Pink (2016)

India Reliance Entertainment DVD



The Great Old Man - The Tall One
: Amitabh Bachchan


Another Bollywood Court-room drama ?
With the actors happily hamming it up shrieking their lines at the camera ?
No but Yes. YES, the British left something useful to the indians besides railways and that's the judiciary system with it's
possibilities for making cinematic court-room drama. Bollywood are indebted to the brits for sure as the court-room
often can be seen in the films from the world's greatest dream factory.
But NO, this time the actors don't ham it up too bad, OK, it's a bit melodramatic with some shrieking at the end but it's
also powerful (and what do i know, maybe indian lawyers like to shriek when they appear in court ... Piyush Mishra ?).

Amitabh Bachchan gives an impressive restrained performance
as the old defence lawyer taking on his last case.
I'm not kidding, this must be one of the best performances from this Titan, even though i haven't seen even close to
everything he has made the last 10-15 years, i admit that. AB, with half a century of filmmaking behind him now but still
going strong in his 74th year and something of a Mr. Bollywood, with classics as Don, Sholay, Shaan, Coolie etc. etc.
With that length of his and the deep voice he makes an imposing figure, and rooted in the old Bollywood way of making
films it sometimes can be a bit too much and just a whiff of the masala film.

But here Amitabh gives a great performance and is genuinely gripping as the old lawyer, saddened by his wife's situation,
she's hospitalized and dying, and of his own ailing health but still determined to defend 3 neighbour girls in court.

What a great face

This film for sure has a pro-woman rights message and we, the world needs more of that and Bollywood provides it.
If Bollywood directors and scriptwriters had the governmental power in India there probably would be no corrupted
politicians and police, no religious riots, there would be only love marriages, female equality and lots of dancing.
But, does this film preach overly, because that's never good, and No .... Pink does not and works effectively as Court-
room drama thriller where Amitabh Bachchan really shines. He's well assisted by the great Piyush Mishra and the trio
of girls with i.a. Taapsee Pannu, she who gave a memorable fighting performance in the Super Hit "Baby".

Kirti Kulhari as Falik Ali and Andrea Tariang as herself

Three young women, Minal Arora (Pannu), Falik Ali (Kulhari) and Andrea Tariang share an apartment in Delhi and at
the beginning of the film a young man, Rajvir (Angad Bedi) is rushed to a hospital with a wound to his head.
What has happened? That we will get to know step by step.
3 girls has met 3 boys at a rock concert and then have had a dinner at a resort, whereafter the girls did follow the boys
to their rooms. Then Minal hit Rajvir with a bottle to his head causing some serious injury and the girls fled from the
resort, end of the party night. Did Rajvir and his friends, Vishwa (Tushar Pandey) and Dumpy (Raunak Anand), take
this little incident with good spirits? No, they did not. They are rich and well connected and Rajvir's uncle is a minister
and they are out for revenge. The harassment of the girls begin.

They threaten to rape them, threatens their landlord to evict them from their apartment and put hateful photos on social
media making Falik Ali to loose her job. When Minal Arora files a police complaint, instead, she soon is arrested for
murder attempt and soliciting (prostitution), and Mamta Malik is delightfully unlikeable as the probably corrupt female
police inspector Sarla Premchand making the arrest. Ha, ha, she shines in her small role as the arrogant cop (and, yes,
i'm a sick puppy, i know ... but she's kinda hot in a strange way)

Taapsee Pannu as Minal Arora and Amitabh Bachchan as Deepak Seghal

An old neighbour, a silent man seemingly deeply entangled in his own thoughts, has been observing the girls in a bit
brooding way. When Minal is arrested and they're taken to court for attempted murder and for soliciting he suddenly
rings their door and gives them legal advice. Will he dress up in his court-room suit and take on his last battle? Answer:
Will Hrithik Roshan yet another time flare his nostrils, rip off his shirt and flex his Bollywood Gym muscles? = Yes!

Misogynist prosecutor Mr. Prashant (Piyush Mishra) vs. defence, could Amitabh Bachchan's Deepak Seghal pull a
rabbit out of the hat? Answer: Will Hrithik Roshan etc etc yada yada, does a bear take a dump in the woods bla bla?
Still, a powerful ending and a really impressive performance from Amitabh.
Anamorphic widescreen, 5.1 or 2.0 hindi audio with english subtitles. No extras
Some small marks at the outer rim due to sloppy manufactoring, did not affect play when i watched the film

 

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