A bromance as well as a romantic comedy, Sulemani Keeda is a coming of age story of two struggling script writers in Mumbai, who are trying to make it big in Bollywood. %the duo consists of diligent and shy Dulal (Naveen Kasturia) and insane and hustler Mainak) Mayank Tewari) who can go to any extent to get his script out there.
The pair are lazy and often unscrupulous, one of those million sex and fame-deprived youths getting through their daily problems and always looking to pick up girls at libraries and poetry recitals. The aim of director Amit Masurkar was to portray the two as adequately skilled but lacking opportunities, Thankfully not glorifying the pair as protégés.
We follow the two around the roads of Andheri, meeting with rejection after rejection, the mean streaks of nepotism inherent in the system. There is a scene where the two stand outside Yash Raj Film Studios for ages and giving up, ask the watchman to take their interview.
Finally, in a stroke of luck, they get their first break through Gonzo Kapoor (Karan Mirchandani), a famous movie producer’s son who wants to launch himself as a hero. He is inspired by Andre Tarkovsky-style movies and insists on outlandish ideas which totally baffles the scriptwriters.
During this time, the pair is also introduced to the pretty and confident photographer, Ruma (Aditi Vasudev). Dulaal falls in love with her after three days and in a parody of the original filmi climax involving a mad dash to the airport, confesses his love to her as she readies to depart for studies in the US.
There is a funny and rather philosophical scene parodying Bollywood, where Gonzo’s cat accidentally inhales cocaine and drowns himself in a fish bowl.
IN another self-reflexive look at Bollywood, there is the bringing to light of the fact that there is a huge gap between the producers and writers of Bollywood films, done by real-life producers Mahesh Bhatt and Anil Sharma, who offer advice to the youngsters.
Everything about the film–the characters, dialogue and setting feels real. A lot about this rather predictable script is still refreshingly narrated and well-acted by the cast. One can easily find that they can relate to the happy moments, the awkwardness, the compromises and the frustration of the writers.
However, somewhere in the middle, the director seems to lose the plot and things seem to drag in this albeit 89 minute long film.
About songs, the movie consists of some lively tracks which are enjoyable and catchy.
In summary, Sulemani Keeda is a great start by debutant director Amit Masurkar, but he needs to focus a bit more on the development of the plot and characters within the story.
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