A HEARTBREAKING WAKE-UP CALL
She finds Indian cinema “truly incredible” for its ability to make viewers switch out of reality and then get back to it. And it is for this reason that American actress Melissa McCarthy says she would love to work in Bollywood.
McCarthy shared her eagerness to bring her talent to India by working in a Bollywood project with this correspondent during a press meet in Singapore for her film ‘Ghostbusters’, directed by Paul Feig.
“I love when the change happens. You can switch off from the reality and then come back to it,” she said with her eyes sparkling in excitement.
The Los Angeles-based actress has earlier shared screen space with Indian actress Nargis Fakhri in ‘Spy’. She says she has watched a number of Bollywood films, but admitted that she had trouble recalling the titles.
The 45-year-old as she was here to talk about ‘Ghostbusters’ at a press event organised by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Feig’s version of the famous 1984 eponymous American supernatural horror comedy comes with a twist. He picked an all-female cast as ghostbusters to narrate his vision of the classic film. It will release in India on July 29.
McCarthy remembers watching the original film at a theatre. She saved her allowance and did extra chores around the house so that she could afford to see the movie several times.
“I did not go back to see a movie very often, but that one, I did. I probably saw it four times in the theatre,” recounted the actress, who has carved a place for herself on the big screen as well as small screen with shows like ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Mike & Molly’.
McCarthy has proved her mettle in showbiz with hit films like ‘Bridesmaids, ‘The Heat’, ‘Identity Thief ’ and ‘The Boss’.
The actress, who is married to actor Ben Falcone, asserts that the formula for a hit is a good script with the right amount of acting and improvisation.
She said: “I think you can improvise off an incredibly well written script. I think if you are trying to fake a story or something, you are never going to like that.
But if you have a really tight, concise and perfect script, then in the next take you say that or change a couple of words or the intention.
This is not the first film that raises the burning issue of corruption by espousing vigilantism. But ‘Madaari’ moves you to tears. I had to watch it twice on two successive days to absorb the immensity of Nishikant Kamat’s treatise that — and I quote from the film’s stunning climax — ‘ Corruption is not part of our political system, our political system exists for corruption’.
‘Madaari’ builds a case for self-justice when all systems collapse and you’ve nowhere to go but to your conscience to escape the feeling of complete annihilation. One such bereft inconsolable soul is Nirmal Kumar who has lost his son to corruption.
Somewhere in the middle of the saga of this one man’s plea for justice, we see Nirmal in an emptied — out hospital corridor grieving for his suddenly — dead son. Irrfan makes this moment so effortlessly intense, so brimming with a fluent angst... we are not watching a brilliant actor at work. We are not even watching a father mourn for son’s demise. No. We sit there watching Irrfan lament for every person who has lost out to an irreversibly corrupt political system.
On the surface, ‘Madaari’ is just a slick cat-andmouse chase saga about a vigilante and a police official (Jimmy Sheirgill, as usual effortless). But scratch the surface. What we get are some of the most thought provoking dialogues on the rot in present day politicking herd since Javed Akhtar penned a pained political parable in ‘Main Azaad Hoon’.
Yes, the political system has failed us. So what are we doing about it? ‘Madaari’ doesn’t have a solution to the monstrous imbroglio that shrouds the common man’s hopes, dreams and aspirations. But it does tell us that simply sitting around waiting for a miracle to change the political system won’t happen. The cleansing executed in ‘Madaari’.
Stylish and thrilling, ‘Madaari’ certainly is. Cinematographer Avinash Arun films the two sets of characters — the aggrieved and the aggressors — using almost antithetical colour palettes and moods.
As Irrfan and the little boy move across various differing locations, we see the changes in the topography almost as signs of the growing relationship between the host and the hostage.
The bonding which grows between the kidnapper and the little boy is played out with a heartwarming blend of paternal emotions and a convivial kinship.
As for Irrfan we are no more looking at a brilliant and skilful actor but a father mourning for the loss of innocence. At the end, we see Nirmal standing in a seashore washing his son’s memories. We hope that the message which he brings to us remains with us. process is wonderfully