Cast: Irrfan Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Arunoday Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Saurabh Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, Sushant Singh, Prashant Narayanan, Vipul GuptaDirector: Sudhir Mishra
Producer: Prakash Jha
Rating: ***1/2
When it comes to crime comedies, the genre most of the time involves a girl, loads of money that keeps changing hands and smart talking gangsters. While some experiments fail, very few manage to triumph the way Sudhir Mishra's 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' does. Mishra's 'YSZ' can definitely be hailed as the best, Hindi cinema has got in this genre.
Chartered Accountant Arun (Irrfan Khan) works for Mehta (Saurabh Shukla) who runs a money laundering business. He saves singer Priti (Chitrangada Singh) from a financial and legal mess as he ends up falling for her. While Arun never manages the time and courage to verbally tell his feelings to Priti, she flips for his friend, Shyam (Vipul Gupta). Shyam is already engaged to the daughter of the Home Minister. Meanwhile, a just out of jail small time goon, Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh) decides to give that one big shot before leaving crime forever for the sake of his wife (Aditi Rao Hydari) and son. This last shot involves kidnapping the daughter of the Home Minister and his would be son in law Shyam in return of his boss Bade (Yashpal Sharma) who is languishing in the Tihar jail. But in a case of mistaken identity, Kuldeep and his gang kidnaps Priti along with Shyam. Arun who was following Priti that time also gets involved in all this. What all further chaotic mess it all leads to is the rest part of the film.
Super paced narrative with multi layered characters and many interesting parallel tracks running together, Mishra's 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' shows you how you get a crime comedy right with the right dose of black humour. Manu Rishi and Sudhir Mishra's cuss words ridden dialogues (thankfully not beeped by the Censor Board) have you laughing your hearts out, and at places also have the power to sting your heart like a bee. The pacing is so quick that if you let your focus waver for even a minute, you are bound to miss a good line or an interesting development of the plot. This might be exhaustive for a few viewers. Mishra succeeds in giving each single character (even the insignificant ones) that one good scene that you will remember him/her for. There are some excellently penned and enacted sequences like the conversation in the taxi between Arun and Priti when he opens his heart out to her, Kuldeep and his son's talk after being summoned by his son's school principal, Kuldeep's bitter sweet 'nok-jhonk' with his sensuous wife and finally the film's climax. The film at places also reminds you of Mishra's 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi' (1996).
Nishat Khan and Abhishek Ray's songs are superbly incorporated without hampering the flow of the screenplay. Though dimly lit at many places, Sachin Krishnan's cinematography is terrific.
Irrfan makes his complex role appear like a cake walk for him. The stunning Chitrangada Singh has an arresting screen presence and acting talent to match. Arunoday Singh finally gets that one juicy role and emerges with a stand out performance. In her first major role, Aditi Rao Hydari is not only excellent but also displays her sensuous side well. Vipul Gupta fits his part. While Sushant Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Yashpal Sharma and Prashant Narayanan who are master performers in such genre of cinema yet again excel.
'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is a must watch for all those who complain Bollywood films of having weak scripts. With 'YSZ', master director Sudhir Mishra delivers his best film till date. Drop all other plans and head straight to the theatres!
By Abhijit Mhamunkar / Sanskriti Media & Entertainment
