Review of Gunda (1998) by Arpit J — 17 Oct 2009

If Dr. Strangelove brought social satire into the mainstream, Citizen Kane pioneered political consciousness, Roshomon deconstructed the myth of authentic observation, Dekalog tweaked social mores, One flew over a cuckoo's nest overturned insanity on its head, and Kill Bill celebrated the aesthetics of gut-spilling revenge, then there exists ONLY ONE hindi movie that pays tribute to all these traditions without compromising on the inheritance of a typically Indian narration.

Needless to say, Gunda discards several of the rules, conventions and concessions to tastefulness that plague many Hindi films. The characters speak in rhyming couplets, laden with double entendre for around 99% of the film.

Mithun Da plays a coolie equally at home on airport runways and docks, where he has frequent run-ins with the villains as they take their pet leopard for a stroll or organise fighting contests.

It is high on absurdity and the surreal â?? in a particularly a memorable fight sequence, Mithun wreaks havoc in a brothel, pile-driving thugs through coir khathiyas (cots) that are suspended at various levels, several feet above ground.

Let me give u a sampler of it's dialogues:

â??KASAM hai mujhe us dhuen ki jo meri behan ki chita se uthne wala hai ...â??

â??... gundagardi mein taine bahut naam kamaya ... waise to tu nata par naam hai tera lamboo aata...â??

â??Bulla tune lambu aata ko maut ke tawe mein sek diya aur uski laash ko worli ke gutter mei phek diya ?â??

Consider reading this review as a rare connoisseur to connoisseur moment, one thatâ??s almost impossible to explain in words & needs to be experienced.

Go, get a copy of this masterpiece from your shady neighborhood CD/VHS shop owner now!

This film has my highest recommendations.