If you are well familiar with the much-appreciated works and stature of director Majid Majidi in world cinema, then you will readily agree that Majidi making a Hindi film revolving around Mumbai is nothing short of ‘a major event’ for Indian Cinema, the producers and the entire team associated with the project undoubtedly.
So I was excited enough to watch one of the most awaited films of the year for moviebuffs like us. But the excitement didn’t take long to get over in just a few minutes into the film, which unexpectedly turned out to be way short of director’s own set standards in the past, with no novelty in either the concept, storyline or characterisations conceived/presented by the maestro.
Thinking about the initial months of its making, It seems the producers or the creative team working with the director couldn’t express, share or frankly reveal the actual truth at the scripting level itself, that the writing had nothing novel in it as a subject and this has all been already done to death in several Hindi films since last decade or so.
On the other hand, its also true that they might have been in two minds hesitating in sharing the same with a creator like Majid Majidi, who is indeed capable of rising much above a routine script with his proven expertise over the medium and a unique way of presentation.
Anyway, whatever might have been the case, it seems no one conveyed the blunt truth to Majidi making his first Hindi film on a highly cliched theme. And more sadly, the director too remained unable to create any expected magic on screen, except brilliantly showcasing Mumbai locations and having great fun playing with silhouettes, at least giving you something to praise or enjoy as a loyal fan. Besides he thankfully also manages to extract a fabulous debut performance from his lead actor, Ishaan, who remains the only one excelling throughout the film, among other average and even over-excited performers like Malavika Mohanan.
On a personal note, I have always felt a certain emotional as well as spiritual pull in Majidi Majidi films, mostly focusing on kids and their heart wrenching acts, bringing tears to your eyes with a mixed feeling of sadness and joy together. As a sensitive person himself, his films always had that touch of a humanitarian working behind the camera capturing simple yet beautiful moments of life with an amazing, gifted ease.
Surprisingly I couldn’t find anything of that caliber in BEYOND THE CLOUDS to be honest, neither in terms of emotions nor in the kids acting in the film missing that magnetic pull. Everything seemed to be so beautiful to the level of becoming artificial, never reaching out to the audience as if Majidi was intentionally making something competing with Danny Boyle and his (questionably) Oscar winner movie, more interested in winning over the International festival audience instead of the Indian viewers.
The director no doubt remains at ease working in a different setting and country tackling an unusual theme (as per his body of work) revolving around drugs, crime and a brother-sister trauma moving in and out of Mumbai jail. But the theme is so old and cliched as far as Hindi films are concerned that it simply fails to establish any connect right from the first frame to the last ending on an open note. In fact, only the Mumbai people would be able to relate the most, but that too with just the locations and local ambience of the film, more than anything else.
A big confusion over its target audience also gets proved by the point that the film in Hindi was given a title in English as BEYOND THE CLOUDS with no other alternative title in Hindi communicating with the Hindi film audience. And BEYOND THE CLOUDS is not any phrase as simple as OCTOBER, BLACKMAIL, RAID, MISSING, WAITING or many more English titles seen in Hindi cinema. In my opinion, the makers could have or should have easily given it an alternative Hindi title too as say, ‘Us Paar’, ‘Aasman Se Aagey’ or else reaching out to the viewers waiting for the film within the country too.
Interestingly almost every Majid Majidi Iranian film has two titles in the credits, one in the local language and other in English. But strangely here we don’t have a Hindi title for the film that has been majorly released for the Hindi film viewers in India. Or maybe they never actually made it for the people within the country at all.
Recalling another mismatch moment of the film, it was quite odd to see Ishaan speaking the English words communicating with the kid-girl with such a fine accent, whereas he was supposed to be a slum-boy not knowing the language at all.
Coming to the soundtrack and background music, its yet another uninspiring score from the second maestro involved in the film, A. R. Rahman. In a few words, how would you describe or analyze, when a master like Rahman decides or is forced to use a two decades old song of his in an international film like this, in order to bring some melody in. The fact clearly conveys it all, but if only a person is humbly willing to accept.
Overall, BEYOND THE CLOUDS is a technically well-crafted and a visually striking film that keeps focusing on its pleasing imagery instead of the characters, emotions or storytelling, which ironically used to be the famous USP of its world-renowned director. In short, Ishaan Khatter and fresh Mumbai visuals are the only two worth applauding features of this Majid Majidi film missing The Majid Majidi.
Ratings : 2 / 5
(Note: The article was first published on UC-News Mobile App in April 2018)
