mahie gill
Saheb Biwi aur Gangster returns
Love, greed, sex, betrayal, unrequited love, fame are few of the themes that come together in this sequel in one of my favorites of recent times, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster ( a contemporary take on the classic by Abrar Alvi). Playing upon similar themes but much more intesely in terms of powerplay than love, this movie is probably one of the best sequels to come out in a really long time (No RACE 2 does not count).
Continuing from where it left off in the prequel, the movie pretty much begins a few months after that. Not going into the synopsis much, this time around its much more about the power struggle and who outdoes who, while love (obviously) playing an important part in the storyline.
While the core of the film Mahie Gill is in full form, it is Jimmy Shergill’s stringent Saheb that gives her tit for tat in terms of performance. If she falters in her walk, he displays an effective helplessness in the wheelchair. It is their firecrackling power struggle for power and to out do each other that keeps you hooked (esp. Mahie Gill’s dialogue deliverance, she has pretty much the best lines of the script). Their top notch acts that are worth every bit your time (and yes Jimmy Shergill is drool worthy according to some women in this power packed avatar of his).
Their is no doubt Irrfan Khan can act and here too he delivers spot on. His calm demeanour of serving a revenge dish cold comes across brilliantly. Kudos to him on saving his character from being one note and delivering the cold shoulder persona and a lover’s plea in a blink. While his pairing with Soha is odd, she on the other hand is perfectly cast. Its possibly the first time after Khoya Khoya Chand, that I actually liked Soha, who stood on her own in a brilliant cast who have firm grip on their craft. Her naiviety and innocence is played upon with perfectly, wherein the last scene is a brilliant masterstroke of a woman who lost the lover and the husband.
The script is tight in the first half, though drags a bit in the second but keeps you riveted. The dialogues are crisp and combine them with such actors, you have them making impact like the director wanted. While the item numbers could have been given a miss. Though would have liked much more interaction between the two ladies to have some serious fireworks(another sequel maybe?) The scene of the politician with porn on his laptop, Mahie Gills drunken stupor at the engagement, Irrfan Khan’s loathing on the past and refusal to give it up are some of the brilliantly acted scenes from the movie. Though lacking much of a punch that the first one had, this drama of Saheb, Biwi(S) and Gangster definitely does not disappoint
Musings of a fashion designer 