I really feel bad for the entire cast & crew of the film who never got their deserving recognition for working on such a gem. Onir is one such underrated director who always delivered his best ...but without box office success.
The film is a mature take on relationships, the mis-perceptions of the society and unrequited love. The story commences in the hills of Dhanauti and meanders through Delhi's streets, bedrooms, cafe, night clubs, Hotel rooms....Ashish Bisht acted his part well as a small town boy (considering he's just a debutante in the industry). Raveena played a churlish wife of a big industrialist (who has no time for her). Approached by Mohan to get a chance in modeling...she seized the oppurtunity to make him his personal trainer (basically a sex slave). Arpita, also a debutante, played a bengali girl... is a desolate woman who has to manage with difficulty the expenses for her daughter's studies (sometimes by sleeping with customers). His close friend Neil is a homosexual ....betrayed in love and her friend Benoit, who's a Canadian teacher by profession... his past relationship with his student still haunts him.
Divided in timeline....into summer, monsooon , autumn and winter ...each peeling layers of it's characters' deepest secrets. A sensitive story on complex human emotions moves you like never before (by any bollywood film). The past paving the present....the present you may not like, but present it is. That's how life is, where dreams are only kaleidoscopic...mostly a part of shadows.
Films such as these needs courage and skill to deliver, which Onir always displayed boldly. It is quite plausible that Indian audience won't take interest in strong content .....who are always into masala movies entertainment. Also expected is possibility of disagreement of the audience with the director's views ( I am saying this because here it's rated 4.8 only). But being a true cinema lover, I always love to explore the underrated gems such as these....and now am so glad that I did!
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