Kai Po Che

The simple yet effective story, wonderful camera angles, superb background score coupled with brilliant acting by newcomers made this film a worth watch. After a long time (since Barfi) Bollywood has churned out a real good cinema.  Kai Po Che is an effective and interesting adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s Three Mistakes of My Life.

The characterisation of all the three protagonists is done very vividly. The protagonists look like real characters, people with whom we can relate, people who are real. Not having well-known stars in the film has worked in its favour by giving it a freshness that is detached from typical Hindi films. Rajkumar Yadav, Amit Sadh and Sushant Singh Rajput Ishan perfectly jelled in their respective roles and made the narrative even more wonderful. Sushant Singh Rajput, one more gem of my home town remains the heart of the film.

The first half of the film is an endearing tale of friendship and male bonding as each friend tries to help the other. The second half is a sensitive portrayal of how the Bhuj earthquake in 2001 and then the Godhra riots of 2002 change their lives and relationships forever.

There is no Bollywood type fighting from the bad man, no larger than life sets and no actual song and dance sequence. The film revolves around three real characters and how they react and respond in different situations to achieve their dreams and aspirations.  Many people are referring it as coming of age cinema.

The film unties the madness that most citizens of our country have about cricket, politics and the effects on the process of growth and the ethos of the country. There's no over-the-top, filmy, dramatic dialogues, instead, those in the film sound very realistic and genuine.

Songs like “Meethi Boliyan” and “Manjha” gels very-well with the flow of film and that is what touches your heart.

Anay Goswamy’s camera work made the film look much richer and beautiful. The camera work is simply amazing. Each and every shot is very well framed and imbibed in the story to bring out the correct emotions. The first half of the film has beautiful backdrops, to portray the dreams of the three friends. And the second half of the film that shows the harsh realities of life is also captured in the subtle camerawork and cinematography. The use of handheld camera adds to the sense of both simmering intimacy and rising tensions. Either it is the beautiful landscape, narrow lanes, the naturally lit house of Omi, the gloomy shades of earthquake or orange glooms of Godhra massacre, every shot is a treat to its viewers.

The portrayal of the Godhra massacre is sensitively handled and the fear and brutality of the moment is conveyed without resorting to costless bloodletting. Similarly the uncontrolled cheerfulness of the moment after an Indian cricket teams wins a match is portrayed with equal realism.

Thought-provoking, moving and ultimately heart-warming, Kai Po Che! is what great cinema is made of.