SUBSCRIPTIONS
ABOUT INDZINE

Movie Review: Hu Tu Tu (Hindi)
Movie Review: Srimathi Vellostha (Telegu)

MOVIE REVIEW: Hu Tu Tu (Hindi)
By Meena Yeggina

Starring: Nana Patekar, Tabu, Sunil Shetty
Music: Vishal
Directed: Gulzar

Out of the several third rate films that have been released in the name of the 50 years of Indian Independence (Pardes, Dil Se, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, etc.) Hu Tu Tu turns out to be the best only because it's more objective, direct and essentially true. While the other films derogated other countries in praise of India, Hu Tu Tu turned inside and tried to find problems and solutions within the national boundaries.

Hu Tu Tu (which is the cry of Kabadi, India's national game) is a story about a boy and a girl of a seasoned businessman and a politician respectively. Disgusted with the ways of their respective parents, both find solace in each other's arms. They meet Nana Patekar, who is the leader of the underprivileged, fighting for their rights in a non-violent way.

This film is not like the regular ones with a specific beginning, routine continuation and a predictory climax. It starts with Tabu being kidnapped by terrorists (?). They demand the freedom of Nana Patekar in exchange to Tabu's. The Chief Minister, who is Tabu's mother, refuses to relent to their demands.

In custody, Tabu meets Sunil Shetty, her long lost lover. She, surprised to see him, asks for details. Both dwell into their respective backgrounds -- Tabu about her politician mother's extra marital affair with a politician, her corruption and cruelty and Sunil about his businessman father's attitude.

The story doesn't explode on you as a lightening. it's more like a bitter gift-wrapped in too many foils. The director unfoils each layer carefully -- criminalization of politics, corruption, bigotry and so on. The story unfolds through the eyes of the children and the effects it has on them. Nana Patekar as the soft-spoken (yes, he is) leader of the poor, is fabulous. The great burn in his eyes behind the lustrous smile is enough to inspire many a young man. The solutions -- the director offers are many, each coming along with the situation.

Music is in sync with the story -- agony, internal emotional struggle, desperation and external fight with society.

Tabu is superb and so is Nana. Sunil looked old and haggard for the role, which needed a young-looking hot-blooded youth.

A heart-wrenching movie!

Back to the Top

MOVIE REVIEW: Srimathi Vellostha (Telegu)
By Meena Yeggina

Starring: Jagapathy Babu and two new heroines
Music: Keeravani
Directed: K. Raghavendra Rao

The movie is yet another spin of the mill routines of Raghavendra Rao: The struggle of a man between two women. (My God, what a great problem!) Jagapathy Babu falls in love with Miss A (I don't know her name. She's yet another new face). But later he succumbs to his parents' wishes and marries Miss B. Miss B, on their first night has a story to tell. She too, before marriage obviously, has a flashback to reveal. She's in love with Mr. X but had to marry Jagapathy according to her parents wishes. Then Jayapathy narrates his love story to her and suggests that they take a divorce and marry their respective lovers. Miss B is very happy and agrees to the idea. Meanwhile the couple become good friends and like each other a lot. Jagapathy Babu meets his girlfriend who is very happy with the outcome. But with Miss B the story gets complicated (this is India, remember!). Her boyfriend, though still admires her a lot, feels that now she looks very "pavithram" (pure and holy) to him. Marriage has made her very untouchable and now she should concentrate on only her Mangal Sutra. Mind you, not her husband but Mangal Sutra. Miss B, suddenly becomes aware of her marital status. She realizes she's something holy and her Sutram is her life. That she's a Bharat lady and Bharat ladies are not supposed to do what she's about to do. She thanks her ex-lover profusely for putting her on the right track -- the track of the Hindu Stree -- a track of sacrifice, tears and silent suffering. Well she has to go to Swargam after death, doesn't she?

So she comes back home and happily agrees to her husband's reunion with his lover, Miss A, but hides her own story. So the next half of the film is filled with sentiment, tears and anguish. Yet the end is obvious from the beginning. After the hero rollicks around with his lover Miss A in several song sequences and settings, he realizes that Mangal Sutra is more pavithram than these rollicking games and goes back to Miss B. Miss B obviously welcomes him with open arms.

This movie is utter gutterish to say the least. My problem is not with director but with the women who make such movies a success, by watching them with interest and spilling away buckets of tears. Unless the change comes from this section, nothing can be said about the other section--the men! Music is nothing worth the trouble, of listening I mean.

Did you like these articles?
Send us your feed back and suggestion and future story ideas!

Back to Top