|  Deewarein
Movie Review
There are some films that offer pure entertainment.
There's another category of films that takes a different
route and offers entertainment through enlightenment.
Nagesh Kukunoor's 3 DEEWAREIN [which takes its inspiration
from the Hollywood flick THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION] falls
in the second category.
The film has a setting that's disturbing,
uses language that's raw, showcases characters who are
far from ideal role models, but it looks at hope as
well as redemption that can occur in the darkest of
areas.
3 DEEWAREIN is the story of three prisoners
who've been sentenced to a death penalty - Jaggu [Jackie
Shroff], Nagya [Nagesh Kukunoor] and Ishaan [Naseeruddin
Shah].
The prison warden [Gulshan Grover] believes
in complete transformation and sees prisons as a home
for people and not as cages for animals.
Nagya feels that he was wrongly convicted
and truth will prevail, while Jaggu accepts his fate
willingly. Ishaan knows he will never walk a free man
again and sets out to do what he does best - find a
'patli gali' to escape.
Enter Chandrika [Juhi Chawla], a documentary
film-maker who wants to make a film on the three men.
Slowly, a bond begins to form between the three men
and Chandrika as they realise that in some inexplicable
way, they are linked to each other.
How are their fates linked to each other?
Realistically treated, 3 DEEWAREIN tells
the story of three convicts rather effectively. Although
a number of Hindi films have peeped into the lives of
prisoners, this one depicts the conditions they lead
their lives in, in the most realistic manner.
However, if this aspect is the USP of
the film, it's also its biggest drawback since a film
like this wouldn't be the perfect choice for a majority
of Indian cinegoers, looking for 'timepass' entertainment.
The target audience of the film is the intelligentsia
- the ones who choose to watch such films in the comfort
of their homes on DVDs.
Director Nagesh Kukunoor has treated
the subject with care. The film boasts of several well
penned, well enacted and well executed sequences. The
scene when Juhi finally decides to seek divorce from
her husband [Vallabh Vyas] is amongst the best sequences
witnessed on the Indian screen in recent times.
However, the climax of the film may
not find many takers. The audience reaction to 'three
stories, one ending' is sure to be diverse - extreme
appreciation or complete rejection.
Even otherwise, the film moves at a
snail's pace, which tests the patience of the viewer.
The generous usage of English language in several sequences
would also prove a deterrent, since the non-English
speaking audiences wouldn't be able to fathom what's
going on.
Director Nagesh Kukunoor has created
the right ambience and has also extracted natural performances
from one and all, but he seems to have miscalculated
that the viewer of today would comprehend the narrative
easily. A few sequences are bound to go over the top,
for the director has not taken the effort to explain
them well.
While the characters are believable
and the script intriguing, the cinematography provides
the important 'view' in the film. Thick walls, imposing
fences and confined spaces give the film a realistic
feel. The usage of the background music at a few places
only, works.
Naseeruddin Shah is fabulous in a role
that provides at least some relief in an otherwise grim
scenario. Jackie Shroff is first-rate. He manages to
convey the pain through expressions. Nagesh Kukunoor
is equally convincing.
Juhi Chawla is amazing. This is amongst
her finest performances. Gulshan Grover is adequate.
Sujata Mehta [sp. app.] is fair.
On the whole, 3 DEEWAREIN is a film
for mature audiences and critics, who love to go ga-ga
over arty movies. It may also hit upon some glory at
the film circuit. But on home turf, its appeal would
be restricted to a minority in big cities only. At the
box-office, the film has dismal chances!
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