Review: B.A Pass

As a person I am against the term “Judgemental” but when it comes to movie, we all do make assumptions by looking at it’s trailers, posters or analysing the star cast, name of the production house, director and the list goes on depending on one’s personal depth of knowledge about entertainment and cinema.

Most importantly we pay for it and as a middle class consumer we strongly believe in “Value for money”. When I first came across to the poster of B.A Pass where I spotted Shilpa Shukla and numerous accolades gathered in various international film festivals, it seemed that it is not an ordinary movie. For past few months there has been series of good movies and I had never felt so good going to the theatres and coming back getting surprised on every visit that I paid. When I first looked at the trailer my reaction was Oh! Boy.. And I told myself, no matter what reviews does it get, I am up for Ajay Bahl’s B.A Pass.

It wasn't planned but I landed up in one of the cheesiest sleazy theatres in south Mumbai. It was after many years I had been to a vintage one screen primitive theatre, its exterior’s looked awful and crowd could be differentiated from regular  high street multiplexes. It appeared to me that the poster and trailer made quite an impact as it was crowded, people from various age groups starting doubtfully 18 to couples in their early 50’s were present. As I enter the auditorium, I had a chill looking at the ravaged chairs and damp smell which hypothetically looked more like RGV horror film sets. A man guided us to our seat with the help of a torch light. I timidly make myself comfortable or atleast I pretended but surely I wasn’t sure I am going to make through the entire show. Thank god! My chair was clean and I prayed as I did not wanted rats or crawlers running over me. Slowly theatre is houseful. Boy’s right out of their puberty make galore of noise and other grown up gangs hush hush them which more sounded like angry snakes making noise, not less than adventure, silver screen lightens up and the show begins.

B.A Pass is an official adaptation from book “The Railway Aunty” written by Mohan Sikka. Screen play by Ritesh Shah, and directed by Ajay Bahl. On the Main leads were Chak De girl, Shilpa Shukla, Shadab Kamal, Rajesh Sharma and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. Now did I had a judgement about this movie, answer is yes! I was not sure how the translation would take place on screen for such a bold subject, but I was hopeful.

Shilpa Shukla’s role may have been very demanding performing bold and sensuous scenes, she fitted rightly to the character, where she is able to justify the crude, sexy, horny character as portrayed by Mohan Sikka. As story progresses movie is not sleazy, It is not cheesy even though scenes where shadab and Shilpa are seen in an hot, intimate action but nowhere they looked uncanny. Story revolves around the dark aspect of life. It’s not a story of Railway Aunty but is a story of a boy whose destiny had changed in an incident where he loses his both the parents. Whether you call it a bad luck or a bad destiny, his journey will take one through some of the darkest non spoken facts about the Indian society. Formation of our values and belief systems in our society which are so hollow that when it comes to real life terms they appear tragic and how it changes the course of path for one poor individual in its most tragic form.

Shadab has lived up to every bit of Mukesh, he tells you what pain he has deep within him, which he fights back at every occasion. Not a rebellious of nature but he appears to be a soldier, but a soldier who is been in captivate of an unknown enemy. It worsens when he realises that everybody were his enemy but it was too late then for him to realise. If you actually look at it, this movie will make you sad, but at the same time it will awaken you stating how life is full of unprecedented events, how blood relations get powerless over money, how worse money could be to a mankind and how helpless one can be and all we can do is to fight back at every minute until the breath stops! Leading to an orderly silence as it all ends.

As movie ended, lot of audience looked surprised, apart from few claps and whistles while a man and women were steaming in action, they surrendered to heart touching story and were glued to the pain that was shown. Once again a great watch, the only spoiler for me if it had more refinement when it comes to storytelling ability. Shilpa is great at her work but this new bloke Shadab was the show stealer. With 3.5***, I suggest you to watch this incredible story, a unspoken and unexplored truth of our society which I am sure doesn't only exists in Paharganj or Delhi’s Railway colony.