SIRF
WHAT ACTUALLY?
by Vishal Verma

Rating:

‘Only’ Rajaatesh Nayar (his spelling not mine) will explain why the writer – director was so much in love with his own script that it became hard for him to make choices about what to keep and what to cut..‘Sirf’ is a textbook case of why an ensemble movie turns up to be question mark in the end, thanks for the director & his writer partner Shashikant Verma who turn ‘Sirf’ into a  watered down attempt at light hearted romantic drama that only works periodically in the story involving Praveen Dabas & Rituparna Sen- Gupta.
 
Agreed, it’s not everybody’s job to make an ensemble film & it’s even more difficult to be in the league of Robert Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson from the west or even our desi Anurag Basu ( to a certain extent) who have an innate understanding of how to orchestrate multiple actors and stories. ‘Gosford Park’ and ‘Boogie Nights’ are first and foremost expertly directed ensemble pieces; even ‘Life in a Metro’ had its moments of cinematic charm, were the viewer is constantly aware of who all the characters are and how they relate to each other. Furthermore, these makers take a special care in narrating the stories that the cut between the different stories and the attention to detail, never left floundering, trying in vain to figure out what's going on.

But alas, Rajaatesh Nayar doesn't possess this crucial skill and it shows in the haphazard way ‘Sirf’ unfolds.

In ‘Sirf’, the maker attempts to juggle not one, not two, but four relationships, keeping each one momentarily alive like a plate spinner at a circus. That's exactly the feeling you get watching the film, just when one plate gets up to speed, or begins
To wobble, the director switches to another plate.

But there is some redemption; ‘Sirf’ has good acting (especially from Rituparna Sen-Gupta that surprisingly leaves a smile on your jaded face when the end credits of the film roll in.

Blame it on the captain of the ship, the director and also one of the writers Rajaatesh Nayar who threatens to take the warmth of mid summer romance out of Mumbai heat & leaves you cold.

To be fair with Rajaatesh, it's rare to find a director these days who is truly skilled at directing large casts. & he deserves praise in extracting some noteworthy performance from all the eight actors. The pick of the lot being the bong damsel Rituparna Sen Gupta.

Writer –director Rajaatesh Nair ‘Sirf’ should be taught in film schools across the world as a lesson in how not to make an ensemble picture. (Even after Salaam-E-Ishq, - which at least had a good music to take home, ironically, ‘Sirf’ fails in this department also). Cause the maker over here puts too many eggs in his basket, and winds up with a very runny omelette. ‘Sirf’ Tum… Hmmhh Hmmhh hmmmmh.