2 months and 4 days... Ha - now thats a hell lot of a time to update one's blog (more so when it has such a huge fan following :P)

But now that i m here (courtesy RJ), its time for some serious talk:

During the last few months (to be more precise after the release of Dev D), I have become a huge fan of 'Anurag Kashyap' - the Bollywood director. I simply adore his movies - it started with Dev D, followed by Black Friday and then finally Gulaal. I have also enjoyed 'Main Khuda' song from his movie Paanch (which unfortunately was not released in India & I dont know why :-(). So if any of you guys, somehow manage to get hold of it: plzzzzzzzzz let me know (& i will treat you with whatever you like!!). My future plans also include watching 'No Smoking' again (it was an OHT for me first time around - but i had a feeling that this is also a great movie). Well the only other movie to get me this OHT effect earlier was Memento, which happens to be my all-time favourite movie. So you never know...

Now coming to the point: Dev D vs Gulaal
But why this comparison you may ask? Well its triggered by one comment of my dear friend RJ (which had my head rolling like Abhay Deol in Dev D - Believe me!!). So lets do it:

1. The First Half:

Dev D - When the first half finished, I said WOWWWWW (the last movie which made me do so was Nolan's masterpiece - the dark knight!). Mind-blowing acting, coupled by a gripping storyline, tripled by a dizzying music. It was a feeling similar to my 'first tequila shot'. I was on a high, a real HIGH! The only thing i feared was that in the second half, the movie can only go down............

Gulaal - If i was Tequilaised by Dev D, then I was Blender's Pride(ed) by Gulaal (which happens to be my ultimate hangover till date, ask my dear flatmate). Yes, it had overtaken Dev D in the first half (even if it was by a whisker).

And what was the reason for this: Bold dialogues???
YES, they were one of the many reasons, not because no other movie had such a huge dosage of this censored stuff before, but because it gave the movie the REALITY that it portrayed. When in Rajasthan Rajputana, this is exactly how they talk (one of my friend from this place confirms it). And kudos for AK, for bringing this out in open like the way only he can :-)

Someone said: "Very gripless, senseless music"???
Well everyone is entitled for his/her opinion. But to me, it was almost the biggest LIE in the world (yes RJ - this really hurt)! For, i have not seen more sensible music in any movie which gels so well with the storyline, the characters, the whole setting up of the movie and which grips you right till the end..!! I honestly feel that AK has also mastered this art of giving the ultimate Movie-Music como to us - everytime without fail..!!!

Someone also said: "KK Menon is not even 1 percent of what he truly is"???
Now such a comment i think is good enough to trigger an India-Pakistan war :P
KK is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of our generation, and his Gulaal exploits again re-establish this fact. "Mrityunjay singh" role in Gulaal was made for KK. And thanks AK for choosing the best man for the job again!

2. The Second Half:

Dev D - Ah, my worst fears did not come true in the second half (thank GOD!). Dev D, Paaro and Chanda continued with their mesmerizing performances right till the end, giving the movie a well-deserved cult status. The Dev D effect was so overwhelming that whatever i saw for the next couple of weeks seemed utterly drab and forgetful. Never ever had a movie made me feel like this.............

Gulaal - My worst fears came true here :-(
The second half (though good) was unable to match the dizzying heights of the first half. The reason for that was "Dileep Singh" sudden transition from a scared piece of shit to almost terminator status. That in spite of being supremely exciting, was a touch unrealistic. Moreover, the movie somehow lost its plot towards the end as well. However having said that, the "Raanaji" song with its current political overtones and the amazing dialogues of "Prithvi Bana" (Piyush Mishra) throughout the movie were a sheer delight!

3. The Final Verdict

Somebody said: "DevD 5, Gulal 2.5" (on a 5-point scale)!!
The only person in this world that may just agree with this assessment is Nikhit Kazmi (the Times of India movie review authority). His ratings were: "DevD 5, Gulaal 3".

According to me: "Dev D: 5/5, Gulaal 4.5/5"
And thats not only my egoist verdict. That is the verdict of movie buffs nation-wide. If you are not satisfied, all you have to do is check IMDb: As i blog, the current ratings there are: "Dev D 8.7/10, Gulaal 8.7/10". OR check the movie reviews of 'The Hindu' OR just check on google, and i assure you that you will say: Bingo! :-)

4. The Best Lines

Dev D - Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyaar, Tera Emosional Attayachar...

Gulaal - Is Mulak Ne Har Shaks Ko Jo Kaam Tha Saupan, Har Shaks Ne Us Kaam Ki Maachis Laga Ke Chhod Di...


All said & done - the central figure behind all that was discussed here is the mercurial director AK..!! You can find all the details about him on wikipedia.
His next venture will be "Mumbai Cutting", which is still under production. As i write this post sitting in Mumbai, how i am looking forward to this next master-piece..!!!

Disclaimer: All the views expressed in this post are not only mine but of 99% of the movie buffs allover India (Dont worry, I have done a survey to arrive at this figure). You have the right to disagree with these views. I would really love constructive/destructive comments on this post!