THE LAST LEAR
THE MILK OF INTELLECTUAL CINEMA
by Vishal Verma
Based on Utpal Dutt's play Aajker Shahjahan
Banner: Planman Motion Pictures
Producer: Arindam Chaudhuri
Genre: Drama
Target audience: For the niche audience who understand and follow Shakespeare.
Shooting Locations (City & Country): Kolkata, Mussoorie,
Executive Producer / Co-Producer: Shubho Shekhar Bhattacharjee
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Shefali Chhaya, Divya Dutta Jishu Sengupta & Prosenjit.
Cinematography: Abhik Mukhopadhyay
Editor: Arghyakamal Mitra
Screenplay: Rituparno Ghosh
Sound: Bishwadeep Chatterjee
Dialogue: Rituparno Ghosh & Anjana Basu
Costume: Surily Goel
Media Promotion: Planman Motion Pictures in house PR department
Technical Analysis:
A lot has already been said about Rituparno Ghosh's film ‘The Last Lear’ and Amitabh Bachchan's performance in it. Yet a lot more needs to be told to put all the speculations to rest, I pray that Shakespeare doesn’t feel upset in heaven by me for using his lines over here but Rituparno’s most talked about film may be Greek to many. The reason is that the theatrical opportunities are limited as the film is almost in English.
Oh dear, this is a sorry sight (commercially) as Rituparno carves this dish for the intellectual gods who follow Shakespeare but he neither rhymes nor reasons the film to appeal to the global audience.
Rituparno does deserves all the accolades for convincingly depicting the perfectionist attitude of an actor and a director who can go to the limits to get their best shot, but the problem is that a common cinegoer will be baffled by all the proceedings.
The film represents a somewhat hurried adaptation of what must be a fairly static play and its use of Bachchan as an aging Shakespearian actor.
This is perhaps too much gimmickry for such slender and overly melodramatic material. The film derives from a play by Bengali actor-playwright Utpal Dutt. And all too often, when it reverts to three women holed up in flat, smoking, eating and gossiping, it feels laboriously like a play.
The short and long of it – Rituparnos ‘The Last Lear’ is a bit contrived but Ghosh's film is saved by the actors.
One word about Amitabh performance – Good.
It’s not great and the best is yet to come
The Story
Based on Utpal Dutt's play Aajker Shahjahan, this one is about Harry (Amitabh – brilliant as ever) who at 65 relishes vodka, pondering over why the world has gone mad, busy making a doorbell that only Einstein can ring and chanting Shakespeare without a worry in the world. Harry lives with his resilient partner, Vandana (Shefali Chhaya – excellent), and together, they don't care a damn for social sanction. Harry lives for acting, loves theatre, adores Shakespeare and absolutely detests cinema. Harry and Vandana are living happily in the cubbyholes of Kolkata, oblivious and invisible to the world. In walks one day Siddharth (Arjun Rampal – very good) . A young, cool and stubborn director. He is smart, Harry has no idea that Siddharth has a film on his mind and Siddharth has no clue how tough this ride is going to be. He soon finds out that to please Harry, he just needs to like you. That should be easy. So he plays along.
As they bond over coffees, vodka and conversations, well, stuff happens. When Harry decides to do the film, he changes the lives of everyone involved. Siddharth feels his job is done. In reality, it's only just begun. Shabnam (Preity Zinta – fantastic), his co-star, picks up tips on acting, Shakespeare and happy living. She could do with all of that, considering her stumpy acting skills and messed up personal life. And then comes along an event that will change everything - the shoot, the mood and the relationships.
Promotion
Such movies need festival recognition and luckily, this one has it. The film has been advertised and marketed as Big B’s best act, which may in the long run go against it. As Big B is good but not great. The promotion though has generated interest amongst the niche audience.
Media awareness had been apt.
Business Analysis
Compared to Rituparno’s previous films ‘Choker Bali’, Titli, ‘Raincoat’, this falls below expectations.
Though it takes a different subject of an artiste greed & possessiveness, this too has the feminist elements like his previous films.