Watched HoneyMoon Travels Pvt Ltd when it released .. it’s quite late in the day to talk about it but this was lying in my unpublished list of posts gathering dust and thought I might as well get it out.
it’s very uniquely directed… that’s the first thing that struck me- coz the movie is such that it could have failed miserably considering the following factors
1. more than avg number of characters
2. a relatively routine topic of honeymooners
However what makes it a very good film:
1. the characters are very 21st century and easily identifiable to the urban populations
2. the problems are age old – two people living together leading to discords- again easily identifiable
3. each character is given enough screen space to execute an idea which connects them with the audience.
4. the director has been very imaginative in drawing the characters – for instance – the character of Ameesha Patel is naive, garrulous and that of a dreamer. It is annoying but also draws sympathy. the character of Raima Sen has grace, boldness and is gutsy. And the very quirky and funny sequence of Abhay Deol and his partner.
5. the actors exhibit good chemistry with their partners as well as with the rest of the cast.
The movie displays characters dealing with a variety of social topics like widow remarriage – adolescent pressures – gay relations – runaway brides – online bride and groom hunting – but the movie is not about these topics – meaning the characters go through whatever turmoil such events can cause but the movie does not focus on those events. As though recognizing that such things are simply an outcome of people cloistered together in an increasingly smaller world where ideas/customs/information are exchanged easily. The movie is not about how can a widow remarry or how are gay relations or how young girls start smoking but rather as something that has happened to the characters as anything else can.
The movie is more interested in how the characters react or behave and never tries to preach or appear to deliver a social message. For eg: when two 55 yr old widows remarry, the movie does not focus on the problems of their alliance with a vengeance but focuses on how the two use sense, humour and their friendship to surmount any issues.
The music score is intelligently placed and does not bore you. In fact the whole movie is fast paced and doesn’t give you the time to get bored. A continuous series of cute or shocking or funny or quirky events take place and before you know it, the two hour film is over.
Very very watchable is my verdict.
