Mausam: A Review

Actor Pankaj Kapoor makes his debut as a director with the film Mausam (weather). Maybe that’s why the film ran into rough weather and its release got delayed. The Indian Air Force objected to a 30 second fight sequence not being authentic enough. Heck this is supposed to be a movie and not a training video, guys. Besides the HR folks in the Air Force can use snippets of this film to run your recruitment campaigns. No need to use clips from Top Gun – we have our very own Shahid doing that act.Mausam is a love story between a pilot Harry played by the director’s son Shahid Kapoor and a Kashmiri refugee, Aayat (lovely name. It means a prayer) played by Sonam Kapoor or should I say So Numb Kapoor. The story opens in Mallukot village in Punjab where Harry woos the new Kashmiri girl who has come to live with her uncle in the village. Harry has eyes only for the new lass and ignores the overtures of Rajjo (played by Aditi Sharma – good job done gal!). The movie is awesome when it depicts rural Punjab. The collage of village life in Punjab follows the same visuals that will tug at the heartstrings of all those NRIs who yearn for life in rural Punjab but crib about the village roads when they are back for their annual vacation. Here is one more addition to songs that get played at weddings – Saj dhaj ke सज धज केThe songs by Pritam is lovely. I love the use of the use of Ustad Rashid Khan‘s voice for the poignant Poore Se Zarra Kam Hai पूरे से ज़रा कम है  (trans: Somewhat less than complete…). Shots of life in rural Punjab to make NRIs all gooey: A+.  Ministry of Tourism will be using it to run “Incradible Injia” campaign.Then we move to the next part of the story. Lovers (remember Shahid and So Numb?) get separated as they are thrown apart by the Babri Masjid demolitions (Dec ’92), Mumbai Blasts (’93). Harry is now a big boy and a fighter pilot training in Scotland. He wears Ray ban Aviator glasses and walks with a swagger.  Pankaj Kapoor gets A+ for making what will be the best recruitment ad for the Indian Air Force.In the second half, the story starts to get ‘complexer and complexer’ (apologies Alice). Everything from 9/11, to Ahmedabad riots to persecution of Muslims, to lovers not being able to come together is thrown into the second half along with the lovers, an abandoned girl child and a horse (honest). If that is not making sense to you, relax. It did not make sense to anyone else either. The say politics makes strange bedfellows. this film shows that lovers cannot become bedfellows if the story throws in national and international politics. Here is a guide for you:

1. You have seen only the first half of the film: You are smart.
2. You have seen the first half and 15 minutes of the second half: Hmmm … you are beginning to worry me
3. You’ve hung around till the end: The film is beginning to look like the economy. Going downhill.

Shahid Kapoor: ASo Numb Kapoor: BOVERALL: Farhan Akhtar’s debut film Dil Chahta Hai is hard to beat as a debut film, but let me just say that Pankaj Kapoor’s film certainly deserves to be viewed. If Dil Chahta Hai gave us the “actor” Saif Ali for the first time, Mausam gives us Shahid.

Rating 3.1958 out of 5 (the 0.1958 was for effort)

————————————-Read about Shahid Kapoor’s performance in KamineyWhile Pankaj Kapoor is new to directing a film, he is a seasoned matured actor. He did a superb job in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and as the carrot chewing sleuth in the television series Karamchand (1985), he was in his element. Ek Ruka Huaa Faisla (1986) was a film made for television by Basu Chatterjee that had Pankaj Kapoor play an unforgettable role as a Juror. This story was based onHenry Fonda’s classic 12Angry Men (1957). Pankaj Kapoor got his first National Film Award in1989 with Raakh. I would however rate his performance as Abbaji in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film Maqbool (2003) as perhaps his best performance on screen. He got the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for that performance.