The Ticket to International Cinema

I go to bed around 3. Get up around 10. 6.30 am is generally when I am in the deepest of my sleep. This morning, at that time, I was watching the show of Kites at the Red Lounge, Cinemax.

Kites is not an International film. It looks international – frames and texture and the design of editing, not to forget the lead pair. Its lines sound international – more in English and Mexican than in Hindi. But thanks to the loud background score, typical of our own industry, you never get that feel. In spite of its Hollywood-type believable unbelievability and it being logically less outrageous than other Hindi romantic-action flicks, it fails to move you. It would hardly appeal to the audience. Filmkraft has finally lost its winning streak. The supremely talented Hrithik Roshan has, after a long time, failed. Kangana Ranaut was hardly there; even Barbara Mori will have to find job outside. But this film, in spite of all its failures, works for one man, for the director – Anurag Basu.

This is an important film for Basu, and will always be. From Balaji TV Soaps to Kuchh Toh Hai to Murder to a couple of better films, and now Kites. Looking from the filmmaker’s perspective, Anurag Basu can now easily approach an international studio with this latest offering and show them that he has it in him to direct an International film. I was really impressed by the production design of the film, and its editing. It is hardly two-hour long, but still has lots of non-verbal, slow, fluid scenes. Visually, and strictly so, it is at par with the best of world cinema, no doubt about that. If Basu writes or acquires a mind-blowing script with International sensibilities, Kites can be his ticket to International cinema.

But then, that is the problem – the script, the root evil for entire film industry, and also for this particular film. The screenplay has been designed interestingly, and some scenes do really work, but there is nothing in the story to offer, and that shows. A weak story is a weak story. Period. And even the best screenplay design can not save that. I really wish to go back in time, meet the makers of this film, and make them put some more months on story development. And then leave it on Anurag Basu to do his job. And then go back once again during the post-production, and replace the entire background music track with some powerful sound design. Less is more, when it comes to the score, but not when you are talking story. I pray for the day when Hindi filmmakers will stop trying to strengthen the impact of a weak story by using a deafening score. It can not work. It will not work, especially for an early morning show!

BTW, I loved the way the film ended. That was a gutsy thing to do!