Review of Kaminey (2009) by Girish B — 22 Aug 2009

Vishal Bharadwaj is a genius. After Maqbool and Omkara, both brilliant adaptations of Macbeth and Othello, Kaminey is an original script with original treatment and storytelling style. There is not a single moment where the pace is slow neither is there any kind of distraction. Everything about this film is cutting edge, cult and a landmark in Hindi cinema (or Indian cinema perhaps) all at once. That Vishal Bharadwaj respects the intelligence of his audience; that he does not indulge in mush or sentimentality; that he does not cater to the lowest common denominator; that he can tell a story with songs that integrate into the narrative; that he can assemble an ensemble cast from film, theatre and television apart from a mainstream Shahid Kapur and attract an audience is obvious from this one film. The music is super too-background score and the songs. I suppose Dhan Te Nan is already a hit on the club circuit. May he go on the make many more such pathbreaking films and entertain audiences worldwide. Even if you do not speak Hindi I would recommend the film. It is not 'Bollywood' but a really good piece of cinema.

There may be references to other films and characters but so what? I call it respecting your sources and inspirations and making your product better.