Mumbai of Raj Vs Mumbai of Taj
Movie name:
332 Mumbai to India
Cast:
Ali Asgar, Chetan Pandit, Vijay Mishra, Sharbani Mukherjee
Director:
Mahesh Pandey
Rating:
Yet another film which tries to capture the essence of Mumbai and the impact of communal disharmony and terrorist strikes. This time it’s director Mahesh Pandey who has tried to chronicle a real-life story that happened on the streets of Mumbai two years ago. It deals with the issue of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) campign against North Indians and the repercussions it had on the youth of North India.
The plot revolves around Rahul Raj, a frustrated youth from Bihar who, angered by the ill-treatment meted out to migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh by MNS activists, hijacks a BEST bus on Route 332 in Mumbai to voice his feelings and angst against the MNS men.
The angry young man’s aim is to bump off MNS leader Raj Thackeray. He threatens people in the bus and demands to talk to the media and explain and justify his actions. But before that happens, he is shot dead by the police in an encounter, resulting in some more hate crimes.
The director has clubbed four different stories to one. The film should have been hard-hitting and pragmatic but comes across as tacky in several situations. The director tries very hard to evoke sympathy in favour of North Indians but it does not come across on screen.
The film doesn’t end here, it moves on to the 26/11 attacks and shows the people of Mumbai displaying solidarity and patriotism. The characters from the movie come together in the end and join hands as Indians.
Director Mahesh Pandey’s film had the potential to be a gripping drama, but a drab screenplay and unimaginative narrative mar kill the thrill. The film contains a lot of expletives, which have been beeped out by the censors. The less said about the music the better.
The film has a host of actors, but the ones who portray their parts most convincingly are Vijay Mishra (in the role of a rebellious North Indian student) and Mayank Sharma. Rahul Raj, Sharbani Mukerji, Chetan Pandit and Ali Asgar are alright.
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