Movie Review: Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011)

A while ago, while chatting him up for my show on TV, I had queried Sudhir Mishra as to why Hindi film industry fails to produce qualitative movies, unlike the 1960s and 1970s, which have tremendous recall value even in the present day? I markedly remember, Mishra didn’t blink an eyelid while answering this one: “That’s because most producers are not literate enough to understand scripts that could elevate the standards of Hindi films. Film-making for them is limited to the weekend business these days.” The proclamation stayed with me!

When you saunter into a cineplex to watch a Sudhir Mishra film, it’s given that this maverick film-maker will serve you non-formulaic stuff. As a viewer, I liked some of his efforts [IS RAAT KI SUBAH NAHIN, HAZAARON KHWAISHEIN AISI], but a few didn’t live up to my expectations. His new film, YEH SAALI ZINDAGI, has already generated the buzz for a variety of reasons. It’s ‘controversial’ or ‘provocative’ title being the key one.

Arun (Irrfan Khan) and Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh), two gangsters commit the biggest blunder. They get their love life entangled with their criminal misdemeanours. End result? A guns and roses story where everybody gets enmeshed in a dangerous web of fraud, treachery and kidnapping. Can anybody break the vicious circle?

Reviews:

Good Reviews  |  Average Reviews  |  Bad Reviews
Positive Reviews
3.5	” YEH SAALI ZINDAGI is a striking example of new age cinema.” – Bollywoodhungama
3.5	“Dark, devious and different, Yeh Saali Zindagi is brain-and-brawn drama.” – Times Of India
3.5	“A twisted entertainer.” – Rediff
3.5	“YEH SAALI ZINDAGI is a racy entertainer which blends the right amount of romance, comedy and thrill.” – Glamsham
3.5	“Yeh Saali Zindagi is elementarily a love story but the chaos adds the element of thrill in it.” – Nowrunning
3.0	“Yeh Saali Zindagi doesn’t hit all the high marks it sets for itself but it provides enough crackle to keep you entertained. Check it out.” – NDTV Movies
3.0	“Yeh Saali Zindagi is chaotic but enjoyable” – DNA India
Average Reviews
Negative Reviews

Tagged Irrfan Khan, Reviews