MILAN TALKIES movie review is here. Released today, the Tigmanshu Dhulia directorial stars Ali Fazal and introduces Shraddha Srinath along with Ashutosh Rana, Sanjay Mishra, Reecha Sinha and Sikandar Kher. Has Tigmanshu Dhulia created the magic again, let’s find it in MILAN TALKIES movie review.
Immediate reaction after watching MILAN TALKIES
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s love for vintage Bollywood and Allahabad will be forever. Is MILAN TALKIES the desi version/a tribute to Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1988 unforgettable masterpiece CINEMA PARADISO in any way?!.
The Story of MILAN TALKIES
A single screen movie theatre in Allahabad, a local filmmaker Anu (Ali Fazal), his love affair with movies and his beloved Maithili (Shraddha Srinath), watched by an ageing projectionist Usman (Sanjai Mishra). Spanning three years, the movie juxtaposes the reality between reality & fiction. The change in times, the idea of romance and how cinema influences our lives and how life influences our cinema.
Analysis
The writers Tigmanshu Dhulia & Kamal Pandey pen an offbeat romance that pays tribute to the cinema of yore and highlights the present situation. It’s a difficult premise, MUGHAL-E-AZAM playing in a single screen, Anti Romeo squads wandering outside, right in the middle power goes off and Ali Fazal completes the iconic Dilip Kumar’s Taqdeerein badal jaati hai, zamana badal jaata hai, dialogue. You have to be that solid keeda who has an obsession plus insightful observation to understand MILAN TALKIES – the title itself is an indication to a window that amalgamates reel with real. The writing maintains that flexibility between fact and fiction nicely.
(Also Read:Â Photograph movie review: Likable but not lovable)
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s direction in MILAN TALKIES
Tigmanshu Dhulia narrates a love song to the movies, anyone who feels as attached to the history of movies as Dhulia does, will find moments of nostalgic pleasure. A wonderful deep into nostalgia and hero worshiping (in one scene when a huge cut out of the of the magnificent Mr. Bachchan from DEEWAR is given the due respect by the youngsters as they touch the feet for blessings). People like me who have grown up by watching Mr. Bachchan on screen and getting beaten and bruised in the struggle for the first day first show can relate. Today we can book tickets easily online; the movie brings a flash of those times when people queued up for hours in line. Apart from its sweet nostalgic remembrance, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s realization of today’s times, the social empathy comes handy when both are mixed smartly. There Tigmanshu playing Ali’s father croons Aaj Mausam Beimaan Hai Bada from the Dharmendra’s LOAFER, he is interrupted by Ali asking him to sing something else, the world has changed. You need a permission to love as the anti-romeo squad is having its say. Further the movie also comments on the cliché concept of male machismo with the character of Guru Panda (Sikandar Kher).
Performances
Ali Fazal is charming throughout and gives a fantastic performance. Debutant Shraddha Srinath looks promising and does very well. Ashutosh Rana is again brilliant. Sanjay Mishra is superb. Sikandar Kher is good. Rajiv Gupta is marvelous. Tigmanshu Dhulia as an actor is fabulous. Supporting actors – Reecha Sinha, Deepraj Rana passes the muster.
Technicalities
Hari Vedantam’s cinematography has flair. Nishant Khan’s action is good. Praveen Angre’s editing is as per the director’s vision.
Music
Strange but true, in an ode to Bollywood, the music by Rana Mazumder, Akriti Kakkar has nothing to hum about.
Flaws
MILAN TALKIES is a tricky experience, if you have that patience and observation then you may enjoy the trip, it’s not everyone’s cup of coffee. Those looking for more massy entertainment, straightforward storytelling etc. will find this tad boring. The juxtapose between reel and real will be utterly confusing for pure entertainment hungry souls.
Also read: Movie Review of Mere Pyare Prime Minister
Final words
MILAN TALKIES is not just a love story, it’s an expression, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s offbeat tribute to Bollywood beats some right notes on reality and this mix of fact and fiction is interestingly nostalgic, intimate and intriguing. Not everyone’s cup of coffee but if you have the taste and patience then it’s worth the sip and the dip that it offers.
