Allah Ke Banday

After 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'City of Gold ', once again we have a movie based on the similar lines by Faruk Kabir. Though 'Allah Ke Banday' i... read more

After 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'City of Gold ', once again we have a movie based on the similar lines by Faruk Kabir. Though 'Allah Ke Banday' is his first project as a director but one thing which is highly commendable is the fact that rather than creating any Rom-Com he tried his hands on such a strong topic.

Regardless of the fact that the movie contains a strong social message to be conveyed i.e. 'how slum children get exposed to the world of crime', 'Allah Ke Banday' falls short at many places. As a viewer I will say that there were many questions which should have been answered but they werent- like 'Vijey was never questioned regarding his source of income during school days?', 'What forced Naseeruddin Shah to start begging'? So in short at many places the story goes bland and loses its impact. The only thing which is worth-watching in 'Allah Ke Banday' is its Climax!

'City of Gold' by Mahesh Manjrekar was something similar and was more engaging than 'Allah Ke Banday' but it did not give any solution to the problem. So, inspite of falling weak at various places one thing that makes Allah Ke Bandey shine, is the solution it gives.

Honestly, Faruk Kabir could have screened this subject in much better way. Not only direction & screenplay but also Dialogues, camera-work and editing were weak. Music of the film is beautiful and that is one more thing which raises the bar for 'Allah Ke Banday'. Speaking of performances, the only person that impresses is Sharman Joshi, though this is the first time he is seen in a such a role but he was brilliant. Faruk Kabir as a debutant was good, veteran Naseeruddin Shah was not used properly, Atul Kulkarni was at his best and Anjana Sukhani didnt have much scope.

Undoubtedly 'Allah Ke Banday' does not have a conventional storyline but the way its plot has been shown onscreen is not gripping. It kicks off pretty well but then disappoints in between and catches up its momentum during climax. As an audience I felt that Naseeruddin Shah's role was highly under-developed knowing the fact that he is just brilliant in these kinds of roles.

The movie is all about the bitter fact that how circumstances force the kids from the slums to take up crime, which completely destroys them.

Footer: 'Allah Ke Banday' is not executed well and this is the biggest reason it wont be able to catch the eye-balls.

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Allah Ke Bandey translated in English means Children of God and it is heavily inspired by City of God. The inspiration shows in the title itself.It... read more

Allah Ke Bandey translated in English means Children of God and it is heavily inspired by City of God. The inspiration shows in the title itself.

It begins with an identical sequence of two kids running through the by lanes of a chawl a la Slumdog Millionare. In this film two kids who are over smart for their age are overacted by two kids who think they are the next superstars get sent to a remand home. They come out after 11 years to take hold of the place they grew up in. a place everyone in the film calls Bhool Bhulaiya. The word is heard so many times in the film I wonder if not for the Akshay Kumar film the apt title for this one would have been Bhool Bhulaiya. The treatment is neither realistic nor filmy. It tries to be edgy like an RGV film. In fact in its Background Score it uses the same music piece which was used in Satya. Whatever message the director wants to give out is lost because the biggest mistake he does in the film is to cast him as one of the leads. Faruk Kabir is a complete non actor who comes across as a show off. I wonder why he couldnt find another actor to play that part. Sharman though trying hard to play the role well is a complete miscast. The only defining moment of the film is between Naseeruddin Shah & Sharman Joshi set in an Irani caf. The film required writing of such kind to make a mark. The climax is laugh out loud funny and is a mess in terms of writing just like the film.

Final few words: the film is an attempt to show off garbed under the pretense of meaningful cinema.

Rating: ** ( Theek Hai)

Ticket Meter: 90/- (watch it on DVD)
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So Mumbai has huge slums. No money, filthy water, unshaven men, and based purely on sound logic, unshaven women.They house the scum of the city w... read more

So Mumbai has huge slums. No money, filthy water, unshaven men, and based purely on sound logic, unshaven women.They house the scum of the city which cant be skimmed off.

They, however, also house hopes of filmmakers youve never heard of. I knew this was directed by some Faruk Kabir, whose name I instantly googled. When that didnt help, I realized he hasnt quite been partying/lobbying enough with the South Mumbai glam junta. But when Naseeruddin Shah is in a movie, you get your hopes high.

It turned out to be one of those blind ambition(to rise above the poverty line) movies.

Dirty underbelly becomes the dirty underworld.

Mumbaiya accent.
Bhaigiri.Chamchagiri. Dadagiri.
"Maa tujhe kuch nahi hoga. Mai hoon na tere saath."
"Ey Pakiya, tujhe kuch nahi hoga. Mai hoon na tere saath."
"Meri chinta mat kar, tu bhaag."

Those kinds.

But the story is told through two slum kids as metaphors. Yakub(Faruk Kabir himself) and Vijay(Sharman Joshi...Tagline: Now available without Aamir Khan) are the kids your mom wouldn't have let you play with. They sell charas, strike deals and fight like hell, at an age when those lucky enough to get an education are still debating the correct pronounciation of 'lingerie'. They land up in a juvenile prison run by a corrupt warden(Naseeruddin Shah), where of course they learn to lead a life of discipline and hard-work...in the crime world. They come out hardened criminals wanting to rule their slum.

So far, the most interesting element has been the kid who plays Yakub- natural and in your face.

Which is not good for the film, because Faruk Kabir makes him look just as uncool when he grows up. Lots of old Bollywood ham acting occurs, and he's fat too. I'm all for fat people in movies, but not when their role demands lots of running after other goons or running away from the police. Sharman Joshi does well though, and balances his co-actor/director/writer along with Naseeruddin Shah and Atul Kulkarni, who plays a teacher cum social reformer(non-preachy, thankfully).

Where it differs from the usual underworld story is that this explores how it affects the slum kids. Which is a brave idea cut short by the execution. If kids was the central theme, it leaves a lot undone.
Definitely not a fun film. Next time, Faruk.

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8-10 Slum/Gangster movie scripts - check.1 brilliant actor to put right in the centre of the poster - check.1 relatively well known nd competent ac... read more

8-10 Slum/Gangster movie scripts - check.
1 brilliant actor to put right in the centre of the poster - check.
1 relatively well known nd competent actor - check.
Let's double up as the second lead - check.
2 hot chicks for random eye candy - check.
Ready slum location (where else but Mumbai) -check.
A zillion kids - check.

What worked? Two child actors, and the first 45 minutes of the runtime.

The premise has been done to death. Two kids grow up in the slums, and create a living out of petty crimes. They hope to have a gang of their own, just like the bosses they work for. But their dream is cut short when they are sent to a juvenile penetentiary. It is here where these boys turn to men, and return years later to take over Bhool Bhulaiyaa, the slum where their story began.
The script borrows heavily from numerous gangster movies like City of God (a blueprint of sorts for these kind of films), City of Gold, Slumdog Millionaire, Deewar, Sleepers, and even The Shawshank Redemption. But what works in the favour of AKB is it's zippy first half, thanks to the delectable performances of the two child artists playing Vijay and Yakub, smart editing, well thought-out sequences, and a great background score which is a mix of Indian and Western beats. Where it fails is its badly written second half. Almost the entire storyin that hour seems redundant to the rest of the film. Too much emphasis is given to the training of the kids for creation of a anew mafia. Sidetracks of the other gang leaders are useless. The schoolteachers track diverts from the plot as well. The narrative seizes to be as gipping as the kids had made it pre-interval.
But like a roller-coaster ride, the script picks up momentum once again towards the climax. But by that time you're so bored, that you would stop caring.

In terms of performances, the two kids are perhaps the only great part about the casting. Deliciously real and spontaneous, you feel for these slum-dwellers left to find their fate. Sharman Joshi as the grown-up Vijay shines as the quiet and pensive one, who sees his path to selfdestruction just in the right time. Director Faruk is a disappointment as the grown-up Yakub. He's a good actor, no doubt, but doesn't convince as the adult version of the smart-alec we just saw. Naseeruddin Shah is in frame for only about 15 minutes, but walks away with the applause with his only appearance in the second half. Atul Kulkarni is average. God knows why Anjana Sukhani and Rukhsar are part of this film. That one random sex scene as superfluous as the girls. Other supprting actors are nothing to talk about.
The cinematography is brillaint, thanks to the realistic portrayal and on-location shoot in Mumbai slums. Dialogues are cheesy, most of them, much like the 70s action masalas, but don't seem out of place.
Credit must be given that the concept of gangwar isn't glorified, and the climax is not entirely optimistic.

All in all, sure it's predictable and a little been-there-seen-that, but it's still a very dark gripping feature and would appeal to your senses if you like some serious cinema.
Definitely worth watching once, maybe not in the hall though. Wait for the DVD/TV telecast. view less

nice movie