Movie review: In the Shadows (Gali Guliyan)
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Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Neeraj Kabi,
Ranvir Shorey, Shahana Goswami
Rating: ****
Hindi
Khuddoos (Manoj Bajpayee) is an impoverished and lonely man living in the bylanes of Old Delhi. Through his hidden cameras installed around the neighbourhood, he passes time by watching what goes on in people’s homes and on the streets. He hasn’t moved out of his house for weeks until one day he suddenly hears sounds from the house adjacent to his. A boy is being beaten up and Khuddoos is unable to find any traces of this family on his cameras.
The
constant abuse of the boy sets the loner on a mission to rescue him. But can a
man trapped by his own circumstances free another individual?
US
based writer-director-producer Dipesh Jain makes a riveting debut with In the Shadows. It’s one of those rare
films which make you inhabit their space and environment as you are watching.
Like the protagonist Khuddoos, you start feeling trapped in those narrow lanes
of Old Delhi. His shamble of a home emits an unbearable claustrophobia after a
point. You feel uncomfortable but you never bat an eyelid. The film engrosses
you with such skilful storytelling.
A
promising writer-director is also complemented with an interesting star cast in
this film, comprising of some of the best names from Indie cinema. While
Bajpayee raises the bar with his performance, the others too deliver their bits
par excellence. Including the child actors. Bajpayee as Khuddoos portrays a
disturbing portrayal of a man with no hope. He has visibly lost a lot of weight
for this role and looks every bit the person who is steadily drowning away in
his ruin. He clearly outdoes his own self as an actor with each film. And this
film is no exception.
Ranvir
Shorey as Khuddoos’ only friend brings in the required conviction to his part.
While Neeraj Kabi’s abusive butcher elicits the entire range of emotions – from
hatred to awe. Shahana Goswami as the butcher’s wife is a delight to watch. A
doting mother, she protects her son from her violent and infidel husband and is
a loving wife to him all the same.
The
overall editing by Chris Witt is crisp, lingering occasionally to focus on
Khuddoos’ stagnant life. While Kai Miedendorp’s cinematography adds the
appropriate dark and disturbing visual tone to give this film its noir effect.
After
being screened at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and the Chicago
International Film Festival, In the
Shadows had its India premiere at the recently concluded Mumbai Film
Festival. The film is also the only Indian nominee for the Kim Jiseok award, a
newly established award for the discovery of new Asian directors. Watch out for
this gripping tale. It won’t disappoint.
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