do not watch Black in the cinema, are missing the most beautiful cinematic experience available. It’s entirely YOUR LOSS if you miss out on seeing this film in the cinema. It’s made to be viewed in the cinema, and you will not be cheated.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I bow down to you today, for being one of the most brilliant filmmakers the world will ever see. Thank you for giving me an experience as beautiful as Black, and opening my eyes, or rather bringing me into a light, I had never before seen. Thank you.