Review of Madras Cafe (2013) by Akash S — 26 Aug 2013

Shoojit Sircar's 'Madras Cafe' is a tight and gripping account on the Sri Lankan Civil war and Rajiv Gandhi assassination. I'm amazed it took over 20 years for someone to approach such an important part of the subcontinent's post-independence history. But I can understand the reluctance due to the highly-sensitive nature of the different groups in our country, and Sircar's blend of fiction & non-fiction may have been the right way to tackle it.

It's different from the typical run-of-the-mill Bollywood action movies; it has an intelligent story, backed up by facts and actual incidents, with no romance, songs or melodrama. The characters are real and intriguing, each unique in its own way. The acting is commendable.

People looking for a simple bombastic action thriller won't enjoy this. Only people aware of the subcontinent's political history and turmoil can thoroughly enjoy this movie, and what a treat it is, right up to inevitable but well-shot climatic assassination scene which leaves you paralyzed.

After their thought-provoking and entertaining comedy 'Vicky Donor', with this movie it seems like Sircar and John (who produced Donor too) are here to change the ways stories are told in Bollywood - it's quite a welcome change!