Telling parallel stories inter-related to various degrees had been the flavor for some time now in Hindi cinema. Success, however, is almost absent. Anurag Basu had almost pulled it off except for three things - incorrect branding, lack of originality and wannabe rock stars showing up everywhere.
The story as such had nothing to do with the city of Mumbai. It could have been set anywhere. Also how the city adds to the plights and joys of the character is not very clear. Rat race, lack of time for family, sexual confusions/frustrations are all a reality today of even mid-range cities, not only metros. This is what I meant by incorrect branding. I think the film should have been promoted as story of the time we live in, irrespective of the city. It would have appealed to a larger audience base.
Basu has been liberal in copying the classic 'The Apartment'. You cannot copy a classic just like that. I'm not sure if the makers of 'The Apartment' are at least credited. Originality is the biggest virtue of any art. Then, the rock stars. Pritam and his band were omnipresent throughout the film. The songs are fantastic but they popping up everywhere started to irritate very soon. A more imaginative filming of the songs would have added to the film's value.
Inspite of all this, Metro is a very good film to come out in recent times. Though Basu does not go deep into the torments of the characters and just touches them fleetingly, he does manage to capture the essence. Casting is almost precise and all actors do a good job. You get the import of the film that how we are losing ourselves in the maze of the paths laid down for us by everyone except ourselves. It is hard to stand up and reclaim your life. It is difficult to open the car's door and walk out like Kangana does at the end, but probably that's what most of us want to do most of the time.
