Far removed from predictability

No doubt the film has a small share of absurdity. It has been 10 years in the making, so nobody can help supporting actress Nafisa looking now slim, now balloony. Mumbai hawaldars are shown wearing the blue uniform, which was discarded ages ago. But once you forgive that, Gang makes an impact. Much thought has gone into the story and the dialogues, and the moment you’re expecting a cliche is the moment you don’t get it.

Events in the film are interspersed with the characters imagining how they would like them to turn out. The plot is replete with twists. And the editing is so brisk, it reminds one of a music video. Some of the shots are not even carried to their logical conclusion, and this is a refreshing change from the eternal predictability of Hindi movies. This could have been necessitated by the hiccups the film went through until its release, like a surfeit of characters and too much to say. Still, trust master craftsman Afaque Hussain to turn crisis into opportunity.

Well, the film is called Gang and it is about gang rivalry, so blood and gore flow easy, but one wasn’t exactly expecting a Julie. The situations seem natural and come close to a common man’s image of the reality of the underworld. Juhi’s Bole! song is the one being aired on the promos for its music, while Javed Akhtar scores a point with the rebellious lyric of Sun liya sun liya where the four friends ask why they should conform to society’s norms.

Even though one does not want to take the credit away from Mazhar Khan, it must be said that assistant director Mashkoor Chaudhary, who was a regular with Kamal Amrohi, seems to have done a good deal for the film.

— Bella Jaisinghani