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Calcutta Mail
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'Calcutta Mail'

By ApunKaChoice Bureau
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Sudhir Mishra, director of gripping films such as Dharavi, Main Zinda Hoon and Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, makes a comeback after a long sabbatical with ‘Calcutta Mail’, starring Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukherji and Manisha Koirala in the leading roles.

The movie is said to be inspired by the Telugu film, Choodalani Vundi, starring Chiranjeevi and Anjala Zhaveri.

The story begins with Avinash (Anil Kapoor), a migrant form Bihar coming to the city of joy - Kolkata. Wearing a harried look on his face, he gets of a train at the Howrah station. As it turns out in subsequent reels, Avinash has got caught in a messy affair involving a high profile politician's daughter (Manisha Koirala).

Now

he has come to Kolkata to find a man called Lakhan Yadav (Sayaji Shinde). The reason why he is looking for Yadav is explained gradually over the first half of the movie.

In Kolkata, Avinash comes across Bulbul (Rani Mukherji), an aspiring writer who changes her identity in order to understand chawlwallas better for her novels. He is forced to share a room with her in a bustling basti.

Avinash’s continuous restlessness and his struggle to find Yadav in the city could not escape Bulbul’s notice, who begins to take more interest in him.

The story then traverses through Sonagachi, bazars of Kolkata and chawls with Avinash hopping on and off buses, trams and the underground metro rail to look for Yadav. And the twist comes when he discovers that he himself has become the target of some locals in the city.

The highlight of the movie is the brilliancy with its director has captured the atmosphere and the very spirit of Kolkata with its teeming millions, trams, swanky metro, Howrah Bridge and countless rallies.

The movie starts off at a feverish pace in the first half and immediately involves a viewer. But a break in the narrative comes with the placement of unnecessary song featuring Bulbul. Before the movie could gather its momentum again there is a second song and dance routine in Switzerland. The idea to add these songs was perhaps to put a little bit of zing factor in the otherwise serious story.

Anil Kapoor shines through in the role of a harried man who is out to fight the baddies single-handedly. Rani lends some lovely light moments to the film. Satish Kaushik is seen in a negative role in the movie.

‘Calcutta Mail’ is structured around the criminalisation of politics. The movie has a very dark and nocturnal look. Although its climax is a bit too long, the movie still leaves its impact on a viewer.

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