That Girl in Yellow Boots

Just finished watching ‘That Girl in yellow Boots’ which was a Kalki Koechlin’s movie directed by Anurag Kashyap. I refrain myself from writing critical appreciation for two main reason.

1. Only for the the matter of fact that it brings in those days of Xth standards where ICSE English Literature question paper always had that question to write a critical appreciation on a prose. Though every time, I attempted the question, I kept lamenting.

2. I don't have the expertise to comment on some one's labor of love.

I think Indian Film Industry is undergoing a makeover. There was a day when so called commercial and better known ‘Art' and ‘Masala’ movie were offered better likes; but now, there's a mix breed of movies, a completely new genre of movies which are narrated from the point of view of an ordinary urban man or woman ; which not necessarily be big budget but will move you with its honesty of expression.The beautiful part is that it makes you look at things as they are, how they are and where they are.  They bring out the filth, scum and dirt on the large screen without being labeled as a documentary film or an art cinema.  They just show things and stay away from preaching anything to the audience.  

The Story sets itself to the city of dreams, Mumbai. The Mumbai that we usually see on the big screen has as much music and magic and light as mayhem and madness. But in the city that this film depicts

there can be no room for a fairy tale or a happy desire. It gnaws into the vitals of individuals in insidious ways and leaves them gasping for a gust of the fresh air of innocence and honesty.

The story is about a girl searching for her father in India, working at a massage parlor (and you know what that means in Indian context), falling in all wrong hands and getting exploited by everyone.  You face a big shock at the end; you are left asking questions; there are too many unanswered questions in the movie. And that what makes me closer to this genre. Its just shows things without preaching.

So why did I watch the movie which had little resemblance to entertainment. I watched it for the good acting of Kalki.  She has done full justice to her role in the movie. Avoid it if you are salivating by seeing the Censor Board's "A" on it because there's nothing for you there.  Expression was symbolic mostly, so wasn't really sizzling piece of semi clad stuff; in case if you are expecting.

The superbly crafted, wonderfully acted and consistently evocative That Girl in Yellow Boots paints a dark, dismal and desperate portrait of life inside Mumbai’s daunting entrails where Ruth hopes to find salvation and a father who went missing from her life when she was only five. The movie brings to the fore certain societal issues, which I don't think are very relevant to Indian society.  It talks of incest. Now, I don't think incest between a father and a daughter is common in Indian context. Familial ties and bonding and above that the basic set of moral responsibilities still act as a dominating factor even when parents and children and siblings share close and cramped living space in India.  So, somehow I felt this was a foreign element to Indian scenario.

The Story is not well spun but overall, a different movie for the one's who like to watch something less entertaining and more meaningful. But honestly, I'm not awed by it! Or may be I expected a lot   lot more from Anurag Kashyap’s errands