Movie Review – Gandu

Art Fuck

Never imagined an Indian movie to go to this level. ‘Gandu’ was a true revelation right from the title. I still couldn’t comprehend what I just watched. The question of liking or not is secondary when it comes to path breaking films. Even if it was intentionally made in such a way so that it looks different, it’s still applaudable because, more than anything, a film like this gives courage to young filmmakers and makes us feel as if world is in our hands. Language is not necessarily a medium to showcase art and, in the eventuality, nothing really can stop us.

‘Gandu’ couldn’t really go the Jodorowsky way but feels very much Jodorowskian because of the climax sex scene which for ones who haven’t watched Jodorowsky would be shocked even more. But the point is, it’s made. This, coming from a country which used flowers when people kiss is true revelation. The whole film is about a sexually frustrated protagonist, so its easy to break all the boundaries and there is always sex to back it up.

The movie follows Gandu (Anubrata Basu) a frustrated guy who always thinks and raps about sex. Uses his moms sex time with her lover Dasbabu (Silajit Majumder) to sneak in and pick the pocket of her lover. He carefully takes only little amount so that the lover doesn’t get any doubt. Eventhough he could sneak in, his problem is trying to not look at what they do. That curiosity spoils his takeaway eventually.

Gandu gets to befriend Ricksha (Joyraj Bhattacharjee) whom he bumps into, literally. Ricksha was pure fun with his Lee Mantra and laughs. Gandu was someone who was striving hard to prove. So together they form thick friends. I thought they’d end up making out together. May be that could have been done post their Dhatura seeds trip, which would have made the film more intense but post the trip the film kind of eases out and becomes fun.

Gandu is a funny guy. In fact, looks really innocent and his antics in the film too are funny to core. The way he rebels and tries to do something was really funny. The name truly feels his own. He owns up to his name. And that’s funny too. Its really tough to explain but he’s a mystically funny character whose seriousness feels like a joke to us. I guess Ricksha would get what I’m saying because he farts and laughs at him like that which irritates Gandu even more and that ends up being funnier.

Music stands out throughout the film and lyrics, needless to say, was fun. The problem with these kinds of films is, there would be so many thoughts coming out when trying to make an abstract film but to refine it and bring what’s necessary becomes a herculean task. For example, when Ricksha and Gandu meet at some point and where they show the pigs and shit, its something which you can’t write but want to make but when not written its easily to forgot. Guess, the director has got lucky with that scene as there seemed to have been no script for the film and was shot with only eight people around. Also, credit has to be given to everyone who were part of the film, especially the actors for accepting the madness and acting through it.

The browsing center scene and the conversation between the girl and the guy in webcam too was explicitly funny and loved the way it all comes together in the end. The look served it all.