ok, the thing about this movie is - through all the bollywood hooha, follow-up to RDB hype, 'starcast' lala, blockbuster expectations, soundtrack aahs, etc etc, the movie was kind of subtle. maybe it seemed it shouldn't be - or even wasn't - subtle, in the context of all that, but it was. you had to pay attention. you had to try to see what it was trying to show you, because it wasn't going to keep harping on about it. and it showed quite a few things.
in this film there was sweetness and unexpectedness and detail. there was confusion, there was boredom, there was human delight. suspenses built up to result in genuine and unexpected laugh-out joy (like the scene with the kids running after jalebi the first time). it was complicated and yet there was an oddly enduring respect and humanity in every character and every scene. the vibe kind of reminded me earnest yet dry old comedies, like um...MASH? maybe the combination of earnestness with understated humor - humor is neither dumb nor cynical - has somehow become quaint now to some, but I think it can make a comeback.
i've heard the film criticized as 'preachy' but it was probably one of the least dogmatically preachy bolly thing i've seen in a while! a few tiny speeches at the end, the short-lived blood and screams, and then back to gentle lessons and reflections. everything forgiven because ultimately the point seemed to be that no matter how serious and dark things seem, they are ultimately only ridiculous. transformation and connectedness are what continue.
i suppose i shouldn't be surprised some people missed its subtleties and heart and wanted the same old narrative-driven whatever. but when i read it getting worse reviews than things like 'kismet konnection' i can't speak anymore.
so ok the film wasn't perfect by any means - far from it - the story could have held together more strongly, a tougher, tighter, less noticable elastic to tie up all the little vignettes and bring an easier, more engaging sense of continuity and 'being carried' to the viewer. but this is a skill that takes time to really master, and i believe in huge luck/talent if anyone ever gets it all right. in the meanwhile if the entire product is discarded on the basis of such a flaw, it's really like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. and why throw anything that's sweet and full of potential - if also annoyingly demanding and dependent on your attention - away?
i think it's possible to appreciate what there is to appreciate and get pleasure from the intricacies of small scenes, and worry less about the 'big picture's all the time. do we have to perpetually be running along the lines of, 'spoonfeed me, entertain me, just don't ever let me make sense of things by myself without obvious assistance and explanation.' enjoy your freedom! with all its fun and frustrations.
the film was interesting, it took risks, it tried hard, it was flawed and it was special. basically it showed some faith in creativity and community against any odds. forget how much cash it makes or doesn't make, in which multiplex or whatever people go on about. the commercial/mass appeal concerns for both the reviewers and the filmmakers may be a thing for them, but viewers can just bypass it and try to take the actually more valuable stuff away. like courage to try and enjoy new and old things, and to keep going and growing despite fingers pointing all over the place.