Metro In Dino Review: Anurag Basu Delivers Masterclass On Modern Love, Pritam's Music Adds To The Magic

News18

2 days ago

It primarily revolves around the lives of four couples – Shibani and Parimal, Kajol and Monty, Shruti and Akash, and Chumki and Parth. Shibani isn't really stuck in an unhappy marriage, but often finds herself questioning why she has allowed life to rob her off of her identity and aspirations. So, when an opportunity arrives to attend a college reunion, she grabs it with both hands. There, she meets Parimal. The two were in love but Parimal lacked the courage to take it to the next step. Years later, they reminisce the old times and set out on a journey to help Parimal's widowed daughter-in-law find love and purpose again.
Kajol and Monty have started to notice the little dents in their marriage. Even sex now happens following an appointment. Monty resorts to a dating app called Linger to bring back the spark in his sex life and when Kajol comes to know of it, she takes matters into her own hands and begins chatting with him using a catfish account. She catches him red-handed and decides to walk out of the marriage. Monty, realising his mistake, sets out to win her back.
Shruti and Akash aren't your regular lovebirds. 'Shruti aur mujhe ek dusre se zyaada ek dusre ke pagalpan se ishq tha," states Akash. They get married and then Shruti gets pregnant. And that creates a dent in their relationship. Akash is now worried that he will have to put his dream of becoming a musician on hold and lead a regular, boring life as a corporate slave, much like his father. They decide to pursue a long-distance marriage but the thought of having a child draws Shruti to her colleague, a single father.
Chumki and Parth, on the other hand, meet accidentally. She's already in a relationship, a safe one at that with no passion. Parth is a commitment-phobic playboy cum man child with no real job. Chumki, a self-proclaimed confused person, finds herself slowly drawn towards Parth but is left torn between him and her fiancé. Eventually, a friendship forms between her and Parth but much to her surprise, he announces one day that he's finally ready to get married and has already found a match.
All these stories are interlinked and take place against Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore, and hence, these cities play key roles in the plotline. The film begins with an elaborate sequence that introduces each character, breaking the fourth wall with song dialogues. A true-blue musical indeed! For instance, Kajol while introducing herself sings, 'Jab life ki ho jaati hai batti gul, posts mere social media mein ho jaati utni hi colourful." And yes, it's Pritam magical compositions that truly elevate the screenplay.
Unlike Life In A Metro where the Metro Band comprised him, Suhail Kaul and Fahruk Mahfuz Anam (James), Metro In Dino has him along with new additions – Papon and Raghav Chaitanya. And no points for guessing that the trio does appear onscreen to perform the songs as the scenes play out. What a nostalgic ride! Pritam's songs remain one of the biggest highlights of the film. The pre-interval block that encapsulates the falling action as the musical trio gives tunes to the characters' heartaches is an absolute delight, almost giving you a feel of watching a live concert.
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Even at 2 hours 42 minutes, there's hardly a moment where Metro In Dino loses pace. Anurag manages to hold your attention for close to three hours and to be able to do that in a romantic drama is an achievement in itself. The comedy, the drama, the tension – Metro In Dino nails it all! The first half is terrific, extraordinary, making you laugh and think and shed a tear or two, all at once. The action drops a tad bit in the second half but that hardly impacts the narrative. And what's interesting and special is that the film is sprinkled with references from Life In A Metro.
In a scene, the insouciant and happy-go-lucky Parth takes an upset and frustrated Chumki to Delhi's Ugrasen Ki Bawli and helps her shout her heart out to let it all out and this is followed by a heartfelt conversation between them. Remember the iconic Monty-Shruti scene from Life In A Metro? In fact, Kajol and Monty in this film appear to be an extension of Shruti and Monty from the first one. Anurag beautifully incorporates the themes of modern romance such as infidelity, confusion, commitment phobia, mid-life crisis, fading love, feminism and second chances with aplomb.
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To add to that, the performances are top notch. Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher deliver brilliant acts. Konkona Sensharma and Pankaj Tripathi will win you over with their impeccable comic timing – maybe Pankaj will even make you not miss Irrfan so much. Every time Monty tries to woo Kajol, your heart will feel heavy with love. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Ali Fazal are fantastic too. In fact, it's their storyline that stands out and the nuances and intricacies of their long-distance marriage and the push-and-pull is treated with a whole lot of maturity and sensitivity. Their chemistry is palpable and Fatima truly is a revelation.